Lieberman To Attend GOP Convention?

Several Connecticut papers have that story today.

Lieberman may attend GOP convention
Aides to senator say it is 'quite possible' the independent Democrat would go to support McCain

Aides to Lieberman, who was in Germany and unavailable for comment, said it is "quite possible" that the self-described independent Democrat will be headed to the Twin Cities for the GOP convention.

State Democratic Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo said that would go over "like a lead balloon" for party members.

"It's very disheartening because two years ago he spoke about working to get a Democrat elected president," DiNardo said.

The criticism from members of his own party isn't a surprise to Lieberman, who lost the 2006 Democratic primary to Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont and ran as an independent to win re-election.

Lieberman's aides said the senator is viewing this year's election through the prism of an independent. He wants to see Democrats return to the party's moorings of being strong on national defense and promoting progressive values at home that were championed by President Kennedy.

Dan Gerstein, an architect of Lieberman's re-election campaign two years ago, said McCain and Lieberman share a bond as independent-minded "statesmen" who put their country's interests ahead of their party.

That would be the same Dan Gerstein who considers himself a Democratic strategist according to this piece in the WSJ. That would be the same Joe Lieberman who racked up a 66% disapproval in the 2008 Democratic CT primary.

According to the story, he has ruled out being McCain's VP, apparantly partly because he is unacceptable to his new friends.

[Mort Kondracke, Fox News] downplayed the possibility that McCain will choose Lieberman to be his running mate.

"I would think that conservatives in the Republican Party would go ballistic if he did that," Kondracke said.

The story says he's not switching parties, either. That's another reason to look forward to November: a Senate that doesn't give Lieberman the bizarre attention he gets now.