Seeing all this intemperate language and naked animosity on topic of the Lieberman affair makes me wonder whether some of these posters are not getting carried away a bit by their emotions. Let's remain practical and logical in order to serve the progressive goals rather than tearing the possibilities to achieve those goals down.
Okay, so I am not an American citizen and therefore was not able to vote, but that does not mean I am not absolutely delighted to see the good Senator Obama win the election, see substantial gain in the US Senate and House as well as seeing the Republicans in general and on all levels getting their clock cleaned. Despite the nasty economical situation and shambles that the last two administrations have left America in, there is hope on good and better days ahead.
However, having lived here now for roughly fifteen years, I have been able to observe American politics with at least the possibility of impartiality that my alien status technically allows me to entertain.
From what I have seen so far, leads me to observe that American politics, as in any political system anywhere in the world, is an ever shifting combination of principles and ideologies interspersed with generous dashes of insincerity and munificently administered vast dollops of opportunism on either side.
I have seen a significant evolution in the Democratic party, not in the least part driven by the excellent forum that DailyKos provides to inform, coordinate and formulate. The Democratic party moved away from the ideologically defined social justice dogma towards favoring logic, reason, practicality and a reality-based approach.
The Democratic social justice dogma was always expertly used by the Republicans as the favorite stick to beat the Democratic Donkey into submission with, whereas the presently displayed practicality and a reality-based approach is much less useful and much more slippery as a tool to Republicans because it is based on those pesky things called facts.
Furthermore, logic, reason and practicality are much more attractive to the majority of the American population than the Republican fearmongering and their playing up to the lowest common denominator
For Republicans facts are tricky things to handle because they lack that peculiar quality of plausible deniability and nail them down to stick to those same facts, even when that becomes less expedient or even detrimental to them and their causes. As a net result I would have to conclude that this is a favorable development for Democratic causes and the party as whole and I would have to advise against returning to the previously displayed social dogmatism because that immediately gives the Republicans a chance to pick up that stick and restart pummeling the Democrats back into the corner where they, the Republicans that is, want them.
This is why I think it is somewhat troubling to see the immediate hue-and-cry and handwringing on topic of the Lieberman affair as it is presently playing out by those clamouring for what they perceive as ideological purity, but what in fact would be a return to the tried and failed ways of the past.
That rising acrimony I see as being not conducive at all to the furthering of the Democratic cause in general and has the potential of giving the Republicans the opportunity to drive a wedge into the Democratic caucus even before it takes office. At the same time, that way Republicans avoid having to face the possibility of losing the capability to filibuster, which would severely tie the Democratic majority in Senate and diminish chances on rapidly passing significant and absolutely critical legislation and it would needlessly tie the hands of the then President Obama.
'Cutting ones nose in order to spite ones face' is the term that comes to mind in this context.
Even worse, it would avail the Republicans of perceptual leverage in the electorate and provide succour the Republican machine while it is attempting to repair itself from the drubbing that it received. All of which are things that we, as progressives, American or otherwise, can agree on being detrimental to our cause.
I urge those who feel it expedient to serve the Republican cause this way to contemplate cause and effect and then balance their ideology with logic, reason, practicality and pragmatism. True, Senator Lieberman is a turncoat and a despicable opportunist but four years from now, the proverbial knives will come out for Senator Lieberman and then the matter will be decided there where it belongs: At the ballot-box and specifically not by wielding the blunt and self-damage inflicting instrument of the party-machine.
Until then, I think it to be essential to provide the most optimal support to both the incoming executive branch as well as the democratic majorities in congress and make sure that the 2008 Victory will expand in the years to come and not be diminished by overzealous bickering at the base.
'Homo Sapiens Non Urinat Contra Ventum'
Best Regards
Kalong