Note: We do not want to be come close-minded. Take a look at RedState if you want to see the dangers of close-minded thinking.
Granted, there is alot of angry emotion on our side with reference to the junior Senator from Connecticut. Currently he holds the gavel on Homeland Security and Governmental Oversight. Not exactly a place the President-elect would prefer to have an avowed opponent, even if, supposedly, they are from the same party.
However, should Reid just kick him out? Is this really an efficient use of Lieberman? Personally, I don't think so. He might be useful in some respects.
Besides, our party, the Obama campaign, and Barack Obama himself has shown over the past 2 years to be very agile with regards to purely political decisions.
So, I have written this short post with the intent to create an open forum of ideas to do of what to do with Lieberman. Perhaps there are enticements that can be given to him that he'd be tempted to take that could both assist the Obama Administration and the Democratic Majority in the Senate.
Here is a short list of possibilities to get you started:
- Throw him out of the caucus. Sure, you get to vent and exact retribution. But, is this a good political move in the long term? By doing so, you excaberate what is already, at best, a strained relationship and create an enemy.
- Strip chairmanship. Effects may be similar to #1. Perhaps this is enough to give Joe a reason to become GOP (given he has no principles, which is up for debate as well).
- Ambassador to Israel (my idea, I can see alot of blowback).
- Some inconsequential post in the Administration. DHS? (HAH!)
I'd like to hear some ideas. Be creative, but think about it from Lieberman's side as well. I think he knows what's coming down the pike in 2012. What would you do, or look for, if you were Lieberman?
If we get some traction on this, I'll add a poll of the best ideas. If not, oh well.
One more: What about Hillary? I hear she has no chairmanships right now...