The Democratic Party of Connecticut decided they did not want to be represented by Joe Lieberman anymore in a 2006 primary. Joe Lieberman decided he didn’t want to serve in Congress under a Democratic president in 2008. To my way of thinking, those are two pretty big strikes against Mr. Lieberman. I think it’s acceptable for a member the Democratic Senate caucus to be an independent and to go his or her way from time to time on matters of policy. But Lieberman’s behavior during the second term of Bush’s presidency was often dishonest, dishonorable, and in direct conflict with the Democratic Party’s message and agenda. I think the combined effort earned Joe three strikes. He should have been stripped of his committee chair and all his seniority, or kicked out of the caucus altogether. But, okay, the White House and the senators decided to have mercy for strategic reasons. They took away his seat on the Environment & Public Works Committee, which I think he may have been forced to give up soon anyway, and they decided to bury the hatchet. Lieberman kept his chair of Homeland Security and his powerful Armed Services subcommittee chair, too. But, why?
The only reason to forego a just punishment was to get Lieberman’s cooperation on procedural votes, like cloture for Obama’s biggest priority items. Like health care. You may have seen that the Republicans are threatening to screw Olympia Snowe out of her rightful place as Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee (after Kay Bailey Hutchison retires to run for governor of Texas). Did Snowe lose a Republican primary? Did she campaign for Barack Obama? No. No, she didn’t. But they are threatening her anyway because that is how Republicans enforce party discipline.
I don’t think the Democrats should emulate the Republicans. But they should make an exception for Lieberman. If he threatens to join a filibuster of the president’s health care plan, then there was no point in keeping him around. He should be out on his own petard.
