Chris Cillizza reports:
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) will not seek a fifth term in 2012, according to two Democratic sources familiar with the decision.
Lieberman’s office did not offer any comment on his plans, saying only that he would make an announcement tomorrow in Stamford, Conn. “The Senator’s remarks tomorrow will stand on their own,” said a Lieberman spokeswoman.
It seems the niche for centrist Jewish lawmakers from the Northeast has been eliminated with the loss of Arlen Specter and Joe Lieberman. I can’t say they will be especially missed, but they have served a purpose, mainly as bridge-builders to the other side. It was not their religion but their lack of fidelity to their respective party’s ideology that made them unacceptable candidates and ended their careers. In 2006, the Democratic voter finally got serious about purging warmongers from their party. In 2010, the Republican voter got serious about purging their party of anyone who wasn’t on board with the Party of No Strategy. Their next target will be the immensely popular Dick Lugar (and, perhaps, the equally popular Olympia Snowe). If they are successful, they’ll be almost no roads remaining from the right of the Senate back to the left. The same worry cannot be said to exist in reverse. There are no shortage of Democrats who are willing to work with Republicans, and if we are successful in the 2012 Senate elections, there will be several more roads from left to right.
It’s a structural problem, and I have no solution for it. I don’t even have a proposal.
I will not miss Lieberman. But I will enjoy it very much if we can elect a progressive replacement for him. I am tired of living in a country where bipartisanship always means the Democrats are the ones to extend the hand of compromise. One more seat from Connecticut will be a step in the right direction.
I fully agree about being happy to see Sen. Lieberman retire. To give credit where credit is due, however, I will always appreciate the leadership he showed in getting DADT repeal through the Senate.
Perhaps, in a rare moment of insight, he is acknowledging his slim chances at reelection.
I will miss Lieberman simply because he didn’t let either party dictate how he voted, or what he said. That is something that is sorely lacking in today’s increasingly ugly, political landscape nowadays.
Booman, don’t be too sure even with Lieberman retiring that the seat will do to the Democrats.
One less whore.
Gee, liberals aren’t nasty are they???
eastcoastmoderate, some liberals are nasty, some aren’t. The main reason I grew to dislike Lieberman was his sanctimoniousness. I can respect a moderate like, say, Lincoln Chaffee or Richard Lugar, whose moderation has—or so it seems to me—a solid foundation in his/her worldview. (That’s why I’ve always had a certain respect for the Reagan Democrats who said, “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party; the Democratic Party left me.”)
Arlen Specter, at the end of his career, had the (admittedly minor) virtue of being honest about his cravenness. He switched parties because it was the best chance of prolonging his career.
Lieberman has some of Specter’s cravenness. (I’ve always liked the unintentional humor of the name of the “Connecticut for Joe Lieberman” party.) But he also has some of Evan Bayh’s “centrism for centrism’s sake” approach to politics. And he has some of John McCain’s “voting to piss off my opponents—regardless of how much I flip-flop” approach to politics.
For liberals who think Obama can’t play politics well, Joe Lieberman is a great counterexample. Obama (and Reid) welcomed Lieberman back into the fold after the 2008 campaign—which proved to be a masterful move that secured Lieberman’s vote on numerous key bills (Recovery Act, Affordable Care Act), and allowed Lieberman to have one last shining moment in whipping the repeal of DADT.
I disagree that its lack of fidelity to ideology that doomed holy joe and drove out specter. its about politics. These guys in their own way refused to be team players in the political battles – they were always about their own political power and posturing over their party’s political goals. Each of these senators only consistent ideology was the faith in themselves and the pursuit of the greater good for themselves. You can’t honestly assess their long legislative careers and discern any ideological consistency. Lieberman is not welcome in the party not because of his ideology but because when he sees a benefit to himself, he does things that are politically beneficial to the other side
I’ll believe it when I hear the announcement. not a minute sooner.
Again, the country just has a rightist mindset. Look at Obama’s essay on regulations. He completely verifies the right’s frame that government regulations are onerous, and should always be watched in case they hurt business pushing the mindset even further right.
If you want to know why that is, look no further. It’s been happening for a long time.
i don’t see why you care if there are bridges built from left to right. Everytime I’ve seen democrats work with republicans, it’s turned out exactly like tnhe George Carlin joke: a bigger scam than usual is taking place.
besides, who is this “left” in the Senate you’re talking about? That’s a VERY small minority of the Democrats, most of who are center-right.