Sore Loserman

Well there you have it. Having lost the primary, Lieberman is carrying through with his threat to run as an independent. "For the sake of our state, our country and my party, I cannot and will not let that result stand," he said during his speech last night. What a wanker!

After working so hard to get him elected Vice President in 2000, I've gradually lost respect for the man. His decision to ignore the wishes of the Democrats in Connecticut, "for the sake of the party", is the last straw. He's clearly not taking this step because of love of country, state or party. He's doing this because of love of Joe Lieberman. And that's been Joe's primary motivation on a lot issues recently.

Whenever the Republicans need a little bipartisan cover for their latest insanity, more often than not, Joe has been there for them. Social Security privitization? Capital gains tax cut? The war in Iraq? Vouchers? Yup, all issues that Joe has championed in the name of bipartisanship.

Now, Joe's supporters will tell you that all this proves is that Lieberman is the last honest, principled man in politics, willing to break party discipline when bigger issues are at stake. Bipartisanship, they will say, is his virtue, not his curse. And no doubt, St. Joe loves him some that hagiography.

But it's a funny thing, this Lieberman bipartisanship — Democrats never get anything out of it. Instead, Joe crosses the isle, supports the Republican party line, and criticizes the rest of his party for their unrelenting partisan tone. There's no "working together" or compromise — it's all just a way for Joe to have his "Sister Souljah" moment over and over again.

Besides, who really believes that it's possible to work with the GOP today? The House and Senate leadership allow no room for compromise, and in the Bush White House, politics trumps policy every time. This is why Joe Lieberman is indeed Bush's favorite Democrat — he lends a veneer of respectability to the GOP's own partisan agenda. So maybe Joe is the last honest man in Washington, but if so, then he's also an idiot. His bipartisanship enables are larger, more viscious partisanship, and his "principles" end up serving their opposites.

So, maybe Joe is a moron or maybe he's a self-aggrandizing bastard. Either way, he shouldn't be in the Senate anymore.