Lieberman

Photo by Damon Winter accompanied Carl Hulse's September 9, 2008 NYT story, "Democrats Give Lieberman Cool Reception as Senate Returns."

In German, "Lieber means "dear" or as they say in French, "cher" or in Italian "caro" or in Spanish "querido." One wondered which Democrat could call this man "lieber" after he displaced the duly nominated candidate from his former party with the help of Republicans, told a talk radio host that Obama was far to the left of the country and then then spoke against Obama at this summer's Repub convention, saying

eloquence is no substitute for a record — not in these tough times

and

In the Senate, he has not reached across party lines to get anything significant done, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic Party.

And there's more here.

So, will he lose his Chairmanship? I predict no. No matter that Leahy told Vermont Public radio he should be kicked to the curb

I’m one who does not feel that somebody should be rewarded with a major chairmanship after doing what he did. … I felt that some of the attacks that he was involved in against Sen. Obama, whom I did support — I was one of the first in the Congress to support him — I thought they went way beyond the pale. I thought that they were not fair. I thought they were not legitimate. I thought that they perpetuated some of these horrible myths that were being run about Sen. Obama.

I would feel that, had I done something similar, I would not be chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the next Congress.

No matter that Dorgan told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday that

As a chairman of one of our significant committees in the Senate, not just going off and supporting a presidential candidate of the other side but also criticizing the candidate on our side, and also involving himself in a couple of senate races on the other side. The question is, is that acceptable? The answer is no.

The Dems have shown there invertebrate tendencies and now there's the implication that Obama has signaled his support.


Update: November 18, 2008 1:58 PM Jim Oliphant in The Swamp, writes,

Move over James Bond. There's a new indestructible action hero: Joe Lieberman.