Holy Joe
Sorry for the paucity of posts lately, but I've been in a series of conference rooms the past few days discussing...
Anyhoo, I'm sure, Dear Reader, you've been waiting impatiently for my take on the Lieberman lallapalooza (or lap dance, depending on your point of view). Truth is, I pretty much figured out how it was going to go when Dean announced the other day that Obama had asked Senate Dems to show mercy.
Nate Silver looks at it from a couple of angles, one positive and one nefarious, but I mainly see this: Obama is a pragmatic and canny politician and would, at the end of the day, prefer to hold his enemies and (in Lieberman's case) his enemies' tools as close as he can. While punishing Lieberman would have held more satisfaction, it wouldn't have advanced Obama's issues. Iraq -- Lieberman's main difference with Obama and Dems generally -- is an argument that has moved well beyond their differences and Lieberman won't have a Bush to support anymore. Iran may still cause tension and I have no doubt Lieberman will be on the Sunday Morning Idiot Shows at the first provocation to denounce his fellow Dems for appeasing Ahmadinejad. But on important domestic issues, the differences are not so great and Lieberman adds another reliable vote.
But the main thing is, I think Obama's public call for forgiveness was a good way to give cover to Dems who might look weak in not punishing the asshole for being...an asshole while maintaining an even more forbidable coalition.
Or maybe I'm just willing to contradict myself at my master's bidding.
Yep. That must be it. Sigh.
Anyhoo, I'm sure, Dear Reader, you've been waiting impatiently for my take on the Lieberman lallapalooza (or lap dance, depending on your point of view). Truth is, I pretty much figured out how it was going to go when Dean announced the other day that Obama had asked Senate Dems to show mercy.
Nate Silver looks at it from a couple of angles, one positive and one nefarious, but I mainly see this: Obama is a pragmatic and canny politician and would, at the end of the day, prefer to hold his enemies and (in Lieberman's case) his enemies' tools as close as he can. While punishing Lieberman would have held more satisfaction, it wouldn't have advanced Obama's issues. Iraq -- Lieberman's main difference with Obama and Dems generally -- is an argument that has moved well beyond their differences and Lieberman won't have a Bush to support anymore. Iran may still cause tension and I have no doubt Lieberman will be on the Sunday Morning Idiot Shows at the first provocation to denounce his fellow Dems for appeasing Ahmadinejad. But on important domestic issues, the differences are not so great and Lieberman adds another reliable vote.
But the main thing is, I think Obama's public call for forgiveness was a good way to give cover to Dems who might look weak in not punishing the asshole for being...an asshole while maintaining an even more forbidable coalition.
Or maybe I'm just willing to contradict myself at my master's bidding.
Yep. That must be it. Sigh.
Labels: Joe Lieberman
posted by John at 4:46 PM
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