He's Going To Be Trouble

I read an analysis of last week’s election by Dick Polman of the Philadelphia Inquirer that nailed a few things right, reminding me once more why he gets paid to do this sort of thing and I don’t.

And unfortunately, one of his spot-on points is that Joe Lieberman, despite the wondrous challenge of Ned Lamont in the spring Democratic primary, ended up as a winner.

I’ve spent some intermittent periods in Connecticut in my life (brief stays but mainly drive-throughs), and as far as I’m concerned, there’s a reason why the state motto is “We’re Full Of Surprises” (I know there are great bloggers in that area too such as My Left Nutmeg).

Individuals such as Markos Moulitsas at The Daily Kos, rightly esteemed in many “A” list circles, can state as much as he wants that Lieberman has been marginalized. But that simply isn’t true (and as noted here, Lieberman is in line to head the Senate Homeland Security Committee, so he’ll have a big audience who will be forced to endure six more years of his pious-sounding, holier-than-thou whining).

We will also be forced to endure this act of “you’d better give me everything I want, Democrats, because I got help from a lot of GOP donors while you turned your backs on me, and I may just switch my party allegiance because, though I’m a cagey enough political animal to resuscitate my career, I’m also a consummate weasel” (Joe won’t name John Kerry or Russ Feingold, who did the right thing in principle, though Bill Clinton and Barbara Boxer look smart now for courting Lieberman earlier). And all it takes is for Lieberman to become a Repug and the Senate is 50-50 again with “Deadeye Dick” Cheney as the tiebreaker in the Senate.

There is much to look forward to from this new Congress, but I’m afraid Holy Joe’s potentially dangerous moments of pique and self-infatuation will be not unlike the cold dawn of a morning hangover after a really great party.