The Be Careful What You Wish For Department

I really had never even heard of Joe Lieberman before he became Al Gore's running mate. Throughout the 2000 election, I thought he was pretty much a lightweight, if I thought of him at all. The one real memory of his time as the candidate for VP was after the election when he went on television and (I thought at the time) whined that "Wouldn't it be awful if we conceded and found out later we had won?" (Shooting from memory here, but I'm pretty sure that's dead on what he said).

But over the past few years, I started to notice that, while I don't much care for some of his ideas, he has the one big idea right; America is something worth protecting, and we need to defend it. That makes Lieberman someone I can respect if not always agree with. Someone who puts his country ahead of his politics.

Enter the left wing of the left-wing party. They have decided that Lieberman must (politically) die. They want Lieberman out of office and have totally vilified him. They are promoting a Democratic primary challenge against him. It also looks like Lieberman has decided to fight back. He is refusing to rule out a run as an independent. Frankly, if he does, I think the voters who know him and have continued to elect him will elect him again (could be wrong here since I don't live there). Incumbents do have an enormous advantage in name recognition.

So, if the Democratic party turns against him and follows the lead of the folks on the far left, do you honestly think Lieberman will be happy about it? Do you think he will follow the party line if he wins? I do not get the impression that Lieberman is an idiot.

So, by all means, keep trying to kill Lieberman's career. Keep up the pressure from the "netroots". In the end, maybe you'll get what you wish for. Maybe Lieberman will be out of the Democratic Party.

But still a Senator.

UPDATE: It turns out that Sreamin' Howie Dean's brother is backing Lieberman's rival, using the organization Dean founded. Hmmmm.