Yesterday, Reaction co-blogger Creature commented on Senator (for now) Lieberman’s lame attempt to distance himself from President Bush (and to vilify his “zealous” pro-Lamont critics — presumably those in the Kossack blogosphere). That’s a tough triangulation play. I don’t think it’ll work. Lieberman is indeed “out of touch,” and his unwillingness (or inability) to take responsibility for hovering between the two parties (his own and the one that loves to promote him as a renegade), as well as for cozying up to Bush over Iraq, is, well, distasteful (to put it nicely).
Regardless, I’m not as anti-Lieberman as some of my friends and colleagues in and around my corner of the blogosphere. Not that I support him, mind you. I just haven’t signed up yet for the bandwagon to run him out of town. I realize there’s no turning back for some of Lieberman’s harsher critics, and I respect their commitment to a Democratic Party that doesn’t compromise its values and principles, but I would urge caution before cheering on his prospective demise.
And, it seems, I’m not alone in this. The Washington Post reports: “Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware, Barbara Boxer of California and Ken Salazar of Colorado plan to campaign in Connecticut for Lieberman between now and the Aug. 8 primary. Their goal is to reassure the party faithful of the three-term senator’s loyalty to Democratic causes, including women’s issues, labor and the environment.” Similarly: “Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, have pledged support for Lieberman in the primary.”
Now, look, before you get the wrong idea, let me say as clearly as I can that I’m not a Lieberman apologist. I just don’t think he’s “pond scum,” as one friend put it to me recently.
Let’s just say my views on Joe-mentum are nuanced. I have more over at The Reaction. See here.