The Prodigal Senator.

It strikes me as incredible that Joe Lieberman will survive his various acts of treachery towards the Democratic Party, but Glenn Greenwald is reporting that Lieberman's survival is now on the cards.

It is worth remembering that the Democrats who are going to exert dominant political control are the same ones who have provoked so much scorn -- rightfully so -- over the last several years, and particularly since 2006. This is the same Democratic Party leadership which funded the Iraq War without conditions (and voted to authorize it in the first place); massively expanded the President's warrantless eavesdropping powers; immunized lawbreaking telecoms; enacted the Patriot Act and then renewed it with virtually no changes; didn't even bother to mount a filibuster to stop the Military Commissions Act; refrained from pursuing any meaningful investigations of Bush lawbreaking; confirmed every last extremist Bush nominee, from Michael McConnell to Michael Mukasey; acquiesced to even the worst and most lawless Bush policies when they were briefed on them; and on and on and on. None of that has changed. That is still who they are.

Joe Lieberman didn't merely campaign against Barack Obama and several other Democrats. That's the least of his sins. He was not only among the most vocal supporters of the Iraq War, but at least as bad, has endorsed and supported every last radical Bush policy to expand executive power and surveillance activities while destroying core constitutional liberties and checks and balances. He used his Chairmanship for only one purpose: to block oversight into Bush scandals and corruption. He has spouted the most defamatory attacks, not only against Barack Obama, but against war opponents generally. More significantly still, Democrats in his own state -- his own constituents -- booted him out of the party, no longer wanting to be represented by him.

And yet, astonishingly, the Democrats are on their way to appointing this reprehensible toad as their Chairman of Homeland Security.

That's breathtaking. I find it very hard when looking at Lieberman's behaviour and the Democrat's subsequent treatment of him to imagine anything that anybody could do which would cause the Democrats to actually make a stance and say enough is enough.

What a spineless bunch they are.

UPDATE:



I'm with the Young Turks on this, although I would be harder than Cenk when it comes to keeping Lieberman in the caucus. I'd kick him out completely.

Tags: Lieberman, Reid, Chairman of Homeland Security