Wednesday, November 12, 2008

"At this point, the discussion sounds more like venting than smart, or serious, politics."

John Nichols on the Nation with some sense about Sen. Lieberman:

"My sense is that Democrats would be wiser to keep Lieberman in the Democratic circle for so long as he sides with the caucus on cloture votes. After all, if Al Franken prevails in the Minnesota recount and Jim Martin wins the Georgia run-off -- both serious prospects -- a Democratic caucus that includes Lieberman will have 59 Senate seats. And if Alaska's Nick Begich comes from behind as that state counts the last of its ballots -- a more remote prospect -- a Democratic caucus that includes Lieberman will have the 60 seats needed to block a Republican filibuster.

Without Lieberman, it is tough to see how Democrats get to the filibuster-proof position that is the last piece of the puzzle of a governing majority. (It is the matter of the governing majority, not any love of Lieberman, that explains the signal from President-elect Barack Obama's transition team that: "We'd be happy to have Sen. Lieberman caucus with the Democrats. We don't hold any grudges.")

If Democrats did somehow get to 60 in the Senate, and if Lieberman then betrayed the party on a critical vote, that would be the point at which to debate expelling him from the caucus.

At this point, the discussion sounds more like venting than smart, or serious, politics."

This makes for good politics. Refreshing. Too many posts I've been reading are political theory venting.

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