Politics: Lieberman May Run as Independent

Politics: Lieberman May Run as Independent

Senator Joseph Lieberman announced just a few minutes ago that he will run for re-election as an independent in the fall should he lose the Democratic primary.

Liberal businessman Ned Lamont is challenging Lieberman. Mr. Lamont has got the money and Sen. Lieberman has got the enemies to create this situation. Lieberman is a Hawk on foreign policy, he supports the war in Iraq. He was even rumored to be on President Bush's short list for Secretary of Defense if Donald Rumsfeld were replaced. He is labeled the President's "favorite Democrat."

That's too much for the so-called "Democratic Wing" of the Democratic party. The Daily Kos and MoveOn, two Democratic Wing internet water coolers have rallied opposition to Lieberman. The Daily Kos has predicted bluntly that "Lieberman's going to lose."

That a veteran, well-respected, centrist, incumbent, who was the party's vice-presidential candidate six years ago would be in jeopardy of losing his party's nomination is testament to the Groundhog Day-like consistency of so much Democratic behavior since 1968.

And so we take down from our bookshelf a worn edition of Cliches to try to find the rhetorical equivalent to this behavior and turn to the index and find Politics and then the sub-heading Democrats and we find a fitting entry: "firing squad; Democrats organize in circle." And in a cliche frame of mind we issue a prediction McLaughlin Group-like: Lieberman will win in November regardless, and the Democratic party will be further marginalized. This is Public Occurrences.