In the last week since we have heard that Senator Lieberman is resigning many opinions have been offered about his departure. I, myself, have had several opinions myself.
Lieberman has been a career politician and if obtuse he has also been a successful one. His recent championing of the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell was an admirable one.
Still he has been incredibly frustrating. Perhaps the change started in 2004 when his run for the Democratic nomination went nowhere. In 2006 when the debate over the Iraq War was at its most intense Lieberman's loss in his own Democratic primary came as a surprise to many including I am sure to himself.
Primaries can be dangerous. In Maine only the hardcore voted in the primaries and the result in the end was Paul Lepage as governor. If a more moderate candidate was available available instead of Paul Lepage I certainly would have voted for him, in fact I did.
Still it easy to see why Lieberman's then decision to run as an independent rankled. Then he committed even more flagrant violations by supporting and campaigning for John McCain.
Somewhere his bitterness got the best of him. A purported comment of his during the Health Care debate was that he was against the Health Care option because the liberal were against it.
Many of the successful parts of Obama's agenda were watered down drastically to hold Lieberman's support. Perhaps it would have been better for the Democratic party to have had Joe win the primary in 2006, then perhaps his anger would not have led to those dilutions.
It will not be a problem this next election cycle. Joe is going away. It is time.
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