Even after losing the Democratic primary to [tag]Ned Lamont[/tag] (D), Sen. [tag]Joe Lieberman[/tag] (I) nevertheless expressed some pride in being a Democrat. He said he was “proud” of his party affiliation and looked forward to caucusing with the party if he returned to the Senate in January. As recently as late August, Lieberman reiterated his belief that he’s a “committed Democrat.”
And then, ol’ Joe, confident that he could probably win with minimal Dem support, started to stray. On Aug. 30, [tag]Lieberman[/tag] suggested that if his candidacy prevented Dems from winning back the House, it’s the party’s fault, not his, because they voted against him in a primary.
Over the weekend, Lieberman took this tack even further.
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, a lifelong Democrat and student of politics, blanked when asked if America would be better off with his party regaining control of the U.S. [tag]House[/tag] of Representatives.
A Democratic victory would immeasurably boost the influence of two Connecticut friends, U.S. Reps. Rosa L. DeLauro and John B. Larson, and provide a counterbalance to the Republican Senate and White House.
“Uh, I haven’t thought about that enough to give an answer,” Lieberman said, as though Democrats’ strong prospects for recapturing the House hadn’t been the fall’s top political story.
He was similarly elusive about the race for governor. Is he voting for John DeStefano Jr., a Democrat and mayor of the city where Lieberman has lived since the 1960s? “I’m, uh, I’m having,” he stammered, then laughed and said his decision would remain private.
Unfortunately, Lieberman’s the only one laughing.
Lieberman continues to say that he’ll caucus with the Dems if he wins, but how secure is that promise? Six weeks ago the man described himself as a “committed Democrat,” but now he’s defended Dennis Hastert’s handling of the Mark Foley scandal and won’t say whether he even wants a Dem majority in Congress. Indeed, Lieberman seriously expects voters to believe he hasn’t even “thought about” the central political question of the campaign season.
The same article highlighted the senator’s true ambitions.
He categorically ruled out accepting any post in the Bush administration. His goal, if the Democrats take the Senate, is to become the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee and serve his fourth six-year term.
“I’m not interested in anything else,” he said.
In other words, Joe Lieberman’s top priority remains Joe Lieberman. He wants to bash the party, reject its candidates, and dismiss its goals, and then he wants that same party to reward him with a coveted committee chairmanship. All the while, everyone is supposed to simply take him at his word that he’ll stay with the party with which he no longer has any allegiance.
It’s as narcissistic a political exercise as I’ve seen in a very long time.