Joe Lieberman

Every time I read articles about Joe Lieberman, I feel like I'm missing something. What precisely is the reason that Democrats are so furious with him?

I'm no fan of Lieberman. His switch to the Independent party after losing the Democratic primary was lame. I disagree with his stance on the Iraq war. And Lieberman's been completely ineffective as chair of Homeland Security.

But these are not the reasons he is hated. As far as I can tell, as I have yet to hear anything to the contrary, Lieberman is hated because he "betrayed" the Democratic party to support a Republican candidate for President.

.....

Yes, Lieberman broke his promise and "attacked" Barack Obama, rather than simply supporting John McCain. But in a Presidential campaign that was bitterly hostile, full of outright lies and dangerous accusations, Lieberman's "attacks" barely registered. (Eloquence does not equal experience? That seems like a fair argument to me.)

For whatever reason, we are holding Lieberman accountable for the entire campaign. John McCain has not been asked to apologize for his incendiary remarks and false statements. Sarah Palin has not been chided for her complete lack of remorse. Furthermore, Sarah Palin has continued her practice of telling blatant lies during interviews, while "journalists" like Matt Lauer blithely sit back and allow her to do so. Sarah Palin fueled the flames of hatred and racism by calling Obama an America-hating terrorist, and we're mad at JOE LIEBERMAN?!?

More importantely, if we are mad at Joe Lieberman for "betraying" the party, I feel it's time to re-examine our priorities. In a true democracy (or republic), politicians should be allowed, encouraged even, to question everything critically... even their own political party. The far too common practice of blindly following one's party is the very reason that Congress is so damn ineffective.

Let's quit whining about "loyalty" and focus on what actually matters. And if we really feel compelled to get rid of Lieberman, at least do it for a real reason!