Current Events Watch

A recent report from Time Magazine highlights the amount of power that Joe Lieberman now has due to the speculation surrounding the possibility that he may abandon his party for a party that seems to be more in line with his interests: the Republican Party.

According to the article, Lieberman has said that leaving the party is a “very remote possibility,” but the way recent events have played out seem to suggest that the idea is not far-fetched.

The main issue that distances him from the party is his position on Iraq. So far, Lieberman has been no less than 100% supportive of the Bush administration’s policy, which is a stance that doesn’t seem to have too much support, even from the Republicans.

It was his hawkish stance on Iraq that caused Lieberman to lose the Democratic nomination to Ned Lamont last year during his campaign for re-election in the Senate. Lieberman went on to win the election as an Independent. Upon being re-elected, he came back home to the Democratic Party.

Lieberman has also said that he might vote for a Republican in the next presidential election.

So with this “on the fence” position that he seems to be in, comes power. If he were to make the switch, the Democrats would no longer have a majority in the Senate. The party will do what they can to make sure he does not leave. They will fight hard to keep that majority.

The Democratic Party is on pins and needles to keep him on their side, but pins and needles are not a good foundation for a party that wishes to make drastic changes. The advantage for the Democrats of him switching parties is that they would no longer have to worry about him switching parties. I know that sounds redundant, but the party would no doubt be stronger if it were not catering to the position of one senator whose convictions seem to be way out of the mainstream of his party.

I don’t think he will make the switch. He is much more powerful now being a Democrat who is keeping his party on their toes, than being a Republican and loosing the special treatment that comes with being a man on the verge of switching sides.

And as much as I kind of hate to admit it because I greatly disagree with him on Iraq, it is refreshing to see someone take such a strong position that goes against their party. It’s refreshing that after 18 years of belonging to one party in the Senate, one can still be virtually non-partisan. So despite my profound disagreements with him, I applaud this man for putting his convictions before party association.

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EDIT: Today Lieberman brushed the Time Magazine article off by saying, “…I have no desire or intention to leave the Democratic Party or the Democratic Caucus,” after being asked about it.

Lieberman, Republican, Democrat, Senate, Iraq War, Politics