Joe – A Happy Ending

Earlier in the year, I wrote two comments lamenting the attempt by the Democratic party’s angry-Left wing to defeat Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman by endorsing a Greenwich anti-war millionaire, Ned Lamont. At the time, I noted that these attempts were ridiculous on their face, given that Lieberman exemplified everything that the Democratic party should be – liberal on social issues and strong on the defense of those social issues by being strong on the defense of this country. He also happened to be a smart, ethical, and honest politician – something that is in very short supply.

Joe won a resounding victory as an independent last week. To their credit, Connecticut voters rejected the angry-Left’s arguments and returned a good man to office as an Independent. And now, we come to the good part.

In a Real Clear Politics commentary, Barry Casselman comments on the underlying meaning of Joe’s victory:

The midterm elections provided radical left bloggers with, among many other results, their worst nightmare on Tuesday. They had succeeded, earlier in the campaign year, in helping defeat Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary in Connecticut after viciously attacking him for months. The senator did not go away quietly. He got back into the race as an independent. The radical blogosphere kept up the attack, trying to promote their candidate, the hapless Ned Lamont, into a U.S. senate seat. It didn't work, and it wasn't close. With the help of Connecticut Republicans and independents, as well as many Democrats, Lieberman won a huge victory as the Democrats won back control of the Senate by one vote.

That vote is Lieberman's. He is now de facto the most powerful member of the Senate. That's because he will keep his promise to organize with the Democrats. But they will have to be very good to him. Whatever chairmanship he wants. Whatever he wants for Connecticut. If that does not happen, he can easily take a few steps in the Senate chamber and give control to the Republicans. No one will be able to complain. He would have kept his promise to vote for the Democrats, but it was his other promise that the voters of his state care most about, i.e., his promise to deliver for Connecticut. The senate Republicans would be glad to give him a chairmanship and whatever he wants for Connecticut. President Bush would be delighted to cooperate.

Every once in a while, the good guys win. Joe is a case in point. Hopefully, the Democrats will come to recognize how lucky they are that Connecticut voters stopped the angry-Left from hijacking the party’s agenda. Had they succeeded, the Democrats and the nation would be the long-term loser.