Not that he was ever really gone, but the formalities must be observed.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said running as a Democrat is up to Lieberman, noting he has not yet had any talks with him about doing so. But Durbin said Lieberman this year has lived up to his promise to be a loyal and reliable vote on Democratic priorities.
“I will tell you this: I think it was a very good and wise decision for us to include Joe Lieberman in the Democratic Conference,” Durbin said. “He has really been valuable to us. On the stimulus package, he was an important part of bringing the negotiations together. He’s been terrific on the floor. I’m just glad to have him on board.”
(H/T: HotMES, who adds a suggestion that I can’t in good conscience endorse).
As I implied above, this was inevitable. Lieberman is not a conservative: he’s merely a guy who couldn’t bear to see us lose in Iraq. Now that the chances of that happening are sufficiently low enough, he can return to the fold of a party that he’s far more comfortable with when it comes to domestic affairs. I’m not forgiving him for doing it – the behavior of the Democratic Party during our last war was nothing short of appalling – but I understand why he’s doing it.
Continue reading The first step in Lieberman’s reunion with the Democrats.