The Sad Demise of Joe Lieberman

It's amazing how circumstances have conspired to make Joe Lieberman a chief surrogate for those who would stand in the way of the very ideas he spent his life fighting for. I've never much liked Joe Lieberman, but at least once upon a time he was an advocate for progressive economic and social policies, things like universal health care, fairness in the tax code, sensible regulation, a woman's right to choose, civil rights, etc.

When Lieberman decided to cross parties and endorse John McCain back in December of 2007, he justified his action by saying that he considers McCain "the most capable to be commander in chief on day one of his administration, and the most capable of uniting the country so that we can prevail against Islamic extremism." In other words, Lieberman essentially conceded that his decision was all about foreign policy. He might disagree with McCain on most domestic policy issues, but his top priority at this point was the War on Terror.

I wonder what Lieberman would have thought that day if he had been told that less than a year later, he would be stumping in Florida for a half-term Alaskan governor with no foreign policy experience (or knowledge) and far right views on social issues, and that he would be doing so in an environment in which differences over economic policy have become far more significant and pronounced than differences over foreign policy.

This morning in Clearwater, Florida, Lieberman introduced Sarah Palin at a campaign rally. Here's Michael Crowley at TNR:

It was jarring, however, to hear Lieberman's full-throated endorsement of Sarah Palin, a woman with whom he has no prior relationship, and whose policy credentials you have to think the wonky 20-year Senator would find suspect in any other context.

"She's so strong, she's so capable, she's so competent," Lieberman told the cheering crowd. Emphasizing her "faith," he added that she is someone who "with your help--and God's help--will be the next vice president of the United States." More big cheers.

The religiousity continued when Palin bounded onstage. She commented right away on the number of American flags in the crowd, declaring: "God bless America--you guys get it!"

It really is sad. I have no doubt in my mind that Lieberman considers this woman to be a joke. No one as manifestly unqualified to be president has ever come this close to the White House. Indeed, Lieberman's stated rationale for supporting John McCain in the first place only underscores the absurdity of putting Palin on a national ticket.

Not only that, but it's unlikely Lieberman and Palin share even a single similar view on any major domestic policy issue. Yet here we have Lieberman trying to convince wary Jewish voters in Florida to vote for a painfully inexperienced and unknowledgeable christian fundamentalist.

And all this is happening amidst an economic crisis the likes of which America hasn't experienced in many decades. An election that Lieberman thought would be about foreign policy has become almost exclusively about domestic policy. And yet Lieberman is put himself in a position where he is stumping for the ticket that shares almost none of his views on the transcendent issues of the day.

Regardless of how this election turns out, Lieberman will fade into history as a much diminished figure, a man who placed personal allegiances ahead of core beliefs and ended up becoming a spokesman for the very ideas he spent most of his career fighting against. What a sad, pathetic figure.