Sixty-Six Oh Eight

As Election Day recedes from our minds, there is a clear question that Democrats need to face: What should happen to Joe Lieberman?

Mr. Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, used to be a Democrat, and still caucuses with the Democrats. However, he was a major speaker at the 2008 Republican National Convention, and he vocally advocated his support for Senator John McCain in the election. Many critics have said that Lieberman was far too harsh in his critique of Obama, and that he should be stripped of his chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee. Some have gone so far as to say that he should be kicked out of the Democratic Party.

Lieberman has met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid several times, but an agreement over Lieberman’s role has not yet been established.

While Lieberman’s fall from grace has been quick, it has not been complete. He still agrees with the Democrats on most domestic issues, such as gay rights and abortion. In addition, losing Lieberman to the Republican party would be a massive blow to the Democrats’ (admittedly slim) hopes of reaching a filibuster-proof majority in the senate.

We don’t feel that any action should be taken against Lieberman. The nature of our system provides that the people vote on a person, rather than a party, and the Democratic leadership should respect that. It is encouraging to see that a senator with so much to lose can still cross party lines and advocate for what he really believes in. If Joe Lieberman truly believes that John McCain would have been a better choice for the country, there is nothing wrong with him saying that. Punishing him for expressing his honest opinion would only serve to increase the political entrenchment in Washington and impede efforts for compromise on other issues.

While we recognize that it’s the majority leader’s responsibility to do what’s right for the party, Harry Reid also has a responsibility to do what’s right for the country. Stripping Joe Lieberman of his chairmanship for expressing his opinion will only serve to make it harder to compromise and achieve real progress.