John Nichols: Lieberman doesn't deserve pity party

[Myra]

"A lot was made of the fact that Al Gore abandoned his former running mate, Joe Lieberman, when he decided to endorse Howard Dean for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Traditionally, political etiquette demands that, if a member of a national ticket in one presidential race is seeking the presidency four years later, the other member of the ticket should not turn around and urge voters to back someone else. This is especially true when, as was the case with Gore, the candidate you chose to join you on the ticket is now running in his own right.

But no one should fret for Joe Lieberman. Indeed, it is reasonable to argue that Al Gore is not president today because of Lieberman.
...
Al Gore did not let Joe Lieberman down when he endorsed Howard Dean. It is Lieberman who has let Democrats down, again and again. His loyalties lie with the corporate-sponsored Democratic Leadership Council, not with the grass-roots Democrats who remain furious about the dubious manner in which George W. Bush obtained the presidency and about the even more dubious manner in which he has exercised the powers of that office.
..."

http://www.madison.com/captimes/opinion/column/nichols/63055.php

[mazzarro]

1. Wholeheartedly agree with this article!

eom

[izzie]

2. Yes , he is in that middle group that seems to be no party.

I fear he likes to be liked.I see things in shades of gray but I am not trying to be front runner.

[AngryYoungMan]

3. Right on!

eom

[maha]

4. Thanks for posting this n/t

[Vitruvius]

5. b/t/w, Gore tried to call Lieberman and his staff before calling Dean, but

Lieberman and his staff did NOT return his calls.

From Democrats.com:
__Why Didn't Joe Lieberman Return Al Gore's Call?

Joe Lieberman is attacking Al Gore for not calling him quickly enough about Gore's endorsement of Dean. "I was surprised that Al Gore didn't notify me before I learned about it from the media," Lieberman said. "That would have been the right thing to do." But... "A Democrat close to Gore said the 2000 Democratic presidential nominee had placed calls to Lieberman, once word was leaked Monday that he planned to endorse Dean, but the calls were not returned." Why didn't Saint Joe return Gore's calls? And why hasn't ANYONE in the media asked him? The answer is simple: the Republican-controlled media was determined to destroy Al Gore in 2000, and they are determined to destroy Howard Dean in 2004.
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/12/09/elec04.gore.lieberman/

Obviously, Lieberman & co refused to return Gore's calls so they could stab him in the back again with the LIE that he didn't call them.