Obama is a bigger man that I am, or he knows something I don't. As far as I can determine based on experience, Joe is a snake in the grass just waiting to bite. Don't give him that chance.

OK, it's more complicated than that. Obama knows that many of his programs will be opposed by the Democratic Congress, which is still very much hobbled by moderates and blue dogs that (1) are compromised by special (corporate) interests, and (2) represent conservative constituencies.

Joe is actually a liberal Dem on other than foreign policy and military matters. It's entirely possible that Obama feels that he needs Joe's help on passing his domestic agenda. Joe could possibly provide some cover on certain areas of foreign policy, too. So there is no doubt method in Obama's madness.

After all, Obama is an experienced Chicago pol who knows how politics works. He realizes full well that while it may be a dirty business, it's a necessary one, and he is not afraid to get his hands dirty, as John McCain learned when Obama swiftly retreated from public financing without blinking an eye.

But this is going to drive the left up a tree, especially following the appointment of Rahm Emmanuel to the key position of COS.

Keep your Friends close and your enemies closer.
and
Friends come & friends go. Enemies accumulate.

Obama just made a "friend" who owes him.

EOM

"Better inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in."

Its basic math. Making nice with Joe doesn't cost Obama a damn thing, and Obama gains quite a bit. Pissing off the liberal bloggers is a bonus, because Obama needs to distance himself them to appear moderate.

Joe basically bought himself a probationary period. The liberal bloggers will put forward another challenger in Connecticut in 2 years, and might oust him without any help from Obama.

--
http://bexhuff.com
Of COURSE you can trust the US Government! Just ask the Indians.

Last I read, Clinton was denying it, and Obama hadn't said anything on record.

Will Congress cede its powers to the Obama administration?
Glenn Greenwald

There is much discussion about the signals Barack Obama is sending regarding whether Senate Democrats should strip Joe Lieberman of his powerful position as Chairman of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reports yesterday indicate that Obama is telling Senate leaders he wants Lieberman to remain in the Democratic caucus, but it's unclear whether or not that means Obama wants Lieberman to keep his Chairmanship, how much of this is designed to distance Obama from any eventual confronatation, whether this is all just for show to pretend they're considering doing something about Lieberman, and how accurate these anonymous reports really are.

More reliably, key Obama ally Chris Dodd last week was dispatched to announce that Obama does not want a fight over Joe Lieberman's status. Dodd informed us that the key question that should be guiding the decision-making process is: "What does Barack Obama want?" Dodd's instruction was at least slightly less deferential than the formulation used by this commenter here yesterday, who actually said -- with no irony -- that, in political controversies, we should be guided by this question: "What would Obama do?" That sentiment tracks this unbelievably creepy website which exists -- as its own banner proudly proclaims -- "to encourage supporters to always think, 'What Would Obama Do?' in their political dealings, so we, too, can create a new form of politics."

I've written very recently about my reasons for emphatically believing that Lieberman should be stripped of his Homeland Security Chairmanship, but whatever the outcome here is, it's vital that it be the Senate's decision, not Barack Obama's. How the Senate organizes itself and which members chair its Committees is about as purely within the legislative domain as it gets. It makes sense that Senate Democrats want to cooperate with Obama and that they have good feelings towards him in light of his election victory. Still, if the Senate has any sense of its own institutional integrity and any intention to defend its constitutionally assigned prerogatives, the last thing Senators would be doing is allowing Obama to interfere with, let alone dictate to them, how they proceed in deciding what to do about Lieberman. If they don't jealously safeguard that arena from executive intrusion, what do they safeguard?

read the rest, will a dem congress bendover like the rep congress did? At least the reps got earmarks :D

the remaining Senate races end up in favor of the Democrats. Then, he'd be Senator number 60. That would be quite lucky for him.