Senator Lieberman's Enemies

There comes a certain point in a man's life when the assemblage of his adversaries reveals important things about his character. To see Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton celebrating Lamont's victory in Connecticut tells me all I need to know about the essential decency of Joe Lieberman. Forget, just for the moment, that Lieberman as a young man went to the South to support the civil rights movement; forget that his decades of support for the civil rights establishment might seem to merit the support of people who claim to speak for the civil rights movement. Forget all that. It's simply enough to catch a glimpse of these two race hustlers Sharpton and Jackson, both of whom have long and ugly histories as anti-Jewish demagogues, standing next to Lamont. The consensus seems to be that Lieberman stands a strong chance to hold the seat by running as an independent. I hope some combination of principle and stubbornness causes him to turn a deaf ear when Democratic lapdogs like Chris Dodd and Joe Biden earnestly petition Lieberman to leave the race. If Lieberman returns to the Senate next year he will bring with him moral stature and political credibility unequaled on the national scene. I don't particularly care for Lieberman's voting record on domestic issues (though I take heart whenever Sharpton chides him for being "weak" on affirmative action). Joe's dedication to a strong American role in the world, however, earns him my utmost respect. He's a mensch — in his own right, rather than by comparison with the likes of Kennedy, Kerry, Durbin, and of course the ever-rudderless shark named Hillary.