Steady as she goes, Joe

Should the Democrats cut Joe Lieberman loose?

American politics
Democracy in America

AS MY colleague points out, the magic number of 60 Senate seats remains within the realm of possibility for the Democrats (though now seems unlikely). This makes the question of Joe Lieberman's future far more interesting than, say, one of his speeches.

An "Independent Democrat" who retained his seat without party sanction and who caucuses with Democrats by mild preference, Mr Lieberman has been essential in providing the party with a majority since 2006. In the unlikely event Democrats run the table on the unsettled seats, Mr Lieberman would be crucial to providing a filibuster-proof supermajority. In the likelier event, the bonds of affection between Mr Lieberman and his erstwhile party comrades could prove fragile. It might be well to let them crack.

A non-partisan presence in the senate seems far more valuable than a 58th Democratic senator or a 43rd Republican one. A filibuster-prone Senate can't swerve very far to the left and clearly won't move rightward. Those who consider the parties more troublesome collectively than individually should already appreciate Mr Lieberman's role in the "Gang of 14" that blocked both Democrats and Republicans during an acute spasm of silliness.

For his part, Mr Lieberman has proven he can win elections without his caucus. If nothing else, the senator from Connecticut provides the electorate an opportunity to celebrate the virtues of monotony and flatness for a change.

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