I've received, and signed about half a dozen petitions from various political action organizations aimed at giving Lieberman the heave-ho.

Add that to the overwhelming letters on Salon with the same sentiment and it's hard not to come to the conclusion that, once again, Congress (either side of the aisle) doesn't give a damn what we think. As far as moving ahead...do the Democrats really believe Republicans, and turncoats are going to play nice? Really. I'm not a cynic. They're untrustworthy. And Joe Lieberman has proven himself so again and again. I realize you keep your friends close and your enemies closer...but you do not give them power.

"Save Lieberman!"

No.

Joe L. is a pompous windbag

I think this is pathetic, preposterous, puzzling, but not pusillaminous.

"He’s got momentum, and we need to keep him in the caucus, and this fits into Barack Obama’s message of change and moving forward. The message here is that we don’t want to start off a new era with retribution" says an ever reliable "anonymous" person.

First, what 'momentum'? But apart from that, what is meant by 'retribution'? Since when does one reward a self-declared enemy? Since when is saying, essentially, "obviously, you don't agree with our party positions" retribution? Has anyone said, "Hey, Lieberman should be tossed out of the Senate"? Nope.

If the powers-that-be are afraid of politically punching Lieberman for his betrayal due to the matter of a filibuster-proof Senate, well then, for pete's sake, say so! It's not rocket science to state the obvious.

It's no wonder we're in the mess we're in.

I'm not saying there needs to be some sort of "litmus" or "purity of ideology" test, but the dude actively campaigns against his own party, votes with President Bush more than McCain, and is apparently so mercenary to his own political beliefs that he's only in it for the chairmanships.

I say ditch him and see how well he succeeds as the Republican he really is.

...You can actually punch Democratic politicians in the face and there are no consequences?

Why didn't somebody just say so?! Where does the line start?

He's got momentum? What the hell is this Senate aide talking about? Downward spiraling momentum?

It is not retribution to hold someone accountable. It is, however, the kind of weak, pusillanimous action that our so-called Democratic leaders have resorted to repeatedly in the past few years. The same actions that have led to such low approval ratings when the American people expected leadership against the misdeeds of the Bush hegemony.

He didn't just endorse McCain - he went out on the campaign trail and traveled with him. He then went out campaigning against other Democratic Senate candidates. He whispered corrections in McCain's ear when he couldn't figure out basic Middle-Eastern policy facts.

My offer for Lieberman is nothing. He gets no Committee and he can pay the DNC's debt personally.

Letting Leiberman keep his Chairmanship is just plain nuts. For one, he is an ineffective chairman having blocked investigations of the Federal Government's response to Hurricane Katrina. Booting Leiberman out of his position which he is not qualified for has nothing to do with bi-partianship, it has everything to do with positive change for the better.

I only wish that Durbin were as stupid as he is thuggish. They'll try to keep Lieberman, because they want his vote.

The fact that Durbin is again doing something smart and calculated is no surprise; the only consolation is that it drives the left-wing netroots sort of crazy. As short a "drive" as that may be.

Keeping Joe Lieberman in the Dem cacus saves me money. Now I don't have to give to Democratic candidates any more. Yea!!!!

No he doesn't need concrete boots but he should be paid back, big time. It's not so much his endorsement of McCain but his total and complete duplicitousness and weaselly behavior.

FOR BLEEDING CHRIST'S SAKE.

The man endorsed the other side's candidate for president.

He is a traitor to his party.

He should be hunted down and (metaphorically) destroyed.

We're not going to make 60 anyway.

Anybody remember the opening scene from "Branded"? That's what should be done to Lieberman.

Defenestrate his cowardly, Republican ass.

Brought to you by "Impeachment is off the table!"

Great, more capitulation to the GOP, all in the name of "centrism" as if:

1.) They have a mandate to kiss GOP ass.

2.) And they should capitulate on things such as the Iraq War, spying, suspending habeus, etc., etc., etc.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

As much as I appreciate and support Obama's disinterest in adopting a scorched earth policy - Lieberman is one piece of dirt I'd like to see gone forever.

The man has no loyalties - not to his colleagues, his constituents or his country. He's a dishonest wimp - a conniver, not a legislator.

Until Democratic voters begin to demonstrate they are (1) educated, (2) informed, and (3) not driven by destructive emotions, then Congress should most definitely not give a damn what Democratic voters think.

Some Democratic voters are rabid in their insistence that the party take vengeance on Joe Lieberman for his opposing views. They insist on sacrificing a Democrat to right some imaginary wrong. "It is not retribution to hold someone accountable," they claim.

It is retribution when you're holding them accountable for what they say and what they believe. (It's also pretty un-American, and the kind of thing these same Democratic voices complain about when the Bush Administration does it.)

Joe Lieberman, as much as I dislike him, has committed no crime. The only "wrong" he has done is to buck the political orthodoxy of the Democratic Party. When it's motivated solely by the desire for revenge and/or political gain, then the demand for "accountability" is indeed a demand for "retribution."

This is a Democratic witch-hunt, pure and simple, demanded by uninformed voters who seem to care very little for actual democracy but are thirsty for revenge and bloodshed. Since they no longer have McCain and company to savage daily, they now turn on their own party, demanding the humiliation and destruction of a man who has served his country longer than many of these vengeful rats have been alive.

I'm glad the Democrats in Congress aren't as ignorant and dull-witted as the rubes who vote for them. Until Democratic voters can demonstrate political intelligence and maturity, their leaders in Congress should take their every request and demand with the proverbial grain of salt. (No, make that an entire salt block.)