Fairweather Friend Joe Lieberman May Return to Democratic Party in 2012

From The Hill comes word that Democratic-turned-Independent Senator Joe Lieberman may pull an about face and return to the party he scorned (and that scorned him) back in '06. Though he has made no official decision on whether to run again, let alone whether to do so as an Independent or as a Democrat, since Barack Obama was elected president, Lieberman has made several moves to patch things up with his former party.

But it was Obama's gestures that really made the reunion a possibility when the president-elect voiced his support over the objections of many fellow Democrats for Lieberman to remain in the caucus and to keep his Senate chairmanships. From a strategic perspective, this seems to have been a wise move. So says Dick Durbin, anyway:

"I will tell you this: I think it was a very good and wise decision for us to include Joe Lieberman in the Democratic Conference," Durbin said. "He has really been valuable to us. On the stimulus package, he was an important part of bringing the negotiations together. He's been terrific on the floor. I'm just glad to have him on board."

Lieberman, it appears, has also mended the fence with Democratic Senator Chris Dodd, who supported Ned Lamont back in '06 when Lieberman bolted the party. Now, Lieberman is set to throw his weight behind Dodd's reelection campaign in 2010.