Republican Joe Lieberman? Pollsters in Both Parties Say Bring It On

Sen. Joe Lieberman, Republican?

The Connecticut Democrat-turned-independent says there's a chance he'll run for re-election in 2012 as a Republican -- a prospect that got a warm bipartisan welcome Wednesday from two leading pollsters.

"I love Joe Lieberman," GOP pollster Ed Goeas told me after a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. "I just think he's a class act, even if I don't agree with him. He's a man of principle that we would be served well by having in our party."

Democrat Celinda Lake, Goeas' polling partner, was even more emphatic. "Good riddance, and you can quote me on that. I hope so," she told me. "I mean, he's a Republican. He's a Republican leader. So good, go, and then we can beat him."

Lieberman was the Democrats' vice presidential candidate in 2000, but since then he's been on a political journey to the right. A fierce advocate of the war in Iraq, he ran as an independent in 2006 after anti-war Democrat Ned Lamont defeated him in the primary. Last year he not only supported and campaigned for Republican Sen. John McCain for president, he praised McCain and criticized Democratic nominee Barack Obama in a showcase speech at the GOP convention.

Lieberman remains a member of the Senate Democratic caucus and even after his McCain detour has been allowed to chair the Homeland Security Committee. His organizational support theoretically gives the Democrats a filibuster-proof, 60-vote majority.

But that means every senator has the power to derail a deal. Lieberman has used his power of one to make the Democrats' health care bill more conservative and less tough on insurance companies, many of which are headquartered in his state. In particular he said he'd vote no on any bill that included a public insurance option as an alternative to private plans, and any bill that allowed some people aged 55 to 64 to buy Medicare coverage. His role led CNN's Dana Bash to pursue this line of questioning Tuesday:

BASH: Any chance Joe Lieberman would run as a Republican?

LIEBERMAN: I don't know what I'll run as. I like being an independent. So that's definitely a possibility. But I'd say all options are open.

BASH: Really?

LIEBERMAN: Yes. It's unlikely I'd run as a Republican, but I wouldn't foreclose any possibility. I think the more likely thing is that I'd run as an independent because that's what I am.

BASH: What if you -- is there a more likely possibility that you'd remain an independent but caucus with Republicans? Or does it depend on who's the majority?

LIEBERMAN: Well, no. It depends on where I am. That's all hypothetical. I'm just happy to be where I am. I'm grateful I got re-elected in '06 and I'm going to try to do the best I can every day. I've reached the stage in my career where I'm not measuring every step I take based on how it's going to affect the next election. I think if you do that you end up compromising the quality of your service.

Lake said the health-care bill is much weaker, and much further from what most Democrats want, because of Lieberman and his ego. "He keeps threatening us. . . . One person has the arrogance to completely override almost all the Democrats in the House and 59 other Democrats" in the Senate, she said. "His view is better than everybody else's. He knows better than everybody else who's worked on this bill for years. People like [Sen. Ron] Wyden and others who have worked on this for decades."

She wants Lieberman gone -- and would happily work for an opponent -- even if he ends up voting for the health bill, which he seems inclined to do at this point. She also says he should be removed from his chairmanship. "The Republicans would not put up with this," Lake said. "They would say . . . 'You don't keep your committee chair and defeat the No. 1 priority of the party.' That's just unheard of."

Lake is far from alone in her frustration. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut told Politico this week that Lieberman should be "recalled." Filmmaker Michael Moore is threatening a boycott of the state. The headline Wednesday at the MoveOn.org Web site was "Enough of Joe Lieberman." Here's the start of a fundraising e-mail the group sent to its members Tuesday:

"First, Joe Lieberman helped President Bush invade Iraq, and the Democrats in Washington forgave him. Then, he endorsed John McCain, and they forgave him again. Then, he personally attacked Barack Obama at the Republican National Convention, and still the Democrats forgave him. Now, Joe Lieberman is single-handedly gutting health care reform. The time for forgiveness is over. It's time to hold Senator Lieberman accountable. First, we're going to launch a huge ad campaign to make sure every last Connecticut voter knows that Senator Lieberman is blocking strong reforms. Then, we'll push Senate leaders to strip him of his chairmanship and seniority. Finally, we'll work to defeat him in his next election."

Lieberman's independence could backfire over the long term. Right now he seems more welcome in the GOP than the Democratic Party, an observation which made Goeas laugh and joke, "It depends on how he votes on health care, right?"