CHICAGO (TDB) -- Sen. Joe Lieberman seems to be solidly back in the fold with the Connecticut Democratic Party. His reappearance as a "D" officeholder on the party's Web site is an interesting political twist because he was unceremoniously shown the door last year. Dem voters looked elsewhere in the primary showdown and denied renomination. Nowadays Lieberman doesn't even try to pretend he's a full-fledged Dem, though the party in his home state doesn't register any distinction on its Web site, where the senator simply shows up as being in good standing. However, Lieberman lists himself as an IDP, meaning he's an Independent Democrat, a party he created so he could run for reelection after losing the nomination battle to Ned Lamont.
Lieberman votes with the Democratic caucus in the Senate, but he stands with the minority Republicans and President George W. Bush on the War in Iraq, which caused voters in his own party to throw him out. Bush sees progress in Iraq, even after Shiite policemen killed 70 men execution-style in the northern town of Tal Afar. Bush says the Iraqi people are gaining confidence.
Just like the president, Lieberman contends things are looking up and he's accusing Democrats who support withdrawing troops by next year of pushing for a "hasty retreat" -- an odd choice of words since the war has been under way now longer than World War II.
"The deadline for retreat that Congress wants to impose is both arbitrary and inflexible. American troops would be forced to begin withdrawing regardless of conditions in Iraq, regardless of the recommendations of our military commanders, and regardless of impact a hasty retreat would have on America's security and credibility -- in short, regardless of reality."
