Joe Lieberman

Kos recently defended Lieberman, mostly by pointing out that, based on American Conservative Union ratings of Senators, “the most liberal GOoPer is FAR MORE CONSERVATIVE than Lieberman!” Kos advised laying off Lieberman, a sentiment echoed by CalPundit and Yglesias, and I agree: Lieberman on his worst day is miles better than Bush on his best day. Still, this doesn’t make it easy to like the guy:

WASHINGTON— Presidential contender Joe Lieberman warned Tuesday that rival Howard Dean, the hottest candidate in the field, could be “a ticket to nowhere” for Democrats in 2004 by advocating discredited Democratic policies on taxes and national security.”

“A candidate who was opposed to the war against Saddam, who has called for the repeal of all of the Bush tax cuts, which would result in an increase in taxes on the middle class … could lead the Democrat party into the political wilderness for a long time to come,” Lieberman said when asked about the former Vermont governor during an appearance at the National Press Club.

“I share the anger of my fellow Democrats with George Bush and the direction he has taken this nation,” the Connecticut senator said at another point. “But the answer to his outdated, extremist ideology is not to be found in the outdated extremes of our own.”

Hey Lieberman and Kerry: notice how the guy attacking Bush and Bush policies–rather than other Democratic candidates–just made the covers of Newsweek and Time? Or how before that the guy criticizing Bush policies, not other Democrats, raised more money than you? Maybe you could follow suit perhaps? Just a thought.

AB

P.S. In fairness to Kerry, his campaign is only cosidering attacking Dean; Lieberman’s is actually doing so.