Ich Liebe Lieberman!
Joltin' Joe Lieberman endorses John McCain and Seth Liebson is tickled pink:
On a poll question of 'Who is the most credible (or honorable) Senator in the country?' I'm guessing Lieberman's name comes on top or in second place. I think that might also be true of the question: 'Who is the most credible (or honorable) politician in the country?'
It's not quite the same thing but the "most admired" member of the U.S. Senate is actually… Hillary Clinton. But at least Lieberman is credible. Take note of this video from 2006, when he refused to say whether he'd endorse a Democrat for president in 2008.
Lieberman's endorsement speech is on the long side: The gist is that McCain is "the real change candidate" because he'll have the courage to throw America into a series of endless wars, which, in turn, will "break through the reflexive partisanship that is poisoning our politics." This is the alternative definition of "partisanship."
par'ti·san·ship n. Disagreeing with the editorial line of the Weekly Standard.
The immediate political question is whether this helps the Arizona senator in New Hampshire by inspiring undeclared voters, who can vote in either primary, to go McCain Crazy. That's what happened in 2000: McCain lost the GOP vote to Bush but creamed him with independents. I don't think it helps at all. New Hampshire independents, after a long flirtation with voting in the Democratic primary, are about 50-50 on which primary they'll actually vote in. But those independents hate the war. McCain's better off talking generically about his courage (and that contrast with Romney) than he is telling voters he and Joe will never pass up a land war in Asia.
