Lieberman's role shaking out

Today was the first of several expected meetings between Senate majority leader Harry Reid and Benedict Arnold Senator Joe Lieberman.

I say that with some tongue in cheek. Lieberman's role in the party has been the subject of much hot speculation, and I have my own opinions about why the party should not go after Lieberman with so much blood-lust.

Politico's John Bresnahan reports on the meeting that it looks as though Lieberman will be stripped of his charimanship on the Homeland Security Committee and perhaps be given a new subcommittee chairmanship as some compensation.

Seems like a fair trade. Lieberman needs to be taken out of his leadership role in the party, not for endorsing John McCain, but for so viciously attacking Obama and repeating untruths and distortions that served the GOP interest. That is not party leadership behavior. However, the party I respect is a party that respects the right of its members to follow their conviction and support those outside of the party whom they truly believe would best serve the country. While I disagree with Lieberman's views on Obama to the strongest possible degree, it is right for the party to make a place for him under its tent as long as he shares the core party values.

The ineptitude of Palin

In a first of what will probably be many, many revelations about the unfortunate pick of Sarah Palin as running mate, this interview between Fox News' Shepard Smith and Carl Cameron is particularly stunning.

Among the accusations put forth by the McCain campaign:

• Palin did not know Africa was a continent, but thought it was a country.
• Palin did not know which countries are in NAFTA. (That's the North American Free Trade Agreement. You could probably guess the countries, could you not?)
• Palin was prone to blame and anger.
  
• Palin refused to prepare for her disastrous Katie Couric interview.

While many on the right who are devoted to the notion of Palin for Pres in 2012 are swearing revenge against McCain staffers who spread these stories, it seems to me that the McCain campaign would have no interest in exaggerating how bad their veep pick was. Check it out: