One thing that’s on the agenda for 2008: the fight for a Lieberman-proof majority in the senate. That’s certainly a big deal. Will Lieberman switch parties over the next two years? I think it’s extremely unlikely for the simple reason that at least at present the odds look better than not that the Dems will expand their majority in the senate. That would mean that if Lieberman switched parties and swung the chamber to the Republicans, he would likely go back into the minority in 2008 with a majority that would be committed as a major agenda item to screwing him in whichever way they could.
So Joe won’t switch because it’s not in his own interest to do so.
Having said this, let me be clear that I am by no means saying the Dems are assured of expanding their majority. The national political environment could be very different in two years and very bad for the Dems. But right now, largely on the basis of the number of seats both sides will be defending, the senate Dems will have the wind at their backs two years from now. And that, I believe, will keep Joe in place. Still, the man gets worse by the day, so the fight for a Lieberman-proof majority is an important one.
