Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) finds himself in exactly the same position that Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman found himself in in 2000. Biden has been selected as the Democratic presidential candidate's vice presidential running mate in a year when he also faces a reelection bid for the U.S. Senate.
Back in 2000, you'll recall, the Connecticut Republicans stupidly saw Sen. Lieberman's reelection campaign as a gimme for Holy Joe. Even though Lieberman was seldom in the Nutmeg State to make his case for reelection, the Connecticut GOP did not field a viable candidate to oppose him.
You have to wonder if there was some backroom "gentlemen's agreement" with Lieberman, something along the lines of "We won't run anyone against you, if you become a Democrat in name only and give us cover." Think about it. John Rowland was governor and, had Gore-Lieberman's fortunes been properly determined by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Republican governor could have appointed a Republican replacement for Holy Joe. The gossip back then was that Rowland would appoint himself to Congress. Oh, what a difference eight years has made!
The person who did carry the Republican banner in 2000 against Lieberman is someone the party hopes you have, by now, forgotten: Phil Giordano, former mayor of Waterbury. How can we forget Mayor Phil? Even as he was running for the U.S. Senate, this upstanding Republican was engaging in sex acts with 9- and 10-year-old girls in his city hall office.
Because the Republicans gave Lieberman a pass in 2000, Phil Giordano deserves to be dragged out of obscurity and kicked around some more, just to remind people of what this party stands for and with whom it will stand. Phil Giordano couldn't happen to a nicer party.
Lieberman is at it again in 2008. Since losing the Democratic primary to Ned Lamont in 2006, he has inexplicably caucused with the Democrats in the U.S. Senate. Yet he has been rather openly campaigning for Sen. John McCain since late last year. Only because the Democrats—in particular their spineless Senate leader Harry Reid—are incapable of playing hardball, even when it's demanded of them, Lieberman still retains his committee chairmanships and other perquisites of seniority.
Just to refresh your memory about Lieberman, I found an article in my files from last year, and submit this snippet for your consideration: "Lieberman was one of 45 senators who voted Wednesday in opposition to a bill that would limit the CIA to the 19 interrogation techniques outlined in the Army field manual&.'You want to be able to use emergency tech to try to get the information out of that person,' Lieberman said." This is who represents Connecticut in Washington.
When, despite themselves, the Democrats increase their majority in the Senate in this election six to eight seats, Lieberman's free ride is over. He must be reduced to freshman senator status. What does this mean for Connecticut? It means that we have been snookered by this sanctimonious weasel who in his last campaign referred to those Democrats supporting Ned Lamont as "jihadists." Those are fighting words, and Lieberman must be held accountable. Too bad the state he allegedly serves will suffer.
Biden, meanwhile, can remain on the ballot in Delaware, just as Lieberman did in 2000. When Obama-Biden wins the election, the senator can take the Senate oath and then resign, leaving the appointment of a replacement (until 2010) to Democratic Gov. Ruth Ann Minner.
If this scenario unfolds, the Democrats must play hardball. No use pretending the Republicans wouldn't do the same to you. Furthermore, no use pretending civility exists in the Rove Era of politics.
Should Biden take his name off the ballot, his son Beau—the state's attorney general—is the odds-on favorite to be the Democratic candidate and, barring a miracle from a pitifully weak Delaware Republican Party, to win the seat. It's called hardball.
