Reply #49: If in fact that happens, perhaps. [View All]

[Seabiscuit]

But all we have so far is a Lieberman promise to the media. I think you would undoubtedly agree that that promise is a bargaining chip on his part while he holds out for a committee chairmanship of his own. If he doesn't get it, we can kiss that promise good bye. The key is for the Democrats to offer him a relatively unimportant chair he will be satisfied with as opposed to a chair where he can do too much damage. The outcome depends on the size of his ego and extent of his hubris. In the end, the Dems may be forced to kiss his ass, to the potential detriment of the country.

And his vote on key domestic and foreign policy issues could still theoretically make it impossible for Dems to pass important legislation in the Senate, e.g. continued funding of the Iraq war, or continued tax breaks for the super-rich at the expense of the treasury and budget, etc., etc..

That's pretty damned important to me too, and I deem it a very valid concern, and not just a "minor point".

There are all kinds of considerations at stake, yours among them. All of which are important, but none of which detracts from my limited point about seating distribution. If we wanted a real majority in the Senate, we needed 7 more seats, not 6.