Simple fact is, if Obama had wanted Joe gone he would be gone...

[S_E_Fudd]

This is part of the larger Obama strategy of changing the way things are done in Washington, and for him I suspect intramural spitball contests distract from that...

Lieberman is effectively castrated despite keeping his chairmanship. He knows he is on a very short leash, and is now irrelevent from a policy perspective. I think you will see Lieberman bending over backwards to accomodate Obama's agenda. And Obama gets it out of the headlines...

As satisfying as it would be to see Joe get screwed, I understand why Obama would prefer it this way...

[onehandle]

1. Yep. Obama is a skilled politician. nt

[Critters2]

2. There's no reason to think he's been castrated. Au contraire.

He's just been told he can publicly call the President Elect a terrorist, with no consequences. That's a damn lot of power for a member of the US Senate. That's why he had that shit-eating grin during the news conference. He won. Again.

[gravity]

4. Lieberman never had balls to begin with

[monmouth]

3. I'll buy that. ...n/t

[Hawkowl]

5. Strategic mistake

Rewarding your enemies has never made sense since humans first hunted rabbits with wooden sticks. He's not only trying to change Washington but human nature. His rivals will view this as weakness. Both home and abroad. I think he is going to be in for a few rough years. Welcome to the major leagues.

[S_E_Fudd]

6. We'll see...

Every decision is a gamble...

But it isn't an unreasonable one

[Hawkowl]

9. I hope I'm wrong nt

[Neshanic]

11. Good point. And we are talking about subhumans here. Republicans.

God knows waht they are capable of.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

7. He's more useful to us this way than as an enemy

I don't give a rat's ass about Lieberman's chairmanship if we can get Obama's agenda passed.

[Alter Ego]

8. I don't think Obama honestly gives a shit.

Lieberman played the wrong hand and lost big--and you cannot tell me that there won't be resentment among his colleagues and an utter refusal to support him when he runs again in 2012 from many of them.

Obama knows that if we don't have 50 or 60 senators Lieberman is just one whiny little bitch rather than a whiny little bitch who can control the agenda.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. It's not like he can't be stripped of his chair later if he doesn't play ball.

[walldude]

12. Lieberman is not on a SHORT FUCKING LEASH

Is that the meme for today? I keep seeing this short leash crap. We just let Lieberman know he can do whatever the fuck he wants and there will be no consequences. Short leash my ass.

[bullwinkle428]

13. I sure hope that President-Elect Obama is willing to pour everything he can,

resource-wise, into the Georgia Senate race; otherwise, this entire capitulation exercise was a complete waste of time.

[GreenEyedLefty]

14. Lieberman has been rendered irrelevant

If Obama is as interested in bi-partisanship as he promises to be, then he won't *need* Lieberman's 60th vote.

I'd also wager that "homeland security" as a concept will change over the next 4 years as well. Lieberman's future as a committee chairperson is not guaranteed.

[Bryan]

15. K&R

I don't know if I agree that this disarms Lieberman, but it would appear that settling scores is not an especially high priority for Obama, and his judgement to date has convinced me to give him some slack on his priorities.