On Lieberman’s “Becoming More Republican”

James Joyner writes that Joe Lieberman’s decision to endorse the re-election of Susan Collins should lead to action:

He should resign his seat and run for re-election as a Republican in 2008. Indeed, I suspect Jodi Rell could be talked into appointing Lieberman to fill the seat created by the Lieberman resignation.

The last person to take such a step was Phil Gramm in 1983. A long line of party switchers from Ben Nighthorse-Campbell, Billy Tauzin, Michael Forbes, and Jim Jeffords have not resigned and run again. They understand that they were elected and not their party. Plus, endorsing Susan Collins hardly is considered a conservative move that’s inconsistent with the candidacy that was a typical left-center Democrat.

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