There's no pleasing Joe Lieberman

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Uh-oh. It looks like Joe Lieberman's against both a public option trigger and, like Olympia Snowe (another of the centrists who are hijacking the whole health-care reform process), a Medicare buy-in.

(Without Snowe and Susan Collins on board, the Democrats would need both Ben Nelson, one of their own, and Lieberman, formerly one of their own, to vote yes. But how many more concessions will there have to be just to pull over two of them?)

There's just no pleasing Lieberman, is there? It doesn't matter how much you give in, he always wants more... and more... and more...

Asks Steve Benen pointedly: "Do you ever get the feeling that Lieberman may, just may, oppose progressive ideas associated with reform simply because they're progressive ideas associated with reform?"

Um... yes? Lieberman isn't a man of firm principle, he's a man of self-important vindictiveness and retribution. At some point, Democrats have to say that enough is enough. Try to get the two Maine Republicans, Nelson, or just two of the three, and let Lieberman rot with the Republicans as historic health-care reform is passed.