An Early Obituary to Vinegar Joe's Career

"Vinegar" Joe Lieberman has just conceded the Connecticut Senate Democratic Primary to Ned Lamont. This defeat is the first indication of the ramifications of the Iraq situation. Lieberman voted to authorize the president to send troops to Iraq, violating the Constitution in that only Congress can declare war, something it hasn't done since 1941. CT is a very liberal state (as is the entire Northeast except New Hampshire), so this action comes as no surprise.

Joe Lieberman is an oddball of a senator. While he is a hawk on foreign interventions, he is sometimes socially liberal. He does not seem to be against gay marriage, flag desecration, and stem cell research. Also he feels that affirmative action goes against our country's history on equality, is a proponent of school vouchers, and seems to favor States' Rights. These are all good things.

However he is definitely far from perfect. He has voted against tax cuts, which is an overall bad sign. He is very pro gun-control, something that also does not jibe with the Constitution. Lastly, he (along with Hilary Clinton) have a vendetta against the entertainment industry. If it were up to people like him, everything from R-rated movies to pornography to violent video games would be under strict government control, if not outright banned. This stance has made me very hesitant to support him in any of his endeavors, since I find it hard to trust politicians who blatantly should their distrust of the public to make their own decisions, especially when it comes down to things that do no harm to others. My bad taste could be someone else's fetish, and I have no right to tell them what to like. Neither does he, or any politician.

Many other politicians are going to see fallout for their actions, and not just for the war. I think it's time for a clean slate, I think every senator and representative (except for Ron Paul) should be voted out of office. I would prefer to see this happen more often, but now is as good of a time as any.