Now Is The Time: Come Home to Your Senses, Joe Lieberman

Before he goes back to Washington for the final session of this Congress, there's one more thing Joe Lieberman should do.

Become a Republican.

At the moment, Lieberman is an "Independent Democrat," but he still caucuses with the Democrats. But the word in Washington these days is that the Democrats in the Senate are so angry with Lieberman for having the (excuse the expression) audacity to speak at the RNC convention that they are planning to strip him of his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country--not their party. At the moment, the Democrats control the Senate by a 51-49 margin, with Lieberman technically an independent, but caucusing with the Democrats. Were he to officially become a Republican, it would make the Senate a 50-50 split, with Dick Cheney (a Republican, in case you hadn't noticed) to break the tie.

Were Lieberman to switch parties, the Republicans would control the Senate for the next few months. It would be a risky move for both the Senator and the Republicans in the Senate. Taking the reins of power so close to the election presents both the possibility of total failure and the promise of sweet victory. Taking the power out of the hands of an obstructionist, do-nothing Senate and actually doing something as the election approaches could be just what the country wants to see.

If Republicans squandered the opportunity, however, it could merely mean greater losses in November.

It would mean rolling the dice. But, right now, in the Democratic Senate, Lieberman doesn't have much more left to lose.