LIEBERMAN SHOWS I.D. I'm gonna weigh in on the great controversy surrounding Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT). No, not his lonely support for escalation of the Iraq war. I mean what should the abbreviation after his name be in news articles? Over at Raw Story Brian Beutler has provided a full dissection, and gotten an official answer. "His office confirmed to RAW STORY today that he prefers the rendering 'ID' for 'Independent Democrat.'" That's also what it says on Lieberman's website.
I'm going to say this makes perfect sense. Though good liberals may find his attachment to the Iraq quagmire infuriating, the truth is that, by caucusing with the Democrats, Lieberman has in fact remained one. Before Lieberman there was Jim Jeffords, an Independent in name but a Dem in practice, and Jeffords's successor in the Senate, Bernie Sanders, had the same situation in the House. Sanders isn't designated ID, but he should be. It seems logical to categorize independents who caucus with one party or the other accordingly.
--Ben Adler
