BUSH'S FAVORITE DEMOCRAT, JOE LIEBERMAN, MUM ON LEAKER-IN-CHIEF

There was a time when George W. Bush's favorite Democrat, Holy Joe Lieberman, tried to pass himself off as "the conscience of the Senate." That act didn't last very long-- at least not in anyone's mind but his own. Always someone to jump on the Know-Nothing bandwagon of narrow-minded demagoguery, the pious-on-the-outside/sleazy-on-the-inside senator from Connecticut, was the first Democrat to condemn President Clinton when he was fighting off partisan impeachment charges for consensual adult sex and, of course, every Democrat is aware of how Holy Joe has tried to pull the rug out from under his own party week after week, month after month, year after year on Fox "News" and the other Republican propaganda outlets that love using him.

Last December Lieberman completely split with the Democratic Party over Iraq. "Mr. Lieberman," according to The New York Times, "particularly infuriated his colleagues when he pointed out at a conference here that President Bush would be commander in chief for three more years and said that 'it's time for Democrats who distrust President Bush to acknowledge that... We undermine the president's credibility at our nation's peril.'"

Paragon of virtue? No, he is-- and always has been a complete and utter pawn of the wealthy corporate interests which underpin the Bush Regime, a regime to which he is wholeheartedly devoted. Today's HARTFORD COURANT reports that Bush's favorite Democrat was conspicuously silent and very much M.I.A.-- odd for a senator who will normally elbow anyone and everyone aside to get his mug in front of the TV cameras at the drop of a dime-- after BushCo virtually admitted that Bush himself was the OJ Simpson of the leak case the nation has been trying to get to the bottom of.

"News of President Bush authorizing leaks of intelligence reports to discredit critics of the Iraq war broke before noon Thursday," explains The Courant. "Democrats quickly lined up to demand a public accounting. Conspicuous in his silence was Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn., the politician analysts say could have benefited most by speaking out. Analysts and operatives in both parties said Friday they were puzzled that Lieberman, whose perceived coziness with the Republican president is fueling a primary challenge by Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont, found nothing to say about Bush for 28 hours. 'Say anything. Even something mildly critical would have no doubt helped in his primary,' said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist.

Even in the reddest states the perception of Bush as an untrustworthy liar-- if not a traitor who must be impeached-- is becoming more and more prevalent. The Houston Chronicle prominently ran a story called "Critics Label Bush Hypocrite For Authorizing Leak" and the Louisville Courier Journal was even more blunt with its coverage: "The Leaker In Chief".

While other Capitol Hill media whores, like Chuck Schumer, tripped over themselves to get to the TV cameras to demand Bush disclose all the facts about his participation in the cover-up involving Scooter Libby, Ambassador Joe Wilson and outed CIA-agent Valerie Plame, Lieberman was apparently hiding under his bed and refusing to come out. "Come out Joey," coaxed Hadassah, "your friends from Fox TV are here with the cameras and your favorite make-up lady. And you haven't returned calls from that nice Sean Hannity or that lovely young Bill O'Reilly fellow."

But with an appointment-- possibly as replacement for Rumsfeld-- if he either loses the primary or resigns after he wins in November (allowing Republican Governor Jodi Rell to appoint a replacement) hanging in the balance, the crafty old Holy Joe is keeping silent on this one. The folks over at The Lamont Blog aren't.

(Thanks to Morse over at Media Needle for sending us the fine artwork, Adam being passed out drunk and unable to function for a few days.)


11:00AM UPDATE: IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT?

Of course some people think Lieberman was just too busy consulting with Team Bush on starting a nuclear war in Iran. If you didn't read Seymour Hersh's earth-shattering piece in the new NEW YORKER you really should. It's not really that much of a Lieberman story-- or even a Rovian wags the dog story-- as it as an Apocalypse Soon story.