Bloodless Coup

The president-elect thinks Lieberman is more valuable if won back over as an ally than as an enraged turncoat.

The president-elect seems to believe that swallowing a little pride (and/or foregoing a revenge fantasy) in the interests of long-term legislative strength is wise.

The president-elect is probably correct on all those fronts.

Especially with three states still in play in the Senate.

Yeah, when I checked CNN during a dull moment last night and saw that Lieberman specifically cited Obama's assistance as material to his retaining his chairmanship, I saw the play, and it was a good one. As shocking as it is, two weeks into transition, he looks like that whole reaching across the aisle thing might have been more than a mere slogan. A "uniter" on the campaign trail who actually behaves like one after he's won!? Astonishing!

I really think he's going to cut every major line of criticism -- radical, left wing, divisive -- off at the knees in the first six months. Along with figuring out whether it's the party of small government and fiscal restraint or the government of proscriptive Christianity, the GOP is also going to have to remember how to argue policy issues on the merits.

It really is surprising that people find this (Obama's actions) surprising. But I think we are so used to thinking of Bush & Cheney's my-way-or-the-highway, piss-off-everyone style as ordinary that we forget how out of the ordinary it is. Being inclusive is good politics, good for eventually getting policy passed, and very, very Obama.