Joe go now?

I was concerned after the election last November that, with Lieberman holding the balance of power, we could expect him to start threatening to switch parties. I was initially mollified somewhat but the whispers are starting anew. Greg Sargent tells us:

The Politico tries to muscle in on all the Lieberman-switching-parties action today:

"I have no desire to change parties," Lieberman said in a telephone interview. "If that ever happens, it is because I feel the majority of Democrats have gone in a direction that I don't feel comfortable with."

Asked whether that hasn't already happened with Iraq, Lieberman said: "We will see how that plays out in the coming months," specifically how the party approaches the issue of continued funding for the war.

He suggested, however, that the forthcoming showdown over new funding could be a deciding factor that would lure him to the Republican Party.

"I hope we don't get to that point," Lieberman said. "That's about all I will say on it today. That would hurt."

As we noted earlier today, Lieberman told Time magazine that there was a "remote possibility" he could switch parties. And, as also noted below, Lieberman said multiple times before Election Day 2006 that he would caucus with the Dems:

Our question: If the big news orgs report on this tomorrow, how many of them will share this simple, incontrovertible historical fact with their readers?

Interesting comment from joejoejoe.

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out Sen. Liar.

Sens. Collins, Hagel, and Sununu would all have a better shot at re-election in 2008 running as independents. Lieberman acts like he is the only show in town. If he flips I'm guessing one of the above (or all of the above) flip in the 110th Congress. You can cut a better deal switching immediately after Lieberman finally completes his diva act (seniority, committee assignments) than you can in January '09 when the next class of Democratic freshman Senators won't let you keep your seniority in the 111th Congress.

Do it Joe! Please do it!