Why I will vote for Joe Lieberman

The Tennessee primary is next month. Tennessee has an open primary; voters may vote in any party's primary without reference to how they are registered. I am a registered voter, naturally, but have no party affiliation. Both parties have, at one time or another attempted to enlist me in local politics, but I always refuse to affiliate myself openly with any party.

(You will search my site in vain for any endorsement of re-election of President Bush, or the election of another contender. I have been asked more than once to join "Blogs for Bush" but I always decline.)

I'll vote for Lieberman in February's primary. And no, I am not endorsing him for the office of president here. I well recognize that he has no chance of being nominated. I see no point in voting in the Republican primary because I cannot - even on secret ballot - put my stamp of approval on the Bush administration, which is what a vote in the uncontested Republican primary would do.

I will vote for Lieberman to protest both the Bush administration and the un-impressiveness of the rest of the Democratic field. As much as the prospect of a second Bush terms disturbs me, the prospect of any of other party's present frontrunners occupying the White House gives me insomnia.

Take Dennis Kucinich, for example, who was interviewed by Sean Hannity on his radio show as I was driving today. Kucinich accepted Sean's invitation to be on Hannity and Colmes tonight.

Kucinich said that we are fighting the Taliban in Iraq.

He said last year that President Bush has revoked President Ford's Executive Order 12333, which forbids assassination of heads of state, but when pressed about it by Hannity, Kucinich said he would have to check to see whether it was true. (Maybe he should have checked on it before saying it?)

Kucinich said that the US Declaration of Independence obligates a president to defend America but then said that it forbids America from taking the offense against another country, even one that has made war against us.

He said that President Bush directed the bombing of civilians in Afghanistan but the only example he could cite was the accidental aerial attack of a wedding party that killed about three dozen people - a tragedy, to be sure, but hardly proof of a presidential order to bomb civilians.

When asked forthrightly whether he would have ordered the actions against Afghanistan and al Qaeda the US began in October 2002, Kucinich said that because Osama bin Laden was a "non-state actor" the situation was "complicated," and that instead of the course of action the US took, he would have sought an "international coalition" to track down those responsible for the attack.

To his credit, Kucinich unambiguously denounced the idea, broached by his rival Howard Dean, that President Bush was warned in advance by some Saudis about the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Of course, Kucinich isn't a frontrunner, for which the Republic may be eternally thankful.

Update: John Cole's words resonate with me pretty well:

... I refuse to let this administration and Karl Rove treat me the way the Democratic party treats African-American voters. I DO have options. I have a lot in common with moderate to conservative Demorats ...

... I feel like I have been sold down the river when it comes to this hideous spending. The Farm Bill? The Education Bill? Medicare prescription drug plan? Marriage Promotion? Drug Testing in Schools? Faith Based Initiatives?

You know, when Bill Clinton pandered, he at least had the decency to be straight forward about it. And, I might add, Bill Clinton, despite what you may think his role was in the process, did sign a balanced budget at the end of the day. Chew on that, Mr. Delay.

Yep.