A Chequer-Board of Nights and Days

This election season has seen the left-of-center "netroots" embrace insurgent Democratic Senate candidate Ned Lamont against Senator Joe Lieberman. Democrats are mighty displeased with Lieberman's support of the war and reconstruction in Iraq and his relative willingness to work closely with the Bush Administration.

Lieberman has hinted that if he ends up losing the primary to Lamont, he might run in the fall as an independent candidate. And now, he has upped the ante:

A source in the Democratic party says Sen. Joe Lieberman will collect signatures to run as an independent if he loses next month's Democratic primary election.

Lieberman, facing a stronger-than-expected Democratic primary challenge and sagging poll numbers because of his support of the Iraq war, was to announce Monday whether he will begin gathering signatures for a possible independent run this November, a campaign spokeswoman said.

Lieberman has scheduled a 1 p.m. news conference at the state Capitol.

"It is in regard to his decision about the general election," said Lieberman campaign spokeswoman Marion Steinfels. "He told folks when he made his decision, he wanted to let people know. He's announcing where he's at, what he's come to."

As far as I see it, Democrats had now better hope that Lieberman wins the August 8th primary. Otherwise, as an independent candidate he will either win the general election or draw enough votes away from Lamont to allow a Republican to sneak through (a remote possibility, I know, but one that perhaps looms larger now). And even if Lieberman wins, who knows? He might end up caucusing with Republicans in the next Congress. It will be interesting to see what happens next, but it is hard not to imagine that Connecticut Democrats and the Democratic general effort to take back the Senate has not been put into peril.

UPDATE: From Lieberman:

"I've been a proud, loyal and progressive Democrat since John F. Kennedy inspired my generation of Americans into public service and I will stay a Democrat, whether I am the Democraitic party's nominee or a petitioning Democratic candidate on the November ballot," Lieberman said. He added that he would, even if re-elected as a petitioning candidate, remain a member of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

So much then for a defection. But that does not necessarily end the problems posed by this election for Democrats.