Credit Where Credit Is Due

Before everyone forgets about our victory on ANWR, I just wanted to point out that one of the heroes of the story was good old Holy Joe Lieberman. Lieberman has consistently been on the right side on ANWR, and on environmental issues in general.

None of this excuses any of the really appalling things he has done: excusing torture, attacking his fellow Democrats on national security issues, getting chummy with Bush, and so on. Lieberman is in many ways the very definition of a 'self-hating Democrat', and over the years he has caused enormous harm to the party (and, more to the point, to the causes the party is supposed to represent).

But if I'm going to excoriate Lieberman for the bad he does, then honesty compels me to give him credit when he takes a stand on the right side. (And I think his history of support for environmental causes gives ample evidence that this is a heartfelt stand, and not just trying to curry favor with the Democratic base.) I still think on balance he's probably done more harm than good, and I would still like to see someone better in his seat. None of that has changed.

But for now, on this issue, on this vote: good for him.

[That's all, folks]