TIME TO CLIMB ON THE ELEPHANT:

On Social Security, Lieberman the Centrist Ruffles Democratic Feathers: Senator Joseph Lieberman has angered Democratic activists nationwide for expressing a willingness to work with President Bush to change Social Security. (DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and CARL HULSE, 3/07/05, NY Times)

Just five years ago, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut was praised for his cross-party appeal as the vice presidential candidate on a Democratic ticket that won the popular vote.

Now some in Mr. Lieberman's home state wonder if he qualifies as a Democrat at all.

In recent weeks, he has angered Democratic activists nationwide for expressing a willingness to work with President Bush to change Social Security. Critics say that is just his latest act of disloyalty to the party. He already had supported the war in Iraq and Mr. Bush's cabinet choices - and received a televised presidential smooch at the State of the Union address.

"I think he has betrayed his constituency and he is leaning way too far to the right," said Marjorie Clark, a Web designer in New Haven and former supporter of Howard Dean's presidential bid who met Wednesday with about 30 other former Dean supporters and discussed a statewide "Dump Joe" effort. Others are trying to recruit a primary opponent while passing out bumper stickers that read "Anybody But Joe."

Their disappointment with Mr. Lieberman illustrates the difficulty of trying to be a centrist in an increasingly polarized political climate. Mr. Lieberman has gone from a possible Democratic heir apparent to a presidential primary footnote in 2004 to the conspicuous odd man out in his own Senate party caucus.

The senator, whose third term expires next year, laughs off talk of a challenge from the left. Polls show that more than two-thirds of Connecticut Democrats approve of his performance, and so do more than two-thirds of Connecticut Republicans.

There's a message there, Senator.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 7, 2005 6:26 AM