Barack Keeping Clear of Lieberman Squabble

Democrats may or may not have the knives out for Joe Lieberman. Bill Clinton may or may not be making calls on Traitor Joe's behalf.

But one thing is clear. Barack Obama isn't going to soil his hands with this muck, and he shouldn't.

Earlier this week, the Obama camp said he was leaving Lieberman's status (in or out of the caucus, with or without a chairmanship) up to Senate Democrats.

And TPM today reports that an Obama spokesperson, Stephanie Cutter, says the president-elect's transition team isn't going to "referee" the issue of whether or not Lieberman gets to keep his homeland security committee chair.

That makes perfect sense. But what follows is harder to swallow for those of us who can't forget Traitor Joe's behavior on the campaign trail:

"President-elect Obama looks forward to working with anyone to move the country forward," Cutter continued. "We'd be happy to have Sen. Lieberman caucus with the Democrats. We don't hold any grudges."

To many, it sounds like, on balance, Obama would like things to stay as they are. Greg Sargent at TPM says the statement will take any steam out of the effort to dislodge Traitor Joe.

And that could spell disaster, according to folks who believe Lieberman will use the investigative powers of his committee to attack and harass the Obama Administration.

That may be--I can't pretend to read into Traitor Joe's heart--but I can't see why he would do that. He faces the prospect of re-election 2010, and even joining the GOP won't help him in the Blue state of Connecticut.

Regardless, Obama needs to continue to keep his distance. If Reid yanks Lieberman's gavel, great. If not, a great series of misdeeds will go unpunished.

Either way, though, Obama only gains by remaining above an intra-party squabble that is irrelevant to most voters. Americans elected Barack Obama to solve the country's problems, not to weigh in on politics as usual.