By Bob Geiger

If there's one thing I've realized in my time covering the United States Senate it's that general cynicism with the landscape inside the Beltway can mask the tangible differences between the major political parties and the dissimilar ways those parties affect the lives of the American people. When viewed through the real prism of each vote and floor debate and every piece of arcane maneuvering done by the majority and minority leadership, it's easy to see that there is a distinct difference between Republicans and Democrats and the cost of being the minority party can be quite heavy indeed.

How many votes would have occurred differently -- or not at all -- in the current, 109th Congress if Democrats controlled the Senate? The handling of immigration, the minimum wage, heating assistance for the elderly and disabled, Veterans benefits, tax policy and the sorry spectacle of votes on non-issues like gay marriage and flag burning would have turned out quite differently. To be sure, the composition of the Supreme Court and myriad lower-court appointments would now be on a vastly different course for the next two decades.

And yet there was Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) on Monday announcing on the steps of the state capitol in Hartford that he would attempt to run for reelection as a "petitioning Democrat" if he loses to challenger Ned Lamont in Connecticut's August 8 Senatorial primary. No matter what Lieberman calls himself, he would be listed on the November ballot as an Independent, throwing a race that Democrats should be able to easily count in their column into total chaos for the very party he claims to love.

With Democrats already a 55-44 minority in the Senate -- outgoing Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords is a registered Independent -- this should be the last thing the Democratic party needs to face in 2006 and it is a sure sign of the contempt that Lieberman seems to now have for both his party and Connecticut voters.

Lieberman's contingency plan will force him to immediately begin collecting 7,500 voter signatures to get a place on the ballot as an independent, because the due date for those petitions is August 9, one day after the primary he's suddenly lost confidence in winning.

"I'm essentially taking out an insurance policy," Lieberman said on Monday. "I'm opening up an option that will guarantee me that I will be able to make my case to all the voters in Connecticut in November."

In an act of pure political cowardice, Lieberman claims his main concern is that the isolated early-August primary will attract little attention and that lack of voter turnout won't give him the fair consideration he deserves.

"While I believe that I will win the Aug. 8 primary, I know there are no guarantees in elections," Lieberman said. "No one really knows how many Democrats will come out to vote on what may be a hot day in August."

That may be the most gutless thing that's ever come out of an incumbent Senator's mouth.

It is the imperative of any candidate for public office to generate enough buzz and good will to drive people to the polls -- that is the very essence of a campaign and what separates a winning effort from a loss. And with all the political capital and personal loyalty he has amassed with his Senate colleagues -- none of whom will support Lamont in the primary -- with national name recognition and 18 years in the Senate, why is it that Lieberman must come up with a contingency plan to stay viable in one of the bluest of the blue states?

"It is a sad statement that Senator Lieberman has resorted to taking out petitions in order to hedge his bets and game the system," Lamont campaign manager Tom Swan said in a statement. "This is an affront to the people and shows that Lieberman will do anything to hang on to power."

Lieberman has, of course, fallen from grace based primarily on his closeness with George W. Bush and his unwavering support of the Iraq war, despite every bit of evidence that has come before him showing the war to be a sham that is bankrupting our country.

And as if it wasn't enough for him to support Bush by backing Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General and John Roberts for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Lieberman took his homage to the Republican party to the most ludicrous extreme last month when he opened debate on behalf of the GOP against Democratic bills to get out of Iraq.

John Warner (R-VA) offered Lieberman 15 minutes of floor time from the Republican allocation and, in a move seemingly designed to drive the final nail into his own Connecticut primary coffin, Lieberman went after colleagues Carl Levin (D-MI), John Kerry (D-MA) and Russ Feingold (D-WI).

"I rise to oppose the amendments introduced by the Senator from Michigan and others and the other amendment introduced by the Senators from Massachusetts and Wisconsin," said Lieberman, before trotting out a host of GOP talking points for how well things are going in Iraq.

This is yet another time that Lieberman seemed to miss the memo telling him that Connecticut voters elected him as a Democrat and not a Republican operative for the White House.

Many progressives, rightfully furious with Lieberman right now, are pushing hard on Harry Reid (D-NV) and other Senate Democrats to state outright that they will support Lamont if he wins the primary.

In my view, it's important to remember that these are politicians, who have worked with Lieberman for a long time and need to consider many factors before making such public statements about hypothetical scenarios. But you can take this to the bank: On August 9, if Ned Lamont has beaten Lieberman for the Democratic nomination, Reid and every other Democrat in the United States Senate will line up to affirm the peoples' choice and pledge support for Lamont as the party's nominee.

Hillary Clinton (D-NY) has stepped up to the plate already.

"I want to be clear that I will support the nominee chosen by Connecticut Democrats in their primary," Clinton said yesterday. "I believe in the Democratic Party, and I believe we must honor the decisions made by Democratic primary voters."

It would be nice if Lieberman believed the same thing. But with his selfish statement on Monday, Lieberman has sent a clear message to all Connecticut Democrats that their vote on August 8 is meaningless. If they happen to decide that Ned Lamont is a more appropriate Democratic standard bearer for these times, tough luck -- Bush's Boy is going to thumb his nose at them and run anyway.

Meanwhile, Lamont has already said that he will support whomever the voters choose as the Democratic nominee, even if that person is Lieberman.

But Lieberman has obviously decided that taking a Senate seat that Democrats desperately need to retain and throwing it open to a three-way race is just something we're all going to have to live with to accommodate his thirst for continued power. And make no mistake about it, Lieberman's actions could very well result in Republican nominee Alan Schlesinger coming away with a close victory in a race that could see Democratic votes split between Traitor Joe and Ned Lamont.

Performing this grotesque act of vanity when our country has so much at stake -- including a bloody war, a crippling budget deficit, a health care crisis, a minimum wage that hasn't gone up in a decade and the possibility of another Supreme Court nominee in the next Congress -- is Joe Lieberman's most hideous act of betrayal yet.

"I have loyalties that are greater than those to my party," said Lieberman on Monday.

And it's all about you isn't it, Joe?

You can reach Bob Geiger at geiger.bob@gmail.com