Peter Brown thinks about the political future should the Democrats not re-nominate Lieberman for the Senate next month:

it would not be hard to write a scenario in which the real loser from a Lieberman defeat to anti-war candidate Ned Lamont might be the Democratic Party itself

That would especially be the case if Lieberman's good friend Sen. John McCain of Arizona becomes the 2008 Republican presidential nominee and picks Joe as his running mate.

Then, Lieberman, Al Gore's running mate in 2000, would become the only person in American history to have ever run on the national ticket of both parties. And Lieberman on a Republican fusion ticket in 2008 might be a huge GOP asset.

When I first thought of this back in January it was something very hard to envision - but I did so because I wanted some way to unite the right, center and the sensible left. This is war time and as events in Lebanon are proving, it is a long war and it could become massively larger at any time. We can argue endlessly over what level of taxation we should have and whether or not we should privatise social security - but on the war, we argue with each other at the peril of our lives. The enemy is at the gates, and seeks our death - it is time to be united in the face of this enemy.

Niether McCain nor Lierberman is even remotely ideal for this rock-ribbed conservative - but neither are entirely out of the question, either. It will be even easier to back such a ticket if President Bush gets to name one more Supreme Court member before his term is up. Additionally, a Lieberman freed from having to placate an increasingly lunatic Democratic base would be free to flex his social conservative muscles. Meanwhile, having Lieberman on as a liberal would allow McCain to hew to a more conservative line which is in keeping with his bedrock personality.

It is still farfetched - but it isn't at all unthinkable.

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