Moreover, it’s increasingly clear that Lieberman’s loss is his own fault. He was far too slow to recognize the seriousness of Lamont’s challenge. He ended the campaign with $2 million unspent. And his decision to now run as an independent was a disaster, confirming the central accusation against him, which was that he cared more about his own standing than his party. If he had just declared in advance that he would abide by the result of the primary, he probably would have won, and he’d have Lamont campaigning for him today.

Lieberman’s decision to run as an independent after contesting the primary is not illegal in Connecticut (unlike other states, which have “sore loser” laws prohibiting such a gambit), but it is poor form. The primary is an essential element of the two-party system, and the process is subverted when losing candidates feel free to circumvent it. (Which is the problem with Ralph Nader-esque, suicidal third-party runs.) If the primary voters veer off too far toward the extreme, there’s a built-in sanction: They will lose the general election and moderate their ways next time. ~Jonathan Chait, The Angeles Times

When one of the The New Republic writers who fought the Kossacks tooth and nail on Lieberman’s behalf decide that it’s time for him to go, it appears that the only pundits who think Lieberman should remain in the race are the sundry columnists at NRJoe whose Liebermanliebe knows no bounds.  If Peter “Truman Will Save Us” Beinart also turns against him, the Kossacks will have managed not only to humiliate their enemies in the party but extract embarrassing concessions from the people who have been committed to limiting the influence of the progressives in the Democratic Party.