It did not take long for the Shahanshah War’s servants to begin bowing and scraping at his feet, chanting, “McCain-Lieberman!  McCain-Lieberman!”  This horrifying combination receives a warm welcome here (Austin Bay), here (Sullivan again) and here (Barone).  Barone makes the incredible claim that a McCain-Lieberman GOP ticket (did Joe change his registration when no one was looking?) would win–but who exactly would vote for it?  We’re talking about John McCain, Russophobic apologist for Chechen terrorism, who tramples on your First Amendment rights and hasn’t met an international crisis he didn’t want to throw troops at.  This is a Republican who thinks mass immigration is AOK and doesn’t much like people who bring religion into politics–who exactly are his supporters?  What is his natural power base?  That mass of pro-immigration, secular war supporters among GOP primary voters?  The legions of “centrist” Democrats who desperately want to have another Republican President?  Pair him with old Joe, who has never met an abortion procedure he didn’t approve of and has apparently never seen a war in the last 20 years he didn’t like.  The “new center” comes off sounding a lot like the party of politicians’ egomania and death.