I’m Sorry, But There’s Someone Else

History repeats itself, but not without a few wrinkles. We make the connections — then we pick them apart.

The Comparison
Sen. Joe Lieberman, the self-styled "independent Democrat," has campaigned for his GOP friend John McCain and suggested he might speak at the rival convention. Both parties see shades of former Georgia senator Zell Miller, who backed President Bush in 2004 with a fiery convention speech lambasting Democrats on national security.

Why It Works
On the surface, it's a match. Both senators base their break with their party on irreconcilable differences over national security and the Iraq War. And both have chastised Democrats for abandoning the foreign-policy principles of past presidents from the party, with Lieberman invoking JFK and Miller pining for the days of Harry Truman.

Why It Doesn't
Miller didn't have to govern after his turnaround; he wrote a memoir and retired from the Senate. Lieberman, though, still has four years left in his term. The courage of his convictions may ruin his career. If Obama wins, Lieberman could be stripped of his committee posts. If it's McCain, he could wind up with a cabinet job.

© 2008