"A flotation device"

MANIFESTO

Steve Benen this morning on Senator Sanctimony's push for new legislation to solve the alleged problem of Obama's "czars":

In 2006, when running for re-election, Lieberman vowed to voters that he would use his committee chairmanship to hold the Bush administration accountable.

After the election, he changed his mind. Over the course of the entire 110th Congress (spanning 2006 and 2007), Lieberman's most notable accomplishment with this committee had to do with seating arrangements. I mean that literally -- Lieberman made it so that senators sit D-R-D-R-D, instead of Dems on one side and Republicans on the other. Other than this, the committee has precious little to show for the entire 110th Congress.

Despite the Bush/Cheney administration being among the most scandal-plagued in generations, Lieberman, who had oversight responsibilities, "conducted zero proactive investigations into Bush administration malfeasance." Instead of a Senate Committee on Government Affairs that functioned as it should, Lieberman just treaded water, using his gavel as a flotation device. It was an embarrassing waste of what's supposed to be the Senate's watchdog committee, when the nation desperately needed lawmakers to hold Bush accountable.

But nine months into a Democratic administration, Lieberman has rediscovered his interest in oversight. Bush had three dozen "czars," but Lieberman didn't care. There's already been one pointless hearing on "czars," but Lieberman doesn't care.

This is, of course, exactly what Lieberman's detractors predicted would happen.

Sigh: Right again. Not that it's doing me any good.