Sometimes, I think the transition period between the election in November and the swearing-in of the President-elect in January is worse than the campaign season itself. At least during campaign season, the media have plenty of news to discuss. But during the transition phase, especially when the incoming President is keeping a lid on the decisions he's making about Cabinet posts and whatnot, the media have nothing to do but speculate, and this year they have descended quickly into a frenzy of speculation, gossip, and criticism of decisions that haven't even been announced yet.
It's getting old, people. Calm down, already!
The issue that's bugging me the most is the collective focus on "what to do about Joe Lieberman." Other members of the Senate, reporters, and commentators alike seem to be taking great umbrage that President-Elect Obama is said to favor letting Sen. Lieberman, who holds office as an Independent but who caucuses with the Democrats--but who campaigned more than vigorously for Sen. John McCain this year--keep his chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee. The collective attitude is that such a turncoat has no business holding such an important post.
In the next breath, everyone goes on to rabid speculation about this year's three Senate races that have yet to be concluded, in Minnesota, Alaska, and Georgia--without connecting the two stories.
Surely I'm not the only one [but I seem to be--Ed.] who has figured out that President-elect Obama is biding his time. His grasp of politics as "the art of the possible" is vast. He's simply not borrowing more trouble than he must at the moment. Keep the status quo until there's a need to change it. Wait until we all know how these last three Senate races end--wait until we know whether the Democrats in the Senate get their 60-seat, filibuster-proof majority, until announcing whether Lieberman will in fact keep his chairmanship. Don't jettison him until everyone knows for sure he's no longer needed.
What's so hard to grasp about that? And stop calling me Shirley!
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