Thursday, January 24, 2002

Remora

The Financial Times is pleased that Joe Lieberman is leading the Senate investigation into Enron. He will lead it quickly, sensibly, painlessly ... nowhere. Lieberman is a centrist, or perhaps it is better to say self-centrist, Democrat. Supposedly, he sees himself as the next president. His philosophy is to the right of Nelson Rockefeller -- which is why you can bet that nothing he uncovers with the Enron probe is going to rock his support for deregulation. The FT comments that many were dismayed to see him tugged leftward as Al Gore's vp -- yes, all that radical mouthing on maintaining the surplus. Emma Goldman returns, talking them fiscal prudence blues. Or was this Herbert Hoover in his itchier hours? Emma, to tell the truth, might have spit. Anyway, the FT is confidant that Lieberman will sink the Enron inquiry under so many fathoms of technicalities, long winded spiels, and his trademark rebarbative moralizing, that it will do minimum harm to Bush. Limited Inc agrees. Here's the final three grafs:

"But since then [the election of 2000], the pro-free-trade, pro-business message of New Democrats has again become one of Mr Lieberman's main calling cards.

For that reason, many Democrats hope Mr Lieberman gives them the patina of credibility that a more leftist, business-bashing member of their ranks would not. "Joe is the best possible person to have in the lead slot," says one senior Democratic policy adviser. "He will not conduct a witch-hunt."

To some Democrats, who would like to see a little more Republican blood on the floor, that is not ideal. But, with both parties feeling the political heat from the bankruptcy, it may be the most sensible approach."

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