Believe me, I despise Joe Lieberman as much as the next stereotypical liberal guy.  Rare is it that you get such a confluence of holier-than-thou self-righteousness and sheer, unadulterated, proud and loud wrong-headedness.  And his voice...you could use it at Guantanamo as an instrument of torture.

Having said that, the outcome of the democratic caucus is not the worst thing to ever happen to progressive politics.  PE Obama knows he needs every vote to pass his likely agressive agenda.  Lieberman now clearly OWES Obama those votes.

Also, while it is true Lieberman has been a worthless Homeland Security Committee chair, it's also true that he has a LOT of company on both sides of the Capitol.  It's been disappointing in general how little congressional oversight has improved since 2006.  Clearly, there are easier ways than showy committee hearings for congress-critters to get TV time these days. 

Finally, as Lawrence O'Donnell said on the Maddow (Huffington) Show last night, the Connecticut voters are going to provide the most effective and lasting sanction against Lieberman.  Only a Senator with 4 years left in his current term could have behaved the way Lieberman did during this just-completed presidential election.  Obama won Connecticut by a 61-38 margin.  If Obama remains remotely as popular there by 2012, Lieberman will have real trouble holding his seat.  The best way to work out all the anger is to start organizing in the grassroots NOW to elect a new, truly Democratic Senator in Connecticut 4 years from now.