Quote du Jour: Newly re-elected Democratic Senator

"This was an election that might be called the return of the center of American politics."

Yay -- viva moderation! I'm right on the cutting edge here, the avant-garde (ahem).

OK, the unnamed senator in question being quoted here is Joe Lieberman (now designated I/D-CT), on "Meet the Press" today. But that's beside the point, or is it?

Maybe it's not. My idea of the triumph of moderation is not just the triumph of the center, per se, but the triumph of people who think for themselves, as well as respecting the diverse views of all their constituents, not just the ones who voted for them. And I guess sometimes it's also about the triumph of some who have blinders on with regard to some issues but take a saner view on others.

So maybe it's OK that Lieberman's back. I may not agree with him on the war, but, for one thing, I don't live in Connecticut, and the point of democracy isn't just about getting what you want, but about keeping things stirred up a bit, about tolerating seeming inconsistencies and paradoxes, about venturing into the gray areas and electing people who aren't afraid of the gray areas and aren't afraid of solving puzzles that require going out on a limb sometimes, without saying to hell with those who want to pull you back for the communal good; people who don't think cooperation is a dirty word.

I don't know if Senator Lieberman is one of those people. The other independent in the Senate, Jim Jeffords, as well as his also-independent successor Bernie Sanders, seem to fall into that category. Oddly enough, John Kerry, in his often clumsy way, does, too. So did Bill Clinton, much more successfully. So do Arlen Specter and Susan Collins, each with their distinctive personal styles.

It's hard to get really excited about stuff like moderation and bipartisanship, but I would raise a couple glasses of pinot noir on their behalf.