I don't actually agree with the aftermath of the election prediction in Colin McEnroe's column this morning:

He'll [Lieberman] win the election and wind up as chair of the environment committee. We'll never see him again. He'll court national approval more than ever and barely keep a peg on which to hang his hat in Connecticut.

Funny thing, that. This is kind of a farewell tour, too. One of the lessons he might have learned this time, by losing a primary, is that he had fallen out of touch with his home people. He spent too much time seeking the national limelight and had a hard time even mounting a field operation here where he lives. That might have told him he needed to water his roots.

Bear with me: The reason the usual crop of GOP fund raisers are pouring money into Lieberman's campaign and Bush is praising Lieberman (even just yesterday) is because once Lieberman **wins**, Bush will immediately offer him a position with the Administration that Lieberman won't refuse. Then Jodi Rell, the Republican Governor who is finishing out convicted Governor's Rowland term, will get to appoint Lieberman's replacement.

If that doesn't scare you, more idle speculation below the fold.