The first person I saw on the Hill tonight was Senator Joe Lieberman. He was exiting the House side of the Capitol and looking for his driver.

I tried to press him a little on his non-committal answer re: filibustering health care over the public option. Maybe I’m inclined toward optimism, but I’m thinking he’s hoping he doesn’t have to make that decision.

And that’s the problem, isn’t it? There are too many marginally Democratic Senators that don’t have to face their constituents in 2010. Bill Nelson, Ben Nelson, Max Baucus, Kent Conrad… Any one of these guys could join with Republicans in a filibuster.

I know there is a movement afoot to pressure Harry Reid to threaten Senators that take the unprecedented step of breaking with their caucus to join a minority filibuster… but shit…

This is the same Harry Reid that led the caucus in a standing ovation when Joe Lieberman returned to the Senate after defeating the Democrat in the 2006 Connecticut election. It’s the same guy that allowed Lieberman to keep his gavel after criss-crossing the country to campaign for John McCain and Sarah Palin for much of 2008.

eh… Maybe I’m not so inclined toward optimism after all…