Remember when Joe Lieberman was the Democratic VP nominee? Remember when he was a Democrat? Well, those times are long since over:

Sen. Joe Lieberman is crossing party lines and endorsing Republican Sen. John McCain for president.

"Being a Republican is important. Being a Democrat is important. But you know what's more important than that? The interest and well-being of the United States of America," the Democrat-turned Independent said in announcing his decision Monday morning in New Hampshire.

Hear that? Joe Lieberman caucuses with the Democrats but loves them so much that he sees fit to back a war-mongering Republican like McCain for President. This move is no surprise, as Lieberman is not a Democrat, taking opportunities like this to backhandedly remind us of this fact (so he's not really crossing party lines, per se). Yet here are our Senate Democrats, relying on his vote in our 49-49-2 razor-thin majority. He even chairs the Senate's Committee on Homeland Security & Government Affairs!

In that light, it is all the more important that we send Gordon Smith packing. As long as he's in D.C. not representing Oregon's values, Lieberman's vote is still relevant. Every seat we pick up in this coming election is another seat away from relying on his support. Every seat we pick up send him further into irrelevance.

So let's work to elect a DEMOCRAT to our second U.S. Senate seat here in Oregon. For me, that means Jeff Merkley. But I think we can all agree that it's time for Smith to go, no matter who the nominee ends up being.