A Palin-Lieberman dream ticket?

SARAH PALIN'S book tour in Iowa over the week end prompted her to continue to drop hints that she will be a serious candidate for president in 2012. Indeed there seems to be no hesitancy by some of the pundits to suggest that she's already a candidate. She's hanging out with her loyal enthusiasts wherever she turns up as a literary novice, many of whom quite likely will never turn a page in her book. Just as well. Volumes have already been written itemizing the factual errors in her tome, which I gather is about rogues and stuff. Maybe she actually meant it to be a fantasy.

It appears the only question remaining as she reaps her own whirlwind around the country is who will be her running mate? (It's still 2009, but isn't this fun?) So allow me to speculate with the paid political analysts in the trade and suggest that the shortest list should be headed by Joe Lieberman, who would take no more than a few minutes to put on his game face if she looked in his direction.

Joe has been standing in the wings since he ran as Al Gore's sidekick in 2000. It was during his mock debate with Dick Cheney that Lieberman's talent as the deal-breaker with Gore became the vapid sideshow of the whole campaign. He spent so much time sucking up to Cheney that it was fair to consider whether George Bush had managed the preposterous tandem of two vice presidents on his ticket. It also added to the senator's luster as a chameleon ready to emerge in another campaign down the road. Republican, Democrat, it didn't matter. Still doesn't.

You may recall from the last episode that Joe is puffed up these days to block the health care reform bill because he cares so much about people. It gives him the kind of prominence that the the Palin crowd can't ignore. At the same time, Palin, who has not yet outgrown her tales of the Alaskan steppes, needs a guy with his experience and brand on a national ticket. It could be billed as Beauty and the Least, and the Tea Baggers would arrive with signs and epithets and all while Joe grinned from ear to ear, satisfied that somebody finally values him as much as he values himself.

Clip and save. Remember where you first heard of this confluence of two religiously devout candidates. It would be an historic ecumenical and gender moment in American politics spanning the nation from Juneau to Hartford, with maybe a moose or two in between.

.