One of the most important elections of 2010 may have been the election of Dan Malloy for governor of Connecticut. Based on the title, you've probably figured out why, but let's go further.
Before the election, there was concern that Democrats needed to not just win a majority in the Senate, but win a majority large enough to prevent defections to the Republicans, specifically from Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman.
Clearly Democrats can't trust Lieberman to be a reliable vote on critical issues. Whether it was his support of the war in Iraq or his obstruction in the healthcare debate or campaigning for McCain (and nearly being his VP), he has frustrated Democrats and liberals for a number of years now.
However, with Dan Malloy the new Connecticut governor, there is a chance to make a big change. President Obama can, and should, appoint Joe Lieberman to an ambassadorship or secretary position and allow the Democratic governor to appoint a reliable Democrat to the seat.
Would Lieberman be my ideal Secretary? Probably not. But it would be preferable to him as a Senator.
The benefit to this is not merely to get a more reliable Democrat. Some are rumbling that Linda McMahon could run again in 2012 and, in a three way race, it is not inconceivable that she could win. And a Republican McMahon as the Senator from Connecticut would be worse than a Joe Lieberman as Senator from Connecticut.
The costs of appointing Joe Lieberman to a new position are lower than the costs of leaving him as an obstruction in the Senate and the benefits are clear. President Obama should make a play this January after the Malloy is inaugurated and give us a big change that we can believe in by giving Joe Lieberman a graceful exit from the US Senate.