Joe will caucus with the Republicans if it benefits him. Not convinced? Let's size up the evidence:

• Karl Rove called Joe up on primary day, reportedly to offer his "personal friend" any "help" he needed from "the boss."


• The day after the primary, Dick Cheney called reporters to talk specifically about the results of the Connecticut Democratic primary, attacking Ned Lamont's patriotism in tandem with Lieberman. Cheney has since campaigned across the country attacking Lamont while campaigning for House candidates.


• The Lieberman party is being financed by huge amounts of Republican money, including energy lobbyists, Bush's college roomate, the chair of Scooter Libby's defense fund, and a major financier of the Swift Boat Vets. $15 million and counting.


• In an interview with The Hill, Lieberman threatened to leave the Democratic caucus if Harry Reid and other Democrats stripped him of his seniority.


• While Democrats and Republicans across the country have repeatedly called for the accountability of the House GOP leadership and the resignation of Speaker Hastert in the wake of the Foley scandal, Lieberman has refused to do so, and called critics of Hastert too "partisan" for demanding he resign.


• Lieberman is currently using the Fox News slur "Democrat party" in his campaign communications to supporters.


• Lieberman's candidacy is completely dependent on Republican votes. So much so that he declared himself a "noncombatant" in the CT House races.


• And now, to top it all off, he actually refuses to say whether he thinks a Democratic majority in congress would be better for America. A Democratic majority of which - assumedly - he harbors hopes of being a member come January 2007.

Or does he?

The evidence is clear, regardless of any pledges he makes. He's already bolted the party and told the voters in the primary they don't matter. He's broken promise after promise he made in 1988 - from promising not to miss 300 votes, to promising to run for only three terms. His word is worth nothing. The evidence above is worth a lot.

Will he unequivocally rule out caucusing with the Republicans if he returns to the Senate, whether he maintains his seniority or not, and whether the Republicans are in the majority or not?

Whether he answers the above question or not, it's clear a vote for Joe is a vote for the Republican congress. It's a vote to keep Dennis Hastert, George Bush, and Dick Cheney in power with as little oversight as possible.