Screw him, then.

Bolstered by a newly expanded majority, Harry Reid met with Joe Lieberman on Thursday to sketch out the conditions by which the Connecticut independent could continue to caucus with Senate Democrats. But Lieberman did not accept Reid's initial offers, leaving his future in the caucus uncertain, and potentially setting off a campaign to pressure the Democratic steering committee to decide Lieberman's fate.

Reid offered Lieberman a deal to step down as chairman of the homeland security committee but take over the reins of another subcommittee, likely overseeing economic or small business issues officials said.

Reid's offer seems extraordinarily generous to me, but not completely unacceptable. If Joe Lieberman is going to spurn that generosity then the discussion should be closed. If he votes for the Democratic leadership when the new Congress organizes, then he should be permitted to attend general meetings of the caucus, with no appointments and with his seniority reset to zero on the day of that vote.

He is not today a Democrat. He has not been elected as our nominee, nor has he supported our ticket. That leadership vote is the price of his readmission, but readmission alone should be his reward.