I only had time to read the first one but my understanding is that Lieberman was left in place because then he would "owe" Obama loyalty and not fight against him. They are trying to build a congress that will get Obama's ideas and programs through. I know we won't get all we want, but I do think the intention is there and that they are hearing the voters loud and clear, and we may need to continue working to ensure that they are paying attention and continue to hear us. We should be involved anyway with more than a vote every few years. There are more of us than them, and we want change now, and our patience allowance is slim.