King is in! Angus King (I-ME) to run for Snowe's seat.

[minionofmidas]

Why does Maine have so many independent candidates?

Because they're cool.

Endorsed. Especially since Michaud's not running.

[minionofmidas]

I don't think forming a caucus would do you any good in power terms or win you any committee assignments unless you were the official minority.

[minionofmidas]

How is he another Lieberman?

I guess because he's not a real Democrat, which still makes it a stretch to assume that he's a troll whose primary focus is to go out of his way to damage the Democratic Party.

King didn't endorse McCain/Palin either.

He endorsed Bush. That's even worse.

What? No it's not. He endorsed Bush in 2000. A lot of the following political alignment and discourse have been products of Bush's first term. Bush's 2000 run among other things trumpeted a 'humble' foreign policy, for instance...

His foreign policy was only one aspect of his platform though. Bush was still very much a social conservative in 2000.

I might be misremembering 2000 (I was very young), but were social issues particularly trenchant at that point?

They were. Though the main "social issue" was gun control.

[minionofmidas]

I prefer a real independent over a "moderate Republican".

"Independent" is not ideological category, "moderate" - is. It's absolutely impossible to compatre them - that would be something like comparing scissors and apples.

Ever tried trimming your toe nails with an apple?