Lieberman rules out a fusion ticket with McCain

Of course, first there’s the minor hurdle for Sen. John McCain of winning the presidential nomination of his Republican Party. There still are a few other party members -- like Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and even Ron Paul -- who think they should be the nominee.

But just in case the delegate winner is John McCain and just in case the question comes up again later this winter, Sen. Joe Lieberman -- a onetime Democrat from Connecticut, Al Gore’s running mate in 2000 and a Democratic presidential candidate himself in 2004 -- has already taken himself out of the VP race.

“I’d tell him,” Lieberman told the AP the other day, “ ‘Thanks, John, I’ve been there. I’ve done that. You can find much better.’ ”

Lieberman endorsed McCain in December, has campaigned for him already in several states, and intends to go back on the campaign trail for his Arizona friend again. Lieberman, you may recall, lost in the 2006 Democratic primary over his support of the Iraq war, so he ran and won as an independent, though he still caucuses with Senate Democrats.

The fourth-term senator said his endorsement of McCain was no indication he’d join the GOP.

Still, Lieberman said if McCain won the GOP nomination, he’d likely attend the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. “I’d probably be more welcome there,” he said.

Vote of overconfidence?

The Barack Obama campaign had an unusually succinct comment on Hillary Clinton’s claim of victory in the so-called Florida primary. Clinton held a bizarre ersatz victory party for the uncontested Democratic election.

“Thank you, Florida Democrats!” she shouted, hoping the gala scene would erase memories of her crushing defeat in South Carolina when she escaped to Tennessee rather than give a concession speech to Obama. “I am thrilled to have this vote of confidence!”

The Democratic National Committee had forbidden its candidates from campaigning in the state, suspending all its convention delegates as punishment for moving up its primary date, a move likely to be ultimately reversed by the nominee.

The DNC issued the same punishment to Michigan, where all major Democrats except Clinton removed their names from the ballot.

But the Obama campaign had a reaction ready for the Clinton victory claim. Obama press secretary Bill Burton issued a simple but pointed statement: “Obama and Clinton tie for delegates in Florida. 0 for Obama, 0 for Clinton.”

TV execs love Romney

The Nielsen Co. has released statistics on TV advertising in Florida.

The report spotlights the extent of the media campaign Mitt Romney ran there for his second-place finish. From March of last year through the first part of last week, TV spots for the former Massachusetts governor totaled 4,475.

The comparable number for John McCain: 470. All of McCain’s ads were broadcast in January. Romney’s total then: 1,392.

Romney had the 2007 advantage of being flush with cash, while McCain’s campaign was virtually tapped out.

And even as McCain’s financial situation has improved, Romney has maintained a big edge, in part by funneling an unknown (but presumably hefty) amount of his personal fortune into his campaign.

Rudy Giuliani, despite long ago keying on Florida as the cornerstone of his White House bid, was nearly dark in the state until December, when his campaign aired 189 spots.

But he flooded the market in the first 22 days of January with 2,878 ads.

A lot of good it did the now-former candidate.

If not Thompson, Paul?

Who’s a self-respecting conservative to go for in the GOP presidential race? Could it be, maybe, perhaps, a certain Republican-libertarian from Texas?

That’s one question perplexing California state Sen. Tom McClintock, possibly the second-most-famous California Republican currently in office, after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

McClintock created a stir two months ago when he endorsed Fred Thompson -- who dropped out after not catching on with voters.

While McClintock hasn’t won a statewide contest (he’s run for governor, lieutenant governor and state controller), he knows his way around GOP primaries.

Now McClintock is mulling his choices.

And it comes down to the basics: “Who will respect our Constitution, defend our borders, and reduce the burdens of government on our people?” McClintock said.

“If I were to vote today, I probably would be casting a vote for Ron Paul.

“I’m not voting today.”

Iowans had fun!

At last, the news we’ve all been waiting for.

A new University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll just out has discovered that fully 86% of Iowans “had fun” during their recent caucuses. Isn’t that wonderful?

According to a university news release: “Despite the chaos of a record turnout, long lines and crowded rooms, Iowans had fun at their caucuses on Jan. 3.”

It’s just so heartwarming to know that what the rest of us thought for so many months had something to do with choosing party nominees for president of the United States was, for a very large majority of the quarter-million Iowans who caucused, actually a whole lot of fun.

The random telephone poll of 306 Democratic and 223 Republican caucusgoers between Jan. 5 and 10 found, according to David Redlawsk, poll director: “Iowans didn’t caucus just for the fun of it, but most seem to have discovered the fun factor in caucusing.”

It was the first caucus for nearly half of those surveyed, many of whom said they caucused to oppose one candidate rather than support one. Across parties, nearly all said they attended because it was the “right thing to do,” 89% to support a candidate, 27% to oppose a candidate and 19% because someone asked them to go.

While 86% reported having fun, only 26% listed fun as their reason for going.

Oh, and despite their more complex, often chaotic voting procedures, more Democrats (88%) reported “having fun” than Republicans (83%).

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Times staff writer Dan Morain contributed to this report.

Excerpted from The Times’ political blog, Top of the Ticket, at www.latimes.com/ topoftheticket.