Opinion: A fusion ticket? McCain-Lieberman. Uh, no.

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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, for the moment, Rudy Giuliani -- who think they should be the nominee. And just a few dozen more primaries.

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 of Connecticut, Al Gore’s running mate in 2000 and a Democratic presidential candidate himself in 2004, has already taken himself out of the Republican VP race.

‘I’d tell him,’ Lieberman told the Associated Press today, ‘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 before Super Tuesday voting on Feb. 5. Lieberman, you may recall, was dumped by his own party in the 2006 primary over his support of the Iraq war, so ran and won as an independent who still caucuses with Senate Democrats.

The fourth-term senator said his endorsement of McCain was not an indication he would join the GOP.

That is no minor question. If Lieberman switched parties, the Republicans would regain control of the Senate.

Lieberman said if McCain won the GOP nomination, he would likely attend the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul. ‘I’d probably be more welcome there,’ he said.

-- Andrew Malcolm