Why so many people hate Joe Lieberman so much? The Hartford Courant takes a closer look at the reasons. Money graphs

Meanwhile, on "Meet the Press," Chuck Hagel, Nebraska's Republican senator, unloaded after Lieberman said he wanted to win in Iraq for his children and grandchildren.

Hagel said he was "offended" by suggestions that those who want
to curb U.S. involvement were advocating defeat. "We all have children and grandchildren. He doesn't have a market on that, nor do any of my colleagues."

Why does Lieberman incite such anger? Why doesn't he get more credit for trying to bring people together? Tom Andrews, a former Democratic Maine congressman who is national director of Win Without War, a coalition of religious, environmental and civil rights groups, tried to explain.

"He's not only on the other side of most Democrats, but he's opposed by a clear majority of the American people," he said.

It was pointed out that Lieberman's view is shared by others in politics, but they don't get the daily thumping he endures.

"That's because he's in your face about his views," Andrews said. "He goes out of his way to lecture people about why it's important to back the president in Iraq."

Taken together, these two statements are the essence of why Joe is despised. He is in your face about the moral superiority of his position, even though his position isn't morally superior. Through the first few years of the Iraq War, Joe lectured Democrats not to attack the President's plan, because it was working. And now that he was obviously wrong, that the Bush plan he defended didn't work and was a disaster, what does Joe say? Instead of saying he was wrong, he is once again lecturing Democrats not to attack the President's plan.

Bottom line is line - you don't claim the high ground unless you have it. We don't want parenting advice from Britney Spears (or hairstyle advice, for that matter), we don't want tips on honesty from Scooter Libby and we don't want lectures from Joe on the War.