Is there any room in the Democratic Party for a candidate who is strong on defense and aggressive in the War on Terror? Democratic primary voters in Connecticut have answered that question with a resounding no. Senator Joseph Lieberman—one of the few prominent Democrats who understands the existential threat posed by radical Islam—has just been defeated by a left-wing pacifist named Ned Lamont.

Considering Lieberman was the Democratic nominee for Vice President just six years ago, this is quite a fall. So he’s ditching the party and running as an independent.

Despite the fact that I disagree with Lieberman on a great many issues, he understands the stakes in the only issue that really matters. We can shy away from this clash of civilizations, but that doesn’t mean our enemies will. And if nuclear bombs start going off in American cities—a very real possibility within the next ten years—then political disagreements on things like taxes are going to be meaningless.

I think this is a great loss for Connecticut, for Democrats, and for America. If we’re going to get serious about dealing with the Jihadists, we need more people like Lieberman in both parties. It’s too bad they’re no longer welcome in the Democratic Party.