WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Joe Lieberman has changed his tune on Barack Obama. After campaigning across the country for Republican John McCain in 2008 and attacking Obama as naive, untested and unwilling to take on powerful special interests, Lieberman now showers praise on the popular new Democratic president.

"He's shown real leadership," Lieberman told The Associated Press in an interview. "Bottom line: I think Barack Obama, president of the United States, is off to a very good start."

The Connecticut independent, who faces re-election in 2012 in a state where Obama is popular, is eager to mend fences with Democrats still fuming over his criticism of Obama during the general election campaign.

Lieberman has applauded Obama's national security team. He gushed over Obama's "inspirational and unifying" inaugural. Lieberman even played a key role helping Obama win Senate passage of the economic stimulus plan.

As if to underscore the point, Lieberman has even clashed on the Senate floor with his pal McCain over the stimulus plan and a District of Columbia voting rights bill.

"I don't think of Joe as the independent, I really think of Joe as a Democrat," said Lieberman's home state colleague, Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.

It's a striking turnaround from the days when Lieberman was a fixture at McCain's side during campaign stops. McCain had even considered making Lieberman, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, his running mate.

"Do I think it is more principle or politics?" said Quinnipiac University Poll director Doug Schwartz of Lieberman's moves. "It is a tough question."

Lieberman's campaigning for McCain hurt him with Connecticut voters, particularly Democrats, Schwartz said.

Connecticut's Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who is mentioned as a possible 2012 Senate Democratic candidate, would beat Lieberman by 28 points in a hypothetical matchup, a recent Quinnipiac poll showed.

Lieberman scoffed at any suggestion his embrace of Obama is more about political expediency than principle.

"I haven't changed ... I've always had a voting record that is more with the Democrats than with the Republicans," he said.

While it is true that Lieberman has never claimed to be a Republican, he seemed pretty convincing in his support of John McCain in the 2008 election. Read what Joe had to say on the subject in August of 2008.

So what's changed?  It appears that it was politically expedient for Joe to change his mind about B.H. Obama .  .  . apparently being chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee is worth the price of your soul.  So give me liberty or give me death, if it doesn't cost me politically.  Who needs stinkin' principles anyway!

UPDATE (sort of)

Ok, now I can't get that song out of my head!  So for your enjoyment (especially those of you too young to remember the 60's)  here's a little CSN!