Why are people surprised that Bill Clinton is supporting Lieberman?

Clinton founded the DLC. He is in the camp that believes that you do anything to get a Democrat into office and a Republican out of office. Although that is not my own worldview, I do understand it. Of course, DLC-type thinking is not really that sophisticated. For example, instead of backing the one candidate who could stare down the news media and speak the truth about George W. Bush, the Democratic establishment propped up (almost literally) the cautious, ambiguous, dreary John Kerry. But those people don't ever learn.

As for Lieberman's rightward leanings, we must remember that Clinton is not really that liberal, and that he sold out women (a charge made repeatedly about Lieberman) and gays in his own administration.