What’s the deal with Republicans needing to trot out a Democrat at their convention every four years? And what’s up with so-called Democrats who are eager to play the role of the straight-talking, fair-minded bipartisan who totally gets them?

This year’s Zell Miller award goes to Sen. Joseph Lieberman, party uncertain, of Connecticut, who will probably address the Republican presidential convention when it’s held in Minnesota’s Twin Cities in September.

Sen. Joe Lieberman — the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000 — is willing to address the Republican National Convention if it will help Sen. John McCain win in November, his office confirms to CNN.

In an interview published Tuesday night, the independent Connecticut senator told The Hill newspaper that “If Sen. McCain, who I support so strongly, asked me to do it, if he thinks it will help him, I will.”

Let’s just hope Lieberman doesn’t end his address by challenging Chris Matthews to a duel. For those of you too young or too old to remember, Zell Miller did precisely that in 2004 when the Hairball host pissed him off totally by asking him, after his shining moment of glory speaking before the adoring Republican assembly, if he was serious about any of that trash he had just talked about John Kerry. Cast your mind back to one of the classic moments in convention history…

MATTHEWS: No, I am using your talking points and asking you if you really believe them.

MILLER: Well, use John Kerry‘s talking points from the—from what he has had to say on the floor of the Senate, where he talked about them being occupiers, where he put out this whenever he was running for the U.S. Senate about what he wanted to cancel. Cancel to me means to do away with.

MATTHEWS: Well, what did you mean by the following.

MILLER: I think we ought to cancel this interview.

MATTHEWS: Well, I don‘t mean…(CROSSTALK) Well, that would be my loss, Senator. That would be my loss. Let me ask you about this, because I think you have a view on the role of reporters in the world. You have said and it has often been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. Was there not…

MILLER: Do you believe that?

MATTHEWS: Well, of course it‘s true.

MILLER: Do you believe that?

MATTHEWS: But it‘s a statement that nobody would have challenged. Why did you make it? It seems like no one would deny what you said. So what‘s your point?

MILLER: Well, it evidently got a rise out of you…You didn‘t have anything to do with freedom of the press.

MATTHEWS: Well, you could argue it was not nurses who defended the freedom of nursing. Why did you single out freedom of the press to say it was the soldiers that defended it and not the reporters? We all know that. Why did you say it?

MILLER: Well, because I thought it needed to be said at this particular time, because I wanted to come on…

MATTHEWS: Because you could get an applause line against the media at a conservative convention.

MILLER: No, I said it because it was—you‘re hopeless. I wish I was over there. (CROSSTALK) In fact, I wish that we lived in—I wish we lived in the day…(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: If a Republican Senator broke ranks and—all right, I‘m sorry. A Republican Senator broke ranks and came over and spoke for the Democrats, would you respect him?

MILLER: Yes, of course I would.

MATTHEWS: Why?

MILLER: I have seen that happen from time to time. Look, I believe…

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: What does Jim Jeffords say to you?

MILLER: Wait a minute.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Jim Jeffords switched parties after getting elected.

MILLER: If you‘re going to ask a question…

MATTHEWS: Well, it‘s a tough question. It takes a few words.

MILLER: Get out of my face.