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Did you hear the one about Lieberman, of the CFL Party, doing the Democrats' radio address this weekend?
Lieberman To Deliver Democratic Address
5:00 PM EST, March 2, 2007
By DAVID LIGHTMAN, Washington Bureau ChiefWASHINGTON -- Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman plans to deliver the Democrats' radio response to President Bush Saturday and urge that the president and Congress "hold the Pentagon and Army chain of command accountable or the neglect of our soldiers at Walter Reed" Army Medical Center....
Lieberman, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, plans to say in his brief talk today, which airs shortly after 11 a.m. in most markets, that the reports in the Post "have uncovered
completely unacceptable living conditions and inadequate services."
What, you're not laughing? Neither am I.
The abject failure of the Democratic Party to heed the will of the people from the 2006 midterms is about as unfunny as it gets. See Matt Stoller for more. The ability of the Democrats to undercut any real opposition to Bush's bloodthirsty betrayal of our national security and our military for the sake of escalation and Iranian misadventure has been breathtaking.
Who are the villains? The same people I talked about just before the midterm elections. Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, Rahm Emanuel, Steny Hoyer and others. But I have another responsible party to name, and it may surprise you.
Us.
Who?
The progressive netroots as a whole is in part to blame, here.
After the midterms, I saw a lot of celebration and a collective sigh of relief that we supposedly have real allies in DC. Well, Pelosi is an ally, but she's an island beset by bad actors. That's about it. In spite of the fact that her poll numbers are better than those of all the others in Democratic leadership, they are betraying the base.
We need to stop pretending that politicians respond to goodwill and persuasion, no matter what they claim about themselves. They respond to power, fear and pressure. Across the netroots, we need to get back to doing less cheerleading and more aggressive organizing and targeted punishment. Until we do that, we will continue to watch these betrayals, on matters of war, the environment, net neutrality, executive branch accountability, public campaign financing, you name it.
It's time to get angry again, folks. Harry Reid is putting Lieberman out there because he does not care what we think, and he does not care because we in the netroots, collectively, beat our swords into plowshares after the midterms. That's been a costly mistake, and one some among us warned against.
I'm sorry I have nothing really funny to say tonight. With this Lieberman thing, the joke is on us, and it's a symptom of a much larger problem.
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Spotlight
Pach!
Fitz
Trex
THIS IS A FUCKING OUTRAGE!
zed?
have I mentioned that my deep contempt for Joe Lieberman is nourished daily by sh*t like this?
www.PublicCampaign.org.
That’s how we get the corporate money (and the people dependent on it) out of politics. (It’s Howard-Dean-approved.)
The whole reason that the Democrats got taken over by the Lieberman types in the first place is because they felt that they needed the corporate cash to go toe-to-toe with the GOP. The problem is that when you hit up the same donor pool as the GOP, they want to turn you into the GOP.
Lieberman is as funny as the crap that gets flushed down a toilet.
He can do the rebuttal to my speech about how he failed to investigate Katrina.
Good luck with that.
This is just nauseating beyond expression. My only quibble is that I wouldn’t be so quick to call Pelosi an ally. If bombing Iran isn’t off Cheney’s table, why is impeachment off hers?
C&L did a piece earlier today about Lier-man calling into Imus and being totally clueless about the Walter Reed situation.
I so wish it could be Webb instead…
ahem. sorry about the all caps.
I have the feeling that Lieberman is actually feeling the heat from us (or from those of us in Connecticut) — hence his desire to throw us a bone (in his way of thinking) by opposing Bush on something (but of course, not where it would actually be meaningful).
As for punishing BlueDogs, CfLers and others: Got a list? Who should we nail in ‘08?
Time to pick up our fired o’glakes and put some folks on notice we dont like wasted opportunities like the one we gave these putzes.
That picture just says it all, doesn’t it? LIEberman, Chimpy, and Hills, one big happy family f**king up the country.
Gnome de Plume @ 10
Aaand so why exactly does HE get to do the rebuttal???
I thought Delbert was poaching your handle for a second there, punaise.
punaise @ 12
They’re probably warranted, in this situation ;-)
FiniFiniTOOBZ! @ 14
FiniFunami!
You heard the man:
Fire up the o’glakes people let’s get going.
Since when is Lieberman a Democrat? Since when is Lieberman in opposition to Bush? Since when does Lieberman represent anyone but Connecticut Republicans?
All questions that reasonable people might ask, but politics in Washington do not stoop to the crudity of representing actual ((shudder)) people.
egregious @ 19
Hehe…me likey!
Egregious - punishment for being an idiot? If Reid knew about the interview it would be an interesting bit of payback.
I am so angry with the lot of them. How dare leader Reid shove that good for nothing Independent back in our D face, just a week after he embraces Fox with its announcement of hosting Demo debates.
Everything you say is spot on Pach. If it weren’t for the Fire in the Lake I really don’t think I would be calling myself a D anymore.
On the casting thread earlier, can’t believe the most appropriate was bypassed. Bonzo the chimp as …
AMEN !!! I couldn’t have said it better myself Pach.
Primaries. Primaries, primaries, primaries.
We need to pick off some DLC incumbents to demonstrate that we must be feared.
Although I guess they’ll just end up getting re-elected as independents…
start_beating_around_the_bush @ 24
Ooooh…Will Farrell does a great impersonation.
What is the best way to put Liebermunch in a spot of bother? I’d sure like to know.
He’s been showing way too much of his creepy bottom row of teeth lately.
Pach…couldn’t agree with you more re hitting
the congress with mail with the disbelief that
they themselves didn’t get the message sent in
November..last year I was sending “love notes” to many of those running and telling them to get off their butts and ream out Bush and company. Some did, some I am sure put my note in the round file!
Nancy does seem to be a tough nut, but I wonder how tough she really is when it comes to dealing with Reed and others in the leadership. I know the Democrats have accomplished a lot in the past few months, but there does not seem to be complete unity amongst them… Lets hope that we can ignite the blogger world to get back to the writing and sending our disappointment in them. Can’t hurt!!
Thanks for all your wonderful articles and keep it up.
Who chooses the weekly radio speaker? Can’t we complain to somebody NOW???
Hey, if Fox is good enough for hosting the debate, I guess Joe is good enough for the Democratic response. Thanks again, Harry - that rope-a-dope is really wearing the Republicans out for us.
Joe will probably complain that the terrible conditions at Walter Reed are eroding support for the glorious, glorious war that we all love.
This is not just an issue of who we target in ‘08 but a time for us to make it very clear to every democratic senator and congresscritter that we have had it. When you win the first skirmish, you don’t retreat … you press forward.
Crap. Now I am doubly frustrated - it is Friday nite and there is not a gosh darned thing I can do about Leiberlier giving the rebuttal tomorrow morning AND the friggin Libby jury left for the weekend with two notes to obsess over.
I swear, I hate wishing my weekend away pining for Monday morning.
FiniFiniTOOBZ! @ 27
I read somewhere that he said that if he had stayed on the cast, he would have played *all* of his Dubya scenes in a flightsuit.
We kept thinking that between the 2006 elections, and the underwhelming polls which show the public’s dislike of the war and Bush, that the Dems would actually do something. I just can’t get over how every time it appears that a couple of them do want to stand up, all the rest play Whack-a-Mole.
How much pressure can we put on them when they really don’t seem to give a damn what we think?
Siun @ 32
What *really* pisses me off is that they’re not just pissing *us* off. Every Independent and fed-up Republican who voted for the Democrats to end the war is now wondering why the hell they bothered.
I don’t trust these Reids and Hoyers to provide real oversight or opposition either. Letting Lieberman give the response is too much. We all know he’s gonna end up having to switch parties if he runs again because the CT Dem’s have had it with him. Pelosi seems okay but she should really put impeachment back on the table. Enough is enough already.
OT - I heard a rebroadcast of Ahnuld’s recent “can’t we all just get along” speech in DC. He made brief mention of the White House encounter that Webb had with Bush, (without naming Webb) but he got it all wrong: he berated a certain senator for his lack of civility in rebuffing an earnest query from a caring preznit.
I call BS. At the very least he is woefully misinformed about that incident, in which Bush taunted Webb, knowing his son had recently escaped major harm in Iraq.
Selecting RGJoe to give our party’s response is a travesty.
Please join me at Reid’s “Give ‘Em Hell Harry” community blog to ask the Majority Leader WHY??
Comments welcome!!
The Democrats aren’t even pandering to the middle. The middle wants us out. They’re pandering to the other side’s base. Like that’s gonna work.
DLC = Grima Wormtongue.
punaise @
12
No apology necessary.
yes, Teddy!
What are we gonna do? This is a one race at a time problem. One race at a time, we gotta send a message. So who’s the target?
punaise @ 38
That’s the official Republican narrative about the encounter. President Concerned-About-The-Troops was just trying to be nice, and Webb was a total meanie.
No mention of the fact that Dubya was specifically asked *not* to bring Webb’s son up, because that whole almost-getting-killed thing made him kind of a sensitive topic…
You’re right. And a retrospective of Bush comments on the secret society Skull and Bones is quite interesting. The joke indeed is on us.
on a more positive note, punaise jr. score a try in tonight’s rugby game. after years of soccer spectating, rugby is quite an adjustment.
The larger progressive blogs (FDL, DailyKos, TPM, etc.) should band together to do an end run around this crap and create our own weekly radio (podcast) address.
We have our own media.
There should be an immediate moratorium on any and all netroot fundraising.
No money until these pricks toe the line.
As long as elections are not publicly financed, our elections are in large part controlled by big money. I don’t want to in anyway say that it is simple or straightforward to craft legislation that publicly finances national elections. I also do not mean that just because big money is “in,” that we have to fold up our tents.
dave @ 48
Not even for primary opponents?
What I would really like from Reid is some straight talk: is using Lieberman some deep politik, a way to bring the little hairless lapdog back to heel? Is this Reid’s way of reminding Liebermonster that he’s said he’s going to caucus with Dems, that he has to act like one, that he has to take the beating that will surely commence if Dems are going to be blamed for this mess?
I thought Reid was shrewder than the rest of the DLC/old-school centrists, but I can’t tell; it’s been too damned long between remarkably bright moves on his part.
All I know is I’d much rather see Jim Webb making the statement — and I hope Jim Webb kicks Liebermuncher’s ass and mops the floors of Building 18 with him if he doesn’t do the right thing.
The other 8000 lb. gorilla sitting in front of us is that it really has nothing to do with the Democrats whose butts we are going to bruise over this horrific kabuki. The key word in the most recent WaPo article fingering the gorilla was “privatization” — the sick f*cks in office tried to run their profiteering scam on Walter Reed, too, and this is what happened, just like Iraq, just like Katrina, less fortunate human beings trapped in disgusting conditions and the administration’s cronies pocketing the cash.
There’s nothing we can do to stop the radio address, but the more fundamental issue is this: will the netroots claim power and use it, or will we retreat the sidelines to cheer lead, hoping others will create a progressive future on our behalf?
Once that question is sorted out, then we can figure out strategies, tactics, line up projects, etc.
Imus called Lieberman (and the Senate) out on their absurd lack of oversight. (See ThinkProgress).
Instead of Lieberman’s soft pedaling and Inspector Magoo oversight Democrats should have put Rep. Louise Slaughter on the radio address. Here’s what a REAL Democrat has to say. Rep. Slaughter:
Pach- ya know, shaming the netroots is not exactly the best way to motivate people. Shaming us is not the best way to garner support. I think we know what the stakes are, and don’t need to be shamed into action. This is a really negative approach, and not the best way to rally the troops. I just wish you would stop doing this. Frankly, TRex’s ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK is a lot more inspiring.
Sickening. Reid’s rubbing our noses in Liebereecccch.
Soccer is a contact sport.
Rugby is a collision sport.
I agree - the last time, only republicans were the enemy. We can now afford to lose some faux democratic congresscritters also. I say target the “bluedogs” too, let ‘em know nobody is safe inside the “beltway triangle”, where congress enters and loses all communication with the outside.
“Harry Reid is putting Lieberman out there because he does not care what we think, and he does not care because we in the netroots, collectively, beat our swords into plowshares after the midterms. That’s been a costly mistake, and one some among us warned against.”
Absolutely, and same with the decision to let FOX host the debates. I’m none too thrilled about this.
John Casper @ 56
you got that right.
I’m a little disappointed, but I was thinking that this certainly catches Joe’s tail in a crack. How moronic is he going to look if he gives the Democratic response and then turns around and blasts it? I mean can you say he’d look really foolish when he next goes to kiss the king’s ring? I’ve seen Harry Reid and I’m pretty sure that he’s a step ahead of Joe on this.
utahgirl
Valley Girl @ 54
I’m sorry you feel this way about it. I see this as a family conversation across the netroots. Shaming is about humiliating people, and I don’t feel I’m doing that. I am asking all of us to wake up.
Oh hey there brendan, been looking for a chance to say hi and welcome to the Lake. Great job last night, and I read some of your own blog today, I added its feed to my Google Reader list. Welcome aboard this crazy train!
I SO must be stoned right now. Like, I totally thought you just said that Joe Lieberman was giving the Democratic radio address this weekend.
Frank Probst @ 62
true to your theory, he’s going to plead for Scoots to take a last-minute plea bargain.
If this is Harry Reid’s way of ensuring RGJoe doesn’t switch parties — (not that it matters, the organizing resolution is in place and forbids take-backs should control switch) — then it’s a really insulting-to-the-base way of glueing Lieberman in place. Alongside Reid’s saying he’s “happy” FOX will sponsor the August Presidential debate in Nevada, it makes me question his judgment. A lot.
I will be pressing my Senators to make another choice for Majority Leader in 2009.
This is the reason that people think Democrats have no principles and won’t stand up to or for anything.
Give the whole ball of wax back to the Bush and the rest.
Let Ann Coulter become secretary of education.
Let Grove Norquist become head of the treasury.
Give Michael Savage the defense department.
Give Newt the VP slot.
Give Rush the FCC.
Might as well.
-GSD
Frank Probst @ 62
And I picked the right night to come home with a bottle of Laphroaig under my arm.
My large wooden pitchfork may no longer be a decorative item. I placed it next to the front door a couple of months ago next to my 16 year old US out of Iraq protest poster on a stick.
Friends of mine who don’t follow this closely are scratching their heads over the lack of response in DC. I hope they will get angry before its to late. (Iran and our treasure)
Even our own OK kiddo is ready to jump ship and support Hagel. I think that is bat shit crazy but I must say we need a whole new crazy right about now.
If Ned Lamont were the vindicative sort - which is not - he could set up a shadow senatorship to catalog and publicize all the things that HoJo does wrong - things that Ned would have got right.
VG, we need to deliver a horses head into someone’s bed.
It has been common knowledge to the Congress that these conditions existed at Walter Reed since at least 2003. None of these fuckers spoke up because they didn’t want to embarrass the chimp in chief. Just another in a long line of national disgrace this criminal maladministration has brought upon our country. As much as I hate to say it the dems were complicit in the whole thing. Every last person who knew about this should go, and frankly I don’t give a shit what party they are affiliated with.
It’s an oldie, but I just had to share for anyone who hasn’t seen this before…
Conservative Virgins Donate Blood for Coulter’s Bath
DKos diary on this matter:
Paging Patrick Murphy . . .
thereisnospoon has a Daily Kos diary about this, including contact information for Harry Reid.
utahgirl @ 59
I think you might be assuming he will sound like a Democrat..as we think a Democrat should sound anyway.
Re: “Across the netroots, we need to get back to doing less cheerleading and more aggressive organizing and targeted punishment.”
Looming elections will continue to be a powerful motivator, but what is the best motivator during time in the election trough ? What will sting a politician during the interim post-election afterglow? There may not be a great option due to the cycle, but generating publicity and noise will always have an effect. The louder the better.
MY CONTEMPT . . .
ahem
My contempt . . .
Someone, somewhere, needs to enlighten us unwashed masses about how the non-presidential spokesperson is chosen.
Meanwhile,
What’s to keep progressives like us from figuring out a mechanism for putting out a “progressive response” to the president’s message of the week. Few people listen to the president’s address — the media looks for a soundbyte, and there you go. What if Blue America was to put up a YouTube video of a regularly scheduled weekly address by a progressive?
Howie, others, any thoughts?
Valley, you have done an awful lot for this community. You have nothing to feel shame about. We all have limits about how much money and energy, we can give to liberal causes. As I think you know, honoring those limits is not being disloyal or unpatriotic.
I know I have really fallen behind wrt Spotlighting. We’re feeling our way as a community and I think it’s natural that there be a healthy tension in the community about exactly the kinds of things Pach raised. I detest Lieberman as much as anyone, but we need his vote. I don’t have any particular problem with Harry on this one. I also have a healthy regard for Pach’s opinion on this. I also don’t know that I’m right. If somebody wants to tell me I’m full of
shit, on this one, I’m probably going to say, you’re probably right.I see the Reed outpatient story as very similar to DeadEye shooting Harry in the face. It works at both the literal and metaphorical level imo in a way that helps the reality based communities. The media is constantly showing photos of young soldiers who are amputees. We can’t generate coverage like that. This story imho is Rove’s worst nightmare. It’s a bipartisan issue, but Rove is on the wrong end of “bipartisan.” He’s lost Lieberman.
Pat_AlexVA @ 69
We are not supposed to advocate violence at FDL, but this does have a certain ring to it. I just want it to be placed in the correct bed. Not the netroots, would be my vote.
Peterr @ 77
I’m willing to put my podcasting skills to use for a weekly podcast response to the radio address. This makes the most sense I believe since the original is a radio address.
Has anybody pointed out to Harry Reid that Holy Joe isn’t a fucking Democrat? That Lieberman is a particularly lame and uncool party of one? What the hell is this?
Peterr @ 78
hey, will you tone it down? sheeesh…
Muzzy @ 76
Funny you should ask that. I kind of asked that of a person with some education and training in human motivation that very question within the last 14 days.
I’d like to see more concrete answers about motivating folks in off-season to remain connected, to continue to build the machine so that it’s ready when it’s needed, not only in the months during primary and election season.
The reason why Reid is trotting out Lieberman should be obvious, once you read the subject and give it a few moments thought.
The subject of this week’s radio response is Walter Reed. Walter Reed is news. You want maximum impact from your Saturday speaker. You get maximum impact by putting on Bush’s closest congressional ally and telling him, “Look, kid, stick to the script ahd we won’t throw you out on your ass.” With luck, Bush will get pissed and be mean to Joe and screw himself for the next couple years. If Joe is capable of reading a script, then we’re fine. (Naturally, if he can’t, then I offer my profuse apologies in advance.)
I would suggest we keep this weekly response as an FDL feature every Saturday and invite appropriate responders to record the response. If we start it here first it will catch on bigger around the toobz. We could start with all the front pagers here responding the first few weeks.
Valley Girl @ 80
There’s no need for violence. Somewhere in this country, a horse died today of natural causes.
Valley Girl @ 79
Definitely a figurative horse’s head, not a literal one.
We’ve already gotten the figurative horse’s ass.
Um, on second thought, I’m sure we’d all agree that Lieberrunt is literally a horse’s ass.
It’s really an excellent example of conservation of mass and energy.
Joe gets to deliver the Democratic address and simultaneously give the Republican response - using exactly the same words.
Peterr @ 78
Peterr,
You’re onto it. I’ve watched the PoliticsTV clips. It’s powerful stuff. The netroots has to realize that’s the way to go. It’s gotta be quick, and broadly distributed.
Eli @
26
Schumer! Can we start with Schumer???
Pat_AlexVA @ 90
And send a clip to Ko every time!
Valley Girl @ 80
Could it be a “My Little Pony” head?
Protest marches across the country, withhold tax payment…that’s what we did during Viet Nam and it worked. Civil disobedience and everywhere they looked was a protester sticking it in their faces…no one seems willing to inconvenience themselves anymore (present company excluded of course)
Sandia Blanca @ 93
I thought the point of the horse-head-in-the-bed routine was intimidation, not diabetic coma.
A couple of days ago Lieberman had the microphone on the Senate floor via cspan2 for an awful long time. Evidently he and Senator Collins have a bill that will save us all.
Anyway I have a question about procedure. Does leader Reid control who has the floor? If so why would Reid allow Leiberman a day on the floor like that? Even cspan now labels Lieberman and I-CT.
Another point comes to mind. Many firepups over the last few months have suggested Collins may be someone the Dems could garner support from. If that is true why is Reid allowing Lieberman gang of fourteen tactics (keeping Collins at bay) in a time when Reid could actually win Collins over? It appears rather self defeating.
conniptionfit @ 90
You want something concrete to do to get through to Schumer RIGHT NOW?
Hit him in the pocket book and ego.
Review his book.
Oh, and be sure to note who’s given his book a glowing plug. What a bunch of horseshite.
…please, no horses, they are my faves and we are still slaughtering our Mustang and sending their meat to Japan…
To the extent that BushCo goes completely tits up and the disaster in Iraq implodes on the Admin in coming months, I imagine Lieberman probably won’t be such an opportunistic tease.
It’s hard to know what all is in play right now and how the longitudinal sequence of events dating back to the CT primary has us where we are in relation to the conduct of Dem leadership, but it suffices to say that while we’re justified in not being pleased, there is reason for some restraint.
I think a lot hinges on what joe says in the response. If he truly speaks against the handling of the wounded, by extension he is speaking against the execution of the war in Iraq. Joe responding is bad, but there is the potential for aspects of a favorable outcome over time.
Late to thread, but Amen, Pach! It’s time to get back to business. Tired of being betrayed..
I’ll leave you all with this teaser. . .
Once the trial is done, it’s time to get back to building Roots Project.
Now I’m off to bed. Have fun together, but, as they say, stay in fighting shape!
Sandia Blanca, EvilDrPuma-
707
FWIW, I think Rugby is less dangerous than US football. While shoulder pads, the helmet, and face mask were invented with protection in mind, football players use them to inflict more punishment than they otherwise would be able to.
It’s no surprise that one of the dirty little secrets in US football is concussions.
Muzzy @ 98
And pigs may fly.
Joe Lieberman stuck it to the democratic party of the state of Connecticut, when he refused to abide by the results of the primary last year.
Joe Lieberman stuck it to the national democratic party, when he gave Bush a blanket endorsement for whatever he wanted to do in the “war on terror.”
Joe Lieberman stuck it to me, and to millions of others, when he said that women who have been raped can just take a short ride to the next hospital for Plan B, rather than require all hospitals to provide all legal medical options to women who have been raped.
My comtempt for Joe Lieberman(1) . . .
* * *
(1) punaise, at FDL, on more than one occasion.
I think there are a few fundamental congressional and constitutional facts about power that are not being recognized. While people focus on one over 50% being a majority, a majority is not what it takes to have power to achieve legislative goals in this environment.
Put on your Machiavellian hats and face some real numbers: 60, 67, and 292.
ANY proposal the WH does not agree with will take 60 votes to even get voted in the Senate. Count on it. Any bill passed not agreed to by Bush will require 67 Senate votes and 292 House votes to override his veto. It is that simple. Until Democrats have those numbers (which can include Republicans), they won’t be fully empowered. They don’t need those numbers to issue subpoenas or stop confirmations, but to obtain conviction in the Senate of a House impeachment will require 67 votes.
Period. Face reality and keep working on it. And remember, it has only been a few weeks. The investigations are going to be what makes the numbers grow. And the WH knows it; why do you think the Justice Dept. is teaching the executive branch how to refuse to obey congressional requests?
spidey, i believe upthread it is mentioned that it is a figurative horse’s head, not a literal one and there was the caveat that it had passed naturally.
Muzzy @99- “Tits Up”??? TITS-UP????
If the netroots puts together a Saturday response via politics tv. (a fabulous idea imo)
May I suggest
SenatorNed Lamont as one of the first speakers…)My favorite pillow in the world.