Howie has one heckuva good piece of news today:
Lieberman’s fundraiser for Collins brought together lots of K-Street prostitutes who love him for his consistent willingness to sell out his constituents’ most basic interests. Collins’ campaign claims that Lieberman helped her raise between $120,000 and $150,000. Between MoveOn and half a dozen blogs raising money for progressive Congressman Tom Allen, Lieberman’s efforts were not just countered, but turned upside down. Grassroots and netroots contributions to Tom Allen last week out-raised Lieberman and Collins by between $100,000 and $120,000.
Just having Lieberman at her fundraiser cost Collins a helluva lot more than he brought in for her campaign coffers. As Howie says, Lieberman has corporate cronies who are willing to fork over the payola, but by using Lieberman as her campaign ATM, Collins opened the floodgates on public disgust for the do-nothing duo. As Jane said to me in e-mail:
The simple truth is that Collins could have raised this money in a variety of ways but there is no way the netroots could have raised this money if it wasn’t for Lieberman’s involvement. For every TV ad or flyer Collins bankrolls as a result of this, Allen can counter with two. The negative consequences for Collins are huge.
She would have come out better if she had just written Lieberman a check and told him to stay home.
The irony is just too delicious. Toxic Joe — campaign liability for his pals. Gee, who could have seen that coming?
You can donate to Tom Allen’s campaign here – do it for Toxic Joe. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself there…)
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zunoed?
no zed…
jane . . . red . . . zed
And yes, the photo juxtaposition of these two posing in front of Katrina photos on a poster — about which they have done DIDDLY — was intentional.
dos…again…
uno!
There are no moderate Repugs, except maybe Chuck Hagel.
eh!
Liarman is a sick little puppy…
Good morning, all.
Let’s hope this continues through the entire election cycle and maybe spreads to other do-nothings who, like these two, certainly deserve each other.
Has Holy Joe exercised any oversight into the Department of Homeland Security? How does Joe feel about the right for DHS/TSA employees to organize a union? Any Katrina investigations?
Toxic indeed.
Biodun @ 7
Hagel is a moderate on the “war” but is a REAL conservative on everything else – from what I have read. Wish it were not so.
And there are no “Independent Dems,” except a delusional Joe Lieberman.
Ol Joe’s at about the end of his career. Can’t imagine that he has a chance in hell of bein re-elected- and he won’t get a seat in a dem administration. Just sittin there makin bad and watchin the five and a half year clock run out. He’s not much help to ANYONE!
Wonder what’s in his mind.
Twain @ 11:
You’re probably right. Like Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, Hagel is perceived to be moderate.
Joe’s got the Might-Ass Touch. Everything he touches turns to _____.
Lieberman’s runnin for office in Israel. Prime Minister Joe.
Biodun @ 7
Please do NOT try to call Hagel a moderate. He is a classic true believer and has voted BushCo party line straight ticket with the ONLY exception being his belated realization that the occupation of Iraq is lunacy. And he was for it before he was agin it. One of those “Well, it was a good idea poorly implemented” types.
Case in point: He voted for Cornyn’s attempt to remove the federal minimum wage laws. That should tell you just how “moderate” this man is.
Joe has an “Oversight anything” sense of a rock.
From the Gavel, the Dems smell something fishy – Dead Fish
And
Lieberman started a career in politics fighting against a bad war. He’s ending it fighting for a bad war.
Sometimes stories don’t have a happy ending.
-GSD
Twain @ 11
Well, at least with a “real conservative” one can have a substantive debate on actual issues. The men and women who dominate the Republican Party today are not conservatives-they’re shills, liars, incompetents, and criminals.
The immigration bill is dead. Can’t say that I am surprised.
rwcole @ 16
In the US he is Prime Sinister.. why move?
rwcole @ 13
Oh, he’s so pathetic that I almost feel sorry for him. Almost, but Not!
It’s that old what goes around, comes around. And, if you don’t stand for something…and they said Kerry was a flip-flopper.
Greenwald interviews Helen Thomas. This is a beautiful, one-of-a-kind interview.
Hugh @ 22
Chimpy’s was going to hang his hat on that bill. Starting to smell like dead-fish at 1600 Penn. Ave.
-GSD
Let’s see … a “Democrat” helping a Republican raise money – who in the end helps the Democrat raise cash. Delicious!
Nice to see the effective response by the netroots. Hope we get alot of these opportunities in the ‘08 cycle.
President Clusterfuck on the internet orderin up an Acme Arm Twister- as his immigration bill goes down in flames at the hands of his own party- who hate his guts.
there are no Pete McCloskeys among today’s repugs.
(former moderate Congressman from Bay Area, recently switched to Dem).
Biodun @ 7
Hagel is not a moderate!!! Just because he came to his senses regarding Iraq doesn’t mean he is moderate. If you don’t believe me, check out his record.
President Clusterfuck callin up Uncle Dickie ta find out why everything’s so fucked up. “They hate the war- they just kicked hell out of the immigration bill- what the fuck are you gonna DO about it Uncle Dickie?”
rwcole @ 28
Sadly, this seems to be the only issue that they go against Bush on. They still stand solidly behind him as regards Iraq.
Gee – that’s too bad.
Can Susan Collins feel the Joementum? She’s got the stink on her from it. I’d say this really calls into question her judgement, but really anyone who calls themselves a member of the GOP in this day and age has poor judgement by definition.
GSD @ 20
I read that William F Buckley recruited Joe Lieberman to run as a Conservative Democrat against the Liberal Republican Lowell Weicker.
HoJoe has been a stealth Republican from the git-go.
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 30
Hagel is the kind of guy Fred Thompson could select as a running mate… enough said.
Joe—Yeah- but we may be reaching a tipping point. He’s toxic- and we’ve got an election year comin- well- at least breathin hard.
punaise @ 29
and one of the nicest, smartest people I have ever known. He was a Republican in name only anyway.
Eureka Springs @ 36
Hagel can help Thompson with election-stealing, since he’s a pioneer in the field of doing it with electronic voting.
Connecticut- filled with the richest of the New York City set- insurance companies- and the defense industry. Perfect place for a conservative dem actually.
rwcole @ 13
Joe Lieberman is the only thing in Toxic Joe’s mind. He’s doing all things necessary to line his pockets once the BoyKing gets dethroned. Toxic Joe has a vision for the future…his future only!
AZ Matt @19.
Excellent news.
Another nail in his coffin.
Typhoid Joey.
kdh
Somethin like that makes sense I suppose- but how does Joe cash in? Most cash in AFTER they leave the senate.
dannyM @ 10
Is this the last act by a desperate man? Does Joe realize that there are a lot of Dems out there that will make it a mission to get more Dems elected to the Senate to make his droopy ass irrelevant? Is Susan Collins that dumb not to know that by having HoJo so publicly back her, it will only cause more and more people to give and volunteer for Tom Allen?
HoJo has eighteen months to play “power broker.” After 11/08, there most likely will be enough Dems in the Senate that he will be told to go p*ss up a rope.
At that point, strip him of seniority and let him defect. He already had in all but name anyway.
I do hope that Sen Reid and the rest of the Dem senate power structure have enough sense to NOT discuss sensitive, party related issues in his hearing.
When will Holy [slush fund] Joe pay the piper?
Well he’ll just have to take a number…
Scooter “28301-016″ Libby
I don’t think Joe has any power at all- except in the case of a 49-51 vote- in which case he has the same power as any other senator. He’s just louder and more obnoxious than most.
Let me see if I understand this correctly.
Howie says that Collins is a procurer, collecting the money from SR Joe and the K Street prostitutes. But Jane says Collins would be better off as a customer, just paying the prostitutes herself.
Politics makes such strange bedfellows.
So Collins is a “John”?
rwcole @ 44
Israel
BTW people, Collins did fundraisers for Santorum. And was a protege of Richard Cohen.
rwcole @ 48
I disagree. He’s the chair of a key committee, and he’s making sure that it doesn’t do its job. He still has plenty of power to provide cover for King George.
Bustednuckles @ 42
Nails in Cheney’s coffin mean nothing — until we pry the levers of power from his cold un-dead hands, everything we cherish is endangered.
-ck- @ 35
He was actually on the right side back in the civil rights days. But his votes for Alito and Roberts have made his previous deeds dead as a doornail.
Yep, Lieberman was brought in to put the final nail into Wiecker for his intransigence during Watergate.
Now Lieberman is a warmongering sack of shit.
-GSD
OT & forgive me if this has already been discusssed (horrible day @ work & couldn’t keep up with FDL) – has Rahm brought is motion to defund Cheney to the floor?
punaise @ 29
Pete was about the last repub I ever voted for. (Maybe the first, too.)
Hugh @ 22
It was bad law and only got worse in sessions. I won’t mourn it. If Democrats want to handle immigration concerns properly, they should wait until they have a congressional super majority for this issue, too.
Justice?
TPM – 5-10 minutes for Death Decision in Gonzo’s DOJ
Diane- doubt it- Cheney abandoned that line of defense- now admits that he’s a member of the executive branch.
rwcole @ 50
Collins is a Soiled Dove (Bride of the Multitudes, Sporting Gal, or whatever) — her K Street clients are the Johns.
johnSwifty @ 59
and address our screwed up trade policies.
mea culpa on Hagel. I knew only his views about the war…And MSM was touting him as a possible running mate for Bloomberg, who was considered a moderate Repug before bolting. Can we at least agree that Bloomberg was a moderate Repug? (Granted he switched from the Dems to run for Mayor.)
If former Dem. Governer Jeanne Shaheen jumps into the NH Senate race, old Joe will be irrelavent.
Now if we can keep the federal government from jamming phone lines this time around.
In ARG poll Shaheen crushes Sununu.
-GSD
selise @ 63
Amen! Another reason why Hillary cannot ever expect my full support. Sure, I’ll take her over anything the Republicans run up the flagpole, but I dearly hope it does not come to that.
Between her husband and her, there are enough ties to the corporate system which demanded NAFTA to log jam fair trade for decades. I cannot endorse that in any way, but I would be able to look past it if this congress took solid measure to insuring fair trade agreements BEFORE the 2008 election cycle!
Does Collins have Campaign Liability Insurance? Or is Toxic Joe considered a preexisting condition?
Classic Ann Coulter quote: “It’s getting a little tiresome.”
Now you know how the rest of us feel.
mc @ 21
Hegel’s brother is cool. He’s a history prof, the served together in the Nam and then, when Chuck’s brother turned against the war when they came home, they would have drunken fistfights on their front lawn!
a little OT, but everything is running together today:
In his snotgram to Leahy and Conyers, Fred Fielding says “These confidentiality interests are especially strong in situations like the present controversy, where the inquiry seeks information relating to the President’s powers to appoint and remove U.S. Attorneys – authority granted exclusively to the President by the Constitution.”
Uh, Fred? Did you read the whole thing, or just the parts you like? It is “by and with the advice and consent of the Senate” that the President exercises the power to appoint U.S. Attorneys. Article II, section 2.
Oh, and did the President “remove” said U.S. Attorneys? Inquiring minds want to know.
Frank Probst @ 67
Ann has no problem playing victim, even though she finds that people who play victim are fair game.
And yes Ann, you have a Nazi mindset.
-GSD
P.S. David Gregory can blow it out his MC Rove dancing ass.
-ck- @ 54
that’s right. That old monster is far from dead.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men of 4 part series, egregious abuses, poll ratings in the negative digits, etc. won’t mean SQUAT, until Congress DOES something about it.
Frank Probst @ 68
So is that black dress. Do you suppose that it has been infused with enough protein that it has taken on a symbiotic life of its own like Spiderman’s black suit?
Goopers have three senators in serious trouble- dems have one.
Allard in Colorado is the most endangered senator in the country- followed by Collins, Coleman (goopers) and Landrieu La (dem)
Two other dems should be a little nervous- Pryor-(Ar) and Johnson (SD).
Five other goopers may also be breathin hard Stevens, Sununu, Dole, Domenici, and Smith.
All endangered dems are in red states. Most endangered goopers are in red states. The action will be in red states this go round.
OT–
From Sid in today’s Salon, Powell as Cheney’s boy-toy:
this is nice;
TiredFed @ 69
So we can assume the Chimperor (via Rover) compiled the list, yes? I just hate that logic thingy!
GSD @ 64
RWCole, Sununu has moved up to top tier endangered. Read the polls.
His latest approval rating had him at 31%.
-GSD
More bad for Doolittle: Sac Bee
EPU’ed
America is weeping.
Impeach, impeach, impeach “Stonewall Cheney”
The only saving grace is baseball
Haiku:
first warm day
fitting my fingers into the mitt
pounding the pocket
–Cor van den Heuval
FYI, new thread
GSD
Yeah I just got that from your post. I was using Charlie Cook’s ratings- I’m sure this one will move up if the polls continue like this one.
johnSwifty @ 65
no good news so far..
Helen Thomas:
An unprovoked war, based on every rationale that turns out to be untrue, certainly has caused our esteem in the world — we are despised — not because we gave them something and took it back. It’s because we were on a pedestal. We had a halo. Everything we represented, people all over the world aspired to.
And what we did was absolutely betray those great values and principles. You do not attack a country that did nothing to you.
rwcole @ 73
Allard I believe has stated that he is not running for re-election. Actually living up to his promise to serve no more than 2 terms. Mark Udall D is considered front runner. And you can probably add Toothless Mitch to the list of in trouble senators.
Re: oddmommy @ 71:
This sounds ominous, from Sid in today’s Salon:
rwcole @ 81
Cook is often a few months out on his CW.
-GSD
dakine
If Mitch gets clobbered- it’ll be a VERY bad day for goopers.
Biodun @ 85
Yep, he has nothin’ to lose now. Katy bar the door. Sh*t’s gonna start poppin’!
raven @ 68
LOL
rwcole @ 73
Allard is retiring — Mark Udall (D-Boulder) is favored to win. The only GOoPer seeking the nomination so far is the ultra wing nut Bob Schaffer.
rwcole @ 87
And a glorious day for most everyone else!
here’s some good news!
Scooter “28301-016″ Libby
Meanwhile in Iraq, Al Sadr is asking for a Million Muslim March on July 5th.
Al Maliki is urging people not to go.
We’ll see who wins.
Shiite about to hit the fan?
-GSD
Happy to be one who kicked in a hundred bucks to support Allen. Fundraising is something Dems understand. Maybe Reid will think twice before letting Joe act as the face pf the party he does not belong to.
And props to MoveOn too. They, and Allen himself, knew a good thing when they saw it.
Fresh thread from Tula — please drop over and say howdy, and thank her for her hard work!
kdh22 @ 88
That’s pretty much the impression I got from readign Glenn’s book on Shrub: they’re cornered rats, with nothing to lose, in their own views. He says when things in the real world get worse for Bush, he gets more set on having his own way, because in his own mind he’s Always Right and everyone who disagrees with him is Evil.
Great post. I forwarded the text to Senator Collins’ office with a note pointing out that FDL has a large audience, and that progressives can and will donate money to progressives, including her opponent if she campaigns with the likes of Joementum.
I was just feeling snarky. Screw Collins. Let’s have a progressive Democrat from Maine.
P J Evans @ 96
I disagree with glenn, I cannot believe bush “thinks he’s right”, in my mind he knows with no doubt he is stealing and he doesn’t “think it’s right” unless you want o accept “if I steal that makes it right” as his phsychology
perris @ 98
Why do you think the Goopers have such a h*rd-on for Freddy T? They need a better actor as a candidate. W not so good on the actin’.
I think that Bush is a total cynic when it comes to politics. The way he sees it is that you find a bunch of people who are willing to support you in return for big money contracts and legislation- then you get elected and roll over for em. That’s how he’s ALWAYS viewed it- and how he’s viewed his whole pathetic life- a whore.
George W. “Name for Sale” Bush..
What a noble man!
kdh22 @88:
What makes you think Bush can tell right from wrong? From the behaviour and mannerisms I’ve observed the man’s a narcissistic sociopath.
“So HOW many shares of this fuckin baseball team do I get if I let ya use mah daddy’s name?”
George W. “Name for Sale” Bush.
A monument to the free market;.
The president has a favorite shirt that says “Your message here”.
“When they lay me ta my rest- I want em ta put up a marker “When he got bought- he STAYED bought”".
George W. “Name for Sale” Bush.
Think ol “Name for Sale” gives a shit about abortions or gay marriage- or blastocytes? Shit no- he just needed some votes from little people in order to get elected so that he could deliver for the Fat Cats.
Biodun @ 7
Beware Hagel (from Freeman & Bleifuss, but easily confirmed from published accounts):
There are a lot more juicy details to the story (for example, the laws were changed so that it is illegal to use anything other than ES&S machines to count ballots–hand recounts, for example, are illegal in Nebraska) but the upshot is beware of Hagel.
– MarkusQ
Brisingamen @ 102
Oh, I agree w/you totally wrt Bush! However, I was referring to Shooter calling in all outstanding markers in these final months. And for those who owe him nothing, he’ll fabricate some sort of debt and take, take, take. Shooter’s sociopathic and narcissitic in that regard. He wants, in these waning months, to confirm the theory that he has been and continues to be the brains (and black heart) of the WH operation and that Bush was his minion. Solely my opinion.
more proof there is no doubt bush knows he’s NOT “right”
from think progress, this is the lead;
he’s a liar, he knows he’s a liar, he’s a thief, he knows he’s a thief, he lied to start war, he knew he lied to start war, he gave his pals middle class treasure, he knew he gave his pals middle class treasure
there is no “he thinks he’s right”
I do however accept that he might indeed be a sociaopath
Bush is probably not a sociopath. Shrinks who have weighed in don’t see that particular condition. He’s got LOTS of other ticks and fleas- but probably not that one.
Bush got on Rove’s tobaggan years ago. He KNEW that he was an incompetent jerk- but Rove convinced him that it didn’t matter. It DID matter. He has spent most of his time in the White House- makin decisions based on zero evidence and then prayin his ass off that God would somehow intercede and turn his dumb ass policies to gold.
Apparently the Almighty has chosen not to intervene.
rwcole @ 110
what we DO know is that he KNOWS he’s lying
for instance;
“when we say wiretap, that means we get a warrant, constutional protection is in place”
he knew with no doubt on the planet he was lying
I can’t believe glenn wants to claim bush “thinks he’s right”, he doesn’t, he knows he’s lying, stealing and friggin up the middle east so his pals can gather threasure
Politicians lie- it’s in their political DNA. It’s only a question of degree.
rwcole @ 113
the degree would be calibrated in Fahrenheit, fahrenheit 911 to be presice
rwcole @ 110
Ok — perhaps pathological liar is more accurate. But I still say there’s a streak of Narcisism in the man.
I guess I should revise my remarks wrt Shooter. I guess I’m not sure that he’s sociopathic and/or narcissistic. Both of my parents died from complications of heart disease. I learned a lot about how these complications affect brain function and, consequently, emotional stability. Shooter’s bad heart and ever-present stress is probably contributing a great deal to his unstable emotional state and questionable brain function.
IMVHO that Cheney should not have been permitted to put himself on the ticket because of his medical condition.
Brisingamen @ 117
Agreed. There have been a lot things since putting himself on the ticket that he should not have been permitted to do…alas
Brisingamen @ 117
Are we talking about his heart or that he is paranoid and delusional?
Christy on Hartmann’s show now.
Hugh @119: I meant the heart condition. And I have to admit that when Apple issued the warning not to place a running Ipod near a pacemaker I had some very…naughty thoughts.
Hugh @ 119
All three? (maybe more…Yikes!)
paranoia and delusional thought are common symptoms associated with decreased cardiac flow. no, I’m not a doctor, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
kdh
Now that’s an interesting angle. What if Cheney has been rendered an intellectual cripple due to health problems and Clusterfuck’s too dense to notice?
TiredFed @ 123
I am very pleased for you. Are you still Tired(Fed)? hehehe
rwcole @ 124
I witnessed the brain function and emotinal stability both of my parents take a major dive when their hearts started failing. My father was especially paranoid, mean and cynical at the end.
Just sent the following to Senator Collins…
Senator Collins –
I have followed your actions in service to our country as well-intentioned and often well-reasoned.
Thank you.
In the past the weight of your influence and voting has supported the interests of corporate wealth over the interests of actual people, but the amount of that regrettable but expectable Republican pattern has been, as it is said, “moderate”.
Now, however, your full-blown association with Senator Lieberman degrades your “principled” Republicanism into an even less respectable “Independent” ideology of duplicity — about Iraq, about Israel/Palestine, and about important USA issues like health care and government corruption.
People – voters – are seeing-through the phoniness of Joe Lieberman. You tarnish the
deserved parts of your good reputation by associating with him. Why?
I encourage you to have the courage to rise above party corruption – whether Democratic or
Republican or phony “Independent”.
Why not work to bring back the words and deeds of good, humane, honest public service to your own – admittedly now deeply corrupt – Republican Party?
As difficult as this may be to achieve, is it not more difficult to share Joe’s tar and
feathers?
Thanks for listening…
kdh22 @ 116
Interesting…but I think we should note for the record that there was never a time in his career as an alleged public servant that Dick Cheney was a pleasant human being.
EvilDrPuma @ 128
I think he’s been a lying bastard his whole life. His psychological demons get a huge boost from his cardiac disease. And, let’s not rule out the possiblity of some sweet karma in the future. Karma puts prayer to shame!
Having Joe L. help is like losing three men and a dog.
TexasEllen @ 130
Joe Lieberman: with friends like this, who needs enemas?
Republikan campaign money isn’t free. HoJoe certainly sold his soul for it. It’s real “nice” (/snark) of him to help a good buddy sell her soul too. Goodbye to constituents’ best interests. Tom Allen really, really, really needs to win. Susan Collins may become a JoeBot and start telling constituents why it’s a really good thing that senior citizens cough up every last cent and give it to BigPharma, or something similiar.
He’s still going to be a fungus among us.
We may have the Obama/Lieberman connection to be concerned about about now.
Lieberdick knows a good free ride when he sees one, and I see him all over Obama on the Senate floor with lots of touchy feely action between them.
McCain is history, so our little epiphytic friend is surely looking for a new host.
And Obama has also been quietly courting Joe’s favor since before the November election.
He and Clinton only threw a few scraps to Lamont so as not to offend the schmuck, but vote with Joe on many issues.
Will Joe destroy Obama, too??
Being from Maine, and having come from a Repub family (not me-Eugene McCarthy!), it’s interesting for me to hear how the family has changed their tune. They not only hate Bush but also are embarrassed by the out-of-control GOP in general.
A couple of weeks ago my sister told me that Maine is really high on Tom Allen and disappointed in Collins. I think that beyond the mere dollars Collins “lost” with Joe there looms the shame of this ironic situation, which won’t be lost on the of Maine.
Collins was A.W.O.L. last Sat. morning (in Bangor–her hometown; and more conservative & rural CD#2) during the “let’s thank the troops” ceremony, BTW.
She was still down in the D.C. Beltway w/joementum.
Thanks to all of you for supporting Tom!