Joe Lieberman was on ABC’s This Week and once again proved that he’s not only the most predictable politician in Washington, he’s also the most frightened and divisive. Just wind him up and he goes through all his lines. John Amato at C&L has the proof.
How are things in Iraq? Shorter Joe: The surge is working, sectarian violence is down and Anbar is a success (he doesn’t count mounting US deaths or those we kill by mistake). We’re making great progress, but we should stay there no matter what.
Who should we fear? Shorter Joe: Iran is just like the Nazis. And Iran and al Qaeda are joining up to come get us over here.
I had an Arab diplomat say to me two weeks ago that what is happening in the Middle East today reminds him of what happened in Europe during the 1930s, when Nazi Germany began to make moves and the rest of Europe and the United States did not act quick enough to stop the Second World War. He was talking about Iran. Iran is on the move in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Afghanistan. And if we pull out of Iraq, Iran and Al Qaida are the victors. So my answer is, as long as we have a reasonable chance of success in Iraq, then I’m going to say it’s worth it for us to stay.
Because if Iran and Al Qaida take over Iraq, they will destabilize the entire Middle East, and they will strike at us here at home…
Gosh, if we’d only known it was this easy to reconcile the extremist Sunni jihadists with the fundamentalist Shia from Iran, we could have pursued this policy decades ago.
But the most predictable thing about Joe? As soon as he starts to talk about how awful partisanship is in Washington, duck, because you know he’s going to take another nasty shot at Democrats for being unpatriotic and unworthy of voters’ support — this time because they think the President should get a warrant and obey the law when he conducts surveillance. And anyone who gives money to Democrats? Well they’re downright “anti-American.”
Meanwhile, on Face the Nation, a leader of Joe’s favorite party was expressing a very different view (h/t C&L for the clip).
Shorter Richard Lugar: the surge couldn’t work even if we gave it years, because it will take longer than that for the Iraqi factions to agree with each other. So it makes no sense to wait for September (or March) for a surge report before thinking about a Plan B.
Lugar must be one of those extreme partisans Joe warned us about.
Finally, Cliff Schecter explains why the coalition of the willing is down to Barney. The Australian Prime Minister may like George Bush, but even he’s not crazy enough to follow Bush into Iran. But don’t worry about Bush being all alone. He’s inviting really smart people over for dinner to talk about good and evil.
Photo: Lieberman at Capitol, Larry Diamon/Reuters
Related posts:
Spotlight
Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About Firedoglake
Advanced search
Zed?
Really smart people?
Why is Holy Joe ignoring all the good news from England?
“Hey Joe,
where ya goin with that nuke in your hand?”
RevDeb @ 2
Really. But, you know, smart in predictable ways. Hoover Institute. I’m hoping Jane/Marcy get an invite to talk about pardons.
Scarecrow @ 5
And maybe Glenn to talk about Abu’s job performance.
there’s so many things to choose from. his faux bipartisanship is an important one…
a couple of others are his rabid anti-muslim bigotry and fetish for militarism… which lead me to call him paranoid, not frightened.
Scarecrow @ 5
george has questions:
gotta be careful who’s allowed to answer those questions.
The defining character trait of the Bush Administration and its enablers is cowardice. From Bush being fearful of facing the citizens he works for, to Cheney’s cowering in his undisclosed locations and refusal to take responsibility for his despicable actions, to Lieberman’s constant drumbeat of whining panic, this has been one long nightmare of fear of virtually everything. If these bozos didn’t have the power to destroy entire nations, it would be pathetic.
Morning Joe talking with Ron Suskind about the One Percent Solution, just out in paperback. Early on, Bush sat in a briefing looking blank [yes, I know, the jokes write themselves]
It turned out Chee-knee had withheld his briefing papers.
The problem for Bush ever having a good legacy even if he’s 100% right about the terrorists and Islamic extremism is that he surrounds himself with crooks and liars. And a manny…
Self-righteous Joe [LIEberman] fits right in.
Good morning Scarecrow!
My head still hurts when I think about these contradictions, but thanks to you now I understand why.
I especially like your warning about what it means when Joe whines about bipartisanship, and will be watching for how he sticks it to the Dems next time he says that.
“No adult supervision.”
What was their first clue?
Good morning all.
Actually Joe would make a good poster boy to vote for Democrats. As we’ve seen he was a boom to Tom Allen, and I hope he will present more opportunities to undercut the power he’s addicted to.
Joe is delusional. He is allowing his faith to cloud his judgement just as the islamic extremist are doing.
I can’t believe I actually voted for this guy once. Not really, I voted for Gore, Joe was just part of the ticket.
I swear he had the WH talking points fax’d over prior to his interview. Did any of Joe’s comments remotely resemble a Democrats viewpoint? Joe has become a knuckle dragging, mouthbreathing, 26%er.
RAM @ 9
Defining characteristics of bullies?
Wow, that NewsMax article is a dandy. Joe lecturing Obama about the dangers of being coopted! Joe is tough and savvy, as demonstrated by his threatening to switch parties! Plus, if you buy right now, you get a free Emergency Radio (which, I assume, will receive no signal insufficiently panicked or paranoid).
It gets better! “Democrats have other fears. Lieberman is considered one of the nation’s most independent and honest lawmakers. His endorsement in the 2008 presidential election could help in key states — including Florida and Ohio.” Yeah, that’s why Susan Collins is doing sooooo well. You go, Joe! Go go go!
Scarecrow @ 15
Exactly.
egregious – thank you for your kind thoughts! vendor has stopped monthly payments. am trying for some refunds, we’ll see how that goes. Now, to repair the damage.
OT – congress is home for the holiday week. no congressional hearings (that i know of). list will reappear next week.
I’m trying to figure out what kind of drugs LIEberman and W are on. Whatever they are, I don’t ever want to take them.
O/T
Check out the article in the WaPo raising yet again the question of WHY Rove still has a security clearance.
Music to my ears.
From the WaPo article:
Warning. Do no elect insecure men.
LIEberman is such a whiny POS. I only maintained a part-time residence in New Haven for two years (temp teaching stint at the local U) and I can’t stand the guy enough that I would have donated to Ned’s cause just because he was running against LIEberman–as it was, I also believed in Ned which made the $$ spent on his campaing even more satisfying.
Something I don’t understand about the Iran/nuclear issue: It appears to be common knowledge that Israel has nuclear weapons. I’m not aware of any occasion when Israel has failed to act peremptorily when they perceive an existential threat. This would not even be a mutually-assured destruction issue. However one feels about the morality involved, I don’t understand why the idea of U.S. action is even under discussion.
Scarecrow, been meaning to tell you how very much I enjoy your writing.
Citizen Jane @ 21
Rove’s another of Bush’s mannies. Nevahmind his brain….
Here’s another very curious snippet from that NewsMax puffery: “…Lieberman believes Iran is our most pressing danger, as she could have nuclear capability in two years” (emphasis mine).
At best that seems anachronistic. Even then I’ve really only seen english speakers use the feminine for the British Empire of old. Seems more like misogyny, here.
“Finally, Cliff Schecter explains why the coalition of the willing is down to Barney.”
Cliff has it wrong. The Albanians (bless their 14th century hearts) are still with us! :)
SusanD @ 25
Thank you. Always appreciate the comments. I’m going to start a new tradition. Instead of posting “zed” for my posts, the first commenter must write: “caw, caw” Otherwise you won’t be recognized for having achieved total zedishism.
Totally OT, I came across this essay from online Newsweek by Rabbi Marc Gellman on the embryonic stem cell research arguments.
Thoughtful, not simplistic…everything Bushie won’t read. Or won’t be shown by his mannies.
I recall Carville once referring to Bush as an airhead. Is that what Chee-knee thinks, too? And how does Mary Matalin live with herself?
p.lukasiak @ 28
Yeah, Paul, but is there proof they were willing?
It would seem to me that one slight bargaining chip we might have with Iran would be: We might be able to encourage some restraint on the part of the nuclear-armed, rattlesnake-quick Israelis. I don’t understand how there is any argument that the U.S. needs to take some action.
Scarecrow @ 29
That’s hilarious.
I love this from the WaPo:
Let’s see: he knows he is off course, but he unflinchingly keeps it up. This is crazy, and scary.
The best contradiction in the WaPo article today:
but,
That would be Cheney, Kissinger and Cheney again.
But thanks for invitin’ those scholars over, there, W.
Another revealing snipped from WaPo:
Warning: do not elect clueless men.
I’ve met Stelzer a couple of times; very smart, very conservative — he’s holding back, here; way back.
Scarecrow @ 22
How bout insecure women?
Scarecrow @ 22
For Bush, loyalty is personal: he is loyal to his friend. Too bad it doesn’t extend to the rest of us.
masaccio @ 34
I thought that was a curious line from Baker; it’s not Bush, it’s Baker. How can one be unflinching, rarely expressing doubt, but believe you’re “off course.”
raven @ 37
Condi for President.
Weenie Alert! Grover Norquist on C-Span in a half hour. He hired an illegal immigrant to raise money for California Republicans, using the H-1B visa. I wish I had a H-1B! I think Grover also laundered money for Abramoff and Federici.
Prairie Sunshine @ 30
FYI
Marc Gellman supported LIEberman. Interesting thing—during the 2000 election Gellman wrote a piece stating that finally people could vote for the person regardless of being Jewish, it didn’t matter. Then in ‘06 he chastised Jewish voters in CT for not voting for LIEberman in the primaries. How dare they not support their coreligionist?
Atrios explains.
I stopped using Gellman’s writings in my work when I read that.
At least he’s not a Democrat anymore. I hope no one still thinks his bullshit has anything to do with Democrats anyway.
Scarecrow
Bite your beak!
With her shopping habits, can you imagine what she’d do to the White House? She’s make Nancy Reagan look like an amateur.
caw. caw.
Scarecrow,
If you haven’t read it yet, James Carroll has another good one in the Glob today.
Morning quiz. Who said this:
hint: answer in the link.
RevDeb @ 45
Revdeb,
If you enjoy Carroll’s writing and have any spare time for fictional reading, I’d suggest his novel, Prince of Peace. Found it in a thrift store and is one of my favorite reads. Then I found his Op-ed column.
Prairie Sunshine @ 30
How does Carville live with her?
thanks for the Globe link, Deb. I always read Carroll.
Condi for President.
Oooo, an insecure Dominatrix!
Yeah, ‘Crow, they’re bustin’ tail to fold this misery into WWII. It’s their last, best, refuge. That Lieberman is helping spread this insanity is reason to stay the course in keeping him very near the absolute top of our shitlist.
And side-topic, I’ve defended Pelosi on here some, but I saw that clip of her on Charlie Rose’s show, and Rose went to his “You know, Senator, that when we leave, worse is likely to happen” shtick.
It’s true, of course, but when these shitmouths ask it, would it be too much for them to INSTANTLY point out who is inflicting this bloody, insane, Hobson’s Choice on us…instead of putting it out there as if this whole situation accidentally descended on us in shower of golden rain, and poor little george bush is just trying make the best of it?
And would it be too much to ask what will be served by sustaining our seminal part in the mayhem?
AND! Would it have been too much for Pelosi to say: “Fuck you, Charlie!” and ask these things, herself?
Instead, she snarfed and goorpled like her name was Hillary…and I was thinkin’:
“I guest that vote to authorize is more toxic and lasting than we thought.”
It was horrible. She voluntarily took part in the total abdication of logic and common sense, and knowing which questions not to ask, that is required these days, to do ANYTHING but yowl about the savage idiocy of what bush and the borgs have done to us.
It was like watching two hookers explain why they’re doing what they’re doing.
Arrrrghhhh….
Except for an ineffectual, if passionate, minority of objectors, the people of the United States handle the knowledge of past and present crimes committed in their name quite nicely, thank you.
Not only another dark secret, but a very scary one.
(and thanks mods, for the fix above,)
Fear sells…
The Pukes have only fear on which to run…
Expect more and more fear-mongering, and more and more incidents upon which to build it…
re quiz; i’m surprised. i thought it was hoover
Kathryn in MA @ 52
First guess was Cheney, but that was too obvious.
Raven, within a year from now, Condi will be hitting the ol’ resignation trail for some sinecure of a gig. Either at some university enough into political whores (of both genders) to want her on their faculty, or, to a cushy but quiet boardroom position, when she can hope to do rehab on HER legacy, as the rest of us have to deal with it.
Lieberman was lamer than a three-legged dog with two sore paws.
Yet, he was allowed to spew his banal bile without challenge. Pitiful.
nomolos @ 47
two peas in a pod.
Re: Bush from the WaPo article
Whatsa behind me is not important! ~ It’s also called ‘Failing Forward’.
old gold @ 54
Great, I’ve been needing a new one to replace, “he ran like a Chattanooga Houndog”!
RevDeb @ 56
Two pods. Don’t fall asleep.
Unlike the new Prime Minister of England, Gordon Brown, Lieberman isn’t afraid to use terrorism for his own political advantage. Don’t you love how he still loves Bush, with Bush’s numbers where they are? Isn’t it time he realized that these ideas are not only wrong and stupid, but also unpopular?
Maybe he should go back to whining about Hollywood. I hated him for that, too. It just shows that fundamentalists have no place in our Government, no matter what their religion. It’s fine to have some faith, but America has some good ideas about keeping religion out of politics.
Just reading the latest UK stories, where “Britain Sees Qaeda Link” is the print version headline for NYT lead story.
The incredible irony of the whole “al Qaeda is everywhere” theme is that if it’s true, then the Bush/Cheney policies have been a spectacular failure, yet the Administration keeps pimping this line. We’re being overwhelmed by terrorists everywhere.
Scarecrow @ 54
the complete sentences were a big clue it was a few years agol
“Because if Iran and Al Qaida take over Iraq, they will destabilize the entire Middle East, and they will strike at us here at home…”
Because we all know how STABLE the Middle East is now, and God forbid something should happen to upset all that stability….
John W @ 64
LOL!
Scarecrow @ 61
Apparently, and I haven’t really been paying attention, but, the Administration has changed the military talking points so that every attack in Iraq was now done by Al Qaeda in Iraq – or at least that’s the press release. I’m not joking.
Here’s a link…
http://onthemedia.org/episodes…..ents/81390
OT
Talk about being frightened – check this out.
http://www.jabberwonk.com/flinker.cfm?cliid=10eoew
“Congress about to “just say yes” to permanent secret vote counting.”
Be sure to read the entire article – for some inexplicable reason my PC only prints out the first page.
IMO this requires immediate and strong action on our part. HR811 must not be alowed to pass.
I suggest that a separate article on this topic be presented by FDL to the FDL community for review and comments.
ack! i just came back into the house, to find that grover norquist is lying to me on c-span.
i hope my day isn’t ruined.
Meanwhile, if the dingbats in Glasgow had only gone after a Planned Parenthood clinic in the US, they’d likely be out on bail right now and would wind up getting less of a sentence than many drunk drivers: Would-be women’s clinic car bomber gets five years for ‘arson’
New thRedd:
Presidential Pity Party with a terrific video.
Well, this is a relief; Sean Hannity has found a final solution to the immigration problem. Courtesy of Mike Stark.
Scarecrow @ 62
And, just to be sure, they’re forcing it to happen. Maybe not on purpose (i’ll give them that much), but the effect’s the same.
DRAT the lot of them! They are tearing the planet to shreds, any way you look at it.
oh, sorry.
Good Morning Scarecrow. You’re one of the terrific things about our world. Thanks for your outstanding posts. ;->
selise @ 68
Don’t take it personally. He would do the same thing even if you hadn’t gone out.
“caw, caw”
So, first?
Morning everyone — fresh thread if you want one…
Phoenix Woman @ 69
Really awful, PW. Thanks for the link.
jaxxson5 @ 74
No, second, but a worthy second.
Someone stop this little man:
Lieberman calls for wider use of surveillance cameras.
Rocket Scientist @ 67
would you quote the part of the bill that you don’t like – or just point to the relevant section(s), so i could read it for myself?
eff, seems to like it, and so does david dill (two very reputable sources, imo). but i haven’t read the bill for myself yet… would like to know more.
Thanks, selise. i’m off to work now. Thanks for what you are doing.
Kathryn in MA @ 80
have a great day!
So what are the odds that fifty percent of the Joe’s in government are mentally inapt and not wise with age? Fifty percent, that’s how many. There is something seriously the matter with Lil’ Joe. I am not being facetious but dead serious. What impact do medications have on their brain working normally? And these people are in the driver’s seat!
Greg Steph did not ask HoJoe to explain how Al Quaeda (Wahabi fascists) would get along well enough to hold hands with Iran (Shiite “menace”). At least long enough to produce the grand Hitler/Stalin alliance. /snark. In fact know one in the media seems to be capabale of asking HoJoe to explain step by step how he arrived at certain conclusions. Steph tried to change the subject, but in essence he’s just an another media enabler.
Joe’s like a living cluster bomb–exploding into little searing pieces every time he gets near a microphone.
He also said he was “…disappointed in all of the Democratic candidates.”
Those Congressional Democratic candidates, however, must remain ‘good (pandering) friends’ of his.
But a Democratic Senate needs Joe like Cheney needs another shotgun.
We should all ask for the miraculous cure all of a Joe-less anti-war Al Gore to win the Presidency.
If there is a recall option available to Connecticut voters displeased with their federal legislative hire-ees, I’m amazed there has been no major effort made to remove Vanity Joe. If there isn’t any, I’m surprised there have been rumblings of a statewide ballot initiative to add same. After all, Vanity Joe is a walking, talking advertisement for same.
OK if we do get out of Iraq and Iraq destabelizes the middle east what is America afraid of? Could that be a legit reason to go to war?
Joe’s greatest fear is that at some point some candidate is going to has the courage to say that it is in the best interest of the United States that it demand that Israel evacuate every square inch of occupied territory not only to it’s 1967 borders but to the borders of the area mandated in 1947 and not one penny of the billions in foreign aid that goes to Israel each year including loans quietly and conveniently written off will be delivered until Israel does so. And further, using the same economic ‘clout’ it uses to coerce and intimidate smaller nations who have been bamboozle into deep debt to the U.S., force Israel to abandon it nuclear weapons development and sign the Nuclear Weapons Non-proliferation Treaty. The U.S. has assumed the role of policeman throughout the world except where some the most thuggish, immoral, imperialistic, genocidal, ethnic cleansing national behavior is engaged in by the the Zionist regime in Israel.. Incidentally, it was the Zionist regime that the so-called nutcake president of Iran said should by wiped off the map not the State of Israel.
Wouldn’t the whole world be better off if we could be rid of the current Administration in Washington. That certainly doesn’t sound so radical does it? And… it does mean wiping America off the map.
But since Americans who hardly know their own language can not be expected to understand Farsi or Persian, so however some propagandist with a particular ax to grind “translates” the message becomes accepted. The propagandist could have “translated” it that the Iranian president “dissed” Bush’s Momma and the dolts in this country would have believed it and had rallies calling for “nukin” em. Zionist Joe would have been leading the parade.