G’morning, Jane, pups.

I suggest a strongly worded letter!!

So, Jane, hard to believe this man may make history as the only man ever to run for VP on both major party tickets.

big LOL

With a sternly worded follow-up letter after the first one is ignored.

-G

just so long as he loses that second time.

First of all, someone needs to make it abundantly clear that McBush is NOT reaching across the aisle to court HoJo. Gollum crossed the aisle himself some fair long time ago, purely and entirely for his own self-aggrandizement. Just sayin’.

would we be having this problem if the dem leadership in congress was throwing lieberman under the bus? if they were mocking him for his crazy views?

maybe if we could understand why pelosi condemned feingold but not lieberman we’d have a better idea of what’s going on and how to find a leverage point to change it.

i just don’t know – but thanks for asking jane.

hope someone here has a good idea or three.

gee, that’s kinda harsh, doncha think?

I’d say [edited by moderator] but for all I know it would improve his appearance. Certainly shame doesn’t shut him up.

We could try raising a stink about the “petty cash” if anyone can see an angle. How do you even go about getting charges pressed for something like that?

Ask Ned?

Try to shame the CT press that gave him a pass, and eat away on the home front? Or do the same nationally? Or with bloggers (yeah, Josh, I’m looking at you).

Does the CT constitution have any provision for impeaching Senators?

Send someone to sleep with him and get proof?

Bring back the float?

That’s all I’ve got.

–MarkusQ

[Mod Note; In the comments at Firedoglake, please do not suggest acts of violence on anyone. Thanks.]

[edited by moderator]

Seriously, I don’t know what to do about the democrats in congress. They appear completely rudderless, spineless and incapable of defending themselves.

Dejected, I remain…

That’s a short and narrow aisle between the Replicants and the Cons for Lieberman Party.

Second. I am reasonably certain (well, kinda, sorta) that Pawlenty will be McBush’s pick. Re-posted a piece I wrote more than two years ago on my blog, and when I re-read it, haven’t changed my mind. Tim Pawlenty was primed to run for U.S. Senate back in the day, but BushCo yanked him in favor of Norm Colemeleon. Minnesotans have long believed that The Timmer was promised something very juicy for setting aside his Senate aspirations, and I’m thinkin’ VPdom is the doggie treat. He and McBush have been courting in a big way since at least 2006. Gushed all over each other. McBush said TW is America’s future. TW said McBush is his hero, along with Ronald Reagan and Bart Starr. No kidding. My ample gut tells me TW is the pick. In which case, HoJo has screwed himself. Not a pretty picture, actually.

oh, i DO have a suggestion.

but it’s not about lieberman. (i wish).

this morning there has been a really nasty ad against abortion rights. jane, my suggestion is to ask for donations to see if enough money can be raised via that route to have the ad removed. i can’t pitch in much $wise, but would donate to that cause.

One thing we could be doing right now is to highlight how liberal Lieberman is on issues unrelated to the GWOT. Here is a link to his scores on Progressive Punch. He scores a perfect 100% on “Education, Humanities and the Arts” and on “Housing”. He is a respectable 88% (and ranked 27th in the Senate) on “Family Planning”. Those ratings will drive the hard core right wingers even more nuts. This should be used as a tool to make the wingnuts question McCain’s choice of friends.

I used to think that was a humorous punishment, guess from too many cartoons. But then I saw it depicted for what it was — outright torture. not funny.

Breaking News:

Goerge Bush’s Sec. of State Condi Rice announces SURRENDER and RETREAT to Al Qaeda!

-G

Per Eric Kleefeld at TPM:

Here’s a troubling number from the new CBS/New York Times poll: A plurality of Americans say Barack Obama is not prepared for the job, with only 44% of registered voters saying he is prepared, compared to 49% saying he is not.

[…]

http://tpmelectioncentral.talk…..a_unpr.php

Do?

Book him passage on a slow boat to Haifa.

Personally, I’ve heard the press label Lieberliar as “this year’s Zell Miller” and I would be for continuing along that line. Not only do I think it’s time to take away his committee chairs and throw him out of the caucus, I think we should then turn to the other Senators that campaigned for him against Ned Lamont and pin his treachery directly on their attitude of protecting the incumbent against all costs. We need to confront these people directly and constantly and make that an loud and clear issue. We need to let them know that the Senate was not meant to be a social club, and anyone who wants to make it one should be out. That includes Senator Inouye who always supports his corrupt close friend Sen. Stevens.

They’ve accepted DEFEAT.

Liarman has no heart, no conscience, no shame and is totally amoral so a “drive” against him directly will be futile. Maybe a campaign against his supporters would be more effective. His corporate sponsors, his editorial whores, his staff the people that donated to his campaign….. whomever. If his supporters get fed up with the attention maybe they will be become disenchanted with the pious pixie.

But he’ll still make history, and that doesn’t satisfaction me (as Elvis would say.)

Good Morning Jane and Firedogs,

a little fuzzy headed from sleep deprivation, but wasn’t it just yesterday everyone in Left Blogistan was tellin’ us all to calm the f’ down ? not to be freakin’ out over polling . . .

and now, no less than Jane Hamsher is concerned, f* me

but I’m not sure if reinforcing this message doesn’t help Joe with his whole “I’m an independent, I don’t owe allegiance to anyone” crap.

that’s a big BINGO!, kewl kids have a chubby over that shit.

What should we do? Well how many votes do we have in the Senate and House that owe us? One Senator can put a hold on bills right?
Well what does Joe want weapons/aid for Israel we can hold it until he resigns. Obama can claim the Senate is doing this on its own so his hands will be clean.
What else does Joe want we can hold that up too!
Who gives cash to Joe? Is there anyone or any company that we can investigate after we take power? Heck we just spread the rumor that we are going to investigate and we freeze Joe’s money.
Plus we should spread the word that wingnut welfare jobs for Joe will get you investigated.
Also the Fox Network and Clearchannel should have their broadcast license pulled for making people less informed about politics a public interest concern.
That alone should send a message to Joe’s peeps that we mean business and that Joe is a pawn they can afford to sacrifice.

Interesting that the ad you cite went away on the next refresh. Either very quick action or serendipity. I, too, was wondering about that particular ad, given the pro-choice stance here, just figured it was a case of doubleclick putting up ads independent of FDL.

The reason that there is little fuss about Lieberman’s betrayal of his party is that it’s more important for the Beltway Class to close ranks and support each other than it is for them to represent their party. Note that: class is more important than party identification to the Beltway insiders.

It’s no great leap to realize that if Nancy Pelosi identifies more closely with Joe Lieberman than she does with her party, she doesn’t identify with the working class AT ALL.

Beltway insiders need to be voted out of office and replaced.

I agree. Surely there must be an “opt out” system so that ads like that do not appear on sites that would not necessarily choose to run them.

Can we start a campaign to get the people of Connecticut to produce a recall law that would allow the people of Connecticut to recall elected officials?

If they could get such a law onto the ballot for the fall that would be great, but it would be OK too if they got it on the ballot in a special election after November as well. Lieberman still has time to go until he is up for re-election – how about setting up a situation that can pull him out well before that time?

Now then, about what to do with Lieberman. Have him bronzed and displayed in the Bush Library, next to “My Pet Goat.”

it will mean that a worse neocon than Dick Cheney and his merry band of henchmen now hold the reins of the war.

I wasn’t sleep deprived when I realized McGaffe had sidled up to the Cheney cadre that speaks of “limited, but surgical nukes” either

Agree completely re the Senate. This clubby atmosphere and all of its rules for decorum are just focused on creating an atmosphere to ensure the incumbents are returned more terms.

I seem to remember this is one reason Corzine left…frustration that nothing gets done in the Senate.

Re: Lieberman. I have no idea. The man so totally odious that it’s beyond me to understand any appeal he has to anyone…even to Hadassah.

I agree. Turncoat is a phrase that comes to mind…rememeber the progressives already see this guy for what he is…but the neo cons- the one thing they can’t stomach is a turncoat…..

I remember when we first won our majority I told everyone we needed joe out of the party, he is a judas sheep and all he does is hurt us when we neede him

everyone pounded me about the paper thin majority we had and we needed joe.

need him for what?

it is the power of his “democratic roots” that give his critism of obama more weight

he needs to be thrown out of the party and we need to punish whoever supported him in the senatorial election

GREAT IDEA!!

i AGREE with what you said but I think it ought to go beyond that to label him as a complete war monger. Further to state that his war posture is what is most important to him or else he would be at the dem. convention given his “liberal” leanings on other issues.

what to do about lie-berman?

lieberman is speaking at the gop hen house soon….the tone has already changed since that announcement, msm are describing him a little differently..i noticed it has been happening this past month..less emphasis on his bi-partisanship and more on his ‘former democrat’..

they can’t ignore that he is one of mccain’s most visible advisors/supporters anymore…that it’s more than a bi-partisan interest and support of a friend….

i say see what his speech from the hen house says, he’s not going to have much wiggle room, can’t risk peeving off neocons-not the ones running things, but the ones in the populace, and can’t risk messing up getting middle of the ground voters-which is his job. don’t forget lieberman has a ‘use’ a ’special purpose’ (the jerk), that is to attract/please a!p=c voters and middle of the road voters……but in order to do that, they’re gonna piss off the public that is the base and the neocons who are being edged out of power as we speak.

i think he’s gonna leave a wide-open target mark when he speaks at the convention–he always does. i think that’s why he doesn’t speak in public much….they will for sure ‘vet’ every word of his speech, but it’s still him delivering it….he won’t be able to get rid of that whiney tone, mccain’s speech coach hasn’t been able to help him with that….

a lot of the public hasn’t heard him speak more than a few words, i don’t think it’s going to be the ’slam dunk’ they think it is. i’m feelin’ pretty confident he’s going to give you the ammo you need…hit himself with his own ammo….that’s how it usually happens with men like them, the ‘boomerang’ syndrome, i call it.

bonk.

Well what does Joe want weapons/aid for Israel we can hold it until he resigns

that’s not what he wants

what he wants is his seat in power and he ain’t resigning

This is where I’m thinkin’ too, Barbara. Paw-lenty.

The L’il Lie-bee front is just that…a front, and a way for McSturgis to be nasty to the core and stick it to the Dems. That’s the modus operandi between McNasty and L’il Lie-bee…same agenda…personal grudge. Their cherry. And a distraction.

And given the way john Selfish McSturgis treats his wife/s, L’il Lie-bee better watch his own back.

Don’t go chasin’ the red herrings, they stink enough on their own.

dakine suggested clicking on the ad so they have to help pay the squirrels here.

We tell Joe’s homestate that all the Senators who kept on lying about WMD and Iraq ties to Ossama after they knew better, after being briefed by the CIA’s classified reports that were not then public knowledge, will lose all their military bases in the first round of base closers.
That should make Joe Very Popular back home.

If the voters of Connecticut were encouraged, they may well put a recall law on the books and then they could RECALL Lieberman, forcing him out of office before his term ends.

Whether or not the Democraps do the right thing and kick his ass out ASAP (presumably after November when they wont need Lieberman to hold a majority) or coalesce to protect him just because that’s the way its done, all this could be end-runned by recall election.

Connecticut voters need to be encouraged to put forth such a law so THEY can give Lieberman the ultimate rebuke: being unceremoniously kicked out of office by his own constituents.

how to make a start?

Thus establishing a worthy precedent that voters/constituents in other states can look to.

The incumbency racket is bigger than L’il Lie-bee [what isn’t!], and this is where we the people need to take back our own power. We’ve let it languish too long.

Somebody might have thought to invite Ned to speak at our Convention. Sure that’s usually reserved for luminaries, but it would sure frost Lieberliar! Ned should, at the very least, be invited. Maybe even made a superdelegate or something.

FIrst, I think there’s no way he would be VP pick. It would splinter the party – the wingnuts arent ALL about war, and besides the war, JoeLie is still a NE LIBERAL who is pro-choice, and marched with King for god’s sake. No, the fundie racist base of the GOP would go f’n nuts.

He’s just there to make us all frustrated, as usual. He’s ineffecitve at anything else, really.

I’d say that its a foregone conclusion he will lose his committee assignments next year, so will be of little value to Dems (unless we might possibly hit 60, which is unlikely)

So, my suggestion would be to do what should have been done a long long time ago. Go negative, hard and soft. Overt and covert. And undermine whatever remaining credibility he may have with the independents. (which is nil as far as I know)

Just my .02

If AIPAC demands Joe to be on the ticket, he will be on the ticket.

that’s not what he wants

what he wants is his seat in power and he ain’t resigning

One Senator can place a hold on anything Joe wants all we need is for the New Senate Majority Leader to go along. An empty seat with no power is the best we can do unless we can get him recalled or found guilty.
Is there anything we can investigate Joe for?
I like this topic we are talking about taking power and what we will do with it…in this case Punish the Wicked.

Set up an organization to push for the recall law – “Connecticut Against Lieberman.” *g*

yeah – but i don’t think it’s fair to jane et al. unless we are willing to help defray some of the lost $.

We need to close bases to pay for Joe’s liar’s war.

Oh, and take the float to St. Paul, of course!

Jane’s post yesterday about McCampaign calling around, testing the waters on Lieberveep –

gave me the willies about Biden – he’s a twofer

he’s the Beltway’s idea of an attack dog AND he’s a known. Considering all that CW about Obama having to introduce himself to the country, he would have to throw over a decent, but unknown like Sibelius for a recognizable pick like Biden

then again, my recovering optimist reminds me no one has ever called Bayh an attack dog :D

my 02 cents is as
Joe Liarman holds dual citizenship with Israel,and should not hold high office,and needs to be questioned endlessly about his LOYALTY,PATRIOTISM to the good ole USA of course…imo

Joe needs to be swiftboated, ruthlessly and unapologetically.

Any Connecticut voters here who may know how to go about pushing for a law? What is the deadline to get something on the November ballot or what are the rules about special elections?

great idea

Jane you have to have the best list of possible scandals, things Joe might have done etc could you share? We need targets multiple targets to shoot at so Joe can’t defend them all.

I’d bet there’s lots of dirt on JoeLie out there, maybe the folks who are privy will decide to stop “keeping the powder dry”

Don’t see that happening. The gun that Obama promised to bring to the knife fight is a water pistol

I wonder if anything could be done with some sort of reverse psychology, Limbaugh-like “Operation Chaos” approach. “Left wing blogs soften toward McCain due to Lieberaman’s Liberal Support.” Probably not. Just brainstorming.

and i forgot-in the ways he’s trying to get press-ignore him….they put something out, we react, is a game, how ’bout we put something out, they react…

he is being used as a distraction and he knows it….that’s why when he’s in the spotlight soon, he’s not going to be able to deliver. it’s like a mistress standing in front of millions of people and delivering a speech about fidelity and abstaining from sex. ngonna hear it in their voice, and it’s not gonna go over.

i can’t wait to see how they set his speech up and and what’s in it…..and like i said, you can’t cover up his tonal deficiencies……

Sadlyyes at 54

If thats true you might have something that will work very quick. We would just need proof of his Israeli citizenship and then we strip him of office assuming that dual citizenship is illegal for Senate members.
But it will only happen after we get rid of Bush this Justice Dept won’t investigate Joe.

I can’t for the life of me figure how that overseas trip did not give him a huge bump. Seemed really successful in all the important ways.

I also think that all Obama high-level surrogates should be clearly dismissive of JoeLie –

“well he’s up to his eyeballs in the Iraq war – Its his baby (along w/ Bush and McCain) – so obviously he’ll say anything to continue it indefinately”

This should be So. Easy. It is clear that Gollum will do absolutely anything to put himself in close proximity to whomever is running from whichever side if it affords him photo ops and an ego massage. The difference between Swift Boating and bringing down HoJo is that there’s plenty of truth to accomplish the latter.

pssst

immediately thought of you when I saw this over at Josh’s place

and I read somewhere(?) Obama is set to release a “hothead” ad :D

If Joe ends up in McCain’s cabinet he is most likely replaced with Chris Shays(R) if he loses, or 06′ congressional loser Rob Simmons(R) by the R Governor Rell.

Are you really that worried about joe-mentum? I agree, the idea of Lieberman in the exec is quite scary. However, I think (from a purely cynical and pragmatic point of view) that with Lierberman on the ticket, the religious right nutjobs will stay home in droves on election day. They hate McCain, because even he can’t lie enough to convince them that he’s really “one of them”. Combine a cranky, old, atheistic hothead with some one of Mr. Lierberman’s faith and heritage and the hard-core, self-righteous religious right will not be able to stomach voting for the republican ticket. Although, the Dominionists might find Mr. Lierberman just the man to “preserve” Israel, and bring on Armageddon and Christ’s new Dominion over the earth.

I think Lierberman is a loser on the Republican ticket.

OT, I trust y’all have seen that BushCo and Iraq are close to withdrawal timelines. Oh, what a surprise! It’s August, right?

Here’s the link from HuffPost.

Good piece – thanks

a popular vote of no confidence in Gollum? a petition a pageful of key names on it backed by a few thousand signaures, in a full page ad in Wapo, could conceivably cause somebody in the Dem senate to take notice. Maybe Moveon could organize it.

As DIckie Cheney says “so”

We attack Joe’s closest political friends next and we stall their bills until Joe is gone or they give Joe up on something dirty.

As much as we would all love to see Joe booted and exiled, not sure there is much you can do about him between now and the election. Were he to be stripped of any of his roles in the Senate or otherwise symbolically or materially pushed by Democrats there would be a huge yelp from the GOP and the media about how Democrats can’t handle dissent.

If he actually becomes the GOP VP candidate, no prob…. he settles the issue. (I don’t think that will happen but we can dream)

I think we need to do just what we are doing…. express in every breath how far Joe is from being a Democrat. And I notice some blogs are already making a point of calling him “Former Democrat Joe….”

And after the election he needs to be undressed thoroughly, stripped of every thing that can be taken away from him. If he wants to jump parties, he needs to start over.

The thought of any Dem in the WH scares the wingnuts, they won’t like it but will vote for McCain in November IMHO.

Saw Kerry on MTP with LIEbermann a few weeeks back. Kerry said he’s welcome in the Dem caucus. unreal. The guy will go and speak at The R convention and the Ds will welcome him back to their caucus. Why should anybody b be surprised the Dems lose? One good thing to come of this. Maybe. Maybe HRC will become majority leader and we’d finally get the long needed Dem leader with balls, so to speak. But hey, I’m not panicked about the pres. election. Just frustrated the BO campaign seems to be so dumb — dumb with our money. And that would be horrible. Great thing he was doing raising so much from so many. But if he goes and fucks it up, regular Joes and janes will be less likely to part with their $$ in the future.

i can’t wait to see how they set his speech up and and what’s in it

am willing to bet all kinds of money there will be a ‘touching choked up moment’ complete with treachly pause as he waxes rhapsodic about the reach aroundacross the aisle and the opportunities “his great friend” has afforded him

Shays. The guy Chris MadDog Russo called “terrrrrr-ible”?

and then there is this soft underbelly like Michele Obama is fair game

When a senator’s wife works for one of the capital’s largest lobby shops, appearances tend to matter. In this case, something happened immediately that didn’t look very good,” Joe Conason wrote July 12, 2006, in Truthdig.

“Lieberman signed up with Hill & Knowlton in March 2005. The firm’s clients included GlaxoSmithKline, the British pharmaceutical giant that manufactures flu vaccines along with many other drugs. In April 2005, Sen. Lieberman introduced a bill that would award an array of new government ‘incentives’ to companies like GSK to produce more vaccines—notably patent extensions on other products, at a cost of billions to governments and consumers.

“That legislation provoked irritated comment by his hometown newspaper, the New Haven Register. In an editorial headlined ‘Lieberman Crafts Drug Company Perk,’ the Register noted that his bill was even more generous to the pharmaceutical industry than a similar proposal by the Senate Republican leadership. ‘The government can offer incentives and guarantees for needed public health measures,’ said the editorial. ‘But it should not write a blank check, as these bills do, to the pharmaceutical industry that has such a large cost to the public with what may be an uncertain or dubious return.’

“No doubt Lieberman would do the bidding of the pharmaceutical lobby whether his wife was on its payroll or not, but this kind of coincidence is best avoided by a man who lectures the world about morality and ethics,” Conason wrote.

So how do you get their constituents to see it that way, too? We tried that with a perfectly good candidate, Ned Lamont, and you know what happened. It’s hard to oust someone that’s a permanent fixture. Shame Lieberliar was able to do that to Lowell Weicker. As I remember it, he was a stand up sort of guy in regard to the Watergate situation.

I go back to a suggestion made a long time ago of sending Democratic leaders in Congress a couple of nice looking pebbles with a note saying, “Since you don’t seem to have any, here are a pair of stones for your use.”

But on a more serious note, Lieberman is a sanctimonious, mealymouthed, backstabbing politician only out for himself. So why would Congressional Democrats condemn him? He is them.

good to see you survived the storm and the progeny

i really
HELD MY NOSE WITH KERRY

what an idiot

Tighten Senate rules about relatives becoming lobbyists at all say it gives the appearance of impropriety.

We know the Congress will do nothing – there’s no point in wasting effort there. If there is any possibility of some kind of recall or impeachment option in Connecticut that is the way to go. Can you folks at FDL find out what it would take? Is it possible to put something on the ballot there? Is it impossible for some reason? What about class action lawsuits? Can elected officials be hit for lying to their constituents?

Taking Lieberman down in his own state would be an excellent precedent to set and would let other weasels in the Congress know that there are other ways they can be held accountable besides 2-yr or 6-yr elections.

I think Jane would find that people would be willing to donate to fund that sort of effort. It would be something tangible that we could do, rather than trying to influence Reid or Pelosi, who both seem far more concerned about maintaining their records as weak-ass failures than taking strong measured on anything.

CT. needs to show the country that they’ve been swindled by a liar, and that they aren’t willing to tolerate Lieberman’s betrayal. And since Lieberman’s actions are having an impact on the course of a nationwide election, it’s perfectly reasonable that citizens from other states would get involved.

what rubes merkins R

and then there is this soft underbelly like Michele Obama is fair game

IF . . .things go well for Obama from the convention forward – they are gonna bring some shit that will make the Willie Horton ad look like it was made by Quakers. already had a flash as to what they are gonna do, but afraid to post it anywhere and give ‘em anymore ideas

That sounds like grounds for the Senate to Censor Joe to bad the moment passed:(

lets tell all the senior citizens how
JOE AND HADDASSAH are their bff

that’s extortion.

So, Jane, hard to believe this man may make history as the only man ever to run for VP on both major party tickets.

…and lose. Let’s see if Holy Joe is as quick to give up the election running as a Republican as he was running as a Democrat.

Unless it’s our turncoat. Last convention they let Zell Miller speak; this year it’s Lieberliar. They’ll take whoever they can get; oddly enough, none of theirs seems to have come over to our side that we’d be willing to crow about.

Anyone here think Joe’s not doing this for revenge? He’s been quite successful at harming the party he says he still caucuses with. An interesting case, indeed.

those sick mofos dont need any help,that being said …IMAGINE the worst for they pay
LIMPBALLS 40,000,000.00$$$$$ per year to say ANYTHING!!!!!!!

What about vote fraud once Bush is out of power Diebold and GOP dirty tricks people will be hunted. Maybe one of them will talk after all Karl did give the word to the GOP to support Joe.

REVENGE and UN limited checkbook…………..UNLIMITED

yeah, and it’ll be delivered in a weak, whiney voice…

not exactly the ‘testosterone tuffs’ they’re trying to sell.

Good morning Jane and all the rest of your wild-eyed lefties;

How about providing a list of those democratic ‘colleagues’ who supported Lieberman against Lamont and continue to tolerate his intolerable (and intolerant) behaviors with a the heading: “These democratic leaders belive in Senator Joe Lieberman and think he would make a fine Vice President for the most-honorable, next Commander in Chief, President John ‘Integrity’ McCain.”

The problem ain’t just Joe, it’s the ‘Club’ and the fact that, regardless of what happens in this next ‘confection’, ALL members of the political class are going to continue living rather high on the hog.

Let’s just allow ‘them’ look foolish, simply by highlighting their own actual deeds. Now, at first they will think we are praising them, but eventually they will come to realize (probably with a little ‘help’) that they have made fools of themselves, again and again. Politicians simply cannot stand to be laughed at. Their supposedly hide-bound egos are actually rather fragile and weak little things, excepting sociopaths, of course.

;~)

Lieberman is the embodiment of everythign that’s worng with the Democratic party. The fact that the Democrats threw Ned lamont under the bus and allowed this repellent clown to be re-elected show exactly how the party feels about its base.

They hate us.

The story now is that with more Democrats ebing elected, Lieberman won’t be needed to “caucus” with the Dems anymore. But I wonder precisely who they’re electing and what they’ll do once in power.

Like I always say, we need a second political party.

Dmac @91
Not if a prosecutor is trying to flip a crook to catch a bigger crook. If you or I did it then its extortion.

Honestly, I don’t think he cares as long as he gets some attention and goes down in history. As an added bonus, if he is nominated this time, the Presidential candidate is a much older man, giving him a much better chance to become President if elected, as the man one heartbeat away from the Presidency. He gathers his rosebuds where he may, for sure!

I have tried to say this before but what is needed is a Constitutional Convention with Amendments coming from the states. So what if we have 250 amendments. Cut the legs out from under the clowns in congress. Issue by issue the debate should be about issues not about these clowns. The preparations should be made now during this election cycle with those running for state office.

DWBartoo @98
List Obama, Hilary etc.

New Attackerman up
“I hate it here, get me out of here”

The damn thing won’t go away! It’s worse than the progeny that way. Still raining and plenty windy enough for me, thank you.

A list of when Joe as a Senate member received classified CIA intel on WMD, Iraqi ties to al Quieda, Valerie Palme and then a list of his comments on any of those subjects after he learned the truth.

How do you keep the amendments from including promoting christianity as the only allowed religion, banning gay marriage, or other nonsense?

that’s the thing. people say how BO has to get aggressive and all. But McSame and the Rs haven’t even gotten started yet, in my view. That’s why it was so dumb to let all this shit go with so little a response. It’s not like “Well, they took their best shoot and we withstood it.” There’s more to come.

FL has one on the ballot this November banning gay marriage. You k now.. Martriage is the union between one man and woman woman at a time, blah, blah, blah. Might help McCain some.

Well TCU, did they support ole Joe?

If so, absolutely. Put ‘em on the list. What were they ‘thinking’ when they supported the Liebeerman? Were they thinking or just being supportive of another ‘Club’ member?

Consequence is hell, why shouldn’t the political class have a taste of it?

Or should they all get a pass or just those whose egos led them to seek the Preznitcy?

Are Presidential candidates to be absolved of any and all stupidities?

…saw a hint of things to come over at one of the rightie sites. predictably they were too dumb to notice the goldmine they were sitting on – but they will – and it wont be anything easy to beat back as a burning cross – we have our work cut out for us

McCain + Lieberman + Hagee = man-made Armageddon

How about providing a list of those democratic ‘colleagues’ who supported Lieberman against Lamont and continue to tolerate his intolerable (and intolerant) behaviors with a the heading: “These democratic leaders belive in Senator Joe Lieberman and think he would make a fine Vice President for the most-honorable, next Commander in Chief, President John ‘Integrity’ McCain.”

Carefull. Our Presidential candidte was one of those “colleagues” IIRC.

what hosemore said!!! i continue to be disgusted by spineless dem lack of leadership…. liarman has continually given dems nothing!!

And what do you suspect Obama thinks of Lieberman now?

I think we might be surprised (and disgusted).

What do you think?

dual citizenship isn’t illegal there are many in congress and in the bush’s government who have dual us-israeli citizenship

couldn’t find the congressional list, but

here’s some who were/are in government–
mukasey, chertoff, Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, Lawrence (Larry) Franklin, Douglas Feith, Kenneth Adelman, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Elliott Abrams, Ari Fleischer, Joshua Bolton, John Bolton and Mark Weinberger

By getting the right people in at the state level

Deport Lieberman to Israel.

ohhhhh, ok, yep.

I’ve honestly lost interest in a lot of this shit, unfortunately. I have a pile of financial obligations, including child support, a student loan, a mortgage payment, and various credit cards and utilities.

I’m watching Barack Obama do the same kind of “above the fray” campaign as Kerry and Gore ran. “reluctant to attack his opponent”. “cautious”.

I’m watching the democrats, as usual, do their pseudo-cerebral thing, as if being confusing will hide the fact that they have about as many good ideas as the GOP, while refusing to go on the attack. they’re letting the GOP define them once again. And once again, they’re letting a pissant little turncoat like Joe (last time it was Zell) walk all over them to the benefit.

So tell me: if Obama and his campaign aren’t going to do anything about their Lieberman problem; if the Democratic Party isn’t going to do anything about their Lieberman problem; and the party seems to be adopting the guaranteed loser strategy that led them to a smashing defeat in 2000 and 2004, why should a person like me, who already has more problems and stress than he knows how to deal with, give a rat’s ass?

if the democrats were serious about winning, they’d play to win. but they’re not, and I think the reason is that they don’t have any answers either.

Spencer has a new post up entitled “I Hate It Here; Get Me Out of Here!”

What should we do with Lieberman? I suggest that he stand at the busiest intersection in Hartford, Connecticut wearing a placard on his back and across his front that says, “Honk if you like war”. Maybe the dead silence will illustrate to him how out of touch he’s been. Then on to the next Connecticut city. He should have to do this for 6 months.

He should have to do this for 6 months.

in other words, a Friedman Unit.

Questions.

Are we all more than a tad bit disgusted with Lieberman?

How long a time have we been disgusted with Lieberman?

At the time when certain stellar Dems, HRC and Obama prominent amongst them, chose to support Lieberman over Lamont, were not those things about Lieberman which disgust us already more than manifestly clear?

Is it politeness or political ‘calculation’ which mandates our silence regarding the behaviors of those who would be President?

When d’s behave like their mascot, are we to chuckle and think,”Heh! ain’t that cute?” and then pretend that nothing has happened?

Are we to assume that it is just a ‘game’, as politicians most obviously do, or may we have the right to insist upon something more?

I think you all may have caught my ‘drift’ by now …

;~D

Obama should do an event with Ned Lamont to remind everyone that Lieberman LOST to him in the Democratic Primary in Connecticut and had to resort to hijacking the election by running as an Independent. That’s not change we can believe in. That’s more of the Bush/Cheney playbook, which is essentially not playing by the rules.

And include the line: Who is Joe Lieberman?

The Dems should get ahead of the curve, expel Lieberman from caucus, hope McCain names him as the Republican VP choice.

“We”? Who do you mean when you say “We”? I am not intending this as an attack on you as I consider most of the things you say pretty level-headed. But unless that “We” includes impeachment off the table Nancy Pelosi and won’t support his own party’s holds on bills Harry Reid, that “We” won’t get farther than a f***t in a hurricane.

Your comment would lead one to think that you actually believe that “We” have some actual, for real, direct influence over these pols in DC.

Sorry, I don’t see it.

Recalls don’t apply at the Federal office level (I.E., senators and representatives). Once seated, they are there until either voted out at the next election or expelled by their “peers.”

Last expulsion was James Traficant, of Ohio who was expelled from the House after a conviction. Usually, the Senators and Reps will resign prior to conviction and expulsion so they can maintain their pension benefits.

The rethugs would have a field day questioning dems willingness to work together.

Note to mod: Sorry about that. It was intended in a rhetorical rather than literal sense, a stand in for all the traditional ways of indicating disapprobation, but I can see and appreciate your point. I should have stuck with my first impulse (a scarlet “R”).

I’ll try to keep my tongue in check from now on.

– MarkusQ

Can that be changed through some effort in CT? Can they put something on the ballot?

Not sure but wouldn’t some ex poste facto arguments become applicable?

No. It would only apply to state level officials in CT such as Governor or State Senator or Rep.

As I said, US Senators and members of the US House are considered Federal Officers and the State level recall actions (such as what Darryl Issa funded that allowed the Gropinator to become Governor) would not apply

I think we need to do something with a baby elephant. I have this image of one following him around everywhere he goes.

Remembering another day in the life of JoeLIE.

“No. It would only apply to state level officials in CT such as Governor or State Senator or Rep.

As I said, US Senators and members of the US House are considered Federal Officers and the State level recall actions (such as what Darryl Issa funded that allowed the Gropinator to become Governor) would not apply”

Is there any other possible angle? Rather than “recalling” what about impeachment? Or Censuring (although that appears to be just another symbolic gesture). What about class action lawsuits? Is there any creative approach that could be considered? Something that hasn’t been done before? Has any other state found a way around this?

Clearly, if we the people have absolutely NO way to address our Federal Representatives when they clearly have cheated us, that’s a loophole that needs to be fixed.

For instance, can CT pass a law saying Lieberman is not allowed to set foot in CT? They may have to wait him out til his term ends, but can they disavow him? Cities and burgs and towns around the county have been passing their own impeachment resolutions and things like that. Is there some angle there?

what Brendan said.

Clearly, if we the people have absolutely NO way to address our Federal Representatives when they clearly have cheated us, that’s a loophole that needs to be fixed.

The recourse is elections and voting them out of office. Otherwise, the system as designed was to pretty much protect the incumbents from public opinion, allowing them to vote on issues without being unduly pressured. That is, unless criminal activity can be proved and even then, it requires the rest of the seated members in whichever house to vote for expulsion.

Doesn’t make it fair, just makes it the reality.

as jane made note on another thread, it looks like lieberman is being shopped as vp

that is gonna steal obama’s convention bump

UNLESS!

if we throw joe out of the party and ALL his positions BEFORE he is announced as vp, and we call him all the things we can think of as to why we are throwing him out, if WE say we believe mccain will use joe as vp choice, we can steal the thunder

“Doesn’t make it fair, just makes it the reality.”

Ok, accepting that the system was designed this way, my question is is there ANY other approach possible that would provide an outlet and expression of disgust? There’s got to be some creative legal minds out there – What CAN we do? Outside the box?

This question isn’t directed to dakine01 specifically – it’s directed to all.

They have not accepted defeat. They have prevailed in their own interests just fine. Their salaries have been increased commensurate if not in excess of the inflation rate; they have single payer health care; their pensions are not dependent on a bankrupt, underfunded government entity like the Pension Guarantee agency; they are able to commit countless crimes which would get the rest of us locked away, including acts of pedophilia.

We have to understand that there is no longer an opposition party when the Dems are in the minority and their control of congress doesn’t guarantee anything other than that they will maneuver to advance the interests of the ruling class, in all cases the interests of finance capitalism, at the expense of their constituents.

Reid needed to correct the Lieberman problem the first time that little neocon shit stepped out of line. By allowing Joe to hang with the Dems while licking the balls of his GOP buddies in the cloakroom Harry showed everyone he has no spine and his threats were without substance.

Unfortunately at this stage of the game the recourse is no longer to elections. Elections have been tainted before but not as blatantly as they have been in the past twenty years. The fact that the news media is trying to convince people that this election is neck and neck only goes to prove to me that they already know how they’re going to steal this one and by making people think it was close all along they’ll get away with it again and no one, not a friggin soul, will raise a voice.

It’s almost time for the flaming monks in this country to draw attention to how low we’ve sunk.

Dr. Ron Paul has the answer!

Face it, there is nothing productive that can be done to Joe Lieberman unless you can catch him with his hand in the till or something strictly criminal.

What you can do is make him the object of satire. It is hard to fight back against well constructed and directed satire — but it has to be a consistent and long term campaign — the kind of thing Doonsbury does over a sequence of months of strips. Above all, Joe wants to be taken as SERIOUS AND VERY MORAL. Satire can deflate that image — but you have to keep repeating it in venues where the current anti-Lieberman Choir doesn’t normally reach.

There are no flaming monks in america, only armed berserkers.

Well Holy Joe can’t be recalled. In terms of doing something in CT, there are some lingering questions left from the Lamont v. Lieberman campaign. For instance, noone ever pursued the case of the missing “petty cash.” quite frankly some of us thought it was used to influence voters in two cities. There were nagging rumors during the primary, and also during general election. Since Blumenthal wouldn’t investigate, nor would the corrupt DOJ, I think concerned citizens and maybe even a journalist might want to take it up. Gov. Rowland fell from grace because of contractor gifts including a hottub, although the contractor shenanigans were far worse than that I believe. In other words, pick a block and effectively kick it out from underneath the Holy Man’s feet, so to speak. The rest will follow.Make it so Holy Man won’t be able to ignore that trouble on the home front once again. Yours Truly.

The Senate can expell other Senators with a 2/3 vote. Now, we know they won’t, but they can. Brattleboro VT., as one example, drafted articles of impeachment against Bush & Cheney. Why can’t cities/towns, whatever, in CT draft articles of impeachment against Lieberman? Even it it goes nowhere it WOULD embarrass him.

I’ve read about a variety of City ordinances that have been passed around the country to do things like indicate that Local laws trump federal laws that allow corporations to do things the locality is against. Isn’t there some angle there?

Maybe we should let him write a book for Regnery and promise him a show on Fox News. It certainly seemed to help Zell Miller.

I don’t have any “killer” ideas.

I continue to think that we as liberals have to learn tactics (nothing else) from white supremacists such as Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond. They accomplished a lot more for white supremacy as “conservative” Democrats than George Wallace’s American Independent Party.

The Presidential campaign is an exclusively NATIONAL election. It is the only vote we cast in common with all Americans. Of course our candidate isn’t liberal enough. Of course the Democratic party isn’t liberal enough. Unfortunately, that argument swings both ways. If we won’t support moderate Democratics against wingnuts, then moderate Democrats have to move to the effing right.

First thing we have to do is hang together as liberals. Second thing we have to do is vote for Obama and keep talking with friends and relatives about how bad McCain is.

Identify states in which Obama is losing and hammer the major media outlets in that state. I know so far, that here in Wisconsin that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has given McSane very positive coverage.

1. Joe is powerless to flip the Senate
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/1/18/211259/764

2. Joe is a registered Democrat:

http://www.americablog.com/200…..se-if.html

But can Republicans elect a Democrat? We need someone who knows the law

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V…..ted_States
Nominating process

The vice presidential candidates of the major national political parties are formally selected by each party’s quadrennial nominating convention, following the selection of their presidential candidates. The official process is identical to the one by which the presidential candidates are chosen, with delegates placing the names of candidates into nomination, followed by a ballot in which candidates must receive a majority to secure the party’s nomination. In practice, the presidential nominee has considerable influence on the decision, and in 20th century it became customary for that person to select a preferred running mate, who is then nominated and accepted by the convention.

I think FDL and liberals in general will have more success (short and long term) attacking the legacy media than attacking Democrats.

This isn’t really “fun.” It’s humble, write LTE’s spotlighting, calling the media outlet, ….

Dear Jane, I know this is late, but I can’t resist anything that would take down Joe.

1. First, go for the low-hanging fruit. We have lots of stuff about Joe that can be used. I bet if some clever creative people started compiling YouTubes about Joe and his bad behavior from existing stuff, it could be not only the start of inspired further steps, but could also be a great contest. Or how about running a contest for the worst of Joe like we did with joke line?

2. Use some of these results to target OTHER people, like Reid who insist that Joe keep his committee chair and how Joe refuses to provide oversight or investigate Katrina. Get them to denounce him. etc.

3. Maybe hook up with other orgs like Brave New Films. I think you might have heard of them. ;) I have absolute confidence in you and the creativity of our folks here and in left blogistan to come up with an effective campaign against Lieberman. That fruit is ripe for the picking, IMO.

Even without a clear plan for where we go with this, there’s no harm in getting started. Clarity of purpose can grow with each step. It’s a catharsis we need to do something against this vile creature.

Thanks for asking. :)

A well-crafted documentary film about Lieberman might be effective.

As for the press, I don’t know if anyone has seen this, but Gail Collins takes a chunk out of sanctimonious Joe in her op-ed piece today in The New York Times.

The thing about a documentary, one either produced for television or for a limited release: Lieberman himself will the best advertising for it. He will freak out and that, in turn, will draw more viewers. He won’t be able to help himself. Narcissists like Lieberman cannot tolerate anything that shatters the image that they hold of themselves.

Karnak12 @ 128 After the election We have to replace Nancy and Harry impeach Bush and impeach the Supreme court if we want to see justice done.
Getting Nancy and Harry replaced is the first step if we don’t do that then everyone walks. I was assuming that we could at least get the first step done.
If not you are right all my ideas are worth zip.

Joe Lieberman can stay where he is.. He’s an useful idiot and if he wasn’t a nominal Dem, then Darth gets the deciding vote. Also, let McCain chose him for VP, I get the feeling that fireworks are going to fly from Barak once the whole VP questions/Conventions are done. Baraks got mad money and McCain is going to be broke really soon..
Going to be interesting, just my 2cents..

Audrey @ 153 and tmwolfe@ 154 both of your ideas are good humiliation is better than prison time if we can take his pride.

I agree. I understand Obama’s problem and his desire to keep it general rather than specific and to not be perceived as confrontational, but there comes a time. If Obama has no position on Lieberman, why should we? Oh, Lieberman is rotten to the core, but at this point in time there’s nothing to do but write letters and make phone calls. Been there. Done that.

I like RevDeb’s idea about the baby elephant.

I think we should start presenting Lieberman as VP choice as a fait accompli, so that when/if it actually happens it’s no big deal because people will already have assumed it would happen and it doesn’t make a blip on the news. Ramp up speculation now to undercut it’s power to affect Obama’s convention bounce. As for him speaking at the convention, I think the Rs are all overestimating his power to capture a crowd’s attention, let alone their imagination. I think the collective response should be a big yawn. “Yeah, Lieberman’s a Judas. So what else is new?”

Attack, Attack ATTAAAAAAACK!

That’s what you do about Lieberman.
You make as much noise as possible so that it can’t be ignored attacking his traitorous ways.
Document it, show it to every one who will look.
Hammer him over his two faced methods.
Highlight his dismal voting record and his ties to Big Pharma but most of all, highlight the fact that he so willingly sells his ass to the highest bidder with absolutely no shame.
I’d donate to a NY Times ad.

I think Obama’s surrogates have to start going after him directly, and tying him to Bush as well as McCain, effectively underscoring that he is not bipartisan but rather a Republican watercarrier and that Bush/McCain/Leiberman are all the same.

The next time he opens his trap, Obama surrogates should suggest, loudly and with a concerned tone, that perhaps he would have better served the public by conducting hearings on FEMA’s incompetence — which directly relates the War on Terror(R) — than by stumping all over the stratosphere for McCain. And repeatedly emphasize his slavish support for Bush/McCain’s war. Tie them together like the Unholy Trinity they are.

Oh, and meld the photos of Bush hugging McCain and planting a wet one on Joe into one big visual. Rope the three of them so closely together they can’t break free. And do it over and over.

Jane- sorry I’m late- day job and all.

Even if Joe isn’t McCain’s VP, he’ll still be out there- hurting not only Obama, but down ticket races-

I just caught this, tho it’s from Monday:

McCain’s Atlanta fund-raiser takes in $1.75 million

McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, had a special guest along for the trip: U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), the former Democratic presidential candidate and vice presidential nominee now serving as an independent. Lieberman has endorsed McCain and praised him and Georgia’s top Republicans.

“I’m also proud to be here with these three great Americans, your two senators and a great governor, Sonny Perdue,” Lieberman said, referring to U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss.

Chambliss is being challenged by Jim Martin (moderate Dem, way better than Saxby) and Martin is behind in polling, but seems to be gaining on Chambliss-

From email from Martin campaign- “new poll, which was conducted by Rasmussen Reports, shows that we are trailing Chambliss by just 5 points, 48% to 43%, and that the race has tightened considerably in the last month. “

So- train of thought here- go DNC- pressure DNC to pressure the idiot Dems- Senators and Reps- to go after Lieberman- it’s not just Obama he’s hurting, it’s down ticket races.

Sorry, that’s all I got. But, I sure would like to hear what Howard Dean and the DNC think about the damage Lieberman is doing.

“So- train of thought here- go DNC- pressure DNC to pressure the idiot Dems- Senators and Reps- to go after Lieberman- it’s not just Obama he’s hurting, it’s down ticket races.”

The problem is this solution is a couple of steps removed. It’s about getting people to get other people to do something.

What can WE do? Not what should Obama do, or what should Harry do, or what should the media do or what should Howard Dean do. What should WE do?

If I were Jane I’d be pretty disappointed in this thread – we’ve got zip. (Well there were some notions of doing some movies which might be fun.) But I just keep thinking that a creative approach is out there. I keep focusing on trying to come up with something that would be done out of CT. There’s gotta be FDL readers that live in CT, right? That’s where the ultimate action would need to spring from, but it could be lead/encouraged, and funded via the blogosphere.

C’mon gang! We can’t take anymore joe lying down!

Yep- I agree with you- we’ve got basically zip, so far. But Lieberman is a hard nut to crack. If there were some viable CT approach, that would be great. But, Lieberman can’t be recalled, and I think he’s impervious to what his “constituency” in CT thinks.

I followed Jane’s coverage of the Lamont Senate race from the get go, and even tho I’m from out of state, I worked for a short time in CT for the Lamont campaign. I abhor Lieberman.

But, I’m flailing for ideas. And, still searching my brain for other ideas. Lieberman is beyond shame, and as I said, a hard nut to crack. It’s gonna take longer than a day to come up with a viable plan.

p.s. I really do abhor Lieberman- I together with an FDL friend made this YouTube a while back- still worth watching, imho.

Lieberman McCain insult JFK legacy

Well, since Obama ordered supporters/donors to defund all his “surrogates” that makes it a bit hard for them to act on his behalf. So, really all he has left to work for him outside of his campaign is the DNC, and I doubt they’ll go after Lieberman in any real way. And then there’s us. Kobe is our boss and won’t let us take orders from a candidate so we’re free to do stuff others can’t. ;)

There’s precedent for President and VP coming from different parties: Lincoln/Johnson.

I think poetic justice would be: McCain chooses someone other than Lieberman as VP and wins, Lieberman loses his next election, and McCain comforts him: “Don’t worry, old buddy, I’m going to appoint you Ambassador to Czechoslovakia!”

(or: “… put you in charge of peacekeepers on the Iraq-Pakistan border.”)