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As the members of the Senate contemplate whether or not to retain Lieberman, they should remember he made an ad for Republican Susan Collins and raised money for her in her race against Democratic House member Tom Allen.
Lieberman and Collins were extremely chummy:
Lieberman was raising money for Collins as early as July 2007. He also campaigned for Norm Coleman in his race against Al Franken.
Here’s Lieberman on Glen Beck’s show, saying he "fears" that "America will not survive" if the Democrats get 60 seats in the Senate (per Think Progress):
Greg Sargent confirms today that Reid will call for a full vote of the caucus at their meeting next week.
Chris Bowers has a potential Lieberman whip count, and believes the vote now favors stripping Lieberman of his Homeland Security gavel. I think it’s optimistic — he counts Boxer as someone who would vote for expulsion. While Boxer towed the line in 2006 and ultimately supported Lamont as the Democratic nominee, she’s a good friend of Joe’s who campaigned for him during the primary — with semi-disastrous results.
I don’t see Boxer throwing Short Ride under the bus.
Of course, you can always call and ask her.
Update: The Washington Post is reporting that a compromise might be in the works.
No one is considering expelling Lieberman from the caucus. That’s a straw man set up by Lieberman’s people to try and muddy the waters. But if the issue is "compromise" as I’ve highlighted in the quote above, then that means Lieberman has to give something in return. A "compromise" isn’t "give Lieberman everything he wants".
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Ironic if Joe would become the 60th Democrat, thus threatening the survival of the U.S.
We’ve got Lieberweasel in the senate for four more years in any event–the question is whether he sits there as a gooper or a dem- might not make much difference. My guess is that the senators will extract a pound of flesh and Lieberweasel will agree to it- but he’ll keep his chairmanship.
In 2006, Cokie Roberts said that a Lamont vctory in the Democratic
primary would destroy the party. What she should have said is that it would destroy
Liberman’s mind. A more pathologically narcisstic SOS would be hard to find.
The Dems and Obama can keep Joe. However Joe will betray them as soon as he thinks its safe.
Then the DLC will have to listen to us say I told you so again!
I love it. You go girl!
As far as I’m concerned, LIEberman spoke out against President Obama in a nasty way, so therefore, he cannot be trusted to make rational decisions as the Chair of any committee now. Besides, he’s an “Independent” now and not a Democrat. His choice. His loss.
Digg it!
Ouch. Shylock was a Jew, and he is not a sympathetic character.
Metaphor aside, what does Lieberman have to give his fellow Senators? He has 0 influence. So is it money?
Is Cookie right about anything? Just how do you get a job as a very serious person just repeat what you are told? Everything is bad for Democrats and good for Republicans?
The media exists to shape American Public opinion to whatever our corporate masters want reporting the news is just a cover story for the Plebes who think their votes matter?
Joementum is whining on MSNBC right now
The solution for joe is to remove everything israel from the table. He knows nothing else. I think he is done.
With an impending senate victory for Al Franken and Mark Begich, I implore Sen. Lieberman to defect to the Republican Party for the sake of the republic.
-G
Hey Jane!
I like the “compromise” that the WaPo0 had. I can’t think of a more fitting committee for Short Ride to chair than the “Small Business Committee.”
Just the name alone makes it so appropriate on so many levels.
After Lieberman, can we deal with Cokie? She has the honor of being responsible for maintaing one of the top old chestnuts that went down in flames. According to Slate or Salon–whichever is keeping the list–she said The youth will never vote. By November they will be tired.
I am tired of Cokie.
why can’t we just get the hell rid of him?
let the thugs have him
why?????
wahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
because the thugs don’t want him either. he is trouble.
How low can Joe go? The lowest low is not too low for Joe to go!
When Obama was running for president he said it wasn’t about him it was about all of us. Those dem senators that would let him off are slapping all of us in the face.
I want Cokie as a very serious person to ask Joe about Saudi Arabia getting Nuclear Reactor Technology from Bush you know the guys who gave us and fund al Quieda.
Everytime Joe screws us he says National Security and Israel giving the Saudis nukes is not in America’s best interest or Israel’s.
http://oxdown.firedoglake.com/diary/1302#comments
I don’t think the Democrats realize that we like Barack Obama and NOT THEM. Wait until they and the republics decide to play games with the American people. We won’t be able to get through to Barack to voice our disgust, but we can get through to assholes in the House & Senate. And we will. Pelosi, Boner, Reid, and McConnell are in for a surprise.
I’ve got this nagging feeling that Short Ride will retain his chairmanship, remain with the caucus and vote with the Rethugs. With few exceptions Dem Senators are a spineless bunch of rich men who aren’t going to rock any boats.
Lieberweasel usually votes with the dems and always has- but when he DOESN’T- it’s a beaut!
We’re all in favor of ‘aborting’ Joe LIEberman from his Committee and the Democratic Caucus, so why don’t we set up a campaign, such as the one awhile back against Sarah Palin, where we all make a donation to Planned Parenthood c/o Joe LIEberman and then ole Joe will get the ‘thank you’ from Planned Parenthood? Or maybe the American Heart Association or a jock itch foundation? LOL Hey, anything to make it known to Joe that we’re pissed.
McConnell SAID he’d welcome him.
so let him go!
hell,
we GOT the White House and majorities in both houses of congress.
just cut him loose,
he should be EXPELLED and IN SHAME!
Who will Joe campaign for next election? If the Dems think about that question they will realize that Joe will campaign against them next election if the GOP runs a sufficiently crazy wingnut against them.
Who knows the future if Obama fails to fix the economy then the next election won’t be pretty. Do the Dems want to risk Joe as a Dem appealing to moderate voters against them next election?
Fixed it for you.
For this Californian, that piece of video showing Boxer getting bushwhacked in CT was horrifying and satisfying. She will not soon forget it.
I doubt it. They would regret it.
Yeah! who needs Joe? A veto proof majority that relies on Joe is no majority, on the important stuff he will bolt.
Heck we have a better chance of convincing moderate GOPers and GOPers worried about reelection to vote with us than we do of getting Joe he has no reelection worries, he does not care what his voters think.
Here’s Boxer’s email addy.
If Lieberman were any good at Homeland Security, the name would be changed by now.
boxer is a pragmatist. She knows.
If Obama wants to pass big things like he said he did Joe will vote against us. Joe is money for war and big business not the little people.
Was Joe LIEberman fine when the US House, the US Senate, and the White House was controlled by the republicans? I’m sure he was! Asshole.
The country is a mess and the White House won’t controlled by Machiavellian whack-jobs. I don’t think it will be that hard to find some Patriots among the Republican caucus. I think they are bubbling over to do some good. And it may be the only shot the moderates have to keep the party out of the PalinStruppen’s™ hands.
Why doesn’t Liarman go be the good republic he is. He campaigned for republics all season long. He is NOT a dem. He should NOT be allowed to caucus with the dems. Toss the lying bastard out on his ass.
Not really. Only war to help isreal. He has no other agenda.
…except keeping Joe Lieberman in power
Of course. That is the first job of a politician. Well said.
Any names?
Exactly their votes will be easier to get than Joe’s
Wish it were that easy.
If Lieberman gets to stay AND keep HSC chair, you’ll know the deck is stacked, and you will know exactly for whom it is stacked.
And it won’t be for us.
You think he won’t try and run next time?
i’m pretty sure he’d loose, but doncha think he’ll even TRY?
I don’t see him exiting gracefully, not after that tantrum when he lost, when we threw him out of the party LAST time.
i was so disgusted with that tantrum!
My contempt for Joe Lieberman knows no bounds.
won’t happen.
Who is afraid of running for reelection running against Obama? Ironically the more Obama does to help the economy the stronger he gets the more cooperation he should get from the GOP.
Being bipartisan however weakens us compromise with Bush’s ideas will kill us on the economy.
what won’t happen?
He will try to run until he has no $$$. Where do you think that comes from? No. He will be rejected by the good people of his state who have finally had enough. They have to figure this out. Not us.
You are right I was being hopeful Joe does not care about loosing. Heck as a third party candidate Joe will be pleased to split the vote and get a GOPer in his seat.
We need to get him out before that if we can.
But why isn’t it? Why are they trying to keep him? What the hell do you have to do to piss off the Senate Leadership? Liarman is hated.
Naw Bush and McCain will fund raise for Joe, Joe has credit with them.
he won’t keep his chair. he may stay in the caucus bc it is good for dems for that to happen.
Edit: “While Boxer
towedtoed the line in 2006″Say something rude to the GOP or Lefty in public.
I’m still looking for names, so I can track whether what you suggest is happening. I can wait for votes, but it would be better if I could have a list in advance.
And, it is by no means certain that the Obama prez will be successful, considering the bag-o-shit he’s inherited. So I suspect many Rs will wait & seen/
I think he has many good friends in the senate- on both sides of the aisle–not that this should be a defining factor.
How about donations to Red Crescent in Short Ride’s name.
You’re right eCAHN, I was focused on not saying rich white men and forgot about the women. Duh.
because it is DC.
No. There is no good argument to keep a traitor around. Unless he has the goods on you, then get rid of his sorry ass, NOW.
Short Ride’s name………….bah hahahahahahahaha!
that doesn’t hurt. No one there can be seen to be anti semetic. That would be death.
Liarman said alot of nasty crap about Obama in public. I thought Harry was all set to boot him.
Sorry, that logic doesn’t does not hold in DC. It’s reality.
I agree Bush might have sent us on a death spiral to second class nation status that nobody can stop.
As far as candidates to watch for I don’t know insider Washington calculations are a little beyond me.
I have no head for gossip. Some GOPers who we might think might cooperate because of election considerations might not because they really believe.
I’ve got this nagging feeling that Short Ride will retain his chairmanship, remain with the caucus and vote with the Rethugs.
Here’s a question:
If JoeLie keep his chairmanship and then continues to act and perform as we would expect (i.e. unacceptably), can he be stripped of his chairmanship immediately? (like, say, in April?)
iow, if he’s allowed to keep any chairmanships, is he stuck in there for a fixed term, and if so, what is that term?
I thought the same thing I just hope that Obama just does not want his finger prints on it so he can keep his nice guy image.
Fair enough. We’ll wait to see how the votes go.
I pressed you because the Rs were such Stepford Wives to W. Thought you might know some chinks in that facade.
OT:
Here’s my fundamental Q. Seeing the broughaha over Lieberman, over Palin, I’m wondering if we’re still in the reality creation world instead of the reality based world. Returning to the latter was my minimal hope for the election, but, alas, it doesn’t seem to be happening.
That is so sad. Dennis thankfully never pimped his sister in the service the way some candidates did.
Well Tweety seems to have had a change of heart.
Sorry, but you’re going to have to do better than cryptic double-speak.
We know he’s a traitor to his party, yet the consideration is there to keep him. I know reality, spunky, and it’s not all about his one little vote–because you can’t always count on it.
Rest in peace, Beth Ann Kucinich.
I had no idea that Congressman Kucinich had a sister who was a veteran & also terminally ill. My heart goes out to him & her family.
Tweety is a weather vane, changes with the wind. He started out with a serious hard on for Sarah, but after he found out she didn’t know Africa was a continent, he went limp.
But then, if the Ds could capture some votes from equally dumb ass congresscritters, why not. The Rs, however, seemed much more doctrinaire than Tweety ever did.
Obama has to stress the facade first by being a success then we will see the cracks.
My Dad the Engineer could tell when metal should crack with math under stress but unless Hari Seldon’s Psychohistory becomes practical I can’t say for sure. Honestly I don’t know enough to guess.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychohistory_(fictional)
No. He’d be chairman until the next session of Congress in 2011. Unless we could arrange for him to be caught with an underaged boy or something.
Are we no longer talking about LIEberman here?
wish I could spain it all to ya. best i can do is let you watch and then say i was wrong if you want.
You are right we don’t need Joe in Dem planning sessions telling the GOP our plans.
That’s my major concern with Short Ride. What’s to prevent him from keeping the Rethugs informed of Dem caucus plans. I just plain don’t trust the motherfucker.
Good analogy.
People go off topic here sometimes keep talking I like what you have to say.
Here’s a sample of a letter I’d like to see written to Senator Boxer:
I urge you to oppose Senator Lieberman maintaining his Chairmanship and against keeping him in the party. He has betrayed Democrats too many times to be forgiven and if you let him stay in the party, he will use what you give him to the advantage of the Republicans. President Elect Obama has to say nice things like “let him stay”, because of the campaign he ran, but you and I don’t. We should remember that in 2006, Lieberman’s selfish campaign wound up giving Republican Chris Shays, another term. We should not forget Lieberman’s brown nosing for Bush’s policies (i.e. Domestic Spying and the repugnant Iraq War). In this last election, not only did he support John McCain and Senator Susan Collins, he openly opposed the idea of Democrats having a Filibuster proof majority. Progressives like me who worked to elect Ned Lamont will never forget your support of “Short Ride” Lieberman. Aside from Lieberman, I’ve been behind you all the way and hate to put it this way—but my resentment of Benedict Lieberman is beyond words or forgiveness. I’m aware that Gov Arnold is going to run for your seat and opposing Lieberman would go along way to getting you help, in your upcoming re-election fight. Progressives like me can donate and work for you in 2010, or we can focus on other Democrats instead. Please do not under-estimate the resentment we feel towards this traitor.
There’s nothing you got that you can explain…it’s already obvious.
I thought it was OK to go OT after 50 comments. And, in this particular thread, most of the comments are related to the tree diagram of all the possibilities of what might happen if he stays D or not.
Neither do I and I’ve read the
a few times I understand about having to do deals with a devil because its necessary.
I don’t see Joe as necessary because he is so untrustworthy.
Campaigning for John McCain and insulting Obama was his Rubicon.
ehhh, y’know, I like a conversation that doesn’t go all over the place, interesting as it might be. Heck, if I want that, I can kick off a conversation with mr. otheu later ;)
Oh, amen. There’s “keeping your friends close and your enemies closer” and then there’s “stupid”.
There are no smart reasons to keep LIEberman around. Not if he can’t be trusted, and he has proven that in spades, time and time again.
Its ok I’m as guilty as anyone of going off topic, but I just want people who are strictly on topic to feel they can keep talking and know that we are listening.
Threads can have several conversations at the same time going on it does take some getting used to.
For those who haven’t read The Prince I highly recommend it. Been a while since I’ve read it but I still have my 40yo copy.
Yessiree. Like living in parallel universes. Or parallel play for 3 year olds. *g*
New post upstairs—–>
Agreed Stalin was a useful ally in WW2 because we knew that with Germany invading Russia we had a common interest we could all agree on.
With Joe there is no common interest that and he had our trust he was a Dem he has betrayed us.
It shows weakness/stupidity to keep him.
Read Sun Tzu or Han Fei Tzu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Feizi
A top priority of the Obama Administration should be making it a felony to use any images from September 11th in any advertising whatsoever, including political candidates’ campaigns. It is an affront to the dead, it shocks the conscience of the living, and it defames our nation’s progress to move beyond that day. We should never forget September 11, 2001, but we should also never be reminded of it by politicians who, despite whatever office they held then, are unashamed to again seek the public trust.
9/11 was a failure of American leadership to protect the American public from harm by our enemies. No one seeking to lead in America should prosper by its imagery.
Might run into a First Amendment problem.
Those are in my library as well. Next to Herodotus, Thucydides and others. After almost 4 years in the Delta I wanted to understand why we did that kind of shit.
Shrub, Barnacle and Rummy didn’t have any problems forbidding photos of returning caskets.
whoa! thanks for the info, but *that’s* a deal-breaker, huh?
if there’s no way to put JoeLie a ShortLeash, Joe’s gotta go.
As someone who has casted a ballot for Sen. Leiberman, I say, so long, and farewell. C YA.
errr
lieberman is no a republican calling himself a democrat
to republicans, the only compromise is “your write what I want, I sign it, you get to say you got your deal which is really my deal”
that’s compromise to these fools
my fax:
Outstanding.
I’m stuck with Martinez and Nelson (Bill). Writing to them is like whistling past the graveyard.
oops: The Joe Lieberman problem persists.
We need a classics book club here:)
My pride and joy is a 4 volume, leather bound copy of The Count of Monte Cristo published in 1894 by Little, Brown and Co in most excellent condition.
Nothing at all is to be gained by the Democratic party not expelling Lieberman from the Senate. The heck with his chairmanship and the caucus membership. Out Now!
if they would strip him of his chairmanship in April for misbehavior, then why isn’t he being stripped of his chairmanship NOW?
dear friend,
Joe’s perfidy has nothing to do with his religion. He touts his religious piety, but that has nothing to do with the bad things he does.
He is a self-interested and greedy man who has decided that his hold on his seat (and his hopes to be VP) are the most important things.
There are greedy and self-interested people of all faiths. Shakespeare was prejudiced against Jews, as were many of his compatriots. I hope that we do not follow Shakespeare’s bad example in denouncing someone for their religious affiliations, rather than for their terrible political positions.
This is one of those times when events are seemingly inexplicable on the face of it.
Let me postulate that Lieberman is the front man, water-carrier for AIPAC. He heads committees that are important to their agenda. Lieberman tows the line for war in Iraq, bombing Iran and inexplicable attacks on Venezuela’s democratically elected (3 times) leader. Lieberman is their man.
We all know the power AIPAC wields in Congress. Isn’t it beyond belief that Lieberman could have done all he has done to help Republicans while attacking Obama’s patriotism, and yet, the leaders in the Democratic Party are almost mute.
This is a case for Ockham’s razor.
The bottom line is, does the Senate need an effective chair of Homeland Security, and does the caucus trust Lieberman to be a Democrat and not a Republican?
If Lieberman is not an effective chairman, and the committee needs an effective chair, he has to go. If Lieberman cannot be trusted to be a Democrat, maybe not a Liberal Democrat, but at least a Democrat, then he has to go. We know his position regarding Israel, we have to be realistic there, but there is a bottom line, and it isn’t giving Joe whatever he wants. He isn’t the 50th Democrat or the 60th Democrat.