ok

if Liarman,is allowed to stay,we simply know that change is NOT comming,its BIZ as USUAL …period

Good Morning Christy.

Jim Shea of the Hartford Courant smacks the snot out of Joe Lieberman for his rampant avarice, self-serving grandiose delusions and disloyal craptastic snip-i-tude.

Oh what a delightful way to start the week. I might just frame that first statement and put it on my inspiration wall. *g*

You can kinda tell I’m not a big fan of Lieberman with that one, can’t you? *G*

after listening to democracy now! this morning, i’m A LOT more worried about who obama is getting advice from.

btw, repeat of democracy now! (it’s live 8am-9am) is just starting now on wbai (audio streaming webpage). also great interview with naomi klein.

Morning Krsito & pups. Here’s something I don’t understand. Commitee appontments are amde by the Steering & Outreach Committee? I thought the Majority Leader did that. Guess not, huh? So far we have Durbin, Reid and Leheay probably on our side from what they’r said publicly, right? Wouldn’t it be funy… well, interesting, if the S&O Cmtee let Joe keep the committee chair and then the full caucus kicked him out so he’d have to give it up? I know, not gonna happen. Just saying.

Good Morning Christy and Firedogs,

have called them all and sent follow up faxes

am assuming by now everyone saw Senator Dorgan come out against his keeping his chair

let them know we’ll be paying attention to their votes.

i thought the vote was to be secret – will we be able to know how each senator voted? that would sooo great!

Kristi, not Kristo. Lotsa other typos. sorry. The letters are faded on my i and e keys and they’re right next to each other. being a hunt-and-pecker i get ‘em mixed up.

Good Morning,
I’ve been out of the loop for a coupla days. I was hoping you guys would fix everything while I was gone.
Ha.

shit. wrong. i got drogan and durbon mixed up. strike durbin.

I still have not had the question answered (no matter where I’ve asked it) why this self-absorbed turncoat pipsqueak has enough clout at this point to ride it out. I think Rachel Maddow had it right the other night when she said that Lieberman won’t support the Democrats when the important stuff comes to the floor of the Senate including Supreme Court nominations. If the Senate can get to 59 Dems + Lieberman (which I doubt), then Senator Neocon will use that power to turn himself into a power broker – holding things up until he gets what he wants.

Better to cut this jerk loose and shave off a few rational Republicans.

How so? Which advisors was Amy concentrating on this morning? I’ve seen a mix of some good and some bad thus far in terms of who I suspect has his ear at the moment — so it depends on the particular area of expertise and who was the focus, I think, on how things look. You can pull out any number of folks who suck — or who are decent — depending on how you slant any particular report. But as I missed the broadcast this morning (it’s snowing here today, and getting The Peanut up and out for school while she was trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue was a little dicey *g*), it’s tough to know what you mean with a general statement on that. Can you give particulars?

lol durbin, not durbon. that i/o thing again. i’m gonna go lurk.

I may be crazy, but I’m not going to flame-out over liarman just yet.

I think Obama’s got an ace or 3 up his sleeve. I’m willing to be patient just a bit longer for our chess player in chief to choose his move.

He does play chess, doesn’t he? Sure sounded like it during that great 60 Minutes interview last night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHe8N5hL0Wo

It is an unrecorded vote, I believe — but I intend to push to find out individual votes as much as we can because I think transparency on this is important.

morning christy and firedogs

as I referance on my diary, the senate is actually going to have a “secret” vote to decide joe’s fate

Is that what these “democrats” think is “transparency” in government?

I want them to OWN their vote

what?, now that THEY have the power instead of the republicans they think they can do whatever the frig they want?

they work for US and WE want them to account for their vote, NO skirts to hide under

and if lieberman get’s to keep the committee chair, will he vote with the dems then? how can anyone be sure? not like he was with us on alito. i say cut the fucker loose.

ya, according to the source I posted over at my diary, it is a “secret vote”

there is nothing for us to “watch”

they are already corrupting themselves, give them a little power and they do whatever they want

Here’s my two comments from the previous thread:

John Brennan, Obama’s trasition team in national security, is one of the CIA’s worst of the worst, it sounds like. Likes renditions, torture, warrantless wiretapping.

Jamie Missic (sp?), another member of Obama natsec transition team, was integral in phoneying up the Iraq war case.

my real concern is not that he votes with the democrats, it’s that he is going to impede any oversite of the previous administration, just as he has impeded oversite of katrina, he will not allow investigations

Those votes have always been closed door — which is why pushing on this at all has been such an important thing to do. And I hope we can push to ask individuals about their votes as well. They need to be held accountable — and to know that we intend to do so to the extent possible. This whole entitlement feel has got to end, for the good of all of us.

Brennan’s a big concern — digby had something on him yesterday, I think, that was helpful. But Brennan isn’t the only person in national security, he’s just the front face at the moment. None of the transition folks are set in stone at this point, from what I’m hearing, for any permanent spot.

Obama’s playing those cards very close to the vest at present…

So the 3 senators who have publicly said they want Joe to go could actually vote for him, for all we know.

Wish you guys could see the gorgeous snow outside here at the moment. Looks like a postcard outside at the moment. Nice to be inside in the warmth. Coffee, anyone?

It’s one of the big reasons we’ve been pushing SO hard on this. And will continue to do so. It’s appalling that they can even consider rewarding the finger-wagging gnome of smarmitude and think there is no accountability for doing so.

will do so as soon as the transcript is up. i just heard it wo taking notes and don’t want to get the names wrong. wanted to give the heads up that the program’s streaming audio was just starting. i was particularly referring to the issues of intelligence, torture and detention – have read some reports on this (and as per usual russ feingold, bless him, is apparently pushing back without even wo support).

he is Liarmouse…untrustworthy…he loves sticking pins Vodoo style in dems…imo

thanks!

Having someone like that on his transition team means Obama’s paying attention to what he’s saying. Otherwise, why have him on staff?

Howdie Demi. And a good morning to u-2 heh.

Oogh! Give us a break! Some of us are still hoarse from cheering for the Prez Elect coup on 60 Min.

Not sure if I can wait for Jan. 20, but we have to. It helps to see Mr. Prez Elect scurrying around like an energized bunny.

Those votes have always been closed door

oopsy!

my bad then

yes please,im about 250 miles from there,and it is cold and ugly out

i agree,me no likey,though he sez, he listens to everybody so synthesis?

have you heard of any good advisors (for intelligence, torture and detention) on the transition team?

I’ve not followed the transition team closely. Those are the first two people I’ve heard about.

well that’s 5 minutes I’m not gonna get back …

just watched re run of Stabenow appearance on friday’s Tweety.

she is Chair of Steering and Overreach Committee – Mr I Live For DC Gossip didn’t even ask her about it. jeebus, the one time I want him to go all kewl kidz . . .

but based on what I saw of her, she wouldn’t have said anything indicative anyway.

Brennan does have a lot of experienc and he did oppose waterboarding. But he’s also been a supporter on rendition, and I’m certain of his stance on Gitmo, among other things. But it could be that he’s a good manager, and that’s what is needed at the moment as opposed to policy formation — or it could be that Obama values his interpretive skills as he gets more comfortable with the PDBs (he’s started getting those as a part of the transition now and it can be overwhelming to decipher to start with when you start getting hit with 80 threat reports at once, etc.).

There are any number of reasons to have someone in a particular position for transition that might not suit for a cabinet or other leadership position in the administration itself. I think it stands to reason that folks who are there are folks whose opinions or experience is valuable for a particular reason, and who likely have an inside track in some form on particular issues — but it’s not a lock by any stretch. But I have been trying to wiggle info out where I can — it’s just very tough to get solid anything that isn’t rank speculation, because Obama isn’t talking about what he’s thinking in any real public way. Which is actually a good thing for him…just not really helpful for those of us trying to understand from the outside.

I can’t believe you guys are still blasting Lieberman! Are you blasting him for his backing of McCain or the War? Either way, keep in mind he still votes with the Democrats most of the time, and has been incredibly loyal EVEN after he got crapped on by the DNC during his re-election bit. Jeeze I find it kind of refreshing that a politician actually stuck to his guns and didn’t break when the political winds hit him, or the polls changed.

ooops — NOT certain of his Gitmo stance…my bad on the typo (clearly need more coffee…)

Here’s a NYT article on Brennan
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11…..ennan.html

I totally agree with you on that. You don’t have to lift a finger to convince me. He’s scum. Okay? Absolutely.

Even if he gets this token position, I’m not giving up on the situation. I’ve LONG since given up on expecting anything positive from liarman.

I suspect there may be ways he will be neutralized, or leaned on somethin’ powerful, vote or no vote.

Call me a crazy optimist. Obama will NOT allow that little slug to derail the nation’s bidness.

The “waiting and wondering” is killing me too.

NYT article I linked at 40 sez he’s being considered for director of CIA, or even DNI.

So the anonymous source says to the NYTims. But is the source someone close to Brennan? Someone trying to plant the rumor to stir problems for a particular reason? Folks at CIA trying to push for someone who would be close to their interests? Too many open-ended questions at this point on every little rumor that comes out with no one on record on anything because it’s speculation on everything at this point with no real solid evidence of anything that I’ve been able to substantiate. Truly. If I had anything solid on any of these positions, you guys would know in a heartbeat.

But I can’t get a peep out of anyone who would be in a position to really know — serious cone of silence because, frankly, I think there aren’t any solid decisions to report beyond everyone is on the table and only occasionally do we hear about someone being taken off altogether.

Here’s a link to an index of the NYT series on “The New Team.”
http://query.nytimes.com/searc…..e+new+team

There are 2 pages.

thanks. followed one of the embedded links and found a nyt profile list of people they think are being considered for administration positions. (scroll down, on the left)

Waiter, please take this Liebeschnitzel back. It’s gone bad.

-G

I gotta go surrender the toobz to my sweetie. We’re poor pathetic things these days since one of our ‘puters went belly-up. Must. Share. *groan*

Carry on good pups. I can’t wait to get back here to your analyzin’ routine.
over & out for now….

i owe you another drink.

707!

There will be a subterranean campaign of leaks to make Obama’s every move difficult.

Unlike under Bush, insiders won’t blanch at trying to ratfuck the new president.

-G

Did you miss the part where Lieberman was sucking up to McCain because he came within a hair’s breadth of being the Veep selection for McCain and mused aloud about whether Obama could be either a Marxist or a Muslim? You don’t reward that sort of asinine behavior with a leadership role. You simply do not.

And if you cannot see that, then you are being willfully obtuse about it. Because you can be damned sure that the GOP wouldn’t reward it on their side of the aisle, either. There is such a thing as being a willful dupe — and I’m not allowing Dems to be one without making damn sure they understand that a chairmanship for Lieberman is a stupid maneuver in my opinion. But you don’t really care about the reasons, now do you?

Hi. We were in awakened Friday night by yet another fire. That’s two in one month. Our community is devastated. We had no power or cable all weekend. And, there are over 500 families who are now homeless.

He doesn’t yet have anyone in place to do the Rove retribution for ratfuckery role. But I have a feeling that’s part of why Rahm’s been brought on board. He does smackdown asshole quite well.

OMG, demi — it has been the worst year for you all. Hugs.

also glenn greenwald had a long piece on brennan yesterday.

(((demi)))

relieved to hear from you . worried about (((you and yours))) all week end.

Good heavens — the birdies have completely cleared out my feeder already. Just filled it up yesterday. Cold weather has officially started…

This, from your Greenwald link, explains a lot:

And in July, 2008, NPR attributed Obama’s reversal on FISA and telecom immunity to the fact that he was relying on the advice of Brennan, an emphatic supporter of those policies:

It’s hard to imagine that it’s snowing at your house when we’re still having the Santa Ana winds and 90 degree heat.
A good friend lost his home. Lost everything. Puts a perspective on our only losing sleep, power and having to clean everything. Again.
There’s nothing left to burn, so I guess we don’t have to worry about any more fires.
An economic update. I had a job interview last Friday for a little part-time job and the gal told me they had over 300 applicants reply. Not very encouraging.

Thanks Selise and cbl2
We’re safe, again. Just a little crabby.

btw, if anyone hears from any of the folks on the committee on what their vote is likely to be, do let us know in this thread, please. Thanks!

It’s wise to pay attention. For example, we now know why Obama reversed himself on FISA. See my 60. Clearly Brennan has already had a lot of influence regardless of whether he gets a high ranking job in the administration.

On Google, the only reference I could find that this Missic person mentioned by eCahn, was a Pam Geller rant listing him or her as opposing the appointment of John Bolton as U.N. Ambassador.

So far, I will take Obama at his word, that he intends to close GITMO and end any vestige of torture. He said it again in his interview on 60 minutes. He says he wants to consider all types of views before arriving at conclusions, which is certainly a change from the last eight years. He seems to have the strength of character to consider views from all sides and make an informed judgement of his own. Do you suspect him of being naive, blatently lying, or what?

looked up mel goodman’s article (mentioned in his interview with amy goodman this morning).

Change in intelligence?
Signals that Obama will reform the bankrupt culture undermined by his embrace of Tenet cronies

President-elect Barack Obama is sending conflicting signals on whether he intends to change the bankrupt culture of Washington’s intelligence community and to introduce genuine reform to the Central Intelligence Agency.

He appears to be ready to remove the top two intelligence officials, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and CIA Director Michael V. Hayden – both retired general officers – which suggests Mr. Obama recognizes the need to change the military culture of the intelligence community. But he also has placed the intelligence transition process in the hands of two senior cronies of former CIA Director George J. Tenet: John O. Brennan and Jami A. Miscik, who were actively engaged in implementing and defending the CIA’s corrupt activities during the Bush preside

If Pam Geller hates him, then I’m popping that in the plus column just as a single note. *g*

He does smackdown asshole quite well.

Rahm da Bahmb

Yes, he’s never been accused of showing up for a gunfight with a knife, that’s for sure.

But Obama has also said he needs a new national intelligence court. That’s code for continuing preventive detention. He’ll just move them to Bagram.

absent contradictory information, my default position is with I.F. Stone: All Governments Lie

given our experience re fisa, we already have some reason, imo, to think i.f. stone’s statement is operative here too. but regardless, i give actions much more weight than words.

It is irrelevant what Lieberman stated at this point, what he did was simply politics and the election is over. It would be highly idiotic for the Dems to alienate him at this point, even Obama came out and said that:

http://www.google.com/hostedne…..QD94F0A5O0

One thing to consider is the Dems probably will not hold onto all their seats in 2010, and Lieberman still holds a lot of sway in his state. Just because they don’t need him know, doesn’t mean they are not going to need him in the future. Chances are the Repubs will get back 2-3 of their seats in the next election cycle, maybe more if the economy is still the topic of conversation. That would be wise to consider moving forward.

you go ahead and be crabby. we’ll understand. just happy to know you are safe.

i’m not likin this fella brennan right now.

One of the top 3 quotes of the day! Christie you have such a beautiful way of summing up.

Shea:
Unless the Democrats want to be played for saps yet again by Lieberman, they need to remove him from the Homeland Security committee.
If they want to give him another chairmanship, I don’t know, Chairman of the Senate Conscience Committee, fine.
There also need to be additional punitive damages, lots of them. Here are a few to get things started:

Must stay after in the Senate at night and write the following on a blackboard 1,000 times: “Barack Obama was not in favor of cutting off funding for our troops on the battlefield.”

Must relinquish Sunday morning Fox News anchor chair.

Must wear a scarlet “A” around his neck when on Senate floor.

Must promise to never kiss President Bush again (at least in public).

Must mow Ned Lamont’s lawn every summer.

I must say the Hartford Courant is always a little soft. I would want Lieberman to testify as to where all that petty cash went the day before the 2006 primary. I would want to know who he’s giving money to and why (Harry Reid?) I want to know the street price ca 2006 of a Lieberman vote as well. I would want all the crud that is the dept of homeland security investigated (the waste, child abuse, abuse, the fraud) and I want to know Liebrman’s role in it, or at least how he stood by and watched. I would also like to know how active he was in targeting freshman congresscritters, including Chris Murphy and Joe Courtney, with that disgusting disinfomercial on the “patriot act.” I want Lieberman to explain why he said Chris Shays is a “national treasure” while the dem challenger was (?!?)
& rant on/off.

omg what a nightmare! stay safe. you’re in our thoughts.

BTW, I watchiing PBS’s Torturing Democracy, the documentary that the powers-that-be (Jello Jay among them iirc) won’t let PBS show. The complete thing is available online here
http://torturingdemocracy.org/
So far I haven’t learned anything new, but it’s a decent summary (ominous music aside) for those who are not familiar with the story.

And they’ll be able to depend on him, how, exactly? They don’t need him any more than they needed him in the past and had him fail to stand on their end of things. And to reward that sort of shit behavior with a chairmanship is ludicrous and illogical. Even if Lieberman were to defect to GOP — which is doubtful given that would place him in the minority, which he’d hate even more (see, e.g., ginormous ego), why in the hell would anyone want to put him in a position of directing hearings and subpoena power given that he’s done jack shit for the last few years on Homeland Security when oversight was desperately needed — only to hand him a cudgel to continue to beat off his own agenda and muddle any attempts at reforms that Obama and crew might attempt?

Again, no thank you.

I e-mailed and phoned Tommy Harkin. As usual, Old Blunderbuss gave me a this and that finger in the wind answer. Except for promoting ethanol and wanting too much of my damn money for his war chest, it hard to know where the old slip and slider is at any given moment. Lewis Caroll’s Chesire Cat had nothing on Tommy.

Yep – and I for one think that there are days when ‘taking attendance’ here might not be a bad idea.

the title reminds me of the most excellent bill moyer’s report from a few years ago, “trading democracy” which was likewise buried (think it showed once here at 2am).

Oh loyal yes. The goopers supplied shock troops–which CT has never seen the like of in recent history— in the form of young rethuglicans bussed in from (NJ?) for Lieberman’s reelection bit.

Learned something. In many Arab countries, orange is the color worn by prisoners condemned to die.

Anyway every time I check the senate vote, Lieberman always votes rethug. What’s the point of pretending?

I don’t know what you are talking about. Little more info? Did Lieberman bus people in to the polling places?

I understand you do, but the statements we make do constitute action. No one made Obama choose to be a Democrat, since there are real employement opportunities for bright African-American Republicans. No one made him issue statements opposed to the invasion of Iraq when it wasn’t the most popular stance. Admittedly there are some actions I don’t care for, and some “associations” that might raise an eyebrow, but it seems to me there is enough counter evidence to suspend judgement until we know the facts, particularly when it involves matters that we really can’t effect at present. The problems he and this country face just seem overwhelming to me and we’ll be lucky if we pull out with anything like the democratic, prosperous society most of us would hope for. At this early stage, it just seems counter-productive to contribute to the opposition by fishing for details which allow us to conclude that he has bad intent and can’t succeed in what he says he wants to do.

I would agree, I don’t think he is going over to the Republicans anytime soon. He (Lieberman) is a social liberal with somewhat fiscally conservative ideas, somehow I think that will be important to an Obama administration who will definitely be putting forth a very liberal social agenda and probably will not have the support of some democrats who were elected in historic Republican held districts. He will need Lieberman.

I have heard a couple people hammer him on his lack over oversight on Homeland security (not picking on you Christy). Why are not many people here hammering the Banking committee on their lack of oversight of Freddie mac/Fannie? They are the one’s who hold the majority of the blame for the mess the economy is in. Why haven’t we strung Dodd and Frank up the flag pole…they are getting a free ride here????

I don’t mean to sound unkind, but it seems you are out of the loop. I am from CT and supported Lamont during the 2006 primary and general election. Lieberman ran the dirtiest, most dishonest relection campaign, missing money, sick fliers in church parking lots, outright campaign lies ” noone wants to end the war more than me”, rethug fundraisers, etc.. His “volunteers” were paid young republicans (from out of state mostly) that harrassed the Lamont campaign, stealing signs (they got caught in Greenwich by the police), forming rabid foaming rings around Lamont and campaign workers and volunteers at events, cafes, senior citizens homes. and G* knows what else. Search this blog, search anywhere for copious evidence.

He (Lieberman) is a social liberal with somewhat fiscally conservative ideas,

Yes he voted for Alito, Clarence Thomas. He opposed any legislative measure to make sure Catholic hospitals gave rape victims standard treatment, and the list goes on. Liberal he is not.

You must have missed Ian’s articles on the lack of oversight and hammering all of the Democratic leadership for problems in that arena. He writes about the economy frequently — do avail yourself of some of them. Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae is only a small piece of the puzzle, as is the Phil Gramm deregulation bonanza that was enacted with complicity from both parties over the last few years.

It’s a mess, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that Lieberman has disqualified himself from the right to a chairmanship by his own actions and his own statements. I could go chapter and verse on what he didn’t cover — starting with the mess that was Katrina which he barely gave hearings to, and then only after he and Susan Collins were shoved into it by grassroots shaming — but I don’t have time at the moment.

We did substantial coverage on it for months. Do a google search and you’ll get some background on it.

Can you put me back in the loop, all the things you stated are new to me. Any press releases, or something besides a blog posting that would support this?

Jeebus, do a google search. We had on the spot reports about this from CT during the primary and the general election, and it was covered amply by CT media as well. Including on the spot video.

This isn’t something new — we’ve been covering these issues with Lieberman for YEARS now.

At this early stage, it just seems counter-productive to contribute to the opposition by fishing for details which allow us to conclude that he has bad intent and can’t succeed in what he says he wants to do.

what opposition are you referring to?

not fishing – just reading the same news sources, and especially democracy now! (best daily news program, imo) that i have been.

i don’t think i’ve ever written anything other than, imo, obama’s success depends on citizen pressure to counter the other pressure he is no doubt getting. i’m with naomi klein that the best help we can give him is pressure from the left. so i don’t see it as counter-productive at all.

this is why in my opinion–is also why they will keep him right where he is on homeland security. i don’t think it’s about his vote at all, it’s about industry and ‘free’ corporate research.

http://www.fedspending.org/fpd…..ateCode=CT

BILLIONS in federal contracts
click on ‘expanded’ to see the entire list…and check out the ‘grants’ tab

connecticut’s defense contracts alone are the ‘bread’ to a lot of states’ ‘butter’.and he’s wired in.

Why are not many people here hammering the Banking committee on their lack of oversight of Freddie mac/Fannie? They are the one’s who hold the majority of the blame for the mess the economy is in. Why haven’t we strung Dodd and Frank up the flag pole…they are getting a free ride here????

i have been criticizing dodd, frank and the dems in genaeral from the comment wrt to the economic issues. but it’s not the lack of oversight of freddie and fannie that most concerns me (do you think that is the central issue?).

btw – there is an important House Finance committee hearing scheduled for tomorrow at 10am. i’ll post a diary on it at oxdown (as i have been doing for many of the finance committee and related hearings).

I don’t understand why you can’t google this stuff. CTBob and others took copious video footage. They caught a great deal of malarkey, not all of it.

ah, those were the days. *g*

Picture of a pro-Lieberman “supporter”/ lobbyist thug.

I was able to get this letter out to every Senator via http://www.congress.org:

Dear Senator Debbie Stabenow, Harry Reid, John Kerry, Daniel Inouye, Robert Byrd, Edward Kennedy, Joe Biden, Patrick Leahy, Chris Dodd, Tom Harkin, Max Baucus, Richard Durbin, Kent Conrad, Carl Levin, Herbert Kohl, Barbara Boxer, Hillary Clinton, Jeff Bingaman, Mark Pryor

Re: Do not give Lieberman the Homeland Security Chairmanship

Joe Lieberman should be allowed to caucus with Democrats if he chooses but
he should never be given an important leadership role such as Homeland
Security chair for these reasons,

- His active support of Republicans up and down the ticket – McCain,
Collins, and Coleman – over their Democratic rivals

- Broke his promise to Harry Reid to not campaign negatively against Obama

- Defamatory lies about Obama as a Marxist who “had the support of Hamas”

- Fomented war against Iran

- Was rejected by Democratic voters in CT in 2006, ran as an Independent,
and won with the help of Karl Rove

- As a party we need discipline, we cannot be subject to threats, tantrums
and blackmail – Lieberman threatens to leave the Democratic caucus if he
does not get the chairmanship of Homeland Security.

Joe Lieberman cannot be trusted with the Homeland Security chairmanship,
nor has he earned it. Do not give Joe that chairmanship. Homeland
Security is a 50.5 Billion dollar affair with insufficient oversight under
Joe Lieberman’s watch. Just examine his record on Katrina and no bid
Homeland Security contracts.

Do not give Lieberman the Homeland Security Chairmanship.

Dear Senator ___________,

I am writing to request that you do not support Joe Lieberman retaining Chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee. I can hardly think of a worse message the Democrats could send than to keep Senator Lieberman as Chairman after his actions against Democrats – it would smack of political calculation instead of merit-based reward. Lieberman has done nothing as Chairman except use his position to protect Bush Administration abuse and incompetence. In addition, Lieberman’s siding with republicans on everything for his own anti-American agenda is intolerable. Can there be no other more deserving, more qualified Democrat for that Chairmanship than Lieberman? Please use you vote to prevent what would be the travesty of rewarding Lieberman.

Sincerely,

Well it’s good they caught it, because I think things could have been much worse if bloggers weren’t standing by with the video cameras and what not. A lieberthug would think nothing of bumping around a petite young Lamont campaign worker at oh say . . . the Temptations concert in New Haven.

Ok, in your defense I found this:

http://firedoglake.com/2008/11…..lieberman/

About the closest thing I can find to a non-biased article in the blog spot was from the Politico, everything else appeared to be from left-leaning blogs like Huffington. Likewise, most of the rantings about Lieberman was out in the Blogosphere, nothing with concrete details.

This is another blog…guys this is like me going out and referencing redstate.com to support a theory of mine, its useless. At least put up a story from CNN/CNBC or something, if you can’t find anything more politically unbiased.

Thanks anyway for trying, it is appreciated.

I called and got through to five of the Senators’ offices. The line was
busy on some so I’ll call back. I got through on Reid, Biden, Clinton,
Boxer and Dodd.

That is totally disingenous. You could take the elements of the story and google them, then you would find it was reported I believe in the local papers as well. But I am not here to give you basic search tips. Go ask another librarian.

I have made my call to Sen. Bingaman’s office. They report “a few calls.”

In NM this election, the Pro Tem of the State Senate made one robo call on behalf of a Republican and has faced serious rebuke, will loose his Pro Tem position for it. Sen. Bingaman needs to give some of that same rebuke to Joe, who can vote his conscience on those things he has any conscience about. We can’t count on him in a pinch anyway, and why would he want to give up the little power he has by caucusing with the Republicans?

On the Supremes, he already has voted for the worst. What more is there?

Am working on another article, or I could give you a series of links. But just don’t have time at the moment. If you google firedoglake and lieberman, you’ll see how extensive the coverage has been — we’ve been on this beat — including with video and specifics — for years, literally.

You are walking into the middle of a very long conversation and asking for details from a couple of years back. The shorthand answer is that Lieberman went to Rove and asked for help once he lost the primary, and the Young Republicans were called in to backstop his campaign. No one has ever fully ascertained exactly what Lieberman had to promise in return — but you can bet Rove doesn’t extend his hand for free.

Beyond that, look at Lieberman failure to hold any hearings on the formaldahyde issue in FEMA trailers, for starters, until well after Waxman had done so in the House — and only after public pressure forced his hand on the hearings because neither he nor Susan COllins had any interest in holding Homeland Security and FEMA to account for their knowing actions on that. And that’s also just for starters. There is a LOT out there.

The fact that redstate is trying to prop Lieberman up? That should be a clue in an of itself where his usefulness lies, eh? Think about it…

It was reported repeatedly in the Hartford Courant, among other publications. A simple google on Colin McEnroe — one of the columnists who did extensive coverage on the race — would suffice.

Thanks Christy, I was adverse to mentioning any newspapers, simply because I am fed up with someone who “demands,” when that someone could easily do the ABC’s. The information literacy side of me is on a rant.

I think since all of us were so immersed in the details day in and day out because it was a race we followed so closely, it’s easy to assume that everyone was following this the same way. But they weren’t. Most folks just gloss over the day to day finger in the air behavior from Lieberman because the media glosses over it time and time again, giving him a pass because he says he’s good ole bi=partisan Joe. Except he isn’t. As McEnroe makes very clear int he article I link above — if you look at his actions, as opposed to his sorrowful, finger-wagging public PR performances, you see the smarmy toad for the backstabbing weasel he really is.

And to reward him with a chairmanship after all the crap he’s pulled the last few years? No f-ing way, if I can help it.

btw, if folks want to wish Gov. Dean a happy birthday today, you can help by recommending this diary at DKos…

Sure wish Obama will find a place for him in his cabinet or, at the very least, in his administration!

I’ve been hearing potential buzz for DHS, but nothing concrete on that as yet…

And by that, I mean Health and Human Services, not Homeland Security — sorry for confusion if there was any. Am doing twenty things at once here this morning…

That’s what I’m hoping for, but if not, at the very least, Surgeon General? I know they want someone to carry the healthcare thing forward. Perhaps Hillary. Maybe even Kennedy (he actually has owned this issue for a long, long time!)?

Actually, though, I can’t see anyone more qualified to do the healthcare program than a doctor! He has all the qualifications and creds.

you see the smarmy toad for the backstabbing weasel he really is.

Precisely so!

I’m certain Kennedy intends to work on that at the Senate level, but I’m not certain we can expect more from him than that given his health circumstances at the moment. Truly.

And I agree, but he might not. That might be the deciding factor. They can always revisit the subject if his health takes a turn for the worse. As for right now, did you see him on MSNBC a few minutes ago. He looked remarkably well!

We thought we were doing the right thing, didn’t we?

To those of us you who didn’t support Obama and wanted Clinton, as a woman I understood much of your disappointment. For me it wasn’t a gender issue, it was all about our foreign policy.

But for those of you who wanted her precisely because of her foreign policy, you are about to become the true winners of this election. Because from all sources -it looks like she’s our new Secretary of state.

When it comes to our Middle East policy in particular and our war policies in general, Clinton is a violent hard liner, in my oponion. To cross the aisle and join with the entire Republican coalition, and with Joe Lieberman and the other Democratic Jews in the Senate, to defeat Senator Feinsten and the majority of Democrats who simply wanted to place a moratorim on the use of those child maiming cluster bomblets- this ‘mother’ of mothers teamed up to defeat the bill.

Israel has crossed the line over and over and over. And most of us chose Obama over Hillary, in part, to finally put a check on their power.

Why in the fu** are small coalitions of Jews here and in Israel allowed to run our government??
We’ continue to pretend we don’t see Israel’s barbarity against every poor Arab who refuses to kow -tow to there one sided self centered demands. Withholding food and medical assistance?? Stealing their money??

Not one American would put up with that if Israel were our neighbors.

For Obama’s first foreign policy decision be the handing over of his foreign policy to a well known lobbyist/supporter for Israel, is a stunning blow to the future much of the world looked forward to, and that baggage brings major impediments to any quick progress.

Another subservient American government official bowing over to A*I*P*A*C -because everyone who doesn’t believe in cluster bombs must certainly be an anti-semite. Right??

Whoa there. Might want to wratchet back on the scary jews rhetoric just a tad, given that it isn’t remotely all jews — nor is it only jews (Dick Cheney? Hello?!?) in that neocon worldview cabal. Precise use of language and targeted ire, please, and we’ll all be happier for it.

Indeed. Joe Lieberman’s dishonesty is Joe Lieberman’s dishonesty. It has not much more to do with the fact that he is Jewish than it has to do with the fact that he is a snot nosed brat who loves having people waiting on him hand and foot and praising him just for being Joe Lieberman. Or also, his being Jewish is no more of a factor in his being a jerk than the fact that he has a nose on his face. Joe Lieberman is a jerk. It wouldn’t matter if he was Jewish or Mongolian. He is just an out an out jerk.

I made the call to my Senator, Senator Boxer, to oust Joe from his chairmanship.