Take The Pledge: “I Will Work To Defeat Joe Lieberman in 2012″
Reid, backed in solidarity by members of the Democratic Senate Caucus including Boxer, Schumer, Patty Murray and others just held a press conference:
We had a historic caucus in the old senate chamber. We had a very nice discussion. And it’s very clear that the vast majority of the Democratic caucus wants to keep Sen Lieberman as chairman of this comittee, member of the Armed Services committee and that was done, it’s all over with.
Joe Lieberman is a Democrat, he’s part of this caucus.
[]
We accepted the statement made by one of the more senior member of the senate that this is not a time for retribution, it’s a time for moving forward on the problems of this country.The great depresion may be in the history anals a worse time economically in the history of our country but we don’t know yet. We have all kinds of problems we need to move forward on. We need to be unified. We need to be unified as Democrats, we need to be unified as a Senate, and that’s what this meeting which we just completed is all about, moving forward and handling the problems of this country to the best of our ability. And that’s what we’re going to do.
Harry wouldn’t let Lieberman step forward and talk.
It’s high irony for Reid to talk about being "unified as Democrats." He just told the people who worked hard for Obama’s election, who still want to see some oversight on Katrina, to go Cheney themselves.
I’m not feeling too welcome at the moment.
How about you?
Update: Lieberman stepped up and spoke — he said there was a "resolution of reconciliation and not of retribution" in the caucus. He cites Obama’s support of him as critical.
Where is the promise that Evan Bayh and Amy Klobuchar said that he owed everyone? He thanks the "gang of four" — Dodd, Ken Salazar, Bill Nelson and Tom Carper — for saving him.
Update II: Lieberman says the resolution was an expression of disapproval for some of the things that he said, and "some of the things people said that I said about Obama that simply aren’t true." He won’t say what those things are, but also excuses himself on the basis of "heat of the campaign moment," and appreciates his colleagues’ support of his "independence of mind."
He says Reid asked him to relinquish his seat of the environment committee. He agreed, to "make room for freshmen Senators."
If you want to know how I’ll be spending my time, I’ll be working even harder on the Primary Recruitment Project.




219 Comments





Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About Firedoglake
Patty Freakin’ Murray!!
SNAP! Vicious letter to follow.
ZED or should I say SHIT!
Corrupt fuckwads.
And of course he is on camera now!
assholy joe
This doesn’t surprise me one bit. We already voted, now it’s time to STFU and let them do the corrupt shit they always do.
so-o-o, the gospel according to reid: there IS no proper time.
Bah Humbug! Sheeeheight.
Hey Conneticut, Joe is a Democrat after all.
omg. the eyes burn. turn. it. off.
ya missed a c. intentional?
I guess Democrats were still confused about failing to snatch defeat from the claws of victory, as they usually do, and this demeaning/self-defecating move is the only way they can cope with victory. Gosh I sure hope they do better at governing our Country than they have in governing their Party. I just won’t hold my breath.
This is why I have never been a Democrat – always unenrolled (that’s independent in MA).
joe lierman is gloating!!! not even gracious – the dems owe me!! WTF!!!! am i disgusted?? you might say that!!!
I’m feeling the republicans have control of the senate again, they just changed the name of their team from “r” to “d”
Funny how before the announcement was calling Lieberslime an independent senator, not they are calling him a Democrat.
Who pays for the rape kit this time?
Never mind, we all do.
i’m not ready to make nice. and will not be willing to overlook this now or in 2010.
this shit is deep!!!
It is now up to the voters of Connecticut to throw him out of office. That is our only legal recourse.
me either!
Sooo, ya wanna close ranks and slap every Democrat who wants Joe reprimanded in the face and tell us to shut up and go the fuck away, do ya?
Bad news for you , closing ranks and standing up for what is right is what that just got ya.
ATTACK!!
Dam Dam Why can’t these Democratic dish out justice as it should have been for Liarman’s traitorous behavior! He never did his job while he was head of Homeland committee! Please write letters to your Senators and let them know just how you feel after giving them the majority and they can’t even stand up for what is right!!
DiGG is now Open Pups! Link widget broken? http://digg.com/politics/It_s_…..berman_Won
Hey Busted!!
my bold
what was all that crap Carper spouted yesterday?
“They had a nice discussion.” What the hell!? No dressing down of LIEberman? Clearly we’re all way “far left” according to the media and the Dems, so we’re irrelevant…right?
These Dems don’t seem to realize how this looks, not only to us on the “far left”, but to other members of the party. He actively campaigned for Norm Coleman against Al Franken, not mention for Susan Collins in Maine against her Democratic Party challenger, and for McCain/Palin against Obama/Biden. So, can caucus members now pick and choose which party and candidates they want to endorse in future elections with zero retribution?
From The Hill:
Not happy right now.
What a bunch of crooks and cowards. The Democrats are totally and absolutely worthless. Does anyone here seriously think that this group of fools are going to solve the current financial meltdown, the housing crisis, healthcare, peak energy, or global warming?
I am sure there will be those who will say that this was somehow not Obama’s decision but I would say to these that this is the same guy who made Rahm Emanuel his Chief of Staff. This is the same guy who told the Democratic Caucus in the Senate that Lieberman should keep his Chairmanship. Obama may not be as bad as Bush but gosh he sure is trying to be. We have 4 more years of this to look forward to. Get used to it, folks.
I’m as pissed off about this as I am disgusted every time that fucknut Lieberman opens his stupid mouth.
To Joe Lieberman: You’re a fucking traitorous dog. You’d sell out your own mother just to feed your ego.
To Joe’s staff: Eat shit as well.
Never have posted her before but this news is sickening.
Election is over, dems no longer need the voters is how I see things.
Shitfuck
I look forward to Leiberman’s sanctimonous on-camera strutting about how Obama’s foreign policies weaken America’s image in the world and how Obama needs to proceed “cautiously”.
But the big losers in all of this are, once again, the people of New Orleans. Seems there will never be a call to account for Katrina.
Fuckshit
Wow! This won’t be the end. LIEberman now knows that he can do anything he wants to and the Wimpocrats won’t do a damn thing about it. I hope Obama remembers this day when LIEberman stabs him in the back again. Can the people of Connecticut start a recall effort? This is sooooo f***ed up! And when did LIEberman become a Wimpocrat again? This is sooooo f***ed up! The joy of November 4th is totally gone.
The accountability moment is over.
Here you go.
Let’s raise a billion US to end LIEberman and his skunk supporters NOW!
42-13????????????????? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don’t they feel dirty, standing so near him? I feel dirty just watching it.
other circumstances that would be funny. yup. we all do.
Prairie Sunshine, independent.
Much as I hate to export problems instead of dealing with them, offering Joe the Ambassadorship to Israel may be a good solution at this point.
Welcome, and don’t be a stranger, bonzo — feel free to toss your two cents in anytime!
It’s start a ‘Labor Party’ time..
And shouldn’t there be an apology or something?????????????
It is despiriting, yes. It’s fascinating, though, how caring about the Contitution is seen as an Extreme Left position by both the Democrats and the Republicans in Congress, and rampant subversion of it is not a problem that needs addressing. (It’s what lets them attack as liberals those actual conservatives who criticized Bush policies.)
Of course, that doesn’t stop my rabid authoritarian boss from being convinced Obama is actually a stealth member of the Weather Underground with possible ties to Islamist terrorism who hates capitalism and will work from the Oval Office to send the country back to the paleolithic. But then, he also seems unaware of the prominence of the Rapture folks in his party. Bit of a disconnect from reality there.
Hi Jane.
“…… and a big fuck you to DFH liberal bloggers.”
No, no, no. Fuck YOU assholes. I dunno when or why. Someday, maybe individually, maybe a few of you, will regret this. You just plain did the wring thing and that can’t ever be good.
have pitchfork. need torch.
(What, you turkeys in DC thought we’d be too busy celebrating to notice what you’re doing, or not doing?
We REMEMBER. We don’t forgive and forget.)
watching bailout hearings as my pressure rises…. can anyone here play this particular game?? how much more ugly will this get???
Idiots. The point of him losing his chairmanship isn’t “retribution”. The point is giving the chairmanship to a Democrat, who will then use the chairmanship to advance the Democratic agenda.
Thanks go to Barack Obama for allowing the weasel keep the gavel. As one clever blogger around here said, O’s slogan should have been the mendacity of nope.
exactly!!!!
Did anyone here honestly think there would be a different outcome? Yet you get all worked up over it. Harry Ried and the “leadership” will never listen to anything you have to say. Ever. Ever. Ever. The only solution is to vote him out of office. Or take a blood pressure pill.
It is time to start thinking about targeting Dems again for 2010. Never too early! Who’s vulnerable and who deserves a challange even if they are not vulnerable? Who are the good prospects? Don’t get angry, get even.
Liarman has won this round but something tells me his ass is grass come next election. If he thinks the Left is gonna to take this lying down, he better look out for the organizational tactics put to use to win an election……they are equally applicable to ensuring a hated entity *doesn’t* get reelected.
It was the Democratic Senators who voted but this was Obama’s doing.
And let’s be very clear about this. Obama is already making decisions and calling the shots. At the same time he was making efforts to save Lieberman, he was doing absolutely nothing to address the housing crisis, the financial meltdown, or economic recession. That’s right. He’s not President yet, except of course when he wants to be.
Bingo. That says it all.
We’ve always been at war with
EastasiaDFH’s.Elections mean nothing. Is it time to demonstrate?
here’s the thing that i think naomi klein has been saying again and again – that the way we protect ourself is to not to let ourselves stay shocked. our ability to pattern match matters because it helps us identify what is going on so we can act.
we’re pattern matching here. and i for one, find my hope in our ability to do that.
Dumb.
I wonder how it’ll take for liberman to caucus with R’s for impeachment.
Digg IT
Widget now working! But do Digg IT!
I hope Keith and Rachel are back tonight.
And for those keeping score, Hugh and Selise have been right all along.
Over at the Great Orange One, earlier today, someone posted a diary saying that they’ll refer all incoming requests for political donations to Lieberman’s office, since he’s such a good guy.
Our government sucks and Congress sucks. I’m really p*ssed right now!Nobody will get another cent out of me ever!!! All the work, time, and money some of us gave trying to make our government better and they just s**t on us by letting this POS traitor stay in their caucus after calling Obama every name in the book, supporting McThusaleh and Bible Spice, speaking at the f*ucking Republican convention, and even saying that it would be dangerous for the Wimpocrats to have a filibuster-proof majority! Are you f*cking kidding me???????
It would have been easy to remove him at this point. Now he is in a position to inflict a lot of damage and any future attempt to remove his chairmanship will be a lot messier.
i’m done with dems forever.
obama is playing with fire here. he’s going to wake up in his centrist bed one day with the right and the left hating him and no one but the senate dems on his side…
This is probably old, old ground, but can a private citizen sue an elected rep for failure to keep their oath of office?
so reid thinks he can trust joe liar huh? boy is he in for a rude awakening!! joe has got his chair and without apologizing for the shit he pulled this election season… now watch what he does…..
This is like 2006 all over again. The more the Dems win, the more weak a stance they assume (bent over). In 2006 Pelosi unilaterally took impeachment off the table, didn’t move (other than symbolically) to get us out of Iraq and/or seriously hold the Bush Administration accountable for anything. It’s been two years since the 2006 elections and not a single current or former high ranking Bush Administration official has met with a jail cell.
Now, a huge part of the joy in winning this election was to remove Lieberman from Homeland Security, yet today that’s now been stolen from us. Maybe we’re the people who never learn. These bastards can’t be trusted to ever throw us a bone…even one/Lieberman screaming out for punishment.
Re: My three cents worth on the previus thread. I hang my head in shame.
Looking on the brighter side, traitor joe is on a short leash. We don’t know what he had to promise to keep his chair, but he didn’t get it for nothing. His leverage is zip. As to Dodd backing him, I think it is mostly about Groton and keeping the submarine jobs there in the Thames valley. There are going to be massive cutbacks in defence spending, and CT will be a big loser.
I also think Obama probably threw a bone to AIPAC, but there isn’t much meat on it, and they won’t be getting any more.
I am particularly disappointed by Dodd’s participation in this clusterf*ck.
Joe Lieberman is NOT a Democrat, you idiots!
So can anyone explain why the blogosphere should have the backs of any of these cowardly bastards? Or why anyone should do anything at all for them? If they don’t believe the bullshit they’re selling, why should anyone else?
Reid wouldn’t be able to capitulate a well without lieberman.
Is it OK for me to start saying again that Ds are too dumb to live?
Have at it.
if he survives – Obama is a one-term executive… he’s showing that he feeds into the DLC philosophy… bye bye 2 terms for him!!
Absolutely. He is in line for being less popular than Shrub, of whom little was expected, after all. Voters are supposedly ‘fickle’, but if he does not do what he was elected to do and what he specifically said he would do, what are we supposed to do? What is our recourse when the ballot box fails us and our reps take their election as divine right to rule however they wish?
Wow. Do you really think LIEberman had to promise something to keep his chair? Really? We are talking about the Wimpocrats here. Most likely they had to promise him something for him to keep his chair. Motherf***ers!
What we need is a Second Political party.
As things stand the only chance that has of coming about is the total collapse of the enomy.
Hey — I feel better already.
YIKES!!!
I’ll give money if some of our people run. Right about now I’d like Markos to take Boxer’s place (unless he takes Feinstein’s in ‘10)
at the risk of sound like harry reid: no score keeping – we’re all trying to do our best. unlike those weasels and criminals who call themselves leaders.
L8ter, I have things to do .
One of which is covering my own ass.
“Change You Can Believe In™”
Heh, suckers.
Fuck. It’s sure gonna be hard not to say “I told you so” when shorrtride stabs the Dems in the back…yet again. Right now I just can’t see the upside to this, other than Obama trying to line up his allies (hoping that Joe’s one of them).
US Politics is like shopping in a supermarket. You can have all the choice you want. See? You can have either Kellogg’s Corn Flakes *or* Post Toasties!
Just what particular virtues do Democrats have, Busted, that Lieberman lacks?
What distinguishes the ‘differences’ between them?
Were there some REAL difference, would not the d’s point them out?
Lieberman appears to be a d in good standing, not because he says so, but because ‘they’ say so.
Or, have I missed something?
hmmmm ya think?? paging perris – you still running??
The names, please. Can we start calling Senators and asking how they voted?
Hey eCAHN. Your great question to Sunstein at Netroots Nation gets a shout-out in an Oxdown diary I put up this morning.
You’re reading too much into it. Obama is in a separate branch now. His purported support for letting Lieberman keep his chair might only have been a rumor, ALTHOUGH choosing not to seek retribution WOULD be consistent with his (gad I hate this overused phrase) team of rivals philosophy. Anyway, my point is simply that it is absurd to write it off as a failed presidency before the man even takes office.
The DSCC has a blog. I’m sure that they would love to hear from all of us in the comments section. Inexplicably, there doesn’t seem to be a thing about the vote on Joe this morning, but I think the most recent thread there would be a great place to share all of our thoughts. Especially if you’ve been getting as many solicitations for cash as I have.
I’m with you. I registered as a Dem just so I could vote in the primary. I have now changed back to No Party Affiliation. Now it’s time for an all out assault on these spineless corporatist motherfuckers.
Damned Salazar! He’s a disgrace. I want him replaced with a DEMOCRAT, not a weenie who caves to all the worst that comes out of Congress.
one of 11 democrats who voted FOR TORTURE (MCA06).
he’s a looser and needs to GO!
CHIT!
Heh. Hugh just said the very same thing on the old thread the hearing watchers are hanging out in.
http://firedoglake.com/2008/11…..nt-1730244
I NEVER GET TIRED OF BEING RIGHT!!!!!
Well, now, wait a little minute. Let’s do some strategery here. There has to be a reason for this, beyond the random and the inept and the spineless. Yes, you heard that from Ms. MN Cynical Wiseass. Before we eviscerate our own, think it through.
okayyyy if you say so… so far i dont like what i see shaping up…
Naw, I’m sure their grovelling was sufficient for Holy Joe.
I’m amazed Lieberman didn’t demand an apology from the Democrats!
All too aware of that fact, friend rat :-(……..but what goes ’round, comes ’round and liarman *will* get his just desserts……only later rather than sooner. Revenge being …..etc, etc, etc,
Think of the Senate Democratic Caucus as the Lieberman Bailout Fund.
Think of Lieberman as AIG.
Boxer may have been one of the ones who voted against Joe. I hope.
The day is young, and Joe’s a busy guy. I’m sure he will get to it soon.
hate to leave this thread but must (sick cat to take to the vets).
keep the fire!
Y’know, a lot of the trouble came from allowing Lieberman supporters frame the issue as “retribution.” I would have said instead that Lieberman had “forfeited” his chairmanship.
He’s already making decisions and they haven’t been good ones.
Nice if your state allows it.
Independent/unaffiliated in CA gets you only non-partisan offices and propositions in the primaries – effectively you’re out of luck.
With the primaries as our only avenue of influence it is more important then ever to get our election systems right. We must decommission the faulty electronic, software dependent systems which are so vulnerable to tempering, especially now that that the Dems and the Repugs are the same party.
I have more contempt for Reid than for Liarman.
There’s nothing random nor inept about this, barbara. Reid and the bulk of the Senate Dems have been practicing their caving in to pressure for years, and they are very good at it by now.
Your suggestion of spinelessness covers it completely.
The Democrats have been doing this for 8 years. Doesn’t seem so random anymore.
Thanks very much. The more I think of that session (and as you recall, the other 4-5 questioners after me said the same thing) the angrier I get.
There won’t be any change in Obama’s character between now and
People said the same thing of his election strategy.
Behold the power of AIPAC to keep their spokesperson in charge of the Homeland Security committee. What a travesty… I have a sinking feeling this is how the next four years will play out. Lieberman & Co. needs a platform for ranting about Iran and Venezuela.
As this administration unfolds we will get further glimpses of the power behind the candidate. We have seen Wall Street calling in their chips, who’s next…
great minds run alike ;o) LMAO!!!!
Damn! I thought my good government credit card would get a break for a time.
Looks like “Primary Recruitment Project” needs a feeding now.
Only 4 comments so far. Common folks, flood them with your ire.
Well this is a sign of things to come. Look for a union-busting “compromise” on the auto industry bailout. Look for more compromise with the GOP such that ALL social spending and environmental protection is kept minimized so as not to harm massive increases in military spending and CONTINUED stupidity vis a vis “missile defense”, NATO expansion, staying the course in Afghanistan, and pushing back against actually getting the fuck out of Iraq (the Pentagon is already treating the SOFA with its HARD date for FULL troop removal as plastic and “dependent upon the situation”).
We seem to have worked and voted for nothing. Unions will be busted, war will continue, green jobs will be “backburnered” for the sake of economic development and “fiscal responsibility”, Katrina will go uncorrected and Joe will absolutely OWN the Dems.
So, can we please start working on primary challengers to: Reid, Bayh, ALL other Blue Dogs? Shit on a shingle, they literally kissed Lieberman’s ass, with tongue, and he isn’t even going to manage to get re-elected…and they are NOT getting 60 seats with or without Lieberman! They are all 100% corrupt and fully owned by corporate America. ALL of them.
Let me put it this way.
How many deaths is Lieberman responsible for? How many will now die because there was no review of the massive clusterf… in New Orleans. We cannot learn from our mistakes if we don’t know what there are. And we cannot vote out the corrupt if we don’t know who there are.
Boxer supported Holy Joe in the past despite their policy differences. It would be good to get public statements from Senators on how they voted. Just because it was a secret ballot doesn’t mean that they can’t say how they voted.
We will see how long this love-fest lasts when jojo pivots 180 from the last two years and gets into every little nook and cranny of Obama’s policies, and becomes the fire ant colony at the picnic.
I can always change back if, and that’s a big if in Pinellas County, the Dems ever put a credible candidate in the running. The only Dems we get elected here switch from R to D just before entering a race.
Labour Party. That sounds nice and leftist. Screw the Greens.
oops. Hot keys ^*$&&$$##.
Well, I’m not typing all of it again.
I still have a lot of faith in Obama was all I tried to say.
now i’m off on a real mission of mercy… have to help my daughter make funeral plans for her hubby… please keep me and her in your prayers and thoughts – thanks
AND he is choosing cabinet members (or considering them) who would absolutely prove that he is NOT the change he advertised: Clinton/DLC/anti-labor/pro-corporate/pro-finance over actual production criminals like Summers, et al. No doubt, he WILL keep Gates on to run intel.
Remember, Obama owns Joe now…That’s a plus…I still think the scalpel and sunlight will come out under the guise of leaner, effective government and this primary held seat will be broken up in budget restructuring. Then, Lieb is out. How can he throw a tantrum over leaner, effective government?
So, we could get the job started by shining light on DHS and positioning accountability from Joe.
our ‘own’ eviscerated us long ago and are showing no signs of letting up.
the election is over. there is no need to play to the center and there is certainly no reason to play to failed and unpopular president and his warmongering henchman.
i held my liberal nose during the election because everyone said to be pragmatic and that obama was just doing and saying what he had to to get elected. he’s not even served one day yet and he’s already shoving neocons up my ass. like i said earlier, he’s playing with fire dissing his base like this because the right will never accept him and if loses the left he’ll have no one but the eunuch caucus on his side.
first stupid move he’s made yet…
“Reid and the bulk of the Senate Dems have been practicing their caving in to pressure for years, and they are very good at it by now.”
But where is the pressure now? Ain’t they in charge?
You forgot social security reform.
http://firedoglake.com/2008/11…..nt-1730030
(((((love to you and your daughter)))))
Peterr and Hugh, I know this is habitual behavior. But what I can’t figure out is what’s in it for them (Dem leadership). On the surface of it (which is as far as I seem able to dig), it only reflects badly, horribly, terribly on Dem leadership (such as it is). And yet it continues. Is it a strategy? Is it knee-jerk response? What is the point? What’s in it for them? The Lieberman thingie is too huge to just bow and scrape and concede. Why? Why??
((((juslin & daughter))))
Peace be with you.
I’m disgusted. Also, the sound isn’t working on that youtube. Anyone else having that?
(((juslin)))
I’ll keep you both in my thoughts.
Who is more of an embarrasment to our Country: Ted Stevens or Joe Lieberman?
I am SO sorry, juslin. What a painful time for your family. Be well.
Nevermind. Sorry about that. I fixed it on my computer.
As we have seen with Bush, a flair for campaigning has nothing to do with good governance. And I would point out that just as in 2000 many voters did not vote for Bush but against the Clinton years, the same thing happened this time around too where many voted against the Bush Administration and not so much for Obama.
Best to you and your daughter, juslin.
The primaries are not your only avenue of influence.
Accountability Now, as I understand it, is not just about funding new candidates. It is also about holding incumbents accountable by introducing broadcast and print spots into their states and districts. These spots educate voters about what the incumbent has done in their name. Like approval of wiretapping without warrants, approving torture, funding the military occupation of Iraq/Afghanistan, etc., etc.
Short Ride waved the specter of “gosh, you wouldn’t want to blow Obama’s whole ‘new tone in DC’ gig by looking vindictive, would you?” and just the whiff of possibly, potentially looking bad was enough to make the bulk of the caucus run for cover.
I’ve been going around and around with that too. It isn’t for the sixy seat majority because the weasel has already indicated that he wants no part of it. So what’s the point?
klynn, I hope you are right.
beyond disappointing
Peace to you, your daughter, and your whole extended family.
Can I put out a scenario?
Obama sees the writing on the wall. He knows that Lieberman will retain his chair, no matter how he comes out.
He wants to be on the winning side and, to appear, aw f*ck it. I can’t spin this.
Do you guys think that Hil would have come out in support of Short Ride?
Answer 42 democrats
hugs to you and yours, juslin
*positive thoughts for juslin and family*
I called my senators, requested a tally of their phone calls, pro and con, before the vote regarding Lierman keeping his Chairmanship. They suggested I call back for that later in the week. I suggested that it would have been a good idea to know those figures before going in to vote on it and he said he had the figures but did not know exact totals. The staffer admitted that he had received many more negative calls than positive so I asked why the Senator would vote in favor. They are not listening to their constituents. I reminded them that he is an Independent, not a Democrat and he has done a terrible job as Homeland Security Chairman.
You think I’ll ever get those figures on the phone calls? *g*
touche
But they could have done Obama’s “dirty work” for him, prior to his ascension. Something in my weirded-out gut just doesn’t get it, even now. No need to answer. I can see I am outnumbered on this, which is fine. You’re all smart folks, generally better informed than I am. So I’m just kinda whistling in the dark here. Gut says there’s more to this than meets the baby blues. Can’t get a handle on it (duh!).
My thoughts are with you
demoted for poor job performance.
Where is the promise that Evan Bayh and Amy Klobuchar said that he owed everyone? He thanks the “gang of four” — Dodd, Ken Salazar, Bill Nelson and Tom Carper — for saving him.
Is it time to start work on the “gang of four.” I contacted Bill Nelson’s office (via e-mail) . . . and as usual got no response. Perhaps it’s time for grassroots, netroots to look for replacements and get started. To replace these long-timers will be a job . . . but supporting Joe should go far in demonstrating their ‘good ‘ol boy’ mentality . . . protecting their Senate brothers is more important than representing and/or listening to their constituencies. Ugh! Maybe Wexler or (defeated) Jay McGovern would like to step up and challenge our ‘Democratic’ senator?????
It’s not a bug. It’s a feature. The Democrats vote for the Iraq war, domestic spying, and throwing trillions at an incredibly irresponsible financial community because they represent the interests who support these things much more than they do us.
I hear they’re having a sale on whine down at
TraderTraitor Joe’s.Harry Reid is a bigger dipshit loser than I gave him credit for…actually they all are
My bad
Not read the comments, if already stated sorry the duplication.
IIRC it took only 6 years, when mail moved no faster than a horse, from starting a political party to placing their candidate in the Whitehouse.
Now communication is near instantaneous (though monitored), it is well within capability to have either another political party, or usurp the control of one. None of the current herd of jackasses should be returned to the halls of power, they need disabused of those fancies forthwith.
Ultimately, there must be enough political parties on the spectrum in order that no one party can wield power outside a coalition. This is the most facile road to restraint on power. It is not efficient, for that, see the results of the current administration.
There is zero evidence for this. Given Obama’s record to date, it is more likely he agrees with Joe more than he disagrees with him.
(((juslin and daughter))) My deepest sympathies and condolences. We should never have to bury our children.
Peace
Best to you and your daughter.
Ugh. I hate “Traitor Joe”. It besmirches the good name of my favorite store.
Anyone doubt the GOP will win it all back and more in 2012?
Not me.
I’m with you on this. Political parties beyond The Big Two have so far succeeded only in being a nuisance re votes at election time. Breathe life into the Independence Party? Or start from scratch? And good luck with that, given the reality (?) of the need for megabucks to succeed in trekking to D.C.
Not if we have anything to say about it. I don’t lay down and die because I got wounded.
What is with Patty Murphy right there? Lieberman talks to Schumer,Schumer talks to Murphy – she nods? What’s up?
Nice description.
Noooo – geez.
Rick, don’t you mean 2010?
if obama can’t stand up to a sanctimonious little prick like joe how will he ever stand up to the real bad guys in the world?
Gotta start small, city councils, school boards, county commissions and work our way up. Won’t happen overnight, although that’s what everybody wants. Takes a lot of hard work. No continuity has been the biggest stumbling block.
The Democrats are more forgiving that Jesus Christ himself.
I can’t wait for the first backstab, and I hope it lands in Boxer’s back. I’m in Cali, so I’ll be looking/working/agitating for TWO new senators now.
Cruisin’ around the blogs, there are a great many upset DFH’s. Some suggest getting off the DSCC mailing list. The Given Hell Harry List would be a good one to unsubscribe from. Evidently it was a 43-12 vote.
Whatever.
As became my habit during the past 8 years, this news has me “stunned but unsurprised.”
Now that everyone has vented, I’m going to go a little contrarian. Obama may need Lieberman’s vote someday – say to get the Employee Free Choice Act past the expected filibuster, maybe for something else – and he now has a big chit to call in. Maybe allowing Joe to save face and retain his position will allow an accomplishment down the road. The best way to deal with big egos is to let them look good and then call them on it later.
It’s still too early to call whether Obama is doing something smart or not.
Absolutely, and with the unreserved help of the Democraps themselves. They really DON’T like to lead and prefer the GOP way of things.
That’s the start. But the big win will be 2012, taking the Prez and Congress.
I jumped off the DSCC list when Mukasey was approved.
So, for one or two favoring votes that Obama will call on Lieberman, we’ll have to suffer through four more years of crap and lies?
This guy will fuck it all up for any rule of law DFH here.
Do you intend to give more money or support to the Democrats again -NOT ME.
Do you intend to support Obama again -NOT ME.
Do you intend to elect more Dems again -NOT ME.
The Dems and Obama can pick up the phone and call AIPAC or Netanyahu for assistance. Because this is no longer an American run Administration.
I’ve been kicked in the face for 8 years now. Not by the right, but by what used to be my Democratic party, now taken over by hard line Jews who put Israeli children before my own.
I will no longer waste one second of my life to time to a cluster bombing, child maiming, racist group of welfare queens who can’t get along with anybody and gorge themselves on the plunder given them with the blood of other peoples children.
Josh reports that Lieberman was expelled from the Pilates class in the senate gym.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…..244878.php
addendum:
Those feckers who are calling themselves Democratic Senators are not, that was organized if I ever saw organized, real Democrats are NEVER organized. They must be Democrat Senators. /rant
Lieberman may end up like Norquist’s quote, “when they’ve been fixed, then they are happy and sedate.”
Lieberman won. Democracy lost. The American people lost.
If — IF — Obama were to speak to the Lieberman thing, what would/should he say (not necessarily the same thing, I gather). Is this a tempest in a teapot, a harbinger of things to come, or a Very Big Deal? As you can see, I am still confused. A perpetual condition for me lately, I admit.
It would indeed be interesting to see who is willing to say they voted against Lieberman retaining his chairmanship.
Been scouring the net, but can’t find names yet.
Oh. Secret ballot vote. Never mind.
i’ll say it again…take a look at this federal funds list. contracts list.
this is why they keep him. i am convinced.
click on ‘expanded’ below each box to see the whole list of each category..
then separately, notice the negative write off money.
and check out the ‘grants’ tab. the research money.
connecticut is the bread for a lot of states’ butter.
and the companies involved have directly to do with homeland security.
joe ‘ain’t’ goin’ nowhere…..notime, nohow. he’s wired in. they’d have to have him on conference call for the meetings if he wasn’t there, to see who’s allowed to do what. where the money is supposed to be going. who’s in who’s out….they are not going to do anything with him. he can do whatever he wants and he knows it.
http://www.fedspending.org/fpd…..ateCode=CT
Yes, I see Obama saying, “Joe, you owe me,” and LIEberman saying, “F*ck you, Obama, and kiss my white, droopy a**!” And there won’t be anything anybody can do about it.
Obama’s going to be in charge of the whole federal government, do you really think there would be nothing he could do about it?
I’d love to see Joe fixed.
Reid to Connecticut: Primaries don’t matter.
I really think it just happened, behind the scenes. Time will tell.
I would bet half the farm right now that Mark Pryor’s name should be added to this list.
Oh the humanity.
Emanuel, Clinton and Lieberman- you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know who, with the blood of our families-not theirs- now owns ‘the whole federal government’.
This is serious, and not a joke. If you live in a big city, I’d suggest you move – now.
Spinless democratic senate!
He is NOT a democrat. It would NOT be retribution to fire his F*****G ass. This does NOT reflect a “unified” democratic party. We weren’t looking to “get even” we wanted to fire his ass because he campaigned agaionst US. Lierman talked about his past history when Reid they were drawing a line and starting a new chapter.
I AM PISSED!!!
t is now up to the voters of Connecticut to throw him out of office. That is our only legal recourse.
It’s up to all of us to help throw his sorry ass out of office.
Reid is an even bigger problem.
I have more contempt for Reid than for Liarman.
Absolutely
OMG, I need a barf bag!
To paraphrase Ralph Nader, there is not much difference between Democrats and Republicans. Feels like deja vu all over again with Clinton, Emanuel and LIEberman!
Is this a tempest in a teapot, a harbinger of things to come, or a Very Big Deal? As you can see, I am still confused. A perpetual condition for me lately, I admit.
It must be treated as avery big deal, otherwise, how can you account for accountability?
“
Community Blogs Welcome, Yngwie J.
Your Dashboard | Logout | Search Blogs
Post from Tony Alexis’s Blog:
Lieberman decision cynical politics!
By User from Arlington, VA – Nov 18th, 2008 at 2:12 pm EST
Comments | Mail to a Friend
Rate this Post:
(What is this?)
So the Senator that is the poster child for the reckless neocon policies that helped Bush implement this nightmare upon America retains the Chairmanship of Homeland Security as an ‘Independent’ after supporting McCain.- A War based on Lies, thousands of our brave soldiers dead and horribly wounded, Trillions wasted in no-bid contracts, the loss of America’s honor and prestige home and abroad, an American economy on the verge of collapse largely due to a focus on War rather then domestic issues, jailing and spying of American citizens without legal recourse, torture and inhumane treatment of anyone labeled a ‘terrorist’ and the list goes on. Change we can believe in- or more cynical politics we are disgusted by? OBAMA are you listening?
Senator Reid are you listening??
We’ve had enough.
Reader Comments
* Write a Comment on this Post
* Comments RSS
Time to go Harry
Reply
By Yngwie J Malmsteen 35 minutes ago (Updated 35 minutes ago)
We have a Senate Majority Leader who refuses to hold the GOP feet to the fire and now this betrayal. Not a penny more. No more knocking on doors. It’s time to primary Harry Reid and get a Majority leader w/ some spine. Lieberman will betray us before all is said and done, it’s in his nature and you Sen Reid are fool to believe otherwise.
I will be donating to your opponent
Reply
By User from Tampa, FL 1 minute ago (Updated 1 minute ago)
I hope that this profound exhibition of cowardice was worth it Harry Reid because it is going to definitely cost you. The fact that you don’t have the spine to bring a bill to the floor of the senate for fear it might be filibuster is bad enough, but to allow Joe Liebeman to keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security when he has been absolutely horrible as chairman and campaigned actively against the Democrats gaining 60 seats is indeed the final straw sir. You may not care about the progressive blogges and the netroots now. But I wonder how you will feel when we pull back all of our funding from the DSCC and we promote a progressive canddiate against you in 2010. I hope you enjoy the last two years of your term as Senator.”
http://www.giveemhellharry.com…..mment-C3jz
I blame the Greens, for undermining those good Dems all these years.
Had enough?
Hi FDL’ers. This is my very first post here.
I’ve read most of the responses and I’m a bit perplexed. All the focus seems to be on Lieberman and not on the 42 Democratic Senators and Mr. Obama who supported him. Why is that?
Further, is Lieberman’s crime that he betrayed the party? Is that somehow more important to FDL’ers than this?
I’d be happy to join any campaign to defeat Lieberman. But I’ll go further and hold the Democrats responsible for granting him two Chairmanships. Without support from his Democratic colleagues, Lieberman would have had no chance to be re-elected.
Way to go, Barack. I guess looking forward precludes looking behind you to see who is stabbing you in the back.
My expectations for an Obama admin just went down about ten notches.
Ya know at some point Joe is going to break it off in them. That’s his nature, that’s what he does. And it’s gonna leave a mark.
But ya know what? They – Harry, DiFi, Pres-elect, all of them, deserve every bit of it.
That really is the only satisfying thing about this whole sham of a travesty
Ah yes, all Democrats can breathe deeply today and say,
Eich bein ein Liebermaner.
Yip freakin pee.
they sure showed Lieberman! they had to go a little easy on him, his approval rating was north of 25%, what choice did they have? i am disgusted, but not surprised.
I’m going to miss Howard Dean. I have very little confidence that his replacement will understand that people vote for a party that actually has core beliefs and is willing to stand up for those beliefs.
The lack of strenght, the absolute disregard of the progressive wing of the democratic party is depressing. But what is the alternative? Scream and yell? I am constantly dismayed by the lack of fortitude of the democratic leadership. I think it is true, change comes from the bottom up, and I guess that will be reason to carry on.
I’m trying to wrap my head around the logic of this decision. I can only come up with this: He’s being given all the cash n’ prizes as a way of guilting the crap out of him come voting time (”how can you now turn against the very people who saved your ass?”). The loss of Lieberman (Joe the Quisling) would mean the loss of the magic 60 and, as a loose cannon he could do more damage than if he were “close by”.
Logic notwithstanding, it annoys the shit out of me that he’s not being given some sort of public humiliation, chastisement or some form of punishment (I would love to see his ass booted out of the party, even if it meant losing the Magic 60). And even though I can see the political game that’s being played, it lowers by several flights my opinion of Reid, Pelosi and the others who feigned outrage over Lieberman’s attempt at sabotage and then act as though nothing happened.
I wish to Christ they would put the Machiavelli playbook away. Even the Sopranos didn’t play that game.
well .. imo .. the next election comes around .. i may as well simply throw darts at the balot and vote according th where they land .. chosing either a “D” or an “R” simply doesn’t seem to make any difference anymore .. oh .. for sure there are extremes but the in vast muddle ..what’s the diff ?? ya know .. if i had wanted republicans running the country .. i really would have voted that way .. but with this bunch of bastards i can’t really make a distinction ..
How soon came we get rid of Reid??????????????????????????????????
Lieberman is a back-stabbing ass, but if you want to shift considerable budget $$ out of DOD and into something progressive, his vote is needed.
You could make Holy Joe into a “R” and make everyone feel better, and then not get any meaningful reform. Bite off your nose to spite your face.
Sun-Tzu – “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”
Driftglass put it well the other day:
http://driftglass.blogspot.com…..-reid.html
And Read The Whole Thing – Drift has a wayyyyy with words.
Obama knows what he is doing.
hey you guys, want to have some fun? go over to Dailykos and take a look at the teeth gnashing and infighting over there. lulz. it’s the pinnacle of hilarity. those partisan hacks want to believe that they know real politik and are so much more mature than 3rd party supporters and those to their left who support “dead enders” like Nader. they love to call themselves progressives and the big cheese himself, kos, is always talking about “more and better democrats” and how they are the progressives that make power plays and are “living in reality.” its hilarious.
the fact of the matter is the two party system is a joke and the inauspicious start of the Obama admin. is proof. corporate party a and corporate party b are buddy buddy behind closed doors, and owe their ultimate allegiance to their corporate paymasters. 3rd party candidates are the only solutions for real progressives. there is no progress or change within the democratic party. they are much worse and corrupt than the republican party, and we all know how corrupt those guys are. the fact of the matter is that democrats are worse because they pretend to stand for some sort of principles, but in the end, once the facade is broken, we see what they are really made of.
think of all those hopeful grassroots and netroots activists who bought into Obama’s act wholesale. gave money, knocked on doors, convinced their family to vote dem. now they look and see rahm, larry summers, hawk hilary at secretary of state, joementum emerges unscathed, no tortue justice, the war machine simply changing venues, etc, etc, etc.
cry your eyes out idiots. and next time you want to mock 3rd party candidates as “irrelevant,” go ahead. your vote is irrelevant, your opinion is irrelevant, only your money is relevant you mark, you monkey, you serf.
oh but dont take my word for it, just ask chris hedges what he thinks: truthdig.com