Joe Lieberman is holding the entire Democratic Party hostage to his position on the war in Iraq. We cut funding for the war and he bolts and hands all the Senate committee chairs to the Republicans.
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut told the Politico on Thursday that he has no immediate plans to switch parties but suggested that Democratic opposition to funding the war in Iraq might change his mind…
“I have no desire to change parties,” Lieberman said in a telephone interview. “If that ever happens, it is because I feel the majority of Democrats have gone in a direction that I don’t feel comfortable with.”
Asked whether that hasn’t already happened with Iraq, Lieberman said: “We will see how that plays out in the coming months,” specifically how the party approaches the issue of continued funding for the war.
He suggested, however, that the forthcoming showdown over new funding could be a deciding factor that would lure him to the Republican Party.
“I hope we don’t get to that point,” Lieberman said. “That’s about all I will say on it today. That would hurt.”
Chris Bowers also points to related problems.
So far, Lieberman is using his clout mostly in ways that discomfit his fellow Democrats, while his relationship with Republicans has involved more collaboration than coercion. When Senate majority leader Harry Reid said Bush’s State of the Union proposal for a bipartisan terrorism panel was redundant, Lieberman, who supported the idea, privately sent Reid a letter saying he was “upset.” Within days, Reid backed down and negotiated the panel’s makeup with the White House. And last month, after Lieberman told Reid he had stopped attending the weekly Democratic lunch because he didn’t feel comfortable discussing Iraq there, Reid offered to hold those discussions at another time. Lieberman has started attending again.
As Chris notes, this means the Democratic caucus cannot even discuss the most critical issue of the day because it makes Lieberman uncomfortable.
I think we should start working on flipping a Republican Senator. Does Olympia Snowe want a committee chair? How about Chuck Hagel? Anything is better than putting up with this blackmail from Lieberman.
How ’bout we roll them both over to Democrats, and Kick ‘Holy’ Joe to the curb. He’s a piss poor excuse for a Democrat (I) anyway.
Wonder if Chuck Schumer’s feeling stupid today?
Or Obama: what a great job he did campaigning for Joe, and dissing Lamont. Great move fellas, fucking brilliant.
Obama and Clinton both endorsed Joe in the primary. I hope everyone remembers this.
Has there ever been a situation in history where someone got his party’s nod as a national candidate–and then turned around and joined the opposing party?
Lieberman is like the Benedict Arnold of the 21st century.
my note downstream.
your concern is well placed.. and I think we need to be mindful of the bigger picture.
I do not think that it works that way. the Organizing Resolution covers the term of the Senate, and if the turncoat did indeed turn, the committee chairs would not change. the senate would be split 50-50, altho Sen. Johnson will not be at his desk we would theoretically lose one vote.
David Sirota has more.
True, True. Holy Joe holds no real power in turning over the Senate due to the lack of a transfer clause. Joe is not the Republican’s Jeffords.
I do not think that it works that way.
I am not willing to take this for granted because the stakes are too high. Is there any way to remove (impeach-like) Lieberman? How does the democratic party of Conn suggest handling this guy?
This was oh so predictable from last election night onward, and I expect it will play out as it is heading. This man is an ego maniac and power is his fuel.!
the tragedy of my ignorance with respect to the subtleties of senatorial gamesmanship do not allow me to be specific regarding liebershit. However, I can’t accept the apparent fact that this one piece of garbage can do so much damage without getting smeared with so much shit that it will take years to clean it all off!
The Democratic leadership should be working 24/7 to gather every single piece of garbage that they can use to keep this fucking pig in his place. At this point in time, Nothing Is Sacred! Burn the fucker, his wife, his kids, his extended family. I do not mnean physically but I do mean intelectually, emotionally and in all other non- physical ways possible. This piece of scum deserves to be pilloried daily.
So what if we lose the chairmanships. What we have now is not working. The house is ours and it is thru our actions in the house tht we can make the moves necessary to take full control in 08!
And the first and most important procedure that the house should push is the drawing up of Articles of Impeachment! Again, so what if they wont pass in the senate. it will tie up the bastards until he leaves office!!!!!
Hindsight is always 20/20 and all, but it’s worth mentioning Joe Loserman was Gore’s choice for VP in the 2000 race– or was he?
or was the positioning of Loserman as VP just one more insurance plan put into place by the pentagon/big oil/Israel? and they fully intended to invade/occupy Iraq regardless of who won the election in 2000?
My impression was that Gore obsessed about being dragged down by guilt by association with Clinton and his Lewensky dalliances. Lieberman was the first Senator (including Republicans!) to denounce Clinton over Monicagate, so Gore figured if he chose Lieberman, he’d be safe on that score.
A terrible mistake of course, since I don’t think any people who would vote for Gore cared about the Lewinsky scandal by that point. Meanwhile, I don’t think having an orthodox Jew as a running mate helped Gore in rural areas.
My paranoia has almost no bounds. For example, I’m rather inclined to think that Cheney cooked up 9/11 (in cahoots with Saudi intelligence) for personal gain.
But I think Alexander has the better theory here.
The biggest mistake of Gore’s life was running away from Clinton. But that’s another debate.
about the running from Clinton being a big mistake portion of your post.
the short of it is that in this regard and several other crucial regards, Gore blew it.
it’s hilarious to see the draft Gore dreamers over on the orange site insist (still) Gore lost because of
A.) the media.
b.) Ralph Nader.
what a Load.
Convince Chuck Hagel to switch parties once Lieberman makes the switch to republican. One minute after he does. Then Lieberman loses his chairmanship and becomes Loserman. Give Hagel the money he needs to convince his state that he made the right move going to the winning team who wants to end the war. All is good.
Fuck Lieberman though. Even if they lose the majority, we’re in a deadlock until we have a new president anyway and the Dems have the House, so they can still investigate away and blame the fact that we can’t get anything done on the Republican-controlled Senate.