Lieberman, Graham Leave Anti-Obama Group Vets For Freedom

The Huffington Post broke the news last week that two of Sen. John McCain's top campaign chairmen were serving on the board of an independent organization behind a set of attack ads against Sen. Barack Obama, an apparent violation of the Arizona Republican's new conflict of interest policy.

The New York Times reports this morning that Lieberman and Graham have both stepped down from their positions the group:

Senators Joseph I. Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, prominent surrogates for Senator John McCain's presidential campaign, stepped down Wednesday from their positions with an independent group that released a pair of Internet advertisements attacking Senator Barack Obama on Iraq.

Mr. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, and Mr. Graham, Republican of South Carolina, were both on the policy advisory board to the organization, Vets for Freedom, which on Wednesday released its second Web advertisement in less than a week attacking Mr. Obama.

The senators' positions with the group, which describes itself as a grass-roots advocacy organization pushing for victory in Iraq and Afghanistan, seemed to place them in contravention of new conflict-of-interest rules released by Mr. McCain's campaign that specifically prohibit anyone "with a McCain campaign title or position" from participating in a "527 or other independent entity that makes public communications that support or oppose any presidential candidate."

After inquiries from reporters, the senators released a joint letter to Vets for Freedom on Wednesday saying they had requested a leave from their positions to come into compliance with the new policy.

"This is obviously something we're working through," said Brian Rogers, a spokesman for the McCain campaign. "This is the kind of thing that happens when you have the strictest possible policy on these issues."

The new policy was meant to head off embarrassing questions about connections of members of the McCain campaign to special interests that run counter to Mr. McCain's reformist reputation. But adhering to that standard has proved complicated.

Comments

[jubo]

Saaaay, what are they vets of..?

[DasBoot]

They are vets of the George W. Bush army of armchair strategists and draft dodgers.

[Lindamae]

I am amazed that we spend time about two men who are on a Board yet ignore the message of the ads made by the Vets group. Obama was given several opportunities to meet with a soldier in his district yet did not. Now he claims to be concerned about our vets? Why did he not do something then?

[Heru1]

so what.

[DasBoot]

Why didn't McCain, with all his military experience, ask the hard questions in 2002 and prevent us from being bogged down in a civil war in a country we don't know, with people whose language and culture we don't understand (torturing them as a result), with our soldiers being equipped improperly, with contractors killing civilians indiscriminately, and rampant corruption thanks to a cost-plus rigged-bidding system worthy of the tiniest banana republic?

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Lieberman is scum, in the film Rcount he helped engineer the defeat o Gore.

[jupitor]

how dumb can you get? the two senators ask for a leave of absence. They did not quit! How stupid do these senators think people are? This is why I left the Republican party to vote for Obama! They want their cake and eat it to. Lieberman isn't only a leading member of this smear campagne group, he Also will Be the head lines for Pastor hagee summit. The very Pastor his good buddy Mccain threw under the bus acouple weeks ago! these senators play what we call real dirty pool! Will they never learn that americans are fed up with this crazy mess these senators cook up , and live in and makes us live in. Enough is Enough! when this is done, I hope the states take steps to get rid of these senators, and not let them represent their states any longer. Change is in the air, and it will hit washington in the name of Obama!

[JulieSA]

If that what the film shows, then it must be true.

[MidSection]

yes yes yes about all this Lieberman shit!!! But the ads are devastating to Obama and are nothing but the truth. Interesting........he will meet with everybody who hates our country and its people, but won't sit down and meet Gen Patreus.

what kind of empty suit is this?

Affiliation to hate groups.......endorsements by iran, Hamas, Chavez and Castro.....doesn't it make u wonder?

Who is this guy.....besides a good speech.....now gone stale........who is this guy so conflicted about his race?

[LeftLeanWing]

Your New President.

[drheelin]

could you provide a link or something that shows where Obama said he would not meet with gen Petreus.
I have looked all around, and have only found qoutes of other people saying that he said this, or other people claiming that something he said sounds like one thing, but what it really means is he wont meet.None of them provide Obamas actual words that say this.

[1differentdrummer]

And they won't, because it's part of the big lie put out by Rove.

[Pyrrhus]

Don't forget he's also been endorsed by the Pillsbury Doughboy, who we all know tried to destroy New York City in 1984.

[Podewumun]

I thought that was the StaPufft marshmallow man.

[Moxo]

Hate groups?? You talking about those groups that seek to enshrine Hate and Bigotry in the Constitution? Or about those who support torture?

[LettuceB1]

Why are you getting so bent out of shape about whether he meets with Gen Patreus? Obama has to win the nomination first. Cart before horse!

[Lindamae]

How can he make intelligent decisions without facts from an expert? We know that Nancy Pelosi has come out to say Iraq cannot be won. Does Obama believe this? As President, he would be expected to find the truth - not party politics. That he has not worries me about his ability to lead us.

[iPolitics]

Lieberman loves him some Pastor Hagee ... and compares him to Moses in speech today.

[ThoughtAboutIt]

Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain

www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com

[JulieSA]

These are the same folks who say Obama is a Muslim, and they faked a photo of John Kerry shooting an American in Vietnam. But if you're comfortable getting your information from far-right con-men like these, then go for it.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ted_Sampley

http://www.miafacts.org/mccain.htm

http://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/conason/2004/02/10/kerry_smear/

[lyingtruth]

Lieberman lied about being a Democrat and is lying about his loyalty to the U.S.

He is a three faced liar! Graham is just a bad actor; pretending he's not a redneck...

[CaptainZero]

Senator McCan'tRemember will be in trouble if LIEberman isn't there to hold his elbow and whisper in his ear that Al Qaeda is NOT a sect and the Shite and Sunni are.

[lucky54]

Is it me, or is Liberman's face falling of ??

[ObamaandClinton08]

I Never liked Lieberman, never trusted Lieberman and it was Al Gores first mistake back in 2000 when he picked him as his VP.

Lieberman represents everything that is wrong with D.C. entrenched politicians.

Maybe he will do for George Mc'Old as he did for Al Gore and help cost him this election.

[osage]

Right. They've deicided to leave "after" they were exposed for their dirty tricks associations. This is what Republicans call integrity and honesty in government. They only do what's right when they've been outed for doing wrong. McCain's hypocrisies and those of his closest advisors are shamelessly inherent to the political ambitions of John McCain. He's trying to eat his cake and have it too. Bush's presidency has eliminated the free pass that Republicans have become so accustomed to. It's actually gotten to the point that they don't even realize anymore that what they consider acceptable is undenably very, very "wrong". What's even more damaging to them is that they can't possibly be perceived as agents of change until they clean their own corrupt party. Thankfully, the Democrats are doing that for them.

[javagirl322]

Isn't that a scary picture of Lieberman and McCain??

[vaberella]

They almost look like father and son. ^_^

[DasBoot]

Hell, I did't even know Lieberman was in that group to begin with. Is he even a veteran? So now he's leaving the group just so that he is in compliance with a campaign regulation. This man has no honor left.

Anybody who still wishes Al Gore would enter the race, remember who almost brought us this guy as VP.

I suppose Connecticut does not have a recall law for Senators. Too bad.

[Podewumun]

Who REALLY knew Lieberman was a closet Republican eight years ago? Did you?
A lot changed after 9/11, and NOT for the better. Don't blame Gore for the VP pick. Blame the Democratic apparatus in charge at the time.

[rabrophy]

Of course Lieberman isn't a Vet!
The little slime-ball would never put his soft little tuckus on the line in Vietnam. He's a Chicken-Hawk neocon like Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, pearl, Pat Buchanan, George F. Will and ol' pimple on the butt limbaugh!

Ol' Graham of "Five rugs for five Bucks" fame was a lawyer in the Air Force. These guys only love wars they don't have to fight in!

[DasBoot]

You are right, rabrophy. Good ol' Joe evaded the Vietnam draft.

Great piece on him by Eric Alterman:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080616/alterman

[RickyJ]

Pat Buchanan a neocon? You better not call him that to his face. Isn't neocon a word for somebody whose father is an x-Trotskyite graduate of CCNY who has decided that the Republicans are better for his people?

[JulieSA]

Graham is still in the AF Reserve. He's the only member of the Senate currently in the armed forces. He served a few weeks in iraq, too. Not in combat, of course, but he's spent 1000% more time there than, say, Obama.

[vaberella]

Question, is Lieberman Republican or Democrat? During this candidacy, seeing Lieberman lie, cheat, and act stupid makes me almost glad that Bush won. I get the feeling he's willing to side with anyone just so he can be in the White House. He's a very scary individual.

[BryantG]

They'll distancing themselves in anticipation of uglyness to come, no doubt.

[Ammobob]

Lieberman would make a good addition to the McCain ticket. Appealing alot to left leaning INDIES. If Hillary takes the nomination fight to the floor, then many dissatisfied DEMS will migrate to a McCain/Liefberman ticket. This is looking better and better.......with 5 months to go.

[Mike169]

I hope he's as effectice as he was for Gore.

[uhappytoo]

You missed the story in the San Francisco Chronicle this morning where Nancy Pelosi said there will be no convention contest for delegates. But your point on Lieberman is at least half right; he should sign on with McCain. Not that it would bring any new voters to McCain, but at least it would offer some truth about Lieberman's loyalties.

But it doesn't matter who McCain selects. He is headed for a landslide defeat.

[osage]

You are a victim of delusional thinking if you truly believe that Liberal Democrats would ever vote for McCain or Lieberman. They'd stay at home like anti-McCain Republicans rather than vote for someone from the opposing Party. If after the 31st of this month Clinton threatens to take her fight to the convention floor, the Democratic Party will come down her like a ton of bricks. If she insists on provoking a Democratic war, the war will take place immediately rather than allowing it to take place later rather than sooner. If she continues to fight, her political career will be effectively over, and the Clinton legacy will end after her next Senate election. Clinton will become the whipping-women for everything that is abhorrent about Washington politics for the rest of her life.

[ThoughtAboutIt]

How soon we forget that Obama sided with LIEberman over Lamont

www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/03/31/obama_rallies_state_democrats_throws_support_behind_lieberman/

[111]

Lieberman appeals to left leaning indies - ROFLMAO

If Hillary steals the nomination I don't know what I would do but McCain is not an option

[dapperd72]

Here's another sound option for you, at least for a vote of conscience. You can probably vote for Cynthia McKinney as the likely Green Party candidate, as long as she can get the Green Party on your state ballot. Don't ever fear your other options besides the 2 major parties. I've been voting almost entirely Green for the past 3 Presidential election cycles, including the mid-term Congressiional races, down to virtually every local election. Obama's my candidate though as long as Clinton's factions don't override the people's collective votes for Barack. I'm willing to make a major exception by voting for him.