Dems: We Have To Let Lieberman Screw Us Over

Joe Lieberman is having a not-so-secret affair on his political spouse of the past four decades. The Connecticut Senator -- now an Independent, but until 2006 a staunch Democrat, married to the party -- is not just campaigning for presumptive Republican nominee John McCain; he is, to even the most objective eye, in a deep state of rapture.

You'd think hell hath no fury like a party scorned, but Democrats aren't kicking Lieberman out of the party -- yet. Lieberman has a decent claim of abandonment: after a 2006 Democratic primary challenge over his unyielding support for the war in Iraq, Lieberman won his fourth Senate term as an Independent who caucuses with Democrats. Without his good will there would be no Democratic majority in the Senate, no control of the legislative calendar, no subpoenas and investigations and no committee chairmanships. (Lieberman himself chairs the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.) Harry Reid owes his title to Joe Lieberman. Dumping him is not an option.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[TRichards]

The Democrats can't oust Lieberman because they'd lose their majority status!!!!!

Think. With this impotent "majority," the Democrats have managed only to back down repeatedly and to get nothing done by way of exposing Bush or standing in the way of his agenda. It would be FAR better to give up the pretense of power for six months and to let the responsibility for this miserable Congress to fall where it belongs -- on the 49 Republicans and the 1 Repulsive who is Joe Lieberman. What the Democrats should be doing is to filibuster. The expression is Lead, Follow, or Get out to the Way. The expression is wrong. When you can't (or won't) lead and the direction is wrong, the next best thing to leading is to get in the way.

It's not as though Reed and the Senate are going to accomplish anything with Lieberman. It would be better simply to let the Republicans have him while taking a breather to determine whether they really want to accomplish something other than vying for their next re-election after they achieve a true majority in January.

[Balzac]

Lieberman is a sanctimonious terd.

[Trittydi]

Oh well. It was such a nice idea . . . . >>sigh

[kittycago]

here is a petition to oust Lieberman from his chairmenship of the Homeland Security Chairmanship.Sign t please.

http://liebermanmustgo.com/

[TurnThePageGA]

In January 2009, when we won't need him anymore. But for now....

[wayoutleft]

obama should appoint lieberman ambassador to syria

[TheJibreelaMonsters]

Chuck Hagle = the new maverick but Joe Lieberman is chopped liver, well this is the democrat party

[WmC]

Dems: We Have To Let Lieberman Screw Us Over. . .but we'll make him wait in line.

[u2cancounterpoint]

It's difficult to imagine that Democrats need Lieberman to hold on to power in the Senate and even more difficult to imagine that"s how it work. It comes down to one guy. What happens to the principled message when the fate of every bill may hinge on Lieberman. I don"t like it.

[TLV]

Can't we just ignore the wretched creature?

[only1Demvoter]

Turncoat.


More to follow. -ralph

[Jaybot]

I know, dump Reid and Joe.

[Krikkit]

2009 is going to be all about revenge. When enough Democrats have been elected to the House and the Senate, watch what happens to Joe.

[irv]

after nov. elections joe is gone! i like the idea of appointing him ambassador but to iraq, not syria since he is so supportive of our presence there.

[blackjack]

IF Reid had the guts the Democratic party could throw old LIE-berman out and still controle the SENATE it looks like the REPUBLICANS are doing a HE-- of a job not being in controle of the SENATE. I say kick LIE-berman out the door.

[Viper]

Thats BS! You obviously dont know how the Senate works. The Repugs would become the majority party in the Senate. The DEMs would lose all of their Committee Chairmanships. Committe Chairmans set the agenda and they would be all Repugs. V.P. Chenny gets to vote in case of any tie.

It has nothing to do with Balls... It has to do with numbers. And its Conneticut that elected Leiberman that you should be blaming. They should recall him.

Regards

[Agentprovokatur]

Good Points All.

Except the part about recall.

There is no such ability to remove any U.S. Senator.

[wndrwrthg]

It matters little if they throw him out. In the Nov. elections the cowardly dems will lose the house and senate. They may win the pres. but due to their bending over for little georgie, they have doomed themselves.

[Krikkit]

Delusion. Down party races are all leaning toward the Democrats.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

There is even rumour that good ol' Georgia might turn blue. Or at least a beautiful shade of purple.

[Viper]

Not according to any poles. Nor any of the 3 elections that have occured for house members in what were heavy Repug districts.

Regards

[KarateKid]

When the election is over, and Obama becomes President, Joe Lieberman will become a pariah. Until then, the Democrats will all play the game. In fairness, his voting record is more Democrat than Republican, except when it comes to the Iraq war. He did vote for the improved GI Bill, McCain did not.

In the end, his stance on the war, and support of McCain will be his undoing. Enjoy the next six months, Joe, after that your existence in the Senate will be hell. I would even venture to predict that eventually, he will become a Republican.

I personally don't believe in Independents anyway. They're just Republicrat fence sitters who have no new or different ideas than the two major parties.

[Viper]

The Independents represent a larger group by far than either of the two major Parties.. they are not so major anymore.

Regards