New Dem Senator Merkley "Profoundly Hurt" By Lieberman

Aides to Senator-elect Jeff Merkley said the newly elected Oregonian Democrat was "profoundly hurt" by Joe Lieberman's conduct during the 2008 presidential campaign and added that being a committee chair was an honor that came with certain responsibilities.

Nevertheless, they added, the Senator-elect would respect the secrecy of the Tuesday vote that kept Lieberman in his post as Homeland Security chair.

"He did speak at the meeting," said Julie Edwards, Merkley's communications director. "He is someone who cheered for Joe Lieberman in 2000 and Lieberman's words and actions this year were profoundly hurtful to him... The committee chairmanship is a privilege and not a entitlement and Senator-elect Merkley believes that being a member of the leadership comes with certain responsibilities. But at this point he does look forward to putting this behind us."

Sources familiar with today's meeting say that Merkley was one of the few Senators to speak out critically about Lieberman's campaign antics. Both Senators from Vermont -- Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders -- also expressed criticism of the Connecticut independent

"I spoke against the Lieberman motion and voted against it," read a statement from Sanders. "For me, the bottom line is that millions of Americans, with unprecedented energy, worked day and night to get Barack Obama elected and to move our country in a very new direction. I think it's a slap in the face to these activists that someone who opposed those efforts in a very prominent way is awarded with a major committee. Having said that, there is an enormous amount of work that is facing the Senate and we all have to move on and work together to address these issues."

Ultimately, however, Lieberman's fate as a caucusing Democrat was secured as the majority of his colleagues voted to keep him atop the homeland security committee. The resolution agreed upon - which stripped the Senator of his position on an environmental and public works subcommittee - was passed by a 42-13 margin. Addressing reporters after the vote, Majority Leader Harry Reid said of Lieberman: "He's part of this caucus... We are not looking back. We are looking forward."

Senator Dianne Feinstein, meanwhile said her "hope" for Lieberman was "that he becomes a Democrat again."

Comments

[Big0725]

Better not make waves Merkley. Your'e not even a Senator yet, but I do notice that you have the supplication part down already. Did you get your DNC approved knee pads and bib?

[zippywpinhead]

maybe he can borrow yours...

[jogoo]

Thank you for sparing mr Lieberman(modern day Judas Iscariot). He better be glad Mr. David Matoke of Dallas,Tx was not one of those voting. I would have voted against him every step of the way. He was our #2 with Al Gore in 2000. We gave him committee chairmanship. That is not an entitlement. It comes with responsibilities. He really believed that Mccain was gonna win. That proves that he is stuck in his old ways of not wanting change or even rising to the occassion to effect change. If I were him, I would opt not to seek re-election from connecticut. He will never win again.

[Jer1957]

What baloney all this hand-wringing is!

Soros likes Barack. Soros likes Joe.

Election over: Barack likes Joe. Only question is whether Soros and company have any use for Barack after election day. I am hopeful that the Pres-elect will break from our hemisphere's leading promoter of drugs.

Current Hedge Fund Manager Gore knew what Lieberman, Fat Albert's best pal in the Senate, was in 2000--that's why His Ozone Holine$$ selected Lieberman.

If Sen-elect Merkley did not know-- then he is a candidate for the GW Bush stupidity award--and is apt to be a one-term senator.

[zippywpinhead]

change your tinfoil, pal

your old hat has given you Soros on the brain...

[LiberalBuzz]

I keep wondering about this obsession thugs have with Soros?

The guy is a democratic supporter.

SO WHAT?

There are a ton of republican supporters yet, that is okay??

Strange people who support the Thug party.

[zigzag1]

Ease up Jer. You all will get another chance in 2012

[cheforacle]

You have absolutely no proof for anything you say. Another conspiracy theorist who believes George Soros controls the entire world. I happen to like Soros. His book on economics recently predicted some of our current problems but he does not control the entire planet. Obama was elected because of the hard work and donations of millions of people. if Clinton had won, you would have attributed her victory to Soros.

[aedelbert]

Best be quiet, Merkley. Clearly there's an agenda behind closed doors that you and I and the rest of the voters are not privy to. And, well, all of us outside can't even know how our senators voted.

I'm really amazed that we can criticize Russian "democracy­."

[Jer1957]

Good point. Putin has much more principle than 'Mr Open Society' George Soros.

Soros' offshore financial dealings notably lack the 'transparency' that his front-groups routinely demand of other lesser mortals.

[sclucie]

Jer, I particulaly like that part where he poisons his political opponents. I'm not sure what principle that applies to, but it is remarkably effective.

[luckyrico1]

Sort of like the transparency of Bush and Cheney with big energy giants, Halliburton, Blackwater, etc... ?

[Khirad]

I actually liked Gordon Smith, for a Republican. But am not too disappointed ;) . I only hope that my apolitical sister voted down the ballot for Merkley when she voted Obama. I'd like to be "independent" and vote for a Republican once in a while, but even if it's a less qualified Democrat, I always see the bigger picture. Now, Merkley doesn't fall into this less savory category, I'm just making a broader pragmatic point. One that the senate Democratic leadership understands. I thought leaving him the chair of Homeland Security was odious, but in another sense, he now owes them -- like a dog with its tail between its legs. The insider baseball of this all would've been fascinating to watch -- all the phone calls and dealings. So for now, let's let it ride. If we don't pick up Minnesota, and Georgia really is too big of a hill to climb; that's when to revisit this. That, and four years from now in Connecticut. Kudos to Merkley! I may have grown up across the river in Washington, but I have exuberant pride for any Northwesterner making news (minus Tonya Harding)! The East Coast élite and D.C. are too provincial, sometimes it takes people from Oregon and the "real" Washington (as Bizarro Palin might say) to speak the truth.

[pupbayer]

Merkley...­oh, boy, another weak whiney Democrat. He was "hurt" by Lieberman? Give me a break. Be p*ssed or disappointed or perplexed but "hurt?" Please. Where do they find these people?

[RayPacNW]

Yeah, because being macho has served us so well lately...

[Harry Scrote]

Probably the same place they found Bo - ner.

[zippywpinhead]

no, I'm pretty sure that Merkley did not come from a festering manure pile...

[aedelbert]

You're the one bending over to take one from the senators who refuse to give a sound, rational reason for keeping Lieberman.

If we had 99 more Merkleys we might not be in this mess.

Now run on back to Joe's reelection campaign. He's gonna need to move earth and sky next time.

[AuntSally]

This is ludicrous. Security is where Lieberman diverges from the Democratic position that won the day on Nov. 4th -- so he keeps that committee. The environment, on the other hand, is where he agrees with the Democrats, so he loses that committee.

[dyspeptic]

Chuck Schumer is getting getting exactly what he paid for. Oregonians? Not so much.

[imaxfli]

Well , if they are going to let Lieberman skate here, then he'll have to answer at the Pearly Gates...ho­pe he brings a parachute.

[Tom95134]

The problem with most of you guys is that you let it get personal. It's not personal. It's business.

Lieberman is staying in his chairmanship because Obama wants him obligated to him in his efforts to get his agenda passed and not standing around bitching about what is being done. In addition, by keeping Lieberman in his post it puts McCain in a position where it's harder to go against Obama because Obama supported keeping McCain's buddy in his chairmanship.

[Beninn]

This was either a good or bad business decision, depending on what your aim was. For the people who vote for Democrats, this was a bad business decision. Lieberman hasn't worked in our interests for years. For Republicans & DLC Democrats, it was a good business decision.

What Senate Democrats did, with Obama's blessing, is about sending the message to the base of the Democratic Party that lefties are dispensible, replaceable by moderate Republicans. The DLC is making the move and blowing off the base of the party. The DLC wants to consolidate its gains in this election & take advantage of the split & disarray within the Republican Party.

There is no other way to explain DLCer Rahm Emanuel's move to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Howard Dean's departure from the DNC after his successful 50-state strategy (over Rahm Emanuel's targeted Congressional districts strategy), DLCer Hillary Clinton as SoS, & DLCer Joe Lieberman keeping the chairmanship of the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee after his performance in the post which blocked all investigations into the Bush administration's inept performances during catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina & the continuing secret no-bid sweetheart deal contracts costing taxpayers in excess of $50 BILLION (and, with the Paulson $700 billion bailout, still counting).

Face it, people, we got took.

OBAMA - Change that we hope we find in our pockets.

[RayPacNW]

I'm trying to think of one thing Obama said that made people believe he would flush all the people in D.C. and install a cadre of ulta-left progressives.

Nope. Can't think of it.

The "change" is not changing all the players. He doesn't have the power to do that anyhow. The change is the direction those players go. If you don't like how the Senate is leaning on something, let them know! Now is NOT the time to give up, now is the time to dig in. Grassroots put this together, and grassroots will bring it home.

[kjstjohn]

Beninn, I have read your posts and you are very astute. I look at things from the vantage of Georgia where "centrist" is considered "left." The scariest thing in the world to me is not incremental reform from DLC people; it's reverting back to the caveman days with someone from the GOP base. Better to have 32 years of Clintonites than 4 years of GWB. And as was demonstrated in the recent election, GWB is not at the bottom of the GOP barrel.

[pleasethinkcritically]

That's right Tom. It was an Obama "Godfather" move. "There is going to come a time, because I have done this for you, that I will ask you for a favor in return..." There is no room for vengeance and hurt campaign feelings. It's time for grown folks to go to work!!

[zippywpinhead]

I've got to agree that it's going to cost Lieberman more than the chair somewhere down the line- if nothing else, a mighty short leash that's going to get jerked far more than he'll want...

[AnotherMcIntosh]

How could this be an Obama "Godfather" move? When a "Godfather" makes a move, he deals with those who view honor as important.

[moongal6]

Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

So, appoint Cheney to a cabinet position.

[JeanPaulSatire]

Is the prison cell in the Capitol Building close enough?

[vietveter]

It is now a proven fact that the Democratic leadership

cares not a whit for their constituents, but is infact

lifetime members of the

"OLD BOYS CLUB"

TERM LIMITS - NOW

[DDK]

Term limits would involve amending the Consitution of the U.S. It would have to be passed by supermajorities in both houses of Congress, the very people who'd be termed out. Then, it would have to be passed by 2/3 of the states.

There is a reason why there have only been 17 amendments passed since the original Bill of Rights. It's an extraordinarily difficult proposition. And it's impractical solution.

[htd2009]

It's called 'Strategery', people...

[Carolab]

Merkley is one of the J Street crew:

http://www.jstreetpac.org/pac/2008-endorsed-candidates

[PatRyan]

Ayup.

J Street is the group opposing AIPAC's Likud Party appparatchiks.

Looks like a good place to be in the Obama administration.

[twohearts]

I'm a bit annoyed because I don't like Joe L. BUT I understand why they are keeping him in the Dem caucus - if he does act like a Democrat, fine, but they know that if he doesn't - he'll be off that committee. I don't feel all that anger & disgust with the old folks like Reid or Pelosi. It is the best use of the reality NOW.

And possibly the Dems of CT can FIND a better candidate to defeat him next time!

[Beninn]

No, Democrats won't be able to get rid of Lieberman.

To oust a chairman of a committee takes 2/3rds vote of the entire Senate. That means that Joe Lieberman doesn't have to keep Democrats happy once he's in. He'll have to keep Republicans happy in order to prevent Democrats from trying to oust him.

Republicans aren't about to cross party lines to vote with Democrats to vote Joe out of the Chairmanship if he makes a deal to make it worth their while. We sure know that Republicans are disciplined and tow the party line when ordered to do so. That will be especially necessary with their small numbers in the Senate. And they are all in safe seats now. Their districts won't punish them in the next election for standing up to Democrats.

This is a win all the way around for Lieberman, for Bush and everyone in his administration, and the GOP, and Democrats.

Because the fix is in to let Bush and everyone in his administration walk with no investigations and no charges. The only way to do that and not have blowback is to let people like Lieberman appear to be the bad guy, and stand in the way of getting to the bottom of Bush's criminality in office.