Cheerful Lieberman: I Wasn't Punished At All

Joe Lieberman sat down with Katie Couric of CBS to talk about the Senate Democratic caucus vote in his favor. Asked to respond to critics who are angry at how little punishment Lieberman received for campaigning against Barack Obama in the election, the Connecticut Independent pointed to Barack Obama's appeal against retribution. He added that he thought the Democratic message on the subject was, "it's time for us to reconcile, to close ranks." He added he was "very grateful" and "in some senses feeling closer to the Senate Democratic caucus than i have since the 2000 election." Watch:

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Politico also caught up with Lieberman today, who was pretty cheerful:

As critics complain that he got off with a "slap on the wrist," Joe Lieberman said Wednesday that he doesn't regard his loss of a spot on the Environment and Public Works Committee as punishment for backing John McCain over Barack Obama in the presidential race.

"I don't view it as a sanction," a relaxed and genial Lieberman told Politico as he walked through the Capitol Wednesday.

Instead, Lieberman suggested he relinquished his seat on the committee voluntarily -- "in the spirit of cooperation" -- after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asked him to help free up room for the committee for incoming senators.

Lieberman was also asked by Couric about his response to a question posed to him during the campaign, "Is Barack Obama a Marxist?" At the time he said "it's a good question to ask." Watch him try to explain his answer.

WATCH:

Comments

[LoRiseAntlers]

Does Connecticut have the ability to hold a recall election on Droopy?

[alreadyfamous]

i have very very little respect for lieberman. the democrats should have told where to go

[Hawka]

No point in giving the GOP a free vote in my eyes, Lieberman's vote is worth more then Lieberman himself in my mind. A snake like his is predictable, he'll toe the line to save his skin, and that's fine with me if it makes passing important policies through.

[EarthToZoey]

Joe LIEberman is a treacherous_rat. I would have had a modicum of respect for him if he had simply disagreed with Obama's policy positions, but noooo -- he had to take it major leaps forward! He tried his best to emasculate Obama as some foreign policy w.eakling and propagated the d.angerous "friend of t.errorist­s" s.mears. And now he wants to be in the favor of the Democratic party and the President-Elect he tried to sink? Pahleeze.

[bmwracer]

Didn't Lieberman play Harvey "Two Face" Dent in "The Dark Knight?"

If he didn't, Hollywood blew a natural choice for the role.

[anachoret]

Joe got a better offer from the US Senate, playing the Chairman of an important oversight department.

[Exit]

Nobody needs Lieberman. Let him hang with his insane friends on the Right. Hey Lieberman, Rush Limbaugh called and said he wants to talk to you.

[Lotus19]

Is it just me or does LIeberman's nose look a lot longer these days?

[Dr.Bill]

It would be hard to find a more contemptible person in the political arena than Joe LIEberman. Aside from his obvious smugness; one of the things that has always riled me about the man is that whenever he speaks he seems to be on the verge of an attack of diarrhea; in a vain attempt to sound in some way profound and thoughtful. Am I the only one who notices this?

When I supported him as the Democratic nominee for VP on the Gore/Lieberman ticket, I thought his speech pattern was amusing. Now I can't stand to listen to this man any more than I can stand listening to the likes of Hannity, Limbaugh or any other of the far right commentators.

Hey Joe, why don't you take that dump already?!!

[lynettema]

What do the people of Connecticut think of this Benedict Arnold? We never hear from any of them.

[DRaymond]

Remember that they still need Lieberman in the Lame Duck Session or they loose the majority. I suspect that there may be an entirely different attitude toward Joe once the newly elected senators are actually sworn in and Lieberman's support in the caucus is irrelevant.

[ZimboChick]

That man will eat humble pie sooner than he realises, when all the camera, lights RNC stage action are gone.

[lynettema]

I'll bet he isn't eating lunch with the popular kids in the Senate dining room.

[ZimboChick]

Y'all need to watch Jon Stewart lol. He is talking about Pinocchio here

[MaximMaximus]

As I commented before, Senator Lieberman does not seem to have a spine! After all he did, he's still got the audacity to look into President-elect Obama and his Democrat colleagues in the face and proclaim that he's a staunch Democrat. In my opinion, he lacks integrity.

[Malamati]

And why don't president-elect Obama et al slap him down? Bad enough that he insults them, but worse still that they take it.

Despicable!

[ChiGuy]

Bob Cesca says it best:

See, by allowing you to keep your precious chairmanship -- by letting you off the h'ook -- President-elect Obama, through his political bigness, p'unished you without p'unishing you. He b'eat you yesterday, Senator. He b'eat you because he let you be you, and underscored it with his demonstrably better angels and strength of character.

In the final analysis, the hard reality is that by not choosing retribution, he made you look...

...small.

And that, Senator, is good enough for me.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/an-open-letter-to-joe-lie_b_145026.html

[4wehttam]

Yeah, I loved that Cesca piece. It makes Lieberman look like the fool he truly is. Good for Barack.

[jerryfromcalifornia]

VOMIT!!!!!!!!!!

[HenryClay]

And to think...al­l through September and October, Joe thought he would end up running the Pentagon in a McCain administration. Now, he's on a very short leash with the Dem caucus. One wrong move and Senator Leahy delivers the shiv to Joe's back.