Democrats' Lieberman Letter: Apologize

Connecticut Democrats want Sen. Joe Lieberman to apologize to President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden for comments he made during the campaign criticizing both men and questioning their ability to govern.

The request was made in a Jan. 16 letter from Nancy DiNardo, chairwoman of the state party, on behalf of the Democratic State Central Committee.

"We hope and expect that you will work constructively with the new Democratic president and Congress, and will give your full and active support to the Democratic agenda to help enact the policies and reforms so badly needed to get America headed in the right direction," she wrote.

Some top Connecticut Democrats, angry with Lieberman over his public support of Republican Sen. John McCain for president, originally wanted the state party to censure the senator. But after much debate, they decided DiNardo should write Lieberman a letter outlining their concerns.

The one-page letter chastises the longtime Democrat, who won re-election in 2006 as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, for speaking at the Republican National Convention on behalf of McCain.

It says Lieberman's appearance undermined the efforts of Democratic candidates in Connecticut and across the country.

Lieberman, the Democrats' nominee for vice president in 2000, plans to respond to DiNardo's letter. It was unclear whether he'll issue an apology.

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"Sen. Lieberman believes that this is not the time to look backward, but rather to unite behind the leadership of our new president to address the challenges facing Connecticut and our nation," said Marshall Wittmann, a Lieberman spokesman.

"Sen. Lieberman agrees with what President Obama so eloquently stated [Tuesday] that we must put an end to the politics of recrimination -- now is the time for unity, not for division," he said.

Lieberman and DiNardo met privately late last month, shortly after the state central committee agreed to send him the letter. DiNardo had called the meeting "very thoughtful and productive."

The state Democrats' letter also criticizes Lieberman for supporting controversial pastor John Hagee, a Texas evangelical preacher who has referred to the Roman Catholic Church as "the great whore" and called it a "false cult system."

"Your support of Republican candidates and of the views of Rev. John Hagee sent a message that you supported the failed policies of the past and supported views that are considered at best anti-Catholic and anti-gay," according to the letter. "These allegiances represent a fundamental deviation from the values that our candidates and supporters of the Democratic Party hold dear."

Comments

[Freenation]

Lieberman has full support of AIPAC and will not cave down easily..he knows he will be well defended...he is just an opportunist who made a wrong decision supporting McCain..maybe he thought McCain will win and he might get some nice cabinet posts etc...

[phinney]

Or maybe he decided to support the man he thought was right for the job and not just take orders from a party that turned their backs on him in the 2006 election.

He should send a letter back with 2 letters on it...F. U.

[thepoliticalcat]

Awww, hunny! Still snivelling? Here's a hanky, and here's a quarter. Call someone who cares, OK? And dry your weeping eyes.

[anthonylee]

Or maybe he's incapable of thinking to select the right individual for the job and hasn't got a loyal bone in his body (whether it be a political party or country).

Maybe AIPAC should respond to the letter, for him?

[anthroman]

McCain/Palin would have been a national disaster.

[notthistime]

I agree with you 100% and I supported President Obama.

[wanked]

sorry but it was Ned Lamont who got little to no support fron the dems.

[Rjchinook]

GIVE ME A BREAK! "Sen. Lieberman believes that this is not the time to look backward, but rather to unite behind the leadership of our new president to address the challenges facing Connecticut and our nation," HOW can anyone move forward without first being validated that what they did or what happened to them was wrong? Then, the wrong-doers must ask for forgiveness.
The American people have refused to validate the attempted holocaust and acknowledge the intergenerational trauma that has plagued Native Americans, which is why we have the highest rates of suicide: http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/psuicnat.html
and rape against our women then any other group in the United States.
ttp://www.civilrights.org/library/reports/maze-of-injustice-the.html

I believe once Native Americans heal our nation will begin to heal as a whole.
http://www.nativeres.org/

[thepoliticalcat]

I agree, Rj. This country was built on the blood and bones of the Native people and until we all apologize humbly to them for the theft of their lives, their native tongues, their land, their ancestors, we will have no peace and no healing.

[notthistime]

co-signing.

[Vixter]

WHAT RJ SAID!!!

[ArchAngel]

Even though registered Democrats overwhelmingly rejected him in both the Primaries and in the General Election, it is clear that the elite oligarchs could care less and reject what the membership wants.

This case alone makes it clear that the Democratic Party is anything but democratic. It is a centralized controlled machine that only has the illusion of following the peoples' will.

As we've clearly seen in the last couple of weeks there are only a handful of very powerful titans that count.

[bandillero]

Only if he has a rag over that face. I don't want to see him again.

On his silence, maybe Madoff eff'd him also?

[matt in ct]

Full letter available here for those that want to see it.

[matt in ct]

Oops, I mean, here:

http://ctprogressive.net/2009/01/24/lieberman-letter/

[springsm]

His next election is 2012 and that is going to be one long time. I find it interesting that we have not seen him in photo ops since the election. He hasn't latched onto anybody important yet. I wonder who it will be this time.

[JoeDoorman]

Lieberman apologize? When has he ever admitted to making mistakes?
It's all, "I should have explained myself better," etc. etc.

[Larkinvos]

He will NEVER apologize.
To apologize shows a measure of class,
of which Lieberman has NONE.

[iswideopen]

Joe Lieberman should have been man enough to apologize on his own. Being that he didn't, let it go and VOTE HIM OUT on next election.

[sweetwhine]

Exactly

[RedKnuckles]

I agree, but the problem in CT is that as long as the Republicans can't put forth a somewhat viable candidate for Senate, the republican voters will keep voting him in. Their last candidate was a joke and the Repub. party in CT advised voting for Lieberman.

[plymkr]

The more we see of the Congress the more we realize what a bunch of idiots and cry babies.

It's time they remember that they work for us.....AMERICANS!

I could care less if Lieberman apologizes or not......it's in the past.....over and done with.

It's time to move forward and help our President fix the economy!

[GJR227]

Idiots, cry babies & worse. Obama inherits a screaming mess ... including a dis-functional Congress.

The Repugs have no interest in making Obama look good ... and the Dems have horrible leadership.

[fiorastar]

"This is not the time to look backwards." The new conservative code for "unwilling to take responsibility for anything". I'm sure they'll grant the exact same to any Democrats who did things in the past--like yesterday--that they did not like. Right?

[kassandrasduplex]

I am still waiting for Joltin' Joe to make good on his earlier campaign promise (2006) to investigate the Bush Administration for its failed Katrina response. Anyone remember that?

In a fascist nation, the leaders behave without accountability and with total impunity.

[SCG]

This is the most idiotic idea from my state, I'm embarrassed. Clearly they are more interested in grandstanding than taking any action.

But then I noticed that by the way the 2006 election went down.

[jcf03]

We in CT recognized Joe as a self-serving snake long years ago. But doing impressions of his whine is one of our favorite sports. I can't wait to vote against him- one more time.

[jdwoman]

Vote the SOB out and use him in the meantime.

[SecretSquirrel666]

The only problem with this idea is that his constituents prefer him over the Dem party hack that was being forced down their throats. They actually had the audacity to vote for who they wanted and not who they were told to vote for. That is the problem the Dem party has with Joe, he'll vote his conscience and that scares the Dem leadership.

[Dave-O]

Screw Lieberman, Just render him irrelevant. Who cares if he apologizes or not. It does not appear to be in his nature to do anything honorable or ethical. I wouldn't trust his apology anyway. He only does what he thinks is good for Lieberman.