Lieberman's Conn. Colleagues: He's Out Of Touch With Constituents On Public Plan

Two of Connecticut's five members of the House of Representatives accused the state's junior senator, Joseph Lieberman, of turning his back on the interests of his state by threatening to filibuster health care reform.

In a conference call with reporters, Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Chris Murphy (both Connecticut Democrats) expressed their "disappointment" with Lieberman for saying he would work to block legislation that included a public option for insurance coverage.

"I would hope that Senator Lieberman would re-think his position and I hope it is not a final decision on his part," said DeLauro, when asked by the Huffington Post to respond to the senator's concerns. "There is certainly overwhelming support from the state of Connecticut and there is overwhelming support in the country for a public option. And I think that has been recognized by the leadership in the Senate and certainly has by the leadership in the House. I think our obligation is to the people that we represent and as clearly as I see from the state of Connecticut that is where the sentiment lies."

Added Murphy:

"A lot of people in Connecticut where very disappointed by Senator Lieberman's announcement. I don't think there is any doubt that people in Connecticut are supportive of health care reform and the public option... I hope that over the coming weeks as this debate continues that Sen. Lieberman will come back to Connecticut and talk to the people I talk to and talk to the people who are in favor of strong reform and in favor of the public option...."

Murphy would go on to note that in the most recent round of polling -- done by the group Research 2000 poll and commissioned by the liberal website Daily Kos -- 68 percent of likely voters in Connecticut said they supported a public option, while only 21 percent opposed.

Such numbers are stronger than in other states, where conservative Democratic senators have not yet announced how they will vote on health care reform. But Lieberman is a weird breed - taking obvious pride in his self-proclaimed streaks of independence. So it is not particularly shocking to see him hold the Democratic Party hostage on this policy point.

What is a bit surprising is to see how open DeLauro and Murphy were to expressing their disappointment. Usually the formalities of Congress dictate that intra-party grievances (especially those that take place within a state delegation) are aired privately and glossed over in public. That has certainly been the way the White House and Majority Leader Harry Reid have handled Lieberman's latest statements. It could be that Lieberman's standing is so poor now among Democrats in Connecticut that his state colleagues simply don't mind giving him the occasional public whack.

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Comments

[SDindependent]

He claims to be an Independent, I would argue he is a charlatan

[MonaLisa65]

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Connecticut,_2006#Finances , back in '06 Lieberman managed to raise and spend nearly double what the Democratic nominee Lamont did, and by late July '06 had nearly 10X the cash on hand that Lamont did. [The Republican candidate, Schlesinger, who gained his party's nomination through the Republican convention, raised and spent relatively little (raising less than $114K, spending $38K. That's an interesting little fact, now isn't it?)]

According to opensecretsDOTorg, 80% of Joe's campaign contributions came from out of state in 2005-6. In the general election, exit polls showed that Lieberman won the vote of 33% of democrats, 54% of independents and 70% of Republicans.

I guess that makes it obvious that he IS working for his constituents: his out-of-state backers and Republicans.

And it's why I will be actively working against his re-election next time around.

[BlueSkyPilot]

This is just one more reason we should disband the senate.

The Founding fathers never envisioned the level of technology we have today.
We have the ability to create a system that we can reliably allow the people to cast there votes on issues.
It is time to amend the constitution to disband the Senate and allow votes on the bills put forth by the House of Representatives to be cast by the people for the people.

We can save a billion or two in the process.

This week the House of Representatives will begin floor proceedings on the Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill. For Financial Year 2008 $4,330,451,000 has been requested - an increase of 14% from 2007. What would this be spent on?
http://washminster.blogspot.com/2007/06/how-much-does-it-cost-to-run-congress.html

[SShaw490]

Poll after poll show that Americans overwhelmingly favor a public option, and the more robust it is, the better it polls. Politicians who oppose that provision specifically are clearly not representing Americans, so you have to ask who they're representing. That takes about 10 seconds to figure out.

[Kamenskiy]

Lieberman's real constituents are the health insurance industry, and his wife. He is certainly not out of touch with THEM.

[CJWebber]

He is a bought politician. Obviously.

[liberalOrgonian]

Watching the whole Insurance reform unfolding Proves we need lobby reform desperately.

How can anyone in Washington represent the people
when they have sold their soul for money & power.
What is in place is not any better than the Mafia.
Big Biz purchasing representatives.
Government workers lying
While people die.

[brt929]

When the Supreme Court is about to strike down McCain Feingold, and lobbyist money is just a "free speech" right, I don't see how we are ever going to see reform. Not with this Court.

I wish it were different.

[negogato]

America today is a picture of a GOP Supreme Court decision that Money = Speech.
Today in America a politician is a person who raises a lot of money and votes about much bigger money issues. And they have come to the microphone and explain those votes. So unlike Ole Man River - who don’t say nothing, Joe Lieberman has to say Something about his voting. Off Topic, Right Sounding, Forgettable – whatever, it must BE something because it can’t be nothing.
The Must Say Something talk, whatever it may be, is diversion, fill ... placebo.
Money talks and Politicians Vote.
Bribery is now enshrined in the US Constitution. Because Money = Speech.
If you want something done – you have to pay for it.
Without voter rights laws and reform to our campaign contribution laws; we will continue to surrender our democracy to the likes of Joe Lieberman.
That is until 2012 when the great state of Connecticut Joe Lieberman re-election campaign will have its votes counted in a system rife with corruption.

[eweqo]

He's so out of touch, he keeps getting re-elected even after dropping the dems and going rogue.

[darter22]

Not true. LIEberman is totally in touch with his constituents: Aetna and CIGNA.

[jolebo]

My thoughts exactly.

[Peter007]

The Insurance industry brings in billions of dollars into Connecticut. It supports all the local police and teachers. If you remove the insurance industry from Connecticut, that state becomes Mississippi of the north. No jobs, no money, cut city and state services.

[GrantedBKNY]

Funny stuff, cartoonish arguments are.

[Pegi]

no one is saying to remove the insurance industries from Ct. They need competition that's all. If he loves the insurance companies so much, he should resign and go work for them - he certainly isn't serving the people at all!!!!!

[gschear]

Fine with me. These companies commit murder in order to maximize their profits.
They should be forced to change the way they do business or face criminal prosecution.
Proper reform would do that.

[who38]

Are these insurance companies incorporated in Deleware or does Connecticut have cush laws re/ their status? Daschle gave South Dakota a windfall re/ credit card regulations and Nevada appears to be protective as well.

[brt929]

Even if we went to a Single Payer system, insurance companies would still be around.

The biggest insurance company in Connecticut, The Hartford, isn't even a health insurer.

[ctman47]

I had heard that Senators had sharp elbows. Didn't know it was for hitting constituents in the gut.

[Whinger]

Joe The Republican is in touch with the dark side having become the Sith Sect lapdog!

[StillAmused]

Jumpin' Joe's not out of touch with his "constituents"... they just don't include the people of Connecticut.
.
.

... well, maybe the relative handful that answer the phones at insurance company headquarters in Hartford.

[Kevins]

No change.
He's been out of touch with the entire country for how long now? Nobody in America thinks Lieberman is worth a dime, except the people who bribe him.

[Kevins]

I mean I don't usually talk like that about people,
but this guy is so consistent in his 'buy-ability'.
And the Democrats should stop bribing him with the committee chair,
especially since he's become like a mistress who's taking money from somebody else.

SMARMY is the word.

[who38]

And they think that he is worth a nickel.

[brt929]

Oh, I think they learned their lesson. They gave him one last chance, and he threw it away.

[askcherlock]

Why would Lieberman listen to his constituents now? He has been a fence-sitter, not a fence mender. He has become so entrenched with conglomerates over the years that the very idea of a public option must have him clutching for digitalis. Murtha-ed, she wrote.