Gibbs: No One In White House Supports Lieberman's Citizenship Bill

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters that, as far as he knows, there isn't a single official inside the White House who backs Sen. Joseph Lieberman's (I-Conn.) proposal to strip the citizenship of Americans linked to terrorist groups.

Asked about the controversial idea during Thursday's briefing, the press secretary didn't get too far in the weeds, save to say: "I have not heard anybody inside the administration who is supportive of that."

The comments came just hours after Lieberman unveiled a proposal that would allow the State Department to strip an American citizen of their citizenship should he or she have ties to a terrorist organizations or their affiliates. Legal experts have raised serious concerns with the constitutionality and message sent by the measure, with one former Bush administration State Department lawyer going so far as to call it "draconian."

But Lieberman does have bipartisan backing -- undoubtedly riding a wave of concern over the recent attempt by an American citizen to set off a car bomb in Times Square.

Asked by the Huffington Post to elaborate on the administration's opposition, Gibbs didn't provide many details. He relayed that no one in the White House thought the idea would be an "effective" counter-terrorism measure and noted that, despite the bipartisan rollout, "Democrats and Republicans alike [have] express[ed] concern."

Comments

[drake2b]

11:25 AM on 05/09/2010

I have heard that Lieberman has a brain tumor and is slowly devolving into insanity.

[bilo rile me]

08:57 PM on 05/08/2010

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/5/7/lieberman_brown_proposal_to_strip_terror

[enoughofrr]

02:25 PM on 05/08/2010

"I have not heard anybody inside the administration who is supportive of that." Gibbs then promptly flushed the toilet.

[LibAmer]

12:40 PM on 05/08/2010

Hey this is the guy who helped father the Patriot Act. I can see our congress passing it, with all the generalities in place. Then call it something like Support American Citizens Act, so out weak willed congress would be too afraid to vote against it. Look Lieberman is a Senator, so he is a politician first. By definition, he'd rather support the perception of solving a problem rather than solve a problem. This bill will detract from debate about actual legislation on immigration. And what the words "ties" to a group mean.

[NeoLiberal]

11:18 AM on 05/08/2010

Perhaps we should have a chat with Senator Lieberman about his rather skewed advocacy of Israel and determine whether his allegiances are with the US or not.

Should his citizenship be revoked?

[Jan Knaus]

10:06 AM on 05/08/2010

Would he include Tea-Baggers as a terrorist group? If so, I might be swayed.

[Blak]

10:05 AM on 05/08/2010

The Senator from AETNA strikes again.

[grf67]

06:36 AM on 05/08/2010

Liberman, like most extremists, is apparently unwilling to follow our laws. Does this mean that we take away his citizenship for supporting Israel more than the US?

[gray375]

08:09 AM on 05/08/2010

or just take it away from him for being a self-serving jack-@ss!

[LEOTHEPOOCH]

04:09 AM on 05/08/2010

WITH LIEBERMANS WAY OF THINKING,THE GOVERNMENT CAN SAY THE TEABAGGERS ARE TERRORISTS AND TAKE AWAY THIER CITIZENSHIP,I WOULDN'T MIND THAT!!

[been2there]

10:16 PM on 05/08/2010

I would.

[ImpeachBushCheney]

01:52 AM on 05/08/2010

Strip Lieberman of his citizenship for consistently putting Isra-eli interests ahead of American interests.

[AlphaSam]

01:29 AM on 05/08/2010

Alaska sends us Palin. Connecticut sends us Lieberman. Thanks, folks.

[gray375]

08:10 AM on 05/08/2010

and S.C, sends us human waste

[jagrmeister721]

01:25 AM on 05/08/2010

I am sick of looking at this guy Gibbs. He is a pompous, obnoxious windbag; I am tired of seeing journalists kiss-up to him and his never-ending, unprofessional snarky commentary. I hope Obama gets a straight-shooter just like himself and represents the administration more professionally. For the most part, I am embarassed for the journalists who laugh at Gibbs' every sad attempt at humor and are unable to get real answers from him but are content with themselves nonetheless. Every WH press conference is an exhibit in how feckless the American press has become.

[Sobeton]

06:21 AM on 05/10/2010

he is doing his job. get over it, and if bothers you then don't watch his press conferences.

[MeanBearDC]

11:36 PM on 05/07/2010

Let's not fool ourselves, people. Lieberman is not worried about Mich*igan Mili-t$ia, because the fatwa from Is*ra-el doesn't tell him to. This "Ma(de in Is-#-ra*el" legislation has one goal, to work against M*usl-im Americans. And, by extension, to discredit America further in the Muslim World, and bring about the War of All against All, from which Isr*9ael (God only knows HOW) plans to emerge a winner. Insane, Glo-bal Revolut*ion stuff, but they tried it once with the October Revolution in Russia in 1917. I wonder why, all these people calling OBA*MA a Communist and Socialist, forget who were the real force behind Communism and Socialism. The answer? Read ANY History book. Those were the Jew*s. The first Congress of RSDRP (Russian Social-Democratic Party) in Kiev in 1905 was conducted.... wait for it... in Y*i*ddish, because that was the native language of the overwhelming number of participants.

[MeanBearDC]

11:35 PM on 05/07/2010

Let's not fool ourselves, people. Lieberman is not worried about Michigan Militia, because the fatwa from Is*ra-el doesn't tell him to. This "Made in Is-#rael" legislation has one goal, to work against M*uslim Americans. And, by extension, to discredit America further in the Muslim World, and bring about the War of All against All, from which Isr*9ael (God only knows HOW) plans to emerge a winner. Insane, Global Revolution stuff, but they tried it once with the October Revolution in Russia in 1917. I wonder why, all these people calling OBA*MA a Communist and Socialist, forget who were the real force behind Communism and Socialism. The answer? Read ANY History book. Those were the Jew*s. The first Congress of RSDRP (Russian Social-Democratic Party) in Kiev in 1905 was conducted.... wait for it... in Y*i*ddish, because that was the native language of the overwhelming number of participants.

[bmike]

11:30 PM on 05/07/2010

Fruit cake used to be served at Christmas now we get a slice of lie ber man everyday.Conn.whats wrong up there.All we are getting from you is fruit cake.America has serous problems and you only send fruit cake.