Lieberman's Slap on the Wrist
Sources say that Senate Dems, who are currently huddling in the Old Senate Chamber, will keep Lieberman in the caucus and allow his to retain the chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (thus giving him subpoena power over the administration -- a power he did not exert over 43). Lieberman is expected to lose his spots on two other committees: Environment and Public Works and Armed Services. The move comes after Obama reached out to Harry Reid last week and said he'd like to see Lieberman stay in the caucus and Lieberman's staff reached out to Obama's staff a few days ago and have been in talks since. Hey, if they guy Lieberman went after is saying let's forgive if not forget then who is to say the Connecticut senator needs to be further punished?
The Left, that's who -- those who are still angry at Lieberman for his continuing and steadfast support of the war in Iraq, not to mention his votes on security issues like FISA (though, Obama also voted for that particular bill). But having just met with John McCain yesterday in Chicago and having run on a promise of change from DC's bitter partisan ways -- is it such a surprise that it's likely Lieberman's staying at Obama's behest?
Update:
Lieberman actually keeps his seat on Armed Services but loses EPW. By a vote of 42-13 his peers elected to keep him. The resolution was co-sponsored by Dodd, Salazar, Carper and Bill Nelson. Lieberman called it a move of "reconciliation and not retribution." Indeed, reconciliation seemed to be the catch word of the day -- literally every Democrat I asked said the move was meant to heal the party. "There's the inside game and the outside game," said Senator Ben Nelson, one of the 42 Dems that voted to support Lieberman, referring to the progressive angry against Lieberman. "And the inside game is about family and coming together and the outside game should learn the lesson of reconciliation." Nelson also hailed Lieberman as "the prodigal son" returned to the flock. Others were not as generous: "Personally, there are things that he said during the campaign that I can't overlook or forgive," said Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland. "But to a person there was a recognition in that room that we need to come together as a caucus and find a way to move forward."
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"is it such a surprise that it's likely Lieberman's staying at Obama's behest?"
No, it is just more evidence of what gutless wonders Senate Democrats are. I wonder if these clowns ever intend to throw a bone to the people who put them in office, or is pleasing right-wing Democrats, and Republicans, their only concern, now that they are in power.
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Once more "change" gives way to "status quo." I'm disappointed, not in Obama, since his instincts for conciliation are sound and admirable, but for the Senate leadership, which has been competely ineffectual, overly deferential to Bush, and now looks to be more of the same.
`Guess that committee will now go back (again) into mothballs.
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I don't understand why "The Left" is angry. It's not like there's anything to be perturbed about.
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It's a good Republican talking point--dismiss legitimate criticism (understatement) by launching an ad hominem attack on your opponents as "angry."
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Imagine a person running a stoplight and plowing into your car. You tell him unequivocally that there's a problem with that behavior. Imagine if that person fended off your criticism by standing by the smoldering wreckage and saying that you're just an angry person. -
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Byron Dorgan "The Left" in any real sense
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More research, less journamalism please. -
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Byron Dorgan "The Left" in any real sense
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Bryan Dorgan DOES NOT EQUAL "The Lefe" in any real sense.
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My kingdom for an interface that allows for a DOES NOT EQUAL sign. -
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Wonder if the Senate will write the organization rules to allow for a chairmanship change mid-stream for this term.
I'd recommend it.
But not as strongly as sgw will... -
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(or a spellcheck, or a preview pane, etc.)
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Hopefully the Democratic Party is grooming an effective candidate to run against Lieberman in two years. Harry Reid, needs to be replaced.
You don't reward outrageous behavior in children, or Senators.
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Slap on the wrist? What you are describing is more like a pat on the ass, like football players do to each other after they score a touchdown. Sheesh.
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"The Left, that's who"
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Who has come out in support of Joe Lieberman retaining his Homeland Security chair? "Sources"? "Hill Staffers"? The President-Elect isn't saying that.
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If you are implying that HS chair is the only thing that will keep him in the Democratic caucus then say that. (or if that's what you are inferring from your sources, say that) -
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Aside from the pleasure of pushing Sanctimonious Joe to the side, there is a practical consideration to removing him from the HS Chair position. If he starts "acting up" the Dems cannot simply remove him from the position. Removal is a full Senate affair, and is subject to filibuster (unless they rewrite the rules per JoeB). Which means the repuglicans can poke sharp sticks into Dem eyes just for the fun of it. Their favorite sport. And Sanctimonious Joe can whine about people being mean to him - his favorite sport.
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Sadly, I think Glenn Greenwald has the senate dems figured out pretty well:
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"Nobody who has watched Congressional Democrats over the last many years could possibly have expected any other outcome. This is who they are and what they do. The silver lining is that it will once again remind people, still euphoric over the election results, of this reality.
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And as the anger pours forth from people who raise money for Democrats and expended huge amounts of time and effort to elect Barack Obama, the more vindicated Senate Democrats will feel in what they just did. That's how they look centrist and bipartisan -- by infuriating their supporters, the perceived "Left." They don't believe in Sister Souljah moments; they believe in Sister Souljahism as an operating principle, a way of life. "
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/11/17/emanuel/index.html -
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Colin McEnroe: "Give me Lee Atwater and Karl Rove and James Carville any day. Give me some stout-hearted unapologetic infighters and elbow-throwers. At least they never pretend to be anything else. Far more insidious is Lieberman, with his coprophagic grin and his profession of good will. I never believed it, but a lot of people did.
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The way you always knew that Joe Lieberman was the kind of guy who "rises above" partisan politics was that he always told you so. The way you knew he wasn't was to watch him the rest of the time."
http://blogs.courant.com/colin_mcenroe_to_wit/2008/11/why-joe-lieberman-still-matter.html
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It's not that Joe is a partisan. It's that he is deeply dishonest and cannot be trusted. And he has a coprophagic grin. -
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Since SG appears to be out, today who is the designated Lieberman basher?
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Andy, we could just cut and paste from other posts, and throw in a few extra exclamation points...
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Am I the only one worried about Lieberman having subpoena power over the Obama administration? Lieberman is in love with himself and I think has the potential to do great harm. I'm not saying totally kick him out (though I am still not convinced that wouldn't be a bad thing) but I would like to see him further neutralized. If he has shown anything, it is that he cannot be trusted. And if they don't put him on a leash now, it will only be harder down the road.
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[...] by michaelscherer | Comments (0) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This Jay Newton-Small brings word of the wrist slap that Lieberman is expected to suffer for spending the last year calling Democrats [...]
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I don't like it.
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I think he should have been stripped of the chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee, too.
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We need to get rid of Chertoff and clean that particular house up... -
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Andy
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I have a diary on kos bashing the hell out of Joe and asking the question "Are we all sheep?" The premise being that if Lieberman isnt stripped of his chairmanship then the netroots shouldn't give a dime to the DSCC in 2010. Otherwise in my opinion the netroots are just as gutless as the Senators who gave Lieberman a reprieve.
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JNS
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Please ammend your post to point out that Barack Obama NEVER said he wanted Lieberman to keep his chairmanship and instead said he would be "happy" to have Lieberman caucus with him. There has been a lot of bullsh!t paraphrasing and supposed "anonymous source" reporting that tried to make it look like Obama was pushing hard for Lieberman to stay but what we have to truly go on is Obama's word's through his spokesman which suggest he wants Lieberman to go but he wants to put the blame at Lieberman's feet not his.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27668003/ -
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Cillizza says that "The Senate is a legislative body that was built on and even today relies heavily upon personal loyalties." And such a body will always reward members who go back on their word and trash a fellow member of their own party with baseless smears. Because it's all about loyalty. Go it.
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[...] Filed under: Politics — Tags: democrats, joe lieberman, obama — Jon @ 12:57 pm So it appears as though the Dems are going to give Joe Lieberman the equivalent strongly worded letter, permitting him to hold his Chairmanship of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, while [...]
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They just announced he is keeping the chairmanship. They gave him a resolution denouncing what he said. Ill bet he will cry all the way home
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Why am I not surprised? Recall the Dem Chairman extolling the virtues of Stevens AFTER he was convicted. This is a club. They are all given a free backscratcher as soon as they are admitted to this exclooosive club. Recall the Republicans giving Vitter a rousing reception? They even tolerated Mr Toilet TapDancer.
Need a break to go puke. Doing some of that lately. I feel LEFT out.
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Note: I refer to the Dem Committee Chairman of the Senate Committee on which Stevens in the ranking Republican.
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I'm just sickened. Absolutely sickened.
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Just more of the same. After all the investment in something new, giving us hope that things will be different, and then just being confronted with the same old crony b-s. I'm enraged.
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