Lieberman is a national senator, not a Connecticut senator. He lost the Democratic primary for senator in this state 2 years ago, quickly created a “Lieberman for Connecticut” party which he didn’t even join (he’s still a registered Democrat), and ran on that and won basically because most of the voters in CT are independents who just pull the lever of the name they recognize. He’s a raw opportunist who, frankly, doesn’t even serve his state that well. He consistently blows off state-wide business roundtables that Dodd always attends. I work for a business that employs hundreds in this state, but on 3 separate occasions he cancelled meetings with us at the last minute. He was nowhere to be seen when our delegation worked to save the Groton Sub Base from closure a couple of years ago. My father is a Dean at the University of Connecticut, and he’s told me that Lieberman has never even responded to requests for fairly simple assistance for the University.
There is no way he would have supported McCain the way he did if his re-election race wasn’t 4 years from now. He’s figuring everyone will forget it by then.
He talks all about his integrity, and what he believes, etc. I don’t care about what he believes. Neither do the Democrats of Connecticut. He’s in office to represent us. It has been clear as crystal what most of the citizens of Connecticut want, and yet he thinks he is a crusader for telling us all how misinformed we are. I got sick of hearing his lectures years ago.
But he did get elected, so there is that. But since he has chosen to be independent, he should be independent. I’ve never heard of Independents who are chairs of important committees. Let him live with his choice. We won’t miss him if he’s not still Chair, since he’s doing so little for us anyhow. Thankfully, we still have Chris Dodd (who did not support Lieberman during his election 2 years ago, since he lost the primary).
[Edit]: For what it’s worth, I was sorry to see Connecticut Republican Representative Chris Shays loose his seat in the wave of anti-Republican votes this election. He’s not from my district, but from what I’ve seen he kept Connecticut’s needs foremost in his mind during his day-to-day activities. And given his district (Fairfield County, home of Wall Street and hedge fund executives), his Republican views were consistent with those of his voting constituents. This time around, more folks apparently voted in that district. Ironically, he lost to a retired hedge fund manager who banked enough Wall Street millions to now head a nonprofit agency.
The only reason Lieberman is even in a position to be a committee chairman is because the Democrats that he’s chosen to caucus with have a majority. The Democrats have a majority because they got lots of Senators elected.
Senator Lieberman didn’t just campaign for McCain. He didn’t just act like a sleaze while campaigning for McCain - questioning Obama’s patriotism was disgusting. He campaigned for downticket Republicans! In other words - he actively tried to prevent #2. It’s basic politics 101 that you do not reward him for this.
Joe should loose his chairmanship and on the first day of the 111st Congress, Obama should hold a press conference and name him as his nominee for Secretary of DHS, before asking him of course. See if he’ll jump that shark.
Do this, let him stay on the committee, but put someone else in charge. He has less power, but it doesn’t make the Democrats look vindictive. Also, let him know he has two years to make sure people know he supports Obama and the Dems, if he isn’t convincing he loses it all.
They should elevate the senior Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee to the chairmanship of course (unless that’s the other independent guy, who didn’t go out of his way to smear the Democrats). Good for party unity and discipline.
Wasn’t the other independent a Republican in a past life?
Lieberman isn’t a Republican, so you’re not working with the other party. Nor is he moderate. Nobody who supports Bush to that extent is a moderate. He may be on other issues, but in the war on terror and Presidential power, Lieberman is a full-on wingnut.
Kick his fucking teeth in. Democrats are remarkably slack, even as America goes, about party discipline. Lieberman may not be part of the party but he caucuses with them yet campaigned on behalf of Republicans. You can’t do that. Letting him keep his chair is like being robbed by your next door neighbor and then inviting him over to supper just to make sure you’re still friends. In the immortal words of Charlie Murphy, you gotta stomp that muthafucka out right here.
President-elect Barack Obama has informed party officials that he wants Joe Lieberman to continue caucusing with the Democrats in the 111th Congress, Senate aides tell the Huffington Post.
Obama’s decision could tie the hands of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has been negotiating to remove Lieberman as chair of the Homeland Security and Government Reform committee while keeping him within the caucus. Lieberman has insisted that he will split from the Democrats if his homeland security position is stripped.
Huh? Being open and bipartisan should mean hearing different voices when you seek advice. Not putting power in the hands of obstructionists and warmongers.
The Obama statement only addresses the issue of ejecting him from the caucus, without expressing any opinion about his retention of seniority/chair. Outright ejecting him is probably not the best course of action, but taking away all his power (which could result in him leaving on his own) is a good idea.
Apparently, though, the whole caucus is going to vote on it tomorrow, so we don’t have much longer to speculate.
Hopefully the caucus will focus on how Joe lead his chairmanship, and not his Participation in his caucus. Compare him to Waxmen and Joes response on Katrina and security related constitutional issues, and Lieberman DESERVES his demotion.
Bottom line, Joe SUCKED as chairman of his committee.
ARGH. Looks like Lieberman keeps his chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee and his seat on the Armed Services committee, but is losing his seat on the Environment and Public Works committee.
My disappointment has no bounds… However, I am not surprised. It’s not about doing what’s right, it’s about keeping privilege with the privileged. If this were the Republicans, Lieberman would have been out of his chairmanships without question. I don’t think they should be as lockstep as the Republicans have been recently, but his behavior deserved punishment.
Anyone but me remember the start of the Clinton Presidency in 1992? I voted for the guy and did so because the economy was in the tank and I liked his ideas on that. I liked his ideas on education. I really liked his ideas on health care. I thought he also brought a measured approach to foreign policy.
So the guy gets elected…and liberal and far-left special interests just ran roughshod over the guy. Instead of talking about the big issues that affected everyday folks like the ones who voted for him, we spent the first 100 days of his administration talking about gays in the military among a host of other things that weren’t even on most Clinton voters’s minds when they pulled the lever for the guy. It was as if 24 years of agenda that had been stockpiled since '68 just crushed the first year of the Clinton Administration, side-tracking and distracting them from getting much done.
So along comes Obama. He sees how much we all hate Lieberman and then says “Let him stay”, and suddenly Obama ally and consigliere Dick Durbin is pushing for Liebs to keep his committee chair, and the senate falls into line behind it. He sees how much animosity there is against Hillary from the left wing of the party who supported him and says “Fuck you, I’m making her Secretary of State.” He’s getting lobbied by folks who care deeply about rBST labeling on milk, and turns around and interviews two guys with Monsanto ties for the USDA cabinet appointment.
In other words, all that “Team Of Rivals” stuff? Yeah, not bullshit apparently. Lefty agendas that have been tabled since 1999? Keep them the fuck to yourselves, Obama doesn’t have time for it. Or, as Bill Maher put it last night on Rachel Maddow’s show: “Obama is smarter than us, and that’s tough to get used to.”
Oh, and I also think Obama just out-maneuvered and outflanked his Republican opposition on the Lieberman thing. Holy Joe’s committee has oversight on the Executive Branch and investigative powers, so him staying put tells those joining the Administration as a staffer or Cabinet appointee on notice that someone who may not be particularly politically sympathetic will be watching them–so no drama, no fuckups like “Travelgate”.
Secondly, if Holy Joe doesn’t initiate any investigations…well, it ain’t as if the Republicans will be able to claim that there’s a partisan reason behind Lieberman’s committee not investigating their more crackpotted notions.
