Lieberman may be the "deal-maker" w/Bush on SS privatization-Josh Marshall

[Gloria]

TIME TO THROW UP!!!!!!

Lieberman may be the "deal-maker" w/ Bush on SS privatization


So says Josh Marshall (excerpted below)...all Bush needs
is 1 Democrat to defect:

"As we've said, I think two members of the Graham senate book
club are looking to make a deal. And I think their angle is to
fiddle with the payroll tax as a way to let their faint little hearts
get to that Holy Grail of Faintheartedness, the prized private
accounts. That's what they want to do and I think that's what
they're trying to do.

I talk to various of Sen. Lieberman's political friends and we
wonder between ourselves: What is it exactly? Is he just a man
out of time now? Too stung by how the 2004 primaries went
and just doesn't care what Dems think? Or maybe he thinks
he's legislating for history here. A lot of folks who are
generally in line with Lieberman, and like him, ended up not
supporting him in the primaries because they worried not
about his political views but about his political judgment. So
the irony here is that he's displaying the same political tin ear
and questionable judgment that kept many like-minded
Dems from supporting him. And their very lack of support
stung him so badly that it has accentuated those tendencies
that kept them off the Joe team to begin with.

And remember, I'm not talking about John Sweeney or Andy
Stern here. I'm talking about card-carrying New Dems.

Just this morning I was talking with some political players
involved in the Social Security fight and they were wondering
how quickly a few hundred thousand dollars of seed money
could be raised to fund a decent primary opponent to run
against Lieberman next year. And I have say, I think they
could raise it pretty quickly.

After half a decade without any senators to represent me, I'm
happy to have two I can call my own again. And luckily,
Schumer and Clinton are strong supporters of Social
Security. But if I lived in Connecticut and my own senator
ended up deep-sixing Social Security all by himself, I'd
certainly support someone who challenged him. Actually,
I'd happily see him replaced by a Republican if that's what it
came too.

Millions rely on Social Security, a right earned through a
lifetime of work. It's a compact between citizens and between
generations. And like all truly good legislation it makes for
good policy and good politics. One senator from Connecticut
is a small thing when weighed in that balance.

He's the deal-maker. All the signs are showing it.

Sen. Lieberman's popular in Connecticut. But there must be
some folks in Connecticut who support Social Security too.

-- Josh Marshall

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/index-old.php

[MikeG]

1. Lieberman - the Tessio of the Democratic party.

[buddysmellgood]

2. Why does Bush need just one democrat? How does one fool make his

scam palatable?

[whometense]

18. Marshall was just saying that if

even ONE dem signed on to this they could paint it as bipartisan. Right.

[dsc]

3. I have carried more water for him than Gunga Din

but if he messes with SS I would advocate letting David Duke take his seat if that is what it took to get him out.

[kentuck]

4. We need to finda primary opponent for him quickly....

So he knows we Democrats are serious about this issue.

[demwing]

20. Agreed, even if the only result is that Lieberman gets the wakeup call.

He's replaceable, and he needs to know that.

[EVDebs]

5. Explains Bush's big sloppy kiss after the SOTU speech ! eom

[Cha]

6. I can't believe all the repugs in the Senate

are for "deep-sixing" Social Security and it just rests on the likes of the dino lieberman whether or not FDR's plan for the future will die..along with the hopes of Millions who would have that as their only source of income.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Gloria]

8. And don't forget, he's been mentioned as becoming Sec of Defense

around 2096

[KittyWampus]

9. Maybe Jr. & Co. Have Something On Joe.

[robbedvoter]

13. Yup. His soul.

[jaime_176]

10. please e-mail him

I think we should bombard him with e-mail asking him to oppose Bush's plan. I just sent Senator Leiberman an e-mail about this.

[flyarm]

15. i think the more you write this dick head

the further up *es ass he goes!!

fly

[quinnox]

11. Geez, that must have been some kiss

LIEberman can't get enough of Bush apparently.

[Larkspur]

12. We need MoveOn.org to run TV ads in Connecticut to put pressure

on Lieberman and his vote on Social Security.

Also, where in the hell are Minority Leader Reid and Minority Whip Durbin? They need to confront Lieberman with a Big Stick if the CT DINO gives Bush a lifeline on SS Privatization scam.

[flyarm]

14. ohhh how i hate lie-berman

connecticut ..please run someone strong against this traitor..pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

i can not stand him and have contempt for this fraud as much as the georgia traitor..zelllllllllll

please get these bastards out of our party!!

fly

[quaoar]

16. Lieberman needs to understand

that there is no compromise on this issue.

Hey Joe -- you are either with us or agin' us on this one. Make up your damn mind.

[ncteechur]

17. Just shot an email off to him pleading with him not to sell out.

I don't know if it will help. Gotta say that if Paul Newman runs, Lieberman may be in serious trouble. I could actually get behind President Newman. A hell of a lot more than President Shwartzenegger (or however the hell you spell it). Despite what Orin Hatch may think.

[Andromeda]

19. Joe has gotta go!

Connecticut must have some Democratic talent they can put up against Lieberman.

This is really bad. We need to rid the Democratic party of all Vichy Democrats if we are ever going to win the Senate, the House and the White House.

Dean will be good at finding candidates to unseat Republicans and back-stabbing Democrats but it will take time.

I so disgusted at these collaborators.

[AuntiBush]

21. Bull! Now, Lieberman is a Faux Dem!

It "ain't" gonna' happen. As for Lieberman, I do not foresee him ever getting re-elected. He's a sellout in my eyes.

[Califooyah Operative]

22. Sounds like a call to lobby mr lieberman...

i'd rather see him stand up to them, he said no to a position, he's not a complete sell out, he's just very -almost republican somtime, hehe, i'd support a democrat running against him, but right now, we should be calling and writing the guy and others to persuade him.

[depakid]

23. I don't always agree with Marshall- but

I think he's spot on here- and I think that any decent challenger to Liebermann could raise tons of money nationwide. Maybe even match him.

Also, I suspect that the "polls" touting Lieberamn's "popularity" are both statistically biased and soft.

Joe's number would be up if Dems get serious about growing a spine again. The man's a disgrace- to himself, to Connecticut and to the Democratic party.

[zulchzulu]

24. Lots of insurance companies in Connecticut would like new SS "package"

Lieberman is just wanting to line the pockets of his contributors, namely a lot of them insurance companies who would make out like bandits with a new SS "package" to sell to the unwilling public.

http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/contrib.asp?id=N00000616&cycle=2004

[Q]

25. Perhaps...

...Lieberman was caught with his hand in the Enron cookie jar? I had always wondered why he helped silence that whole thing so quickly. He is one of the few Dems that are either 'compromised' or believe their New Dem rhetoric to the point of delusion. The New Dems would privatize Social Security IF they could get away with it...but Holy Joe is the only one dumb enough to actually DO IT.

The Fat Cats on Wall Street and Greed Street would love to get their hands on the SS billions...even a tiny piece of it.