Democrats Want Lieberman Punished

[babylonsister]

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/12/democrats_want_lieberman_punished.php

Dec 14 2009, 2:06 pm by Chris Good
Democrats Want Lieberman Punished


A Research 2000 poll confirms what we assumed to be true: Democrats are not happy with Joe Lieberman.

In fact, 81 percent of Democrats want Lieberman stripped of his Senate Homeland Security Committee chairmanship if he joins with Republicans to block health care reform, compared to only 10 percent who think he should retain it. See the full results here.

Independents agree, 43 percent to 30 percent; all voters also agree, 47 percent to 32 percent. 802 voters were polled by Research 2000 for the Progressive Campaign Change Committee, which has commissioned polling on moderate Democratic senators averse to ambitious health care reform since the debate heated up over the summer.

Here's the question wording:

QUESTION: A year ago, after Independent Senator Joe Lieberman campaigned for Republican John McCain for president, Senate Democrats allowed Lieberman to keep his powerful committee chairmanship. If Lieberman now joins with Republican senators to block a vote on health care reform, do you think Senate Democrats should take away Lieberman's powerful committee chairmanship?

And the full results:



Lieberman came close to having his chairman's gavel stripped after the election, and it was assumed that he retained it because of 1) the conciliatory signals sent by then-President-elect Obama, and 2) the fact that Democrats needed his vote on critical pieces of President Obama's agenda--like, for instance health care reform.

If Lieberman is a solid "no" on health care, the only thing preventing the caucus from removing him as chairman is his vote on climate change legislation. He's working on cap-and-trade legislation with Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC); the three released a general framework for legislation last week, but The Washington Post noted that it showed they hadn't agreed to much yet. Lieberman's stance on cap-and-trade appears aggressive: in releasing that framework, Lieberman stressed that the bill will be intended to "punish" polluters, and he took the lead on cap-and-trade legislation in the last Congress.

Whether that's enough to keep him in Democrats' good graces--or whether he'd stop working on cap-and-trade if his removed as chairman--is anyone's guess.

[katandmoon]

1. But Obama thinks he's worth shitcanning health care reform for

So who are we to question our dear leader?

[emulatorloo]

3. "POLITICO" isn't worth the ether it is printed on. Debunked too many times

and the spin is always right wing.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

6. SEEMS THAT WAY DOESN'T IT

[emulatorloo]

7. "according to an official close to the negotiations."

LOL

[Cleita]

2. Apparently, they can't find 81% of Democrats in the Senate

willing to make it happen.

[emulatorloo]

5. good one --

:toast:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

4. No more deals with LIEberman..............

He's not interested in compromise, he wants to obstruct and grandstand. I say cut him off and take away his committee chairs.

[kctim]

8. Think like us or else?

great way to run govt.
Whats next? Stripping President Obama of his chairs because he dares to have a different belief on gay marriage?
Gotta love where this is heading. Blech!

[babylonsister]

12. If one man wants to sabotage health care reform for the entire country

because of a grudge, you think he should be able to do so?

[kctim]

17. He already IS able to do so

because he is the one who the people voted for. And it is only an assumption that this is some sort of grudge. He could be blocking the legislation because he does not like it. Either way, it is up to those who vote for him to determine.

But my point was how dangerous it is for us to allow or encourage govt to get rid of people who dare to hold different beliefs.

[NoodleyAppendage]

14. How about voting to represent the WILL OF THE PEOPLE?

This isn't about getting Lieberpussy to vote in lock-step. It's about his being a representative, not for the people of his state, but Aetna and corporate hegemony over democracy.

J

[kctim]

18. So you think you know

the will of the people of his state better than he does? Laughable at best.
2010 will tell IF he was right or wrong by them. Why should he care about what people of other states want him to do?

[Winterblues]

22. Why will 2010 tell?

He isn't up for election until 2012. Never in the History of the Congress has anyone ever bucked their Party on a precedural vote.. I think special occurances call for special actions..

[kctim]

24. 2010 could be a turning point

in the health care debate for those running and those watching closely. IF progressives show even a modest gain, I believe many on the fence will decide to give their support.

[FormerDittoHead]

23. Here's what's laughable. Joe knows what CT wants? Not when CT voters support public option 64-30.

>Connecticut voters support 64 - 30 percent giving people the option to buy health insurance from a government plan.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1296.xml?ReleaseID=1374

[kctim]

25. No

it will be laughable if they keep him in office either by voting for him or not showing up to vote at all.

Even so though, is JL against the false "option" to buy govt health insurance? Or is he against the current proposal with Medicare? Or both?

[alstephenson]

15. Blech is right.

So you support Lieberman's obstructionism??? Why should Lieberman be rewarded?

[kctim]

19. I support him standing up for what he believes in

He already holds the position, so he is not being "rewarded" with the position he already holds. Taking that position away simply because he has differing beliefs on this issue would be no different than taking Presidents Obama position away because he disagrees with the hardcore liberals about gay marriage.

[babylonsister]

21. That's all well and good, except he believed something totally different

3 months ago...

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/12/flip-flop_of_shameless_proportions.php?ref=fpblg

Flip-Flop Of Shameless Proportions
Josh Marshall | December 14, 2009, 12:23PM

As I noted in my earlier post, it's blindingly clear that Joe Lieberman is just pulling head-fakes now not holding the line on any policy issue he actually believes in. But it turns out that not only did Lieberman run in 2000 on the Medicare Buy-In he now says he'll filibuster. He supported it just three months ago.

Shamelessness is the most devalued word in politics. But I'm not sure I've ever seen a better example of it.

[kctim]

26. Thank you for that info

IF he is flopping his position for political reasons, then I fully accept your premise and agree that is justification for taking his chair position. However, I still believe it would be wrong to take that position from him IF it is only because he disagrees with the current plan.

Democrats cannot punish people for holding differing beliefs or values on certain issues and still be Democrats.

[undeterred]

9. He should be stripped of his clothes and forced

to walk the streets of D.C. naked in winter.

[libnnc]

10. Personally, I want Lieberman given an atomic wedgie in front of a live studio audience.

Footage beamed via satellite around the world

:nuke:

[Hekate]

11. Somehow the way you phrase that reminds me of Dolores Umbrage. He needs a good spanking...

... and if that doesn't work, a session of writing "I must not tell lies."

Hekate

[Hutzpa]

13. With a statistics like that

why cut a deal with this guy, isn't that asking for more bickering from within
the party?

[Lord Helmet]

16. He deserves the William Wallace treatment.

Following the trial, on 23 August 1305, Wallace was taken from the hall, stripped naked and dragged through the city at the heels of a horse to the Elms at Smithfield. He was hanged, drawn and quartered — strangled by hanging but released whilst he was still alive, emasculated, eviscerated and his bowels burnt before him, beheaded, then cut into four parts. His preserved head (dipped in tar) was placed on a pike atop London Bridge. It was later joined by the heads of the brothers, John and Simon Fraser. His limbs were displayed, separately, in Newcastle upon Tyne, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Stirling, and Aberdeen.

[walldude]

20. I'll say it again. They'll probably give him an award for this one..

Congressional Medal Of Honor or something. When are people going to wake up and realize that he supported fucking Sarah Palin and they gave him a Chairmanship. Nothing is going to happen to this asshole. He probably has dirt on everyone.