Is Joe Lieberman really more powerful than President Obama?

[samsingh]

Lieberman appears to set the direction of the senate's business, the power he yields, the committee's he sits on. Lieberman does appear to be more powerful and influential than President Obama.

[HughMoran]

1. lol

If it makes you feel better to say that out loud, then more power too ya!

:headbang:

[RagAss]

2. Looks that way to me

[jefferson_dem]

3. Joke?

Right?

[undeterred]

4. Apparently.

[timeforpeace]

5. He understands how it works. Obama wasn't there long enough to learn, IMO.

[WI_DEM]

6. Let's see who ultimately wins before answering this question.

[optimator]

7. they are on the same side

don't fall for the smokescreen.

[FiveGoodMen]

12. That's right

Lieberman is an out republican and Obama is in the closet.

They're both getting what they want.

[Raine]

17. Sadly

I believe that's true. :-(

edit: typo

[treestar]

8. Congress is equally powerful as the President

What is your point? The President should be more powerful than Congress?

The Judiciary is also equally powerful.

that is why the canard that the President is the "most powerful man in the world" is BS. Under our system, the President shares that power equally with two other branches.

And that is watered down further by the power each state has.

A good system. Sometimes it makes it hard to get things done. But sometimes that is the point - imagine what the Rethugs would "get done."

[samsingh]

19. lieberman is one man in the senate and he seems to have more power than Obama

[treestar]

20. he does not. He is one Senator, part of the body of 100

that combined with the House has equal power.

It is simply the political landscape that gives him this "power." He happens to be the 60th vote in a Congress with Blue Dog Democrats. That means he can gain a lot of power over the final votes in the Senate. He couldn't do that if there were more progressive Democrats, but that's not what we have.

[samsingh]

22. lieberman is setting the agenda.

[ElboRuum]

9. In the Senate, he is...

Because Obama is the President, not a Senator.

[Caliman73]

10. No Lieberman is not more powerful than President Obama

It is frustrating that legislation is being held up by one person at this point, but I am assuming you meant the question as more of a rhetorical one based on that frustration. If not, then I would answer no, and point out that the question is not valid as they have different jobs and different Constitutional authorities. If Lieberman could issue executive orders, create cabinet positions, direct the military, and appoint judges, then I would say yes he wields more power than the President, but he can't. Lieberman is a Senator and as such, with the Cloture rules, can hold up procedure in Congress by threatening to vote to filibuster, it is up to the Senate leader to deal with him and that, unfortunately is Harry Reid, who seems to be unable or unwilling to exert influence on Lieberman.

This state of affairs says nothing about the relative power of President Obama since he has little to do with the legislative process than to recommend and promote what he would like to see.

[unabelladonna]

11. lieberman makes me ill...

there's something about his sanctimony that's maddening.it's visceral...i just can't even listen to his voice. he doesn't belong in the party of feingold, obama and grayson.

[Orsino]

13. When it comes to shaping a Senate Bill? Quite possibly. n/t

[bridgit]

14. He's seems to be having fun pretending that he is

[branders seine]

15. Apparently everyone in DC is more powerful than Obama,

unless, of course, his plan all along was to fail

[samsingh]

18. it seems that way

[seeinfweggos]

16. in the senate, yes

the executive branch is fine

[Freddie Stubbs]

21. No. He has just as much power to kill the bill as any other Senator in the Democratic Caucus