Lieberman Says War Vote Could Prompt Party Switch

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut told the Politico Thursday that he has no immediate plans to switch parties, but suggested Democratic opposition to funding the war in Iraq might change his mind.

Lieberman, a registered independent who caucuses with Democrats, has been among the strongest supporters of the war and President Bush’s plan to send another 21,500 combat troops into Iraq to help quell the violence there.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2865.html

control of the Senate.

With Lieberman that control is tenuous at best, without him the Repukes would have control, but we would still control the House. And come next year the Democrats have a good chance of taking enough
Repuke senate seats to make Joe regret his decision.

I don't think he'll do it, because in the long run he loses. He'll be considered a traitor by the Democrats and the Repukes won't trust him either, because if he can change his stripes once he can change them again.

Everyone knows that Joe is only out for what Joe can get, and his loyalty will be questioned by both sides of the aisle.

Survive 'till the '08 elections.

And the power to hold hearings, present subpeonas, etc.

If the republicans take over again it means a lot less consideration for Americans in need. I know it's bad to have our troops in danger but we also have many Americans that are being forgotten and left to die right here in this country and at least with the democrats in control there will be some consideration to help those Americans as well as the troops. For example, I don't know the details but would bet that as many, if not more Americans are dying here in USA from lack of health care insurance as troops in Iraq. Both are equally important, we can't just abandon our people in need (think Katrina) here in USA - which is what will happen if the republicans take control again. Iraq is important; it is in the news but many other Americans need our help as well, we must not sacrifice people in USA just for Iraq. Joe Lieberman is in an unusual position,and he is in control of many American lives, but he won't be in that position forever, as the people are learning more about him every day and his selfishness to put his own career above that of so many Americans in need. If he truly believes in God, then he surely must know that one day he will be expected to answer for his actions.

changing parties threat.


Asshole...

Who have we subpoenaed? What hearings have we held?

As it is, we're not doing much with our wonderful
Senate powers.

Tesha

Sorry, I was channeling my fifth grade English teacher for a moment.

If we had "control" of the senate, perhaps we'd be getting shit DONE.

They have the committees and I would have hoped to see a fair number of investigations started by this point. I've heard barely a whisper. Once again the Dems have been of the WRONG course of action.

Someone told them that they needed to be seen as a party of "action" rather than a party of investigation. The Republicans investigated for 14 years and they got nothing for it. But they DID maintain control of the House of Representatives. And one could argue that if Bush had been a bit more pro-active they would still have it today.

Bottom line is that the Democrats can pass all the legislation they want out of the House. But it's going nowhere once it reaches the Senate. The Republicans will filibuster everything so they don't have to vote against it. On the war, they will sit back and say that Democrats want to starve the troops in the field.

The course of action that will HELP the Democrats is to investigate the Bush crimes and place him under the impeachment hammer. They probably will NOT be able to get the job done in two years. But it will go a long way to showing the intrinsic corruption and malfeasance of the Republican party. Take that into the 2008 presidential election and you will take Bush out of the cheerleader role for the 2008 election. Then you show lots of pictures with the Republican candidate and GW Bush. Show their lockstep voting record. Show the GOP for the top down organization it is and the Ree-pug candidate whoever that may be as a Bush toadie (like McCain).

The government is in a stalemate position right now. And talk about cutting Iraq funding will only cost Democratic votes. Lets let the President take responsibility for his own mess or take away his war powers. Otherwise, table everything and take it into 2008.

It is THE problem with the Democrats in power now.

And it will be their downfall, mark my words...

Yes, with LIEberman presently in the Democratic side, blah, blah, blah.

We all understand that.

We don't have to like it, either.

Sometimes the SAFE thing to do is not the BEST thing to do...

(the above was not directed at YOU, but the quizzlings amongst us who would "play it safe")

I know I'm nit-picking, but this is a pet peeve of mine.

Please do not type "loose" (rhymes with juice) when you mean "lose" (rhymes with shoes).

... to be a typo.

look, it bugs the crap outta me too, seeing loose, instead of lose. But I realize, many people have neuro problems like my left-handed brother who is a genius, but is challenged when it comes to writing and speaking, and yet, knows about so many things that it made me realize there are people who are socially stunted, or just bad at English, who will always type loose and continue to drive us nuts...

lol

Many people in his forums he frequents make really bad grammar, and I see it more there, and thus, why doctors used to say (and sadly still do) that people with MS and other types of neuro probs are idiots (I've heard a real doc say this to my brother, and say, "you're not dumb like the other MS patients I see).

thanks, though, for pointing out one of my pet peeves, also. now, losen up! haha... that just hurts to look at! you oughta see my brother's handwriting, oh man, your eyes would start hurting.

enough of LIEberman acting like he's the shit, he's already a Repub, just not in word, and if he's ANYYYYYYYYYYYYY kind of man that he claims to be, he'll continue to support the issues he supported before this past election, and not change just because he gets his arse handed to him on this ---

seriously, Harry, do it... NOW!

I hope your brother is doing well, as with you also, been a bugger of a week here, but still fighting.

from bro and me. he is not well at all this past month, he used to have decent days and the nights weren't so good, but lately, his pulse has been through the roof despite a moderate dosage of "cartia" for his heart, and he aches with zapping pains into his hands and legs as he always did when he was really hurting at night, but I will certainly tell him you said "you rock" and that you asked about him.

I'm torn, I am planning on moving, but I feel bad for leaving him. I've been with him for almost two years. It's real hard on both of us being brothers, and it stresses us out more I think, but he knows how much I've done for him and the even sorrier state he'd be in w/o my tireless help over two years (the time flies), and I'm considering moving far away... was wondering what you thought. He says he wants me to go do what I feel and that he knows I've helped him, and my Mom and her husband will go see him when I'm gone. I just hate this state so much, lots of bad memories I won't get into and I want to go back into a cooler climate. I know he'd like me to stay, but I really think I should go, is there any advice you have, or anything I should say to him. He knows very much that I care for him.

I wish I could split in half.

thank you for asking again, it's nice to see you wrote!

it's a punctuation thing. I use far too much punctuation and I sometimes misspell grammar when correcting others.

and just appreciate the support. Anyway, it's no worse than "definately."

the point being that even when horribly mispelled, we comprehend EVERYTHING, instantly and easily, because we learn to look at the WHOLE and not the individual parts.

Someday, I predict that such "mis"spellings will become accepted as "correct".

That's the beauty of the English Language - it's ever evolving, and no other language will ever come close to acceptance as English has become and will become - even more so - in the future...

I warned DU that this would happen because LIEberman sold out.

This little spelling error has always driven me nuts

You always have been a Republican. Fuck you!!!

then i hope there're is a mass push for a recall. I know the citizen of conneticutt will be mad enough to do it.

It would be a 50-50 tie with Cheney breaking tie. Just like 2001 before Jeffords switched parties.

There are enough Republicans ready to join the Dems to offset the loss of this arse-clown. He's a petty, bitter man.

No there are a couple of Repubs willing to go independent if needed as they hate their leadership.

We knew it would happen. So did the shrub. I expect they're courting him big time.

And I wouldn't even try.

There are some Republicans who have a brain.

get elected in a Democratic-leaning state.

It drives me nuts hearing for years that "Any day now Snowe is gonna switch!"
Yeah, sure...
You are absolutely correct about her only pretending to be a "moderate" (and the reason why)

get from their very very wealthy right-wing nut benefactors when they retire. They know that they have to put aside their ethics and be as loyal as they possibly can for they, and their families, to get that easy money at their retirement (or when they are beaten in an election).

Would there be a problem with that, if it were possible to do?

and Sanders already caucuses with Dems, and would probably still do so if all 50 of the other Dems joined the Republicans! He's the safest member of the Dem caucus around probably.

If you do get fed up with Sanders, can the UK have him!

most likely to go as the holdout in a 99-1 vote

Make Joe irrelevant.

I hope the party focuses on that one. It'll be tight but we can win it.

(lots of newspaper editorials, letters, etc. and get Tom Allen's campaign kicked into high gear now)

Perhaps she'd swap as a hail mary act? Then you can vote her out, of course...

Someone should remind her that if Lieberman goes over to the dark side, the Repubs are probably going to give him the commitee chairmanship for Homeland Security. I suspect that would be one of his stipulations. Isn't she currently their ranking member? She will probably be pushed aside in favor of Joe.

Joe you are just another warmonger.

We can't afford to lose the Senate to the GOP thanks to LieberDouche.

Are we supposed to let more kids die in that hellhole because LIE-berman is threatening to throw a hissy fit? Somebody grow a set of balls and tell the prick to fuck off.

You nuts?!

Fuck the traitor and let him go.

You want the GOP to control the legislative agenda? You want the GOP to chair all the committees?

The House still controls the budget process and has the power to start investigations.

Also, if the Repugs defied the will of the people while in power, which they would considering the polls, it would be the doom of many Repugs in 2008.

THe Dems in the Senate would be unable to hold hearings, to investigate, to introduce legislation (unless by chance the REPUGS deemed it in their interest to allow them to do so), and don't forget, the REPUGS could totally flip the SUpreme Court with the next vacancy, unhindered...

January 2009 will be here soon and I have a feeling (which I was right about for the 2006 election) that it will be something we won't forget and the Repugs will drink themselves into a stupor to try to forget.

Something else you're forgetting, there is a sizable group of Repugs in the Senate who are supportive of the Democrat agenda.

and I agree things look good for 09, but there is still a lot of damage to be done the next two years with a REPUG majority-- especially if they get a Supreme Court Appointment.

And, no, I'm not forgetting the REPUGS who have started to come out a bit on the democratic agenda... They are doing so precisely because the DEMS are in power and CAN introduce these bills. Otherwsie they wouldn't get introduced and the REpugs would shut right back down into the rubber stamp that they have been. Even those who we see today be a bit more moderate.

22 months away is "soon"?????????????

I have a "feeling" your advice is advice that people best avoid -- avoid like the plague.

Is also something that people best avoid.


And 22 months is nothing compared to the last 6 years this country has endured.

us for generations....And, yes, that COULD happen in the next 22 months. Not to mention another series of bad appointments to the District Courts and Courts of Appeals.

Can we even expect the Dems in the Senate to filibuster another Alito with Lieber.... jumping ship?

What burns me is when Lieb... was running against Lamont he claimed to be a Democrat only with some ideas of his own. Obviously those "ideas" appealed to a bunch of repubs. So, we got us a flip-flopper that is using blackmail. Jeffords I feel was sincere about his leaving the
party due to some of repubs ruling and he did not play both sides of the fence.

Senate to use the filibuster against any of King Georges supreme picks. For the most part the Senate is filled with cowards.

voted them in for.

i.e., for cloture

What would you have them do?

What are they supposed to do? Hold the Repugs at gunpoint? Bottom Line, we need a whole lot more seats in the senate if we want stuff like the resolution to go through. Getting the slim majority is what allowed the resolution to get press in the first place. A bigger majority is needed to give the dems in the senate teeth.

I think a lot of the senators on our side are spineless cowards, but this is one they just can't win. It's not about dem resolve...it is about simple math. We don't have the numbers...the end.

to the Supreme Court.

It isn't about numbers.

It is about conviction.

It is about unity.

It is about determination.

But if you don't have numbers, you don't have numbers. You can't wave your hand and turn another ten republicans into dems. It won't happen. As for what you cited...I believe I addressed that when I pointed out the spinelessness of our current senators.

But while you are right about convictions...you are wrong about numbers. It most certainly is about numbers...just as much as convictions. And Unity? Are you paying any attention? Every Dem voted for this...how much more unity are you expecting?

"One man with courage makes a majority." --Andrew Jackson

What would you have had them do differently? They got the resolution drafted that we wanted (mostly). Every dem voted for it. They pushed it hard so that we are all talking about turning Hagel, Collins, and/or Snowe. What more are you asking? There may be five republicans you can get on our side here. But you also lose a vote with Lieberman that you will NEVER get...no matter how unified you are.

The rest of the republicans are not moving. If positive press for our side on this issue (for a change), 30% approval ratings for the war, and a recent massive overhaul in the House and Senate haven't budged these idiot republicans, I don't know what you are expecting will move them. I'm not trying to be a dick, and I'd really like to hear what they could have done differently. Thanks.

The Senate is eviscerating most of the things that the House brings up anyway- and Bush won't sign much if any of it into law.

If Lieberman jumps because the Dems cut off funding- then it will appear to the public that we're really trying to put a stop to this massively unpopular war and wouldn't allow cowardly little enablers to hijack the party. Come 2008, that might make a HUGE difference.

I say, call that smarmy whiner's bluff.

Call his bluff. It will be know that the GOP controls the Senate and they are holding up the works. Watch the GOP up for reelection squirm or go along with the DEMS'. Either way they will be screwed in '08.

Reed should have a backroom meeting with unholy Joe and lay it out to him. Joe seeks power and his career would be over if he defected. Joe could not be elected as dog catcher in CT if he flips, even the uninformed voters who stupidly voted for Joe against Lamont would understand that the accusations that Joe is a big fat liar are all true!

Sit down and shut up, Joe!

the stakes are higher than a bluff. I can't say I have anything but great disdain for Lieberman. But, he really does have a huge leverage card. There is a much better chance to stymie bushco on a myriad of issues if the democrats control the agenda of the Senate. This awful man does have the power (at least in the short term) to hold senate dems hostage. However, if public opinon continues to turn against repubs - the dynamics in the senate may shift. No where close to that yet - would need one senator like Jeffords, to call "enough!" and then Joe loses ALL of his power.

I doubt that he will have this power in 20 months (as the arrogance of bushco and the sheep-like GOP in congress suggests more arrogant moves that further turn more public sentiment against them) - as I am confident (for now) that the Democratic majority will grow - and then Lieberman will be fully emasculated. When he can no longer has 'power' to flip the senate to repub majority (50-50 senate gives the repubs the majority as Cheney become the deciding vote on everything.)

I look forward to his day of irrelevance. And it is coming... I do believe - it is coming. Wish it was already here - but it isn't. But it is close.

and he doesn't serve as a Democrat.

Same result as what's happening now, except now it's the Republicans being embarrassed by not investigaing all the dirt the Hosue is digging up. And having no plan for Iraq. Etc.

God, can the people of Connecticut recall Joe?

This way we would also dodge the blame. Pundits couldn't say "but the Democrats control Congress". In reality, we don't anyway. Our new Democratic Congress has yet to pass a single piece of legislation - because we do not control enough of the Senate to force cloture and the Republicans, unlike SOME party I could name, are not afraid to filibuster.

We successfully changed the name of the White Rocks National Recreation Area in Vermont to the "Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area."

SO THERE!!!

he's the son of Jay H Stafford and Maude Arnold, grandson of Christopher Stafford and Emma, great-grandson of Boardman Stafford and Frances Bruce (and so on, back to Joseph Stafford 21 mar 1648 of Warwick, Rhode Island), but apparently not a relative of mine. Plus, he's a Republican.

Christ, could anything matter more than stopping this insane war?

We won't have any principles anymore if we appease Lieberman just to hold the Senate.

"We" never had principles so there are none to lose.

I hate this with a passion and I hope they find a third way to bitch slap that whiney little bitcher but he's playing this stupid ass game because he knows he's got the chicken littles in the Senate by the shorthairs and he is in fact right. I would love to call his bluff but it's too high stakes right now. I hate that. Have I mentioned that I hate that? zi want that because Lieberman is a slimey worm who needs desperately to climb back under his rock, preferable just before a big schoolbus roles over it. I dispise the man. I want him gone but I don't want the Democrats destroyed just to make him gone. I want to try to wait this out and make him irrelevent as soon as possible.

Edited to add: As best we can with the corp of presstitutes that we are saddled with these days, I think we need to take this to the public. Let's do some slime throwing (see the Republic SOP for how it's done). Make them hate Lie berman as much as we do. If we can do that, he might just have to shut the fuck up. That's really the best we can hope for that nasty piece of work right now. So, marginalize, marginalize, marginalize and marginalize some more. You know, I knew he was a piece of work (I didn't know he was this bad) when Gore's handlers picked him for VP in 2000. I voted for Gore but had two very big reservations, his VP and his wife. I would vote for Gore again in a heartbeat - I can take the wife and I'm sure he'll pick a much better VP)

that he will keep his senority as part of the deal to switch parties.

He is only a DINO right now, so what would the difference be?

"Don't let the door hit you where the Good Lord split you"

Stop Joe, you're threats are killing me. You've already proven yourself to be more aligned with the repubs then the Dems as of late. See ya, wouldn't wanna a be ya.

I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll quit your party as soon as I can figure out whether the dem majority will grow in 08. Switch parties asshole. It would be the similar to removing a cancerous tumor.

We can't afford to be held hostage to Joementum anymore.

by gaining three (New Hampshire, Colorado and Minnesota) and losing one (Louisiana). So, come 2008, we won't have to wory so much about this. Assuming I'm right, of course. And I always am.

Johnson's health, plus the possibility of Rounds running, will make that seat just as vulnerable as Louisiana.

if Johnson were to step down, this one would still be a tossup, with a race between Rounds and Stephanie Herseth. So I wouldn't sweat it too much

If I were him I'd jump at the chance. And with Johnson's hemorrhage, he could easily turn the election into one about health.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2893958

Who's running against Landrieu? Jindal will be governor and can hold that office while preparing to run against ML in 2014. Who else? Richard Baker? Someone more conservative than him?
Of course, while we're talking about DINO's, it's tough to top Mary.

Democrats in Louisiana running for statewide office rely on heavily Democratic New Orleans to get elected. That voting base is no longer existant, at least not in the same way it was pre-Katrina.

If Lieberman switches, then the Senate goes back to the Republicans.

He votes republican every time anyway. This way he would get his ass voted out next time.

it would be tied 50/49/1....Dems would still be committee chairs but the VP would have the deciding vote.

It would be 50 Democratic and 50 Publican with Lord Vader casting the tiebreaking vote. That would give committee chairs and legislative agenda to Publicans.