Sen. Carper (D-Del): Lieberman should pay consequences

[sabra]

Source: The Hill

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), a close ally of Sen. Joe Lieberman, said the Connecticut Independent should pay a price for his campaign attacks against President-elect Barack Obama.

"There need to be consequences, and they cannot be insignificant," Carper said in a Monday interview with The Hill.

Carper, a fellow centrist who was Delaware campaign chairman for Lieberman’s failed bid for president in 2004, said he and many other Senate Democrats are disappointed and even angered by their colleague's sometimes-inflammatory rhetoric during this year's presidential campaign.

Lieberman said he supported Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) because he was the best prepared to lead the country at a time of war, and Lieberman questioned Obama’s readiness to lead.


Read more: http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/sen.-carper-lieberm...

[tekisui]

1. That makes three that have publicly called for something.

I have yet to hear a Dem Senator argue that he needs to retain his Chairmanship. It is looking like he will be(thankfully) stripped of that honor.

[nyc 4 Biden]

5. Three?

I saw Leahy and now Carper, who else went public against LIEberman?

[sabra]

8. Sen. Bernie Sanders

[tekisui]

12. And Dorgan

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/11...

[tekisui]

11. Byron Dorgan

And, as well as Sanders, that make 4 to zero, so far.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/11...

[LiberalFighter]

13. Bayh doesn't that Lieberman should suffer any consequences

[nyc 4 Biden]

14. Gotcha. The fantastic four.

Good for them. Thanks.

[Ian David]

2. LIEberman's former communications director was on The Young Turks today and said the same thing. n/t

[Alter Ego]

3. I thought Carper was DLC--this is a surprise.

[woodsprite]

6. He's my Senator and it surprises me.

I know him from church, and I have always thought that personally, he'd take offense at what Lieberman has done, but I never, ever thought he'd come out and publicly state it. That's good. Now, let's hear some more back that up.

[Libertyfirst]

24. Sen Carper is a very temperate man and worked hard for Leiberman in his presidential bid.

This is a very strong statement from him. He is usually very much a centralist and a peacemaker. If there is any handwriting on the wall this is it. Lieberman will not retain the Chairmanship of Home Security.

[Alexander]

4. Wow, even the DLC is throwing Lieberman under the bus.

Where are DU's resident Lieberman apologists now?

[w4rma]

7. If Carper is against LIEberman, LIEberman is as good as toast. (nt)

[BootinUp]

15. Isn't the vote today? nt

[w4rma]

19. Tomorrow, Tuesday. (nt)

[Enrique]

9. wow, I didn't realize there was a Senator i'd never heard of

and I thought I was a political junkie.

[TheWraith]

10. Oh good, I'm not the only one!

I was thinking to myself, "Who the hell is Senator Carper?"

[DarthDem]

22. He's a Zero

Former DE governor, Has deferred to Biden and accomplished almost nothing of consequence in the Senate. One of my least favorite Senate Dems along with the Nelson brothers.

[VP505]

17. Maybe the reason you guys

overlooked Carper is because he votes with the Reptilians on just about everything, he might as well be one.

[orleans]

16. good call tom.

"There need to be consequences, and they cannot be insignificant,"

yes. like dumping him from chairmanship.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

18. Carper was quite sympathetic to Lieberman in 2006

Good to see he's changed his tune on the issue. Keep it up Senator Carper!

[David Zephyr]

20. Kick him out.

Kick this mole out.

[tblue37]

21. One reason the Rethugs were so effective at getting their program enacted

is that they enforced party discipline. Their moderates were afraid to buck the party leadership, because if they did, they would suffer significant consequences. Certainly they wouldn't have been allowed to enjoy the power and perks of a committee chairmanship!

The Dems need to at least enforce discipline to the degree that someone who

~invents a new party designation when he loses the Democratic primary, so he can run against the Democratic Party's nominee,
~supports the Republican candidate in the presidential election,
~gives an anti-Democratic speech at the Republican National Convention
~tells incendiary lies about the Democratic presidential candidate,
~openly boos the Democratic presidential candidate while campaigning with the Republicans
~warns the public against electing too many Democrats,
~and campaigns for Republican Senators against Democratic challengers

will pay some price for doing all those things--or at least not be actively rewarded.

[Peace Patriot]

26. Thanks for the summary, tblue37! You've nailed it. Lieberman is ANTI-Democratic.

He is not just a maverick. He is not just a Senator with his own agenda. He has ACTIVELY, REPEATEDLY, and WITHOUT EVEN AN APOLOGY, worked against the interests of the Democratic Party and all of its members, not just its elected officials and politicos. He has worked against OUR interests--we, the people. Against OUR candidates--candidates WE have nominated and worked so hard to elect, including the President-elect of the U.S. He has fought us every step of the way in trying to elect real representatives of the people.

He is free to do that, so long as the election results in CT as a verifiable as any other election results in the U.S. (ahem). But to be REWARDED with a top committee chairmanship? That is absurd. He vociferously opposed the President he would be working with on one of the most important issues in U.S. history: restoring our rights under the Constitution! The people of this country voted overwhelmingly for Obama's agenda, NOT Lieberman's--and NOT that of the Diebold II Congress either (of the 10% approval rating). We want ACTION on all the matters that the previous Congress failed us on. We worked our tails off to overcome the Bushwhack election theft machine (and machines), in order to get that action. It is the will of the people, and we don't need Lieberman obstructing Obama and the new Congress at every turn, as he has done in this Congress.

There are plenty of Democrats I don't like, including some whom I think were not legitimately elected, and who certainly don't represent the interests of the American people on many issues. But that is a different matter than a so-called Democrat who enthusiastically endorsed John McCain and worked for Bushwhack interests. Good God! Is there no limit to the tolerance of DINO-ism in our party?

The 'Homeland' Security Committee should be in the hands of someone who respects the Constitution! Bottom line. And preferably someone who didn't vote for the Patriot Act and the suspension of habeas corpus and all the rest. Someone who will help Barack Obama END torture and domestic spying, and shut down Guantanamo Bay and other torture dungeons and 'detection' centers. That is the will of the American people, and has been since at least May 2004 (63% of the American people opposed to torture "under any circumstances" - NYT poll), and, indeed, since WW II and the Geneva Conventions Treaty.

Our security, including the security of our Constitutional rights, desperately needs Congressional oversight by a Democratic committee chair who believes in those rights, and in the international laws that this country pioneered for the behavior of governments and militaries worldwide. In supporting Bushwhacks, Lieberman has made it very clear that he does not support the rule of law. He is rogue Democrat with no boundaries, and should not chair any committee, let alone 'Homeland' Security. (And I do hope they change that goddamn word!)

[truthisfreedom]

23. Obama may be speaking publicly about this one way, and having something done behind

the scenes another way. That's what I'd do in his position. He needs to stay above the fray, but I'd be wary enough of Lieberman to strip him of any power whatsoever. The complexity of this becomes less important as we get closer to 60 over the next couple of weeks. It's a great time to gain momentum with other Dems jumping on board the "Make Lieberman walk the Plank" bandwagon.

[Libertyfirst]

25. I think you are correct.

Don't forget Obama's "spine of steel" that Biden identified.