For all you "Don't give Lieberman anything" folks - DON'T MESS WITH MY JUDICIARY!!!

[LynneSin]

For even contemplating that we need to strip Lieberman of his majority and committee positions, I have one question to ask of you

WHAT FRICKING BAD CRACK ARE YOU SMOKING???

I hate to be all cut & dry but the math is simple - Whoever has Lieberman caucusing with them has the majority. That's it, that's all there is, there is NO other way around it.

And with our Supreme Court aging especially with judges like John Paul Stevens getting close to 90, we need our Senate Judiciary committee controlled by DEMOCRATS not republicans.

We tried to unseat Lieberman and we did not succeed. But thanks to the overwhelming push of democratic voters we picked up at least one seat in Connecticut; possibly two and I thank Lamont for that because I think having him on the ballot helped spur voter turnout and made those three house races very competitive.

But right here, right now, we deal with Lieberman. Homeland Security is a good fit for him - even he wants to go over the recommendations of the 9/11 commission, something that all democrats want.

But don't you dare mess with my Judiciary Committee, a group of men and women who back in 2002 managed to keep over 10 activist judges from EVER seeing a floor vote. No floor vote means we don't have to beg for a filibuster!

And one only needs to go to the DU home page - Dick Durbin, a member of that Judiciary committee, has already drawn the line in the sand and that line says - we want more moderate judges!

[Buzz Clik]

1. Yeah, okay. That was me. I've changed my mind.

You and I clashed on this subject about a month ago. I was convinced that you were a passionate, over-the-top superDem who was dead wrong.

Considering things in the light of a new day, I can now see that you're a passionate, over-the-top superDem who happens to be right on this.

[LynneSin]

2. And I appreciate why you are the way you are

I'm not giving Lieberman nor any of the other democrats any slack just because they did really great last Tuesday (ok I'm giving them some slack until the end of the week just because I'm enjoying the victory for a bit longer).

But that Judiciary committee is so fricking important because this will make an impact that could last us for DECADES with the judicial nominations that make the bench.

But don't worry, I'll be fighting side-by-side with you when the democrats fail us, and they will. But it will be a tad bit easier of a fight knowing that we probably won't have to worry too much about the Judiciary & filibuster. Patrick Leahy has earned my respect and his committee members are no 'gang of 14' folks that's for sure!

[lefthandedskyhook]

3. Hate to say it but you are correct

We don't have to like it, but we must realize that this is better than any other alternative.

[rocktivity]

4. This the hand we were dealt--we can still win if we play it right.

We CANNOT spend the next two years worrying about "what Joe might do." Props to the Dem leadership for trying to nip this problem in the bud NOW.

"Grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change; the COURAGE to change the things I can change; and the WISDOM to know the difference."

:headbang:
rocknation

[blondeatlast]

5. The Judiciary may be the most critical committee we have right now--and you are so right on this.

We can stop the RRR nominees from the outset and for that, I breathe an enormous sigh of relief.

[LynneSin]

6. It'll give us more energy to fight the other stuff that does make the floor

and trust me, a democrat majority does not mean our work is done - it's only beginning!

[blondeatlast]

9. I think the time for real grassroots action is now.

Now that we have a friendly majority, even those of us with Bushbot incumbents (my senator is Vyl Jon Kyl, for instance) can make inroads.

I'd even given up calling his office the past few years; it was clearly a waste of time.

He's going to start hearing from me again--he's got to look over his shoulder and see that AZ is no longer a Republican given.

I think I'm gonna cry; what a glorious week this has been!

[rhett o rick]

7. In a perfect world we could kick Joe to the curb, but this is politics. nm

[LynneSin]

8. Politics make strange bedfellows

:shrug:

[rhett o rick]

10. Please don't use that expression when talking about Joe. Yuck. nm

[Nederland]

11. Thank you

There are far too many people here on DU that don't understand the political reality of the situation. We need Joe Lieberman for exactly the reasons you described.

[IndianaGreen]

12. Lieberman is a traitor, and those that defend him are traitors to the Republic!

Lieberman supports an imperial Presidency, one that is above the Constitution. Lieberman supports torture, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Lieberman supports keeping American interests in the Middle East hostage to a criminal neocon/Zionist cabal.

Lieberman is another traitorous Quisling, a collaborator in war crimes and crimes against humanity, and he was also n active participant in a conspiracy to bring down the American Republic and replace it with a Christianofascist dictatorship.

[Buzz Clik]

14. When I was of that age, "Indiana green" was indigenous cannabis

It was famously weak and good only for a headache after hyperventilating while trying to get a strong hit.

Your rant is giving me an Indiana green headache.

[Rose Siding]

13. He has us over a barrel, it's true. Nothing wrong with resenting his lame ass, though.

[rinsd]

15. Excellent post!

[dansolo]

16. Joe was part of the gang of 14

He was instrumental in nullifying the only tool that the Democrats had to block Judge Alito--the filibuster.

[LynneSin]

17. But there are no "Gang of 14" on the Judiciary

So if we have the majority in the judiciary with democrats who are committed to ensuring that only fair & impartial judges get on the bench and not activist judges - then the whole "Gang of 14" is nullified because bad judges will never get a floor vote

[LoZoccolo]

18. Great points; Internet politics is largely theoretical knee-jerk whining.

It's instructive that people who are supposedly so into politics don't even have a rudimentary knowledge of how Congress works, or the effects of their blathering.

The Internet gives people infinite whining power and no accountability.

[cascadiance]

19. We need to recruit someone like Olympia Snowe...

to either become independent or switch to being a Dem to lessen our dependence on just keeping Lieberman happy.

[Nightjock]

20. A barely audible "you're right ...."

I am trying to cut him some slack. I do not like him at all.
But you're right we need him. AMERICA needs him to clean up this bush mess!

I'm trying to take some comfort in the fact he said the other day, "Nothing the Republicans say can make me switch parties."

That must have ROYALLY PISSED OFF those stupid repug F***S who voted for him in Ct.