How Senator Levin/Congressman Waxman Could Shame Lieberman into Real Oversight

[CorpGovActivist]

Someone should tell "Chairman" Lieberman that he's no longer the ranking Democrat of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee: http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=About.Membership

What kind of a message does it send that Lieberman's staff didn't have a new website locked, loaded, and ready to go at 12:01 p.m. January 3rd?

Contrast that with the swift update made by Congressman Waxman's staff on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee: http://oversight.house.gov/

Thankfully, the #2 Democrat on the Senate counterpart committee is Senator Carl Levin. Unless horses were traded during the transition, Senator Levin chairs the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations: http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Subcommittees.Home&SubcommitteeID=11&Initials=PSI

One way that Waxman and Levin could shame Lieberman into taking actual oversight action in the full committee?

Hold joint hearings, including a roadshow that includes a day or two in Lieberman's native CT.

- Dave

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

1. You used "Lieberman" and "Shame" in the same sentence?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[CorpGovActivist]

3. The Blue Dress Moment II

When Waxman and Lieberman start producing the "DNA evidence" showing that key members of the Bush inner circle engaged in war profiteering, will Lieberman have another "blue dress moment" - taking to the floor of the Senate to publicly chastise the President?

Lieberman is nothing if not an opportunist.

- Dave

[salin]

5. I think he gets too many props from the war-profiteering circle

to feign any outrage on that front. I would look, instead, at something related to a presidential signing statement that was followed by the exec branch rather than the law passed by congress (and signed into law by the president) that a) was really popular with the public; b) that is not directly tied to the war efforts {as Joe is too tied into those issues}; and c) appears to be triggering a Constitutional Crisis. Then he will express outrage - and maybe have a blue dress moment II.

I agree he is an opportunist - but he is slow to figure out where his "opportunities" are - and cautious about what he will chose to play 'moral outrage' over - and right now he is too busy committing all of that energy to defending Surge.

On edit - add a d) to my list above: it has to also be something that McCain has already expressed outrage over.

[annabanana]

2. Leiberman is a technological boob. He doesn't

understand "online", and his people barely know how to handle email. He will be blown past so fast that he'll be left in a cloud of dust, waving his arms around and saying "What the heck was THAT?"



and begging for mercy

[CorpGovActivist]

4. Unseating Lieberman: A Carrot

I wonder if Lieberman could be persuaded to hand the gavel of that committee over to Carl Levin, in return for ...

... a seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee?

; )

- Dave

[radfringe]

6. it's pretty embarassing when your own newly created party turns against you

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20070103-1222-lieberman-politicalparty.html
By Stephen Singer
ASSOCIATED PRESS
12:22 p.m. January 3, 2007

HARTFORD, Conn. – The party Sen. Joe Lieberman created to mount his independent re-election campaign has been seized by one of his critics, and the secretary of state's office said Wednesday that it won't challenge the takeover.

After the senator's Nov. 7 victory under the Connecticut for Lieberman Party banner, John Orman switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Connecticut for Lieberman and voted himself chairman.

Orman, a political science professor who ran briefly against Lieberman last year, said only critics, bloggers and anyone named Lieberman can join the party, which he said would be a watchdog of the senator's actions.

[CorpGovActivist]

7. That's a GREAT Find!

Radfringe!!!

Sounds like a good organization to "cc" on materials sent to Lieberman regarding Halliburton/KBR oversight.

; )

- Dave