Folks don't blame Reid, blame Obama and Obama did the right thing. . .

[wndycty]

. . .if President-Elect Obama wanted Lieberman gone, he would be gone. Obama is about CHANGE and his is changing the way the game is played, he is the bigger man and Reid was carrying out Obama's orders.

[ProSense]

1. Lieberman = Change. Smear = Change. Capitulation = Change

Yay!

[wndycty]

3. No. . .not carrying grudges is CHANGE. . .

. . .I hate Lieberman and I wanted him out, but this is a new day in Washington, Lieberman lucked out.

[ProSense]

9. You know what? That's a backward ass argument akin to being above the law = unity. n/t

[Clio the Leo]

2. kick and rec NT

[HardWorkingDem]

4. No, he should have kept his mouth shut.....

Instead we now have a Senator inside the tent pissing all over while standing on a bench....

[Sebass1271]

5. I DON'T AGREE

DEMOCRATS DON'T REALIZE REPUBLICANS PLAY DIRTY AND WHEN OBAMA IS DOWN BY THE HATRED AND REPUBLICAN MACHINE I WILL BE THERE SWEEPING TEARS OF SADNESS THAT HE NEVER REALIZED OR COMPREHENDED HOW DIVIDED, DECEITFUL REPUBLICANS ARE.. ALONG WITH LIEBERMAN..

I AM WEEPING FOR MY PARTY TODAY..

I AM SO DISAPPOINTED..

[stray cat]

6. Dems are allowed to be cats while repubs have to be lemmings

I prefer cats even when they are a complete pain. Of course, CT may decide to euthanize Lieberman in the next election for peeing on the carpet

[MadBadger]

7. Obama did the right thing, but Reid should have been the bad cop to Obama's good cop

[DevonRex]

13. Exactly. Obama may have said Lieberman could caucus with us but

Reid could have stripped him of his chairmanships. Then it would have been up to Lieberman whether to stay or keep kissing republican ass.

That way Obama looks good, Reid looks good and we probably get rid of Lieberman without looking vindictive.

[riqster]

25. That's exactly what Reid was

..he told Holy Joe that he wanted him gone, Obama said 'change'. Bad Cop = Reid, Good Cop = Obama.

[DevonRex]

8. Obama never said Lieberman should keep his chairmanships.

[movonne]

10. The problem is I don't see change.....I see the same good old boys

and girls running this administration...where is the change??? maybe a few but there seems to be no punishment for wrong doing...I love Obama and wanted to see change...and hope...

[DevonRex]

16. Oh good grief. This was senate business, not administration business.

[movonne]

32. It is all the same....senate business becomes administration business...

[madaboutharry]

11. As much as I detest Lieberman, I think Obama is right.

I think he wants Lieberman in the tent rather than outside the tent where he could do more mischief. Obama is apparently not a man who holds grudges and doesn't need to get even. He obviously has the soul of a real diplomat and believes it is best to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

(I personally do not have this quality. I hold grudges and nurse old wounds for way too long. I always am aware of what a better person I would be if I could shake these old habits).

I also think Lieberman is going to be kept on a very short leash.

[wildflower]

22. Agreed, and I want universal health care

I wish they could have put off this vote until January. Because as I understand it, he was threatening to bolt the party, and if he did that now, the majority would switch back over to the Republicans until the next section. (If I am incorrect about this, someone please correct me.) Perhaps in January, they could have stripped him of this chairmanship.

But we could use every vote we can get on issues such as universal health care, whether that vote comes from him or anyone else.

[Imperialism Inc.]

28. It wouldn't have flipped to Republicans. There was an agreement

in place that any changing of sides would not affect who was running the Senate.

[MidwestTransplant]

12. A guy who thinks Obama is unpatriotic and dangerous has no place ruling a Dem Committee

[OwnedByFerrets]

23. AMEN!!

[WeDidIt]

14. I blame 'em all now. n/t

[Blue_Tires]

15. silly me, i'd rather have a dem in Lieberman's place

a few months from now, when this is all forgotten, and Lieberman starts shredding Obama's policies, getting buddy-buddy with the far right and bad-mouthing him in every paper and news show, people are going to wish something was done when they had the chance...

[leftynyc]

36. They can do it anytime they like

Committee chairs can always be stripped and he can be voted out of the caucus anytime. Why are people under the impression that we had only one shot at this? If he doesn't behave himself, he can still be punished.

[jaxx]

17. Absolutely!

This puts the responsibility on to Lieberman to succeed or fail all by himself. I bet his knees were shaking.

[Ichingcarpenter]

27. Lieberman makes the TV news talk show circuit all the time

It will be interesting to hear if his tune has changed when he first
shows up on Faux but I bet he will put his foot in his mouth and start saying things that
the Democratic Senate will be having second thoughts about
"moving forward' with him.

[jaxx]

30. From now on whatever he says he will suffer for....don't worry.

I would think he's never been more scared in his life.

[City Lights]

18. Was Lieberman stripped of anything?

If not, we're still in the land of no accountability, which is no change at all.

On edit, I see he was stripped of his chairmanship on an environmental subcommittee. BFD.

[budkin]

34. Nope... still holds the same roles.

[Peacetrain]

19. I think Obama wants to keep his eye on Lieberman,,and

better to have him caged in our tent, than a loose cannon in theirs. :shrug:

[spanone]

20. true change would be consequences for supporting the oppostition...imo

[OwnedByFerrets]

21. And letting criminals get away with crimes is change too huh?

Will you make this argument when this criminal administration gets away with ALL its crimes??

[Jennicut]

24. Why is revenge against Loserman so important to some people?

Don't we have more pressing issues to deal with, like the tanking economy and a war in Iraq? Or am I just being pragmatic and sensible, like Barack?

[seaglass]

31. It's not revenge. It's called being held accountable. n/t

[wellst0nev0ter]

26. Forget About All The Bullshit He Said During The Campaign

Focus on one thing: Katrina. And the lack of investigation by LIEberman's committee. This is simply wingnut welfare by Dems.

[Ichingcarpenter]

29. I bet he starts doing his oversight job now

of the executive branch.

His oversight of the Katrina disaster and Homeland security corruption
should anger anyone.

[wellst0nev0ter]

35. Ah, I See.

Obama needs him there to keep him honest. It all makes sense now :sarcasm: (not pointed at you, just at the Vichy Dems)

[budkin]

33. I don't agree with Obama's decision... he should have made an example out of Smearberman

[noiretextatique]

37. it was a smart move

obama owns his sorry ass now.

[themaguffin]

38. Obama is not in the Senate

but the others are and Lieberman is incompetent as chair.

Period.

[walldude]

39. If her were "changing" the way the game was played he'd have

handed Lieberman his walking papers. The game apparently is the same as it ever was.