Joe Lieberman

[Jack Sprat]

Did you watch Rachel Maddow tonight? She made a great case for kicking Joe to the curb. I agree with her. Two weeks ago he was shadowing McCain around the country campaigning against President elect Obama and lower level Democrats. He said that a Democrat majority in the Senate would put the nation in peril. He never investigated the Bush Administration's handling of Katrina, which he campaigned on as an Independant. Instead of performing government oversight, he went campaigning with McSame and Lindsey Graham (the S.C. senator who grins like he has messed his pants and is afraid it's beginning to stink).

So, Joe Lieberman has taken sides against his party to the point of being defeated in the 06 CT primary, then ran as an Indpt and eked out a win in a 3 way race, then continued to caucus with Democrats until McCain ran for office when he again dumped on his former party, and finally all but called the Democratic nominee a Marxist in the last days of the campaign. His last fusilades against the Democratic Party was less than "2" weeks ago. What, in heaven's name, does it take for Congressional Democrats to gather some pride in themselves and kick this traitor to the curb once and for all? He's going to side with the Republicans again in the new congress, regardless, on a number of important issues. How can he be trusted to caucus with Democrats or head any committees, muchless Homeland Security? Instead of investigating TeamBush's illegal activities, it's a good bet that old Joe will be trying to be subversive and disloyal to the incoming Obama administration.

Trusting Lieberman again will be a tragic mistake, imo. How many stabs in the back does it take to realize this guy is your enemy? This is one case where this man deserves being "BRANDED A TRAITOR".

[BrklynLiberal]

1. I would not feel comfortable with him as the Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

I think he could be offered chairmanship of some minor committee, and if doesn't like it....BUH-BYE.
I truly believe that the Dems will win all three of the seats that are now up in the air...and Susan Collins and/or Olympia Snowe, and even Arlen Spector could be persuaded to vote with the 58 or 59 Dems, should it come to that.

We just don't need him!!!!

He is like the scorpion in the tale of the frog and the scorpion...

The scorpion, who could not swim, asked the frog to carry him across a body of water. The frog, naturally fearful of the deadly scorpion, declined. So the scorpion tried to reassure him, saying that "it wouldn't be in my interest to harm you while we are crossing the water together, for we will both drown." With that assurance, the frog agreed, only to have the scorpion fatally sting him in the middle of their journey. When asked by the frog why he did that when he knew it would lead to both of them drowning, the scorpion's sorry response was simply "it is my nature."

[Kokonoe]

2. He needs to be kicked to the curb, but lets put the shoe on the other foot.

Democrats can do that at any time. Since Lieberman feels his self preservation comes first.

Lieberman may be a very dependable and necessary democratic vote, since his vote will determine his fate.

[MurrayDelph]

9. After I put the shoe on the other foot

I want to kick him with that one, too!

[krispos42]

3. I wrote a letter to my Senator today

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4454043&mesg_id=4454303

[clear eye]

4. There are even better reasons to yank the committees from Lieberman's control

There are two issues at play concerning Lieberman. First is whether he remains in the party caucus, and second, and more important, is if he retains his one committee and two subcommittee chair positions. He can be removed from chairing committees and still caucus with the Democrats. He currently chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. His leadership, especially compared with that of Rep. Waxman who chairs the equivalent committee in the House, has been less than stellar. While Waxman has urged a number of serious investigations into the performance of the Dept. of Homeland Security and the failures of regulation re: Wall St. with the hope of instituting important reforms*, Lieberman has not.

Our Democratic agenda, especially vis a vis regulation of the large financial institutions, the abuses of Blackwater, and more require a united Congress. Informative investigations in the Senate would have to be led by just that committee that oversees Governmental Affairs that Lieberman currently heads. Leaving Lieberman in that position makes it unlikely its important work would be carried out.

Furthermore, if Dems remove Lieberman from his chairs and he goes off in a huff and voluntarily leaves the Democratic caucus we won't have lost as much as it may appear. He has already publicly stated opposition to a filibuster-proof Democratic Senate. There is great likelihood that he would vote against cloture at just the times when Democrats want it most, like for passing Obama legislation for withdrawal from Iraq.

We need pro-active Democrats leading important committees and subcommittees to carry out Obama initiatives and move along the Democratic agenda. There are a number of senior Democratic Senators worthy of being rewarded with those positions.

*http://oversight.house.gov/investigations.asp?ID=234 and http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/house_oversight_committee_will.php

[Divine Discontent]

5. and she made a great case for him to lose his committee chair for the homeland security

I think, rather smoothly - I mean really - do we want this jerk who was in cahoots in calling Obama a traitor and anti-American, who was willing to make his answers sound like he was agreeing that Obama was a marxist, etc., having ANY control over security??? I don't trust him - I'd be worried he'd cause Obama headaches, at best!!!

[MrSlayer]

6. Kick him over to a committee that deals with an issue he agrees with us on.

"Punish him but don't castrate him" seems to be the best approach.

Can you imagine being part of the most important governing body in the world and having to worry about "spite" votes like you're still in third grade? This type of thing amazes me.

[mikelgb]

7. Wash your mouth out! Such Language.....

[Winterblues]

8. It really does not matter what we think as Rahm has stated

"There is no Democratic Base". They do whatever they please with no thought of any risk to their caucus. We no longer have any say what-so-ever....if we ever really did anyway...They basically are telling us to stick it...