I don't think Liberman's moralistic posturing on birth control, video games, etc, can fairly be called "progressive."

Ditto his stances on bankruptcy, securities regulation, and other corporations-v.-people issues.

Yeah Senator Lieberman might be many things but he isn't a "progressive".  I beleive his political hero was Scoop Jackson.   Many of his policy positions he endorses are based on his faith and he is up front about that fact.  But based on some of the positions he has taken on cultural/social issues I can fully understand how he ended up on the conservative side of the torture issue.  I just have trouble understanding how the teachings of Judeo-Christianity will lead someone to believe that endorsing torture is a moral position to take...but that does seem to be the position that people of "deep religious faith" in politics take.

Pro torture? What are you all talking about?

It's my understanding that Lieberman wrote legislation with Senator John McCain carrying out the 9/11 Commission’s recommended ban on torture, consistent with the Geneva Convention. He morally condemned and has publicly stated that he was “deeply outraged’’ by the abuses that occurred at Abu Ghraib.

Is that false? Ironic that this blog is for "reality-based commentary".

Here's what Joe said after expressing his "outrage":
"I cannot help but say, however, that those who were responsible for killing 3,000 Americans on September 11th, 2001, never apologized. Those who have killed hundreds of Americans in uniform in Iraq working to liberate Iraq and protect our security have never apologized.

And those who murdered and burned and humiliated four Americans in Fallujah a while ago never received an apology from anybody.

So it's part of -- wrongs occurred here, by the people in those pictures and perhaps by people up the chain of command."

In other words, shit happens, mistakes were made, but let's not dwell on the past, let's keep our sense of righteous indignation intact and not reflect at all on what this says about us. A classic Lieberman pander. He expressed greater "outrage" over Clinton's blowjob.

Your selective quotation just underscores my point. You provided just enough "context" to send a misleading message as to Lieberman's point.

Here is the full statement:

"Mr. Secretary, the behavior by Americans at the prison in Iraq is, as we all acknowledge, immoral, intolerable and un-American. It deserves the apology that you have given today and that have been given by others in high positions in our government and our military.

I cannot help but say, however, that those who were responsible for killing 3,000 Americans on September 11th, 2001, never apologized. Those who have killed hundreds of Americans in uniform in Iraq working to liberate Iraq and protect our security have never apologized.

And those who murdered and burned and humiliated four Americans in Fallujah a while ago never received an apology from anybody.

So it's part of -- wrongs occurred here, by the people in those pictures and perhaps by people up the chain of command.

But Americans are different. That's why we're outraged by this. That's why the apologies were due."

As this makes clear, Lieberman wasn't trying to justify the torture by noting that Al Qaeda failed to apologize. Rather, he did "reflect on what this says about us." Specifically, that Americans are different from Al Qaeda because we ARE outraged and because we DO apologize.

Jeez.

It was pretty clear to me that Lieberman 'threw' the 2000 debate with Cheney. Then he rushed to essentially concede the 2000 election. IMHO, the only good thing that came out of Gore's defeat was the Lieberman never got anywhere close to being president.

However, the fact that he is willing and ready to defy his party's voters and run as an independent should erase all doubt that Lieberman is a fake Democrat. If this election results in a 50/50 tie in the Senate (with Lieberman winning as an independent,) it would not surprise me to see him renege on his promise to organize with the D's. He is a sanctimonious snake in the grass.

I also don't understand all the puzzlement about Joe's loyalties. Listening to the 2000 debate with Cheney told me all I needed to know about him. If Connecticut were a 'red' state, Lieberman would be a Republican.

Oh, nothing to do with torture. Just - you know - better to be a psycho killer who provides for the wife and kids than one who doesn't.