"Here is my offer to you. Nothing."
I just wanted to take this opportunity to say two things: First, My man-crush on the host of this site grows stronger by the day. Second, and on a completely related note, I could not agree more with Josh's post on the front page right now. I take back every remotely measured, moderate word I have ever uttered about Joe Lieberman. To hell with him.
This isn't about us, Joe. As usual, it is about YOU. You want to caucus with your true friends? Go to it. You think you're going to miss Johnny Maverick that much? Go to it. You deserve each other. And if I live to see the day, G-d willing and Inshallah, every dime I donate to re-electing Barack Obama will be matched by a contribution to the Democratic candidate running to unseat you.
The only question remaining in my mind is what I will call you so that I never have to speak or type your name again. The rest is silence...
Screw Lieberman. Reid looks dumber by the day as he stalls on this no-brainer decision.
November 7, 2008 2:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Man crush. Oy.
November 7, 2008 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
ondioline:
Umm. . . no, really, don't hold back. Tell us what you really think.
But seriously, I agree with this. We can't count on Leiberman for anything at this point. Better that he caucuses with the GOP than with us.
November 7, 2008 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's a Michael Corleone quote, no? Nice.
November 7, 2008 7:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here is what Reid should do - and in this order:
1. Strip Lieberman of his chairmanship.
2. Throw Lieberman out of the caucus.
3. Move Lieberman to the smallest and most cramped office in the building - preferably one with no cell phone bars.
That should be sufficient - for now.
November 7, 2008 8:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's tempting to take this course of action. But turn back the pages of history, this is the same sort of behavior the republicans did within their own caucuses after they won in 1994. Look where it got them. Groupthink. Let's not go there.
The chairmanship is a fair political price to pay. But we simply don't know where Lieberman can or cannot contribute. The Obama campaign was about moving past politics as usual, and that is what revenge here is.
I don't care so much about what happens to Lieberman, or Reid, or even Obama. They'll all be fine. But why waste time on this sort of stuff? I think our national legislators need to be occupied with this financial and economic crises. When the cloud lifts, the financial system is off Fed life support, and the fundamentals of the economy are strong again, then they can make Lieberman stand in a corner.
November 7, 2008 11:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
A corner is too valuable to waste on Lieberman. Throw him under the bus, as he has value as a retread.
November 8, 2008 2:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
With all due respect -- bullshit. Joe Lieberman stood up at the Republican National Convention and trashed Barack Obama. He supported down ticket Republicans. He whispered the correct answers in Senile McCain's ear, all the while telling us Barack Obama was bad for the country and John McCain was just dandy. A week before the election, he stood behind Sarah Palin while she was spewing hate and fomenting it in the crowd.
There is a line between going beyond politics as usual and being stupid. Getting beyond politics requires the good faith of the other parties who take responsibility for their actions. To allow Lieberman to dictate ANYTHING to the Democrats is unacceptable. He has actively worked against the Democratic party, impugned the patriotism of our nominee and now President-Elect. He takes responsibility for his actions and has no standing in the Democratic Senate.
November 8, 2008 8:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree he needs to go "because he hasn't the slightest interest in doing what is good for America" and is concerned about Traitor Joe alone.
He also needs to go for the reasons that everyone else has (in righteious indignation) listed. Lots of reasons to dump Traitor Joe. They're not mutually exclusive.
If Reid won't do it, then he needs to go, too.
November 8, 2008 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Marshall laid out the best argument of all this morning - he wasn't doing his job as committee chairman - he held no hearings and effectively conducted no oversight.
Believe me 57, the things he's said and where he has stood has been reprehensible in many cases. I'm just saying there are much, much bigger issues to deal with now. Tackle that one later.
November 8, 2008 12:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is absolutely true that he did nothing to monitor the Bush administration, but does anyone doubt that it was pure politics? He wasn't about to do anything that would harm the Republicans. Does anyone doubt that he WILL use the committee to go after Obama for everything he can imagine or fantasize in order to stop the program? The man is pure politics and nothing else (I doubt he would even sacrifice his career for Israel) matters to him. We MUST stop him from keeping the chairmanship. Being in the caucus otherwise is immaterial.
November 8, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
You are all missing the underlying affront. Lieberman is so frigging pious and sanctimonious as to make one want to puke. Yuck! That he was able to stand up and say let us be nonpartisan and move on without bursting out laughing was the final straw. Throw him out of the caucus on the grounds that he is too disgusting for his fellow Democrats to stomach.
November 8, 2008 6:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
You are all missing the underlying affront. Lieberman is so frigging pious and sanctimonious as to make one want to puke. Yuck! That he was able to stand up and say let us be nonpartisan and move on without bursting out laughing was the final straw. Throw him out of the caucus on the grounds that he is too disgusting for his fellow Democrats to stomach.
November 8, 2008 7:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
No! No! No! Do NOT throw Lieberman out of the Democratic caucus! Harry Reid should swiftly strip him of his chaimanship, then leave him to his own devices.
If he happens to continue voting with Democrats, fine - one more vote. If he bolts to the Republicans, hold open the door for him and make sure it doesn't hit him in the ass on his way out. It will be HIS choice, and he won't have the fig-leaf of whining about being kicked out of the Democratic caucus. Don't make a martyr out of him.
If Lieberman didn't know before, he knows now he's in his last term in the Senate. If Howard Dean is smart he'll be grooming someone right now to run against Lieberman in 2012.
November 8, 2008 7:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Joe has to go. And not because he buddied up with McCain. It's because he hasn't the slightest interest in doing what is good for America.
When somebody his age indicates indecision like he has you can bet it isn't about anything important or substantive having to do with America. It is all about Joe. Strip him of everything and make him stand in the corner until the voters of Connecticut show him the door. He's an idiot. All I can remember is him standing behind McCain grinning like a half wit. A U.S. Senator? What an embarrassment.
November 8, 2008 9:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
The reason that this is very important and not a matter of retribution or vengeance is that the committee that he heads is supposed to be the watchdog of the administration. He did absolutely nothing during the last two years of the W administration, but there is no doubt whatsoever that he would use it against Obama even if he has to invent reasons, just to throw a wrench into the program. He CANNOT be allowed to retain the chairmanship!
November 8, 2008 1:31 PM | Reply | Permalink