AUDIO: Leahy Says Lieberman Should Lose His Chairmanship
AUDIO: Leahy Says Lieberman Should Lose His Chairmanship
Since the election, Senate Democrats have been reluctant to punish Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) for the ad hominem attacks he levied at Barack Obama while supporting Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) in the election. While a few senators have said that they’d like to see Lieberman apologize, most have said that they’d like him to continue caucusing with Democrats.
Today, Daily Kos diarist terjeanderson caught an interview on Vermont Public Radio with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), during which the senator broke from the pack and said that Lieberman deserved to lose his chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee:
I’m one who does not feel that somebody should be rewarded with a major chairmanship after doing what he did. … I felt that some of the attacks that he was involved in against Sen. Obama, whom I did support — I was one of the first in the Congress to support him — I thought they went way beyond the pale. I thought that they were not fair. I thought they were not legitimate. I thought that they perpetuated some of these horrible myths that were being run about Sen. Obama.
I would feel that, had I done something similar, I would not be chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the next Congress.
Listen here:
A new Research 2000/DailyKos poll shows that Lieberman is increasingly unpopular among his constituents. Sixty-one percent disapprove of his Senate performance. Among his Democratic constituents, Lieberman’s approval rating stands at just 22 percent.
Check out ThinkProgress’s new report, “Joe Lieberman: The Progressive Who Lost His Way.”
"Appointing someone to a major post who led the opposition to everything we are fighting for is not 'change we can believe in,'" Sanders continued. "I very much hope that Senator Lieberman stays in the Democratic caucus and is successful in regaining the confidence of those whom he has disappointed. This is not a time, however, in which he should be rewarded with a major committee chairmanship."
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“The Borgen Project has some good info on the cost of addressing global poverty.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:08 pm$30 billion: Annual shortfall to end world hunger.
$540 billion: Annual U.S. Defense Budget.”
Keep the traitor in your caucus, if you must, but he must lose his chair on that committee.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:09 pmWhy isn’t Joe caucusing with the members of the Lieberman for Connecticut party?
November 14th, 2008 at 2:10 pmThe 3 Stooges:
John McCain
Lindsay Graham
Joe Lieberman
Hey guys, governing America is NOT a comedy act. Go do your slapstick for the RNC, RGA or Family Research Council, but stay the hell out of real governing. You proved to all of us that not only are you suffering limited intelligence, you can’t be trusted.
Republics; using yesterday’s ideas to govern your future…
November 14th, 2008 at 2:14 pmLieberman should definitely lose his chairmanship. I would think this is a no-brainer.
It isn’t that Lieberman doesn’t always agree with the “official” party line — Democrats have always been a rather independent-minded bunch who think freely, and punishment for mere disagreement would be harsh.
No, Lieberman went far beyond simple disagreement. He supported McCain, the opposition candidate. Not quietly, not passively, but he actively campaigned for him. Furthermore, he didn’t just support McCain, he ATTACKED Obama. And he ATTACKED the platform and ideology of the Democratic Party.
It shouldn’t be required that one be a blindly loyal non-thinking parrothead to chair a committee. But the expectation that a committee chairperson will support the party’s agenda is a reasonable one. And Lieberman has yet to prove he’s on board with that.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:18 pmRUCerious Says:
Why isn’t Joe caucusing with the members of the Lieberman for Connecticut party?
November 14th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
He only does that behind a locked bathroom door. ;)
November 14th, 2008 at 2:19 pmElections have consequences. Lieberman not only picked his candidate, one from the other party, but in partisan fashion campaigned for that candidate as well. He questioned his character. He questioned his patriotism. He questioned his support for allies.
Lieberman’s candidate lost. Now Lieberman has nothing but nice things to say. Elections have consequences . . . Lieberman deserves his, and that is removal from any position of power or authority in the Democratic Party.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:19 pmAnd three cheers for missmolly too!!!
November 14th, 2008 at 2:19 pmTHREE CHEERS FOR PATRICK LEAHY!!!!
November 14th, 2008 at 2:20 pmKick Traitor Joe to the curb!!
November 14th, 2008 at 2:25 pmI’ll 4th the missmolly cheer…
November 14th, 2008 at 2:26 pmLets see Boot Lieberman..Make the Lieberman for Connecticut faction of the party angry. Keep Lieberman…roll the progressive wing of the party under the bus…Hmmmmm The man I voted for president, and who won, is a pretty smart man…I wouldn’t be starting off my adminstration, with the people who argueably won it for me, now madder than a cricket in a hubcap at me.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:26 pmThe Democrats must expel Lieberman if they want to retain even a hint of support from the progressive community. Obama’s charade is one thing; letting Traitor Joe stay is beyond the pale…
http://www.sunstateactivist.org/ssablog/
November 14th, 2008 at 2:26 pmhuh?
November 14th, 2008 at 2:33 pmGuido the Loving OBGYN Says
November 14th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I will forever view Obama as weak if Lieberman retains his chair. This is not the way to start out for Obama.
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Constitutionally, the POTUS has nothing to say about how either house of Congress sets up its leadership. Theoretically, this is out of Obama’s hands.
That said, however — one way to recognize a leader is to see whether or not he has followers, and how many. If he’s able to build consensus. If he’s able to unite people behind an ideology or mission.
We have seen Obama’s skills in this department most recently in his campaign organization, which, for the most part, operated flawlessly and cohesively. We know he has the right stuff.
Now it’s time for Obama to persuade both houses of Congress to get behind him and his agenda. It’s true that he doesn’t have an official say in who gets committee chairmanships. But if the Senate is sold on Obama’s mission, they will structure themselves in the best way to help him with it.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:36 pmralph the wonder llama Says:
November 14th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Zimzone Says:
November 14th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
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Awwwwwww, thanks guys! (*blush*)
November 14th, 2008 at 2:42 pmSo, what is terribly difficult here? The guy has a significant chairmanship and doesn’t hold meetings and never questioned the current administration and then supports the opposition party and presidential candidate while talking trash about the Democratic candidate for President, yet, Reid says he’s a good “progressive?” Reid is the problem.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:46 pmI’m all in favor of kicking Harry Reid to the curb as well; he’s too much of a wuss.
How about Russ Feingold as Senate Majority Leader??
November 14th, 2008 at 3:02 pmThis ‘kid-gloves’ treatment of Lieberman is the sort of behavior which makes Democrats look WEAK. It is OK to work with people from other parties (like the Conn. for Lieberman Party of one), but to bend-over backwards to reward them when they should be punished is STUPID and COWARDLY!
He ACTIVELY campaigned against Obama when the Republican’s entire campaign was baseless smear. He said, in effect, a former Democratic VP candidate AGREES there is something to fear from Obama. If this gets rewarded, what, exactly, would be unforgiveable behavior?
He crossed a line. We should be strong enough to enforce our standards.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:09 pmThank you Sen. Leahy for having a backbone.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:10 pmPatrick Leahy is the best of the democratic party ! Bernie Sanders , proof that a progressive candidate doesn’t have to have a (D) after his name .
November 14th, 2008 at 3:28 pmHooray for Vermont !
Is there something in the Water in Vermont that improves people’s IQ or what ?
November 14th, 2008 at 3:31 pmJoe was a heartbeat away from being the vice President ,twice , once with the democrats , once as a republican !
November 14th, 2008 at 3:40 pmBravo for Senator Leahy! He understands that you can’t let people walk all over you and your friends in this life. He understands that miscreants like Lieberman will continue to behave badly if they are rewarded for their bad behavior as Senators Nelson, Nelson, Bayh and Salazar would have.
Joe Lieberman was uncivil and dishonest in this election. As one of tens of thousands of Democrats who have supported the DSCC and Dem candidates and helped make this majority possible, I am outraged that Senate Dems would spit in our collective eye.
Look, Senate Dems, if you can’t stand up for yourselves, why should we expect you to stand up for us?
They need to end this distraction soon and strip Sanctimonious Joe of his Chairmanship.
Way to go, Senator Leahy! Yay!
November 14th, 2008 at 3:45 pmBTW, I won’t give a fricken dime to the DSCC if they reward Lieberman with a Chair.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:45 pmI agree with AlphaLiberal. Lieberman is a traitor. I expected crap out of the mouths of the Republicans, but not someone who “caucuses” with the Democrats. OH and by the way is caucusing a synonym for screwing?
November 14th, 2008 at 3:53 pmThe last election was all about ‘Change’…and if Lieberman keeps his chairmanship seat after all what he did and said against Obama and Democrats in general, and after a big win for Democrats in the Senate, then I began to question this ‘Change’ that was sold to the public.
Not only Democrats need to take Lieberman’s chairmanship seat,but they also need to campaign against him next time to put a real Democrat from Connecticut in the US Senate.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:04 pmFact of life in any company – when 2 people are interviewing for the position of new boss, you badmouth one and that one becomes boss.
Your life will be difficult.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:09 pmI think the tide is turning against Lieberman.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:16 pmElections have consequences. The consequence of John McCain losing his bid for the Presidency is that Joe Lieberman can no longer be chair of the Homeland Security Committee. This is not outrageous or disproportionate. There is no need to kick him out of the caucus and I really don’t care about subcommittee appointments.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:30 pmSenator Lieberman presently chairs one of the most powerful and consequential committees in the Senate, while Senator Clinton chairs NONE. What sense at all does that make, given their respective roles in the campaign post-primary, and the outcome?
Joe must go! Joe must go! (repeat ad infinitum)
November 14th, 2008 at 4:49 pmThis thing might just be catching on! Now Senator Sanders has jumped upon the public ‘No, Joe’ bandwagon, and CREDO Mobile has organized a campaign, which is being supported by True Majority.
I “got my No, Joe workin,’ baby!”
November 14th, 2008 at 6:06 pmDid Leahy threaten to send a letter to Lieberman if he didn’t step down? If that doesn’t work, he could … send another letter! That’ll show him!
November 14th, 2008 at 7:52 pmWhy are Senate Dem’s and the media letting Joe LIEberman and his apologists get away with this “kicking-out-of-the-caucus” baloney?
Joe LIEberman lost the Democratic primary in his home state.
Joe LIEberman then quit the Democratic Party.
Joe LIEberman then refused to exercise oversight of the Bush administration as Committee Chairman.
Then Joe went out of his way to try to block Democrats from power: attacking Barack Obama and his supporters in front of the entire country at the GOP convention, and participating in some of the most shameful, cowardly smears ever directed at a presidential nominee.
And now that Democrats earned the very Presidency & huge majorities that Joe LIEberman worked day-and-night to prevent, Joe is threatening Democrats that he’ll quit their caucus if he doesn’t get whatever Chairmanship he demands!
Got that? No Democratic Senator has proposed “kicking out” Joe LIEberman from the caucus –just giving the Chairmanship he held in the last session to an actual Democrat. Such as a Democrat who helped win more Democratic Senate seats and a Democratic presidency.
It’s entirely Joe LIEberman’s decision if he wants to honorably accept whatever Senate posts Democrats give him or if he wants to QUIT like a petty, vengeful loser.
November 14th, 2008 at 7:59 pmI had a few rants on this topic last night. Since they’re somewhat lengthy, and if you’re interested, my comments can be found under this thread at the Zoo:
November 15th, 2008 at 1:50 amhttp://tpzoo.wordpress.com/2008/11/13/thursday-open-thread-6/#comments