Dorgan: Lieberman’s Actions Were Unacceptable For Committee Chairman
Dorgan: Lieberman’s Actions Were Unacceptable For Committee Chairman
After Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) spoke at the Republican National Convention this summer, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) expressed his frustration: “Everybody is just profoundly disappointed with what Joe did,” Dorgan said.
Today on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace asked Dorgan whether he would vote on Tuesday to allow Lieberman remain chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. Dorgan said he was “concerned” and “upset” over Lieberman’s behavior during the campaign, and suggested that Lieberman’s actions were unacceptable for a committee chairman:
As a chairman of one of our significant committees in the Senate, not just going off and supporting a presidential candidate of the other side but also criticizing the candidate on our side, and also involving himself in a couple of senate races on the other side. The question is, is that acceptable? The answer is no.
Watch it:
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) said the Republicans would embrace Lieberman into their caucus “with open arms” in an effort to boost the party’s Senate numbers. Kyl heralded Lieberman has “a great American” and said his party would “love to have him.” Dorgan emphasized that expelling Lieberman from the entire Democratic caucus is “not on the table;” the Tuesday vote will pertain only to his position as chairman.
So far, Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) are the only senators to have explicitly called for Lieberman to lose his chairmanship.
Check out ThinkProgress’s report, “Joe Lieberman: The Progressive Who Lost His Way.”
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
The Democrats will give Joe everything he wants, just like they did with Bush on FISA, Iraq, and the (mostly) bogus war on terror. We need a third party.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:29 amKick his ass to the curb!!!
November 16th, 2008 at 10:29 amLieberman’s actions were acceptable to the Republiscums, McCain, Palin, etc. though.
And that’s good enough for me to say Lieberman deserves no slack from those who stood behind their candidate and party.
The first true test of the new Democratic Party strength.
And I’ll bet they choke or come up with some namby pamby compromise.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:34 amHe should lose his chairmanship. He knew there would be a price to pay for supporting McCain, and it must be done, to send a message to other **coughbluedogcough… cough…** senators, who might be emboldened to stray from the agenda.
Or make him eat a non-kosher hot-dog on Saturday, on camera.
At this point, I’d settle.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:36 amTalk, talk, talk, talk….
Time for some action.
The Democrats will have about 58 Democratic seats starting in January – excluding Joe. There are several moderate Republicans who will vote with the Democratic majority on a number of issues because they know it’s the right thing to do, and it could save their jobs in 2010.
As a result, WE DON’T NEED LIEBERMAN! Hello?
Kick him out. Say good-bye. Act like the adults you are.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:40 ami particularly like the fact that republiscums are urging the democrats to “be forgiving” towards whiny-assed LIEberman. Would something like the “forgiveness” they showed towards the democrats for the past eight years do?
November 16th, 2008 at 10:41 amDorgan hails Lieberman as a “great American”. Translation: Joe is a big enough douche bag to join our club.
Strip him. Let him walk. Vote him out next go around.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:42 amI don’t think we need a third party as much as we need Democrats who have testicles and a spine larger than a cockapoo’s. The problem starts with the terminally flaccid and impotent Harry Reid. I’d much rather have Hillary Clinton as Majority Leader than Secretary of State.
Regardless, I agree with Corsair’s prediction: the Dems will knuckle under the way they always do when faced with tough decisions, even when they actually have the leverage.
Joe Lieberman would be signing his Connecticut political death warrant if he joined the Republican caucus. Not only would it guarantee his defeat when he runs for re-election in 2012, but he will also inevitably incur the wrath of those same Republicans when he votes against them on a variety of issues, which he is sure to do. Lieberman knows this, but the Dems give every indication that they’re too dim-witted to understand it as well. If Lieberman is removed as chair I will be shocked and amazed.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:44 amLet the GOP welcome him. He’ll find it’s a mixed blessing, because after the flurry of attention from the media, he’ll realize he’s picked the losing side, the minority, and he’ll have little power since the GOP is not handing over any co-chair posts to him. They’ve used him as a useful idiot, and now he can’t really help them very much, given their numbers.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:47 amIf Lieberman just simply endorsed McCain,I would say forgive him..but that was not the case.He did everything he could to defeat and smear Democrats and their presidential candidate.
He was McCain’s companion during all campaign time.He was seen with McCain in just about everywhere McCain went.
He attacked Democratic Party during the campaign.
He attacked Obama falsely and accused him of being a Marxist.
He spoke at the Republicans Convention attacking Democrats.
If Democrats can’t make up their minds whether to keep Lieberman or get rid of him as a Committee chairman…then I can’t see how Democrats can take care of peoples business.
And if Arizona Republican senator Jon Kyl wants him in his Republican party, let it be, and let Liebreman joins Republican Party,since he is acting as a Republican member anyway.
Democrats should give this chairmanship to one of their 58 senators instead.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:09 amFrom what we’ve seen, even the notion of accountability is very big news in today’s world, and media.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:16 amAfter what we’ve seen over the last eight years, here is another potential for a smell of some accountability related to an issue that pales in comparison to what has been overlooked in recent years. I mean wow, those Democrats are really sticking their chins out on this one.
memo to the msm:
Save it, don’t bother to tell me any more about some smarmy jerk that might possibly be demoted at work because he’s a traitor.
It really bothers me that they are going to take this vote behind closed doors. We deserve the right to know which Senators put party over doing what is right. That’s what the Republicans do and it bothers me that the Democrats are going to tell the world that there are no consequences in the Democratic party the same way there are no consequences in the Republican party.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:22 amIf you have not yet done it, I encourage everyone to go to change.gov and tell Obama your vision of the future of this country is one where there is accountability and consequences for your actions and for breaking the law.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:25 amseriously, he’s not even a member of the Democratic party…
i don’t get it.
NO CHAIRMANSHIP.
easy.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:31 amDorgan suggested that Lieberman’s actions were unacceptable for a committee chairman.
If his actions were “unacceptable” then take away his chairmanship. If he wants to go over to the dark side
November 16th, 2008 at 11:31 amlet him, it would be great to have a pro-choice guy
hanging with the republicans.
I also suggest we all send Harry Reid an e-mail telling him that we think this is his last chance to show this country that he can do the right thing and really be a leader.
http://reid.senate.gov/contact/
Make up a street address then use Reno, NV 89501 to fool his filter.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:32 amon another note,
is dorgan the senator who visits with ed schultz occasionally?
if so, he is a great ally of progressive radio/media…
he understands the righty bias and is working to fix that.
send him kudos for this LIEberman stance, at least:
November 16th, 2008 at 11:36 amhttp://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
the addresses at that link have always worked for me, without having to make up an address…
this is harry’s: http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
hopefully, it’s set up for the people…
November 16th, 2008 at 11:38 amHe should never have been given the HSA chair to begin with. He is NOT a Democrat! Why is there a question of what to do!? If Reid or others even THINK he should remain as Chairman THEY should be replaced! Kick this smarmy crawler to the curb. It can’t be fast enough. And Reid, if you can’t make a decision simple as this, please step aside. Put Sanders in charge! He is more a Democrat than those of you with a “D” behind your name.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:39 amhuh. same form, bilbo.
maybe he’s NOT getting my messages…
i sure get his “give ‘em hell, harry” message enough…
November 16th, 2008 at 11:39 amThank you, Senator Dorgan.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:40 amJust leave old Joe alone until after the three Senate races are decided. If the Dems win all three and 60 seats then Joe must go. If Joe makes 60 he can stay AS LONG AS he votes with the Dems. The first vote with the Repukes, particularly one that causes a filibuster to kill a Dem bill, and old Joe is gone, gone, gone. The Dems should vote to oust him from the Senate and have a Dem appointed by the Conn. Governor. Use him but don’t abuse him until the time is right. The same with any Senator from a State with a Republican Governor. Make McLame the Secretary of Defense, Kyl, the Secretary of the Treasury, any other Senator that is in the same position should be promoted to the Cabinet until their replacements are named then President should demand their resignation and send them packing.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:43 amoooh, a devious plan, crusty… could work…
the wisdom of age!
November 16th, 2008 at 11:51 amCool, Dorgan has a direct e-mail address, one that doesn’t require fooling the filter. Send him an e-mail encouraging him to follow through and vote to strip Lieberman of his chairmanship.
senator@dorgan.senate.gov
November 16th, 2008 at 12:05 pmThe question that Lieberman defenders must answer is: what exactly has he done in a positive sense for the Democratic party in the past two years?
I cannot see a damned thing. The party loses absolutely nothing by cutting him loose. He’s already gone rogue.
November 16th, 2008 at 12:25 pmof course republicans will welcome LIEberman with opens arms – he’s one of them.
The party loses absolutely nothing by cutting him loose. He’s already gone rogue.
LIEberman’s done a lot worse than going “rogue”, he’s gone out right anti-Democratic dissing the party, what it stands for and made and supported spurious republican attacks on the Democratic leadership, as well as introducing resolutions to further a radical republican agenda of fear and division. LIEberman is the enemy of the Democratic party. Keeping him would be insane. Nobody with any backbone rewards their enemies.
November 16th, 2008 at 12:35 pmTHE very best way Democrats can signal to the American people that nothing really important happened on 4-Nov-08 and that the same spineless, stand-for-nothing Democrats that have been in charge since 2006 are still in charge is to give LIEberman his coveted Chairmanship.
November 16th, 2008 at 12:38 pmkaty Says: “oooh, a devious plan…”
Au contraire! The Rethugs are devious. President Obama would merely be taking advantage of circumstances perpetrated by their own deviousness.
November 16th, 2008 at 1:00 pmYeah, I’m sure that once the base of the GOP, the redneck, backward ass, pork fed, pea brain, inbred, country f*(ks realized Lieberman is Jewish, they are going to be thrilled.
November 16th, 2008 at 1:25 pmKeep Lieberman but remove him from Homeland Security. He votes with the right on foreign affairs, but votes with Democrats on most domestic affairs. Lieberman is pro-choice, anti-gun, pro-abortion, and pro-stem cell. These social values put him at direct odds with the Republican Caucus. Keep Lieberman, we need the vote, but we don’t need him in an oversight role in the Senate.
November 16th, 2008 at 1:48 pmJoe Lieberman can be subchair chair of the committee to investigate French Fries at fast food restaurants. As for Homeland Security, completely unacceptable.
November 16th, 2008 at 1:50 pmI WANT TO FIX HILLARY CLINTON FOR STAYING WITH BILL WHEN SHE SHOULD HAVE DIVORCED HIM OVER:
November 16th, 2008 at 2:16 pm1. HIS ANTIMASTURBATION
2. HIS CHEATING ADULTERY
ALSO IM AGAINST HER NOT LISTENING TO ME ABOUT VOTING AGAINST THE ANTI POKER BILL (PHONE CALLS, LETTERS) AND RECEIVING FUNDING FROM HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES WHEN THEY ARE ALREADY OVERCHARGING AND AGE DISCRIMINATING. I ALSO BELIEVE LIKE JOE LIEBERMAN THAT BILL CLINTON SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMPEACHED AFTER ILLEGALLY CHEATING ON HIS WIFE.
SPINELESS F&*KING DEMOCRATS SHOW THIS MORON THE DOOR ALREADY.
November 16th, 2008 at 2:32 pmstewarjt Says:
“Yeah, I’m sure that once the base of the GOP, the redneck, backward ass, pork fed, pea brain, inbred, country f*(ks realized Lieberman is Jewish, they are going to be thrilled.”
Don’t you know? Those same inbreds that used to bash Jews now love Jews (as a means to an end anyway) as “THE RAPTURE HYUK HYUK” can’t come until Eretz Israel is restored after which guys like Joe will have to convert to Jebus or get cast into the lake of fire.
November 16th, 2008 at 2:35 pmI think we ought to TRADE Joe. We get Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, and they get Joe a couple of aides and a page to be named later
November 16th, 2008 at 2:39 pmOops. At #7 I got my Senators crossed. I meant Kyl, not Dorgan referring to Lieberman as a great American. My pissed off-edness
led to hasty typing. I meant Kyl, as in “Steaming Pile.”
Thank You,
D.H.
November 16th, 2008 at 2:43 pmstewarjt Says:
Yeah, I’m sure that once the base of the GOP, the redneck, backward ass, pork fed, pea brain, inbred, country f*(ks realized Lieberman is Jewish, they are going to be thrilled.
I don’t think they will care. They will tolerate anything if it furthers their agenda.
November 16th, 2008 at 2:59 pmI ALSO BELIEVE LIKE JOE LIEBERMAN THAT BILL CLINTON SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMPEACHED AFTER ILLEGALLY CHEATING ON HIS WIFE.
If cheating on your wife was illegal there would be no one left in the Republican party.
November 16th, 2008 at 3:01 pmHey Frank, whatever you’re smoking, pass it around. Bogarting it clearly is not beneficial to your thought processes.
Just curious, what is “antimasturbation?” And had Clinton simply masturbated (rather than antimasturbated), would that have prevented his “cheating adultery?” Or perhaps his non-cheating adultery? Or his cheating faithfulness? Or his faithful cheating? It’s all very opaque…or antiopaque, or something. At any rate, I’m also foursquare against illegal adultery – anyone who can’t fornicate without breaking the law is probably an adrenaline junkie.
November 16th, 2008 at 3:41 pmFRANK TELLS Says:
1 Contact your nurse
2 Increase your medication.
3 Keep your masterabatory fantasies to yourself.
4 Beg borrow or steal a couple of functional braincells
signed
Concerned for your mental health.
November 16th, 2008 at 3:46 pmI hope every Democratic Senator watched Rachel Maddow on Nov 13th, when she had her “Rachel Re:” section of the program about Lieberman.
Rachel Re: Should Lieberman Lose Committee Chair
Watch it and make sure your Democratic Senators know this info.
And read the MYTH of the Democratic Filibuster Proof Senate.
November 16th, 2008 at 4:17 pmCrusty Old Bastard Says:
——————————————————————————–
Just leave old Joe alone until after the three Senate races are decided. If the Dems win all three and 60 seats then Joe must go. If Joe makes 60 he can stay AS LONG AS he votes with the Dems. The first vote with the Repukes, particularly one that causes a filibuster to kill a Dem bill, and old Joe is gone, gone, gone. The Dems should vote to oust him from the Senate and have a Dem appointed by the Conn. Governor. Use him but don’t abuse him until the time is right. The same with any Senator from a State with a Republican Governor. Make McLame the Secretary of Defense, Kyl, the Secretary of the Treasury, any other Senator that is in the same position should be promoted to the Cabinet until their replacements are named then President should demand their resignation and send them packing.
Jodi Rell, CT’s governor is a Republican
November 16th, 2008 at 4:27 pmIf McCain wins Slimy Joe is some kind of a republican god. Since that was not the case he needs to pay up that’s what happens when you go all in. Win you’re rich lose you’re broke.
November 16th, 2008 at 4:42 pmOh why are the Dems treating this piece of offal as if it’s something precious that’s worth preserving? The gutter-snipe Lieberman should be sent packing. Forget all the forgiveness malarkey, we need to see this creep for what he is, and give him the boot. He chose the wrong side and burned his bridges and yet this insidious reptile wishes to continue to chair a commitee as if everything is just fine? This is too much fr even a mild tempered Dem to bear. Joe Lieberman is a loser!
November 16th, 2008 at 5:37 pmKaty asks -is dorgan the senator who visits with ed schultz occasionally?
Yes, he is, Katy.
November 16th, 2008 at 6:35 pmThe vote will be a secret ballot on Tuesday so we won’t know exactly how the votes were cast, but we may get some clues in coming days.
If Dems gain MN and AK (I don’t think we’ll gain GA) we may be able to afford dumping Lieberman. But Obama believes he needs the 60 vote majority in order to pass some of the sweeping programs he believes we need and that is probably behind the Dems reluctance to kick Traitor Joe to the curb now.
November 16th, 2008 at 6:41 pmcrustyoldbastard
Interesting strategy.
November 16th, 2008 at 6:45 pmTo sicnarfe:
“Loser” is too kind a word to describe Lierberman. “Traitor,” “snake in the grass,” “GOP Trojan horse,” or “perfidious scumbag” are more like it to me.
sicnarfe says:
November 17th, 2008 at 12:57 amJoe Lieberman is a loser!
Flush Lieberman down the turlet – with a fire hose!
November 17th, 2008 at 8:53 amLieberman appears to have thought he could have it both ways. By positioning himself as some kind of bridge builder, he could show dems and reps working together. But the world saw through all that to his own self-serving ambitions for the VP slot with McCain. When the GOP opted for Palin, he had to regret the gamble. He does not belong in the Democratic party and now there’s no place for him in the GOP. He made his bed. Now he has to lie in it. Hopefully, there isn’t enough emotional equity left within either party for him to save his job. Good Riddance!
November 17th, 2008 at 11:22 amLieberman is of no use against the filibuster. We attack the filibuster by keeping a spotlight on those who obstruct progress, not by hanging on to an arrogant, self-absorbed loser like Lieberman. His committee chairmanships should be given to Democrats who worked FOR Obama during the campaign, not against him. The image of Joe and John side by side representing more of the same and ridiculing the much needed change Obama represents will never be erased.
Also, Harry is not the right person for Majority Leader. He is weak and uninspiring, and clearly his judgment is flawed. For decades, Democrats have been overpowered by partisan neocon thugs. It’s time to offset their damage by pushing back, (we can play nice later), and Harry doesn’t have the stones.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:21 pm