FLASHBACK: Lieberman Voted Yes On Cloture For Legislation He Ultimately Opposed
FLASHBACK: Lieberman Voted Yes On Cloture For Legislation He Ultimately Opposed
Yesterday, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who caucuses with the Democrats, made headlines when he vowed to join the Republican filibuster the Senate health care bill unless the public option is removed from it.
As Rachel Maddow pointed out last night, “A member of the majority has never before crossed party lines to filibuster with the minority. And that is exactly what Joe Lieberman is threatening to do to kill health care reform.” In fact, according to research dug up by Maddow and her staff, Lieberman has voted for cloture and allowed up-or-down floor votes on a number of major bills he opposed in the past:
– Lieberman joined 55 Republicans and 13 Democrats to back cloture for a bill that made it more difficult for people to declare bankruptcy. [5/8/05] He voted with the minority in opposing final passage. [5/10/05]
– Lieberman joined 93 other senators in voting for cloture on the Secure Fence Act, which beefed up the use of technology for border security. [9/20/06] He voted with the minority in opposing final passage. [9/29/06]
– Lieberman joined 96 other senators in backing cloture for an Iraq funding bill that included a timeline for withdrawal. [3/28/07] He voted with the minority in opposing final passage. [4/26/07]
One of the most glaring examples of Lieberman’s past flexibility on filibusters was during the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Lieberman, who was part of the notorious “Gang of 14” that ended the chances of a filibuster of Alito’s nomination, explained his rationale to Fox News host Sean Hannity: “I did vote against the filibuster cause I thought that, you know, it was time to move on.”
Indeed, the same argument can now be made for health care.
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
Nice going, Connecticut! Way to screw up the country!
October 28th, 2009 at 12:17 pmFLASHBACK: Lieberman Voted Yes On Cloture For Legislation He Ultimately Opposed
– - Lieberman and McCain are dottering anachronisms that need to retire to rocking chairs and be spoon fed their tapioca.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:20 pmHave the dems made enough concessions to Lieberman yet ?
October 28th, 2009 at 12:22 pmFurther proof that Sen. Droopy Joe is not so much a Senator, as a paid representative of the insurance industry of Connecticut. It’s understandable to back legislation beneficial for your state; that’s the purpose of representative democracy. What Lieberman doesn’t seem to get is that it’s the PEOPLE that voted him in, not the insurance industry.
Countdown to 2012 and the arrival of Richard Blumenthal.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:22 pmWith the Democrats holding a majority in the senate, there is no reason to not strip Joe of his committee chairmanship.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:23 pmFLASHBACK: Lieberman Voted Yes On Cloture For Legislation He Ultimately Opposed
Cuz Joe’s always been a useful tool for the right.
*eyes rolling*
October 28th, 2009 at 12:26 pm*sigh* Haven’t we ALL had enough of this Judas? Do the voters of Connecticut have the ability to recall this traitor? If so…what in the name of all that is right are you waiting for? How many more times must we be stabbed in the back by this man?
October 28th, 2009 at 12:27 pmPHOTO CAPTION:
Senators McCain and Lieberman react to a reporter’s query as to whether they’re serious about helping average American’s by reforming healthcare.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:28 pm– Lieberman joined 55 Republicans and 13 Democrats to back cloture for a bill that made it more difficult for people to declare bankruptcy. [5/8/05]
hmmm… wonder why he wanted to stop discussion on that bill…
well, it has worked out well for them… oh, but not “them”…
…
“Traitor Joe”
October 28th, 2009 at 12:28 pmKeep in mind that Joe the Bummer has a wife who is in bed with the health insurance cabal.
They don’t want their gravy train derailed, so you and I will just have to suck it up, according to them.
Let’s please organize a national campaign to end this jerk’s Senate career once and for all.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:31 pmI’ll ask again:
NOW will the Dems kick Lieberman out of their caucus and strip him of his committee leadership?
What is it going to take?
October 28th, 2009 at 12:34 pmTHIS is why Dems get labeled weak. Repugs have NO problem twisting arms to ram their policies through. Step up Dems! Strip him of all his commitees. Neuter the guy. This playing nice aint working.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:34 pmLIEbermann is an idiot….plain and simple. Connecticut should be ashamed. America is so sick of this loser.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:37 pmThe hardest thing to take about this entire ongoing debate is that we (technically) hold a 60 seat majority. But, we’re Democrats so we don’t stick together and we don’t drive our legislation through like the Repugnant thugs across the aisle.
Getting 60 democrats to work together is like throwing 60 cats in a bag and expecting anything good to come of it.
Lieberman and the rest of the “Blue Dogs” should all be voted out of office for betraying the very ideals of the party. They’re not Democrats. They only used the party to get elected.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:40 pmDr@13, I can’t believe he survived re-election. If Lamont was elected, this would never have happened.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:41 pmTake all the cool perks away from Joe. Let him defect to the Red Team where he’ll be labeled a RINO and not get any respect anyway.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:42 pmZoo, I’m pretty sure that Holy Joe could take Harry Reid’s lunch money and make John Cornyn stick his head in the toilet, and Harry would still try to keep joe happy.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:43 pmAs I understand it, the Dem leadership doesn’t want to alienate Holy Joe in order to preserve their 60-vote protection against filibusters… oh, wait —
Never mind.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:46 pmDoes LIEberman think he would be welcomed in the Repug Party? Already the ‘Tea-Baggers’ are ousting all moderates. Does he think betraying Dems is a good idea? Remeber the expression? ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.’ It’s time for LIEberman to go. Hey, people of CT! Don’t you agree?
October 28th, 2009 at 12:48 pmDear Democrats,
Four words:
NUCLEAR OPTION
October 28th, 2009 at 12:49 pmUSE IT!
No need. Reconciliation is perfectly reasonable and, unlike Frist’s “nuclear option”, is also perfectly constitutional. Healthcare reform significantly impacts the budget and the bills out there reduce the deficit, both requirements for reconciliation. If Liberman’s threat rings true…the Dems will ram it down.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:51 pmralph the wonder llama says:
Zoo, I’m pretty sure that Holy Joe could take Harry Reid’s lunch money and make John Cornyn stick his head in the toilet, and Harry would still try to keep joe happy.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
No doubt, ralph.
Harry’s so nervous he’s talking about himself in the third person. Oy…
October 28th, 2009 at 12:51 pmYou and me both.
The most memorable thing that occurred from that time, was when Insean Vannity said that “this is the end of the Democratic Party” when when Lamont beat LIEberman in the Democratic primary.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:52 pmDr@23, Yeah. And remember when MSM told us that Hillary and Bill were going to destroy the Democratic Party before the election in 2008? Funny how that never materialized….
October 28th, 2009 at 12:55 pmP. D., I think you’ve sot that saying wrong.
It actually goes, “Fool me once… shame on you. Fool me — can’t get fooled agin.”
October 28th, 2009 at 12:56 pmWith the vast majority of Americans wanting a public option, Lieberman is showing complete disdain for his constituents, and showing he cares only about greed & the money he lines his pocket with given by the insurance companies, etc. who oppose reform & donate heavily to him. What a scumbag.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:04 pmAs Rachel Maddow pointed out last night, “A member of the majority has never before crossed party lines to filibuster with the minority.
Sorry, Rachel, Joe is not a member of the majority. He’s a fence sitting, Israeli agent for sale to the highest bidder.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:06 pmMaybe they should offer to change the name of the party to the Liebercrats.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:07 pmOr how about “Americans for Lieberman”?
That sounds about like Joe’s prioriities.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:12 pmPlausibly from the desk of Joe Lieberman (R-Tel Aviv)
Dear rate payers:
It has been suggested that I am planning to join the Republican filibuster against healthcare reform because I am beholden to the Insurance industry that has given me a million dollars in the past five years. I am insulted that you people would suggest that I can be put in the bag so cheaply.
The truth is that in addition to that, my lovely bride, Hadassah, has about half of Hartford three quarters of the way down her throat, and they’re shoveling money at her like you wouldn’t believe. There is no lobbying that is as effective as that lobbying that can be done across the dinner table or in the bed. On top of it all, I finally get to fool around with a lobbyist without getting a frying pan in the head for my trouble.
And that’s my price.
Besides, John McCain, my bosom buddy and eternal benefactor, my guiding light, my work wife, wouldn’t want me to do anything in the Democratic caucus but report back to him on their proceedings. So I do. That and nothing more.
You don’t like it? What are you going to do about it?
Don’t forget to bend over and grab Rush Limbaugh’s ankles,
Joe Joe
October 28th, 2009 at 1:14 pmIt is more than just our leadership’s attitude toward Lieberman that must change. Reid must let go of the whole ideal of a ‘collegial Senate’; that ceased to exist long ago. He keeps hoping that it will return, but when the Republicans thought the idea of the Geneva Conventions was ‘quaint’, think of how seriously they observe ‘collegiality”! Reid needs to see that the paradigm has changed. A ‘gentleman’s filibuster of everything’ would never have existed under the old paradigm.
Reid is sitting on the biggest majority the Senate has seen in over 30 years, and all he’s saying is, “I caaaaaaaan’t!” I’m sick to death of it. When the Congress went amok in 2000 – 2006 and the Republicans doled out tax largess to the wealthy and put ideologues on the Supreme Court, they didn’t need 60 votes, but still our leaders said “We caaaaaaaan’t!”
The less-skilled team can win by changing the paradigm. I’m sick of suffering because of our leader’s lack of mental agility. Can we play hardball, get things done and put the country back on the right track? – Yes, we CAN! We can’t afford “caaaaaan’t” anymore.
Kick Lieberman out and then kick him and the Republicans to the curb. We don’t have time to coddle clunkers; we’ve got a highway to run.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:25 pmUnfortunately he will not get any heat from his constituents as they allready have a public option (Charter Oak Health Plan for adults and the CT HUSKY Plan for children)in Connecticut. The Republican Governor of CT M. Jodi Rell signed the plan into law over a year ago. The people of CT overwhelmingly supported it. They have their’s now and I’m sure they couldn’t give two shits whether the rest of the Nation goes without so sadly Droopy Dog holds all the chips as no one from CT will hold his feet to the fire and all the insurance companies who call CT home have been pouring money into Joe’s pockets for years. If I were reid I wouldn’t be so complacent regarding Lieberman’s cloture vote. He thrives on what power he has (it makes him feel, you know…relevant) and should have been stripped of any commitee seats after shilling for McCain and badmouthing Obama during the elections.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:30 pmAbsolutely right. We can’t have the “well, this is how we do it in the Senate” BS, anymore, The game has changed. We need a strong majority leader, someone whose got the balls to stand up to the Repiggies and say “shut your pie-holes – you’re the minority, and we run the show.” The Piggies have 40 votes, and still, Reid is cowtowing to them. They are relatively insignificant.
We need someone with the cojones to say to anyone in the caucus, “defy us on this important piece of legislation, and have fun looking in from the outside.” But no one will, because campaign cash is king.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:36 pmHi Dave N,
“because campaign cash is king”
But, (maybe) that’s an old paradigm too? Wouldn’t that have meant that Hilary ended up as the nominee?
Maybe I’ve strayed too far into idealism again.
I wish I felt our leaders heard our outrage. They seem to only listening to their cash, that’s for sure.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:49 pmthis guy’s name is mudd if he goes thru with his bs threat.
he won’t be able to walk the streets.
it’s a helluva thing to be reviled on a national level.
yeah, you go right ahead with that awesome plan joe.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:49 pmPeter C,
I believe presidential campaigns are a different dynamic than are congressional campaigns, so in that case cash has much more influence with Senators and Representatives seeking re-election.
And Lieberman is a prime example (i.e., campaign cash from Connecticut-based Aetna).
October 28th, 2009 at 1:53 pmIsn’t Hartford based in CT as well?
October 28th, 2009 at 1:57 pmStand Joe Lieberman up next to a $20 hooker and she begins to look a lot like the Virgin Mary by comparison.
October 28th, 2009 at 2:17 pmN surprise here. This filthy pig senator from Aetna knows damn well that it’s off to the races with the public option once it makes it out of committee. I hope to Christ Above that CT can find the will to bounce this bastard next time around. I’ll give my own hard-earned cash to help.
October 28th, 2009 at 2:28 pmThere are several options that might convince Jo(k)e that joining a filibuster is a bad idea:
1. Send Rahm and a couple goons to his office.
October 28th, 2009 at 3:06 pm2. Sick Grayson on him.
3. Give him half a two-dollar bill and promise the other half after he votes for cloture.
4. Place a horses head in his bed.