To post this comment click here:
Otherwise click cancel.
Someone please delete my diary; even though I have FP access, I'm not a mod. Thanks! Connecticut Bob
http://www.dailykos.com/story/...
This hurts,really bad, but if President Elect Obamas decision in this matter(and it WAS his decision so stop blaming anyone and everyone else) bears fruit it may well be the most important one he has made to date.
The political considerations over-rode all else though. The Democrats (which seems to mean Obama now) just didn't want this on their plate at the moment. There is also the very real possibility Lieberman will hang himself in the future, leaving Obama with no alternative. One false step, one wrong move and Lieberman's short leash he's now on will get yanked. This fixation with 60 Senate seats also seems to have been a huge factor.
Lieberman is very much an ego-driven character, and the chance to rehabilitate his legacy as a "born-again Democrat" might appeal to his psyche sufficiently to get him back "on the reservation".
Hey, it's as good as any explanation I've heard so far. Connecticut Bob
"And now I have a Chair to rest my weary sinning body on..."
"Amen."
Pass the perks.
The Senate Dems most likely have not made a deal with Lieberman. They would not want one done to them. Lieberman will screw Dems on foreign policy and other issues. He voted for anti-choice Alito to the Supreme Court after voting to block the Dem filibuster of his appointment.
Lieberman has ALWAYS sucked up to power in order to increase his own standing and I expect he'll do the same in the next 4 years before he retires.
As for whether what people were looking for was Retribution,Punishment or not rewarding bad behavior I think there were some looking for 1,2 or 3 or any combination you can come up with and in the end that is just semantics.
We,as Ct. progressives, have too many important decisions to make for 2010 to allow Lieberman to be the ccenter of our Universe.
So how you feel about Lieberman should ultimately hinge on how you feel about Obama, and how you feel about Obama should ultimately hinge on your opinion about whether he is liable to put that political capital to good use. If you believe Dean's implication that Obama is going to use that political capital to pass both significant climate change reform and significant health care reform within the first two years of his presidency, you probably ought to give him the benefit of the doubt. If, on the other hand, you see Obama as someone more concerned with the accumulation of power toward ambiguous, uncertain, or incorrect ends, this is liable to be the first of a long line of displeasing decisions, and you had better get used to pushing back against the White House.
Whether it is fair or not, I think a LOT is expected from Obama by the whole country (liberals, conservatives and everyone in between). And like, I've said before, I hope Barack Obama knows what he is doing with keeping Lieberman close to his vest. The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice. --Martin Luther King, Jr.
Just thinking ahead here, one of my main worries is that Lieberman would attempt to weasel his way back onto the Democratic slot in 2012. One would think that would be much harder if a known name was in the way, especially one with an organization and a record. And while I don't anticipate any less of a could shoulder from the DC Democratic establishment in a 2012 general election, it will be at least interesting to see exactly how long a leash (or perhaps, a bungee cord) Lieberman is allowed over the first Obama term. My guess is that by holding on to the chairmanship he's hedging a bit that if Obama stumbles he can capitalize by calling investigations, and grandstanding like he did during the Lewinsky scandal (after all, he did that and still had Bill Clinton's assistance during the '06 primary).
If Obama doesn't slip up, Lieberman knows he's going to have to tap in to both Republicans and Obama voters to win in 2012... so he's gonna have to do a lot of tapdancing over the next administration. Whether Lieberman can get Obama's tacit or explicit seal of approval in 2012 depends on him doing just enough to be perceived as an ally. He had tacit support from Republicans in 2006, and if he can't run as a Dem he will still likely need the same kind of tacit approval from both sides.
Sorry about rambling on here. But if nothing else, just seeing Ned on TV/youtube is a much-needed boost to my morale today after the Senate Dems rolled over. "There's class warfare, all right, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning." - Warren Buffet
I'm sure there are risks because traditionally it takes Republicans to help elect Senators here, but I think the tide is turning already. During the campaign, Joe looked like John McCain's cocker spaniel. Is he really going to be a Democrat in any genuine and practical sense?
When Joe was campaigning against Ned to keep his seat despite the verdict of the primary, we fashioned a great rendition of the Hank Williams' tune, Jambalaya: "Goodbye Joe, you got to go, me-oh my-oh." I would love to get the chance to play it again (we played it for Joe at a parade when he walked by).
United States Senator Frank Church of Idaho was the subject of an unsuccessful recall effort in 1967. Courts ruled that a federal official is not subject to state recall laws.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R...
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/l...
So as a practical matter you're probably right.
Why does the phrase "not in this lifetime" keep flitting through my mind...
Use the Spotlight tool to send a diary to offline journalists, with your feedback or suggestions.(What is Spotlight?)
Connecticut's War Dead
MLN is powered by