Lieberman undecided on supporting Obama in 2012 Independent Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman said Wednesday that he was unsure if he would support Barack Obama for president in 2012. So, the hosts of Fox & Friends did their best to convince him that Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry was the right choice.
"Everybody remembers that in 2008, you supported the Republican in the race, John McCain, your dear friend," Fox News host Gretchen Carlson began. "But now will you support President Obama?"
"Well, I'm going to approach this 2012 election as the independent that I am," Lieberman explained. "Therefore, I don't know who I'm going to support at this point... I want to see who's got the plans, who the Republicans nominate... Bottom line, too early to say."
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Lieberman's endorsement will be the lamest from a Lame Duck Senator.
Bysiewicz says in the race for the Democratic nomination, the polling shows her ahead of Kennedy, the Branford attorney and businessman who is the emotional favorite among many Democrats in the state. The poll also shows her ahead of Congressman Chris Murphy. Congressman Joe Courtney was not included in the polling because his interest in the race was not expressed until recently.
Bysiewicz says the poll also shows her winning in a three way race with Senator Lieberman and a Republican, either McMahon or 2010 GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley.
SNIIP
Not sure if I'd trust a candidate's internal polls. Lamont's internal polls had shown him leading Malloy by 30 pts at one point. It would be interesting to see what a non-candidate sponsored poll would show. Susan is banking on her name recognition at this point, but it will be interesting to see how people will respond when they are reminded about how she lost her bid for Attorney General. Those tapes of her at her deposition are pretty bad.
During the taping of an interview for this week's "Face the State with Dennis House," I asked the 5 term independent if he thinks he could win re-election. The answer: "yes," while admitting it will be a difficult race.
Lieberman told me if he does run, it will likely be as an independent, although he said some of his Democratic colleagues in the senate have been encouraging him to run as a Democrat. He also told me he is open to endorsing President Obama for re-election.
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Flip-flopper Lieberman now says he'll run for re-election as an Independent. Did the Ghosts of Winter Solstice Past, Present and Future show him the folly of running for the CT Democratic nomination?
If Lieberman can find a source of campaign funds, he'll most likely run for re-election. Yes, he's got corporate contacts, but they may be reading the polls better than he and they would not want to invest in a sure loser.
No discussions have taken place yet, but he said that some Senate Democrats are rooting for him.
"Some of my colleagues in the Democratic caucus have been very gracious and kind saying they hope I run as a Democrat," he told TPM in an interview Wednesday. "
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The Audacity of Hubris!! Lieberman looks to Senate Dems to confirm whether or not to run for re-election as a Democrat. He doesn't even bother to check with Democrats in his home state.
This Connecticut Democrat will NEVER support Lieberman for elected office again. Should we tell Sen. Murray how we feel about Lieberman and why we ran him out of the Party in 2006?
Lieberman said he had a brief conversation with the new chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) earlier Wednesday.
"She said, 'I want to sit down and talk with you soon,' " Lieberman said. "We just had that exchange earlier today."
With control of the upper chamber on the line in 2012, Lieberman's reelection plans are the subject of intense speculation. He caucuses with Democrats, but there have been reports the GOP would be interested in having Lieberman run under its banner.
Should the four-term senator opt to seek another term as an independent, he'll have to regain his spot on the ballot. That would mean the creation of another party banner to officially run under - not an overwhelming task, given the state's ballot-access laws. (Lieberman ran under the Connecticut for Lieberman party in 2006.)
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Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) told a Connecticut newspaper that he's weighing a Lieberman challenge and will make a decision at the end of the lame-duck session.
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I think Sen. Patty Murray should visit Connecticut before making a deal with Lieberman.
What party name will Lieberman devise should he run for re-election? A Lieberman Party? And will the CT for Lieberman party cross endorse the Democratic nominee?
Lamont Says Lieberman Beatable, but Won't Challenge him in '12 In the past quarter century only four people have won Democratic senate primaries in Connecticut: Chris Dodd, Joe Lieberman, Dick Blumenthal and Ned Lamont. Despite his inclusion in this elite club, it is highly unlikely Lamont will run for the senate in 2012.
During a taping of "Face the State with Dennis House," Lamont told me he has been "through the meat grinder" a couple of times, and wants someone else to run, calling the Democratic party bench, "impressive." It is an unlikely scenario, but I asked Lamont if no one else were to run, and the party encouraged him to jump in, what would he say? "I don't think so," Lamont told me. He also believes Senator Joe Lieberman is beatable.
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And Himes also told Dennis House that he would not challenge Lieberman in 2012....
Some great news for CT Progressives fearing a Lieberman comeback. Wonder if Obama will come in 2012 and stump for Holy Joe if Lieberman decides to run for re-election? If he does, Obama could be the first Democratic President to lose Connecticut in the general election.
PPP Poll: Joe Lieberman Trailing Very Badly In 2012 Re-Election Bid A new survey of Connecticut by Public Policy Polling (D) provides a fascinating look into the possible future of independent Sen. Joe Lieberman. To be exact, the former Democrat is incredibly unpopular with most voters -- and only marginally popular with Republicans -- and would have a hard time avoiding a landslide defeat should he run again in 2012.
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I just wrote an email to Joe Lieberman's Senate website in response to reports that he supports extending the Bush tax cuts to everyone, including those who earn $200,000+
Dean to AFL-CIO: Lieberman 'sold you out' on health care Howard Dean, the former Democratic national chairman, blamed Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman today for the failure of the U.S. Senate to open Medicare to younger Americans as part of the health-care reform act passed by Congress.
"Remember who sold you out on health care," Dean told the Connecticut AFL-CIO at its biennial political convention in Hartford. "We're not going to forget in 2012."
"No, we're not," someone yelled from the crowd.
Lieberman, who was re-elected as an independent but remains a member of the Democratic caucus, has not said if he will seek re-election to a fifth term in 2012.
Dean, the former presidential candidate and Vermont governor, said Lieberman blocked a provision that would have allowed Americans younger than 65 to buy into Medicare.
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The battle for CT-Sen 2012 has begun. Will be interesting to see who decides to challenge Lieberman, if he decides to run for re-election.
My biggest political fear is that Joe Lieberman announces his retirement, thus denying us the satisfaction of defeating him at the ballot box. Thus this (via email) -- while not determinate of his ultimate plans -- is still reassuring:
Please join
Senator Joe Lieberman
For a special luncheon to benefit his
2012 re-election campaign
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
12:00 PM
Charlie Palmer Steak
101 Constitution Ave
Washington, DC 20001
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Run, Joe, Run! And have fun at your high-dollar PAC-funded soirée. It's always nice when you can enjoy your steak dinners with your rich lobbyist pals, far, far away from any obnoxious little people.
It's going to be an interesting next 2 years while we track whether Lieberman runs for re-election or not.
Sharing an email received last night from a friend in Arizona about Massachusetts, Healthcare, and a special High One to Joe Lieberman
Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 10:53 PM
To: Tessa Marquis
Subject: I'm with Stupid
Hi there....Everything's fine healthwise...We haven't lost the house or anything, but I was pacing around the house, ranting ... and thought of you...hee hee.....What the hell were they thinking in MA !!?...Losing that seat was the most irresponsible damn thing I've seen in a long time ... An awful candidate who appeared not to care what happened or that it was a gift bestowed on her or I don't know what...We've been huge Obama supporters and after all these cynical years have definitely given the benefit of a doubt to the congressional Dems, but where were they?...How did the national committees miss this until it was too late?...shit!... I, of course, am one of the millions of uninsurable Americans with a big ol' pre-existing condition ... In our particular case we had insurance for years but in '97, when I was diagnosed with Hep C, one fuck-up at a hospital put through a bill for $380 on the insurance...In the state we were in, they couldn't just drop me, but they could and did double and re-double the rate... We actually paid $1400 per month for just me for some years...Then they raised it to $2400 per month and that was that...In all that time the only bill the insurers paid was that $380...The nature of the disease was that I went for more than 10 years with no real problems other than the occasional blood test...Of course if I now had all the money I paid in premiums.....well.....And as I'm sure you're well aware, there are millions like me and worse....Sooo it really pisses me off when "my guys" pull a bone-headed screw-up like tonight...Thanks for listening...Hope you and yours are happy and well...By the way.....If you should happen to see Joe Leiberman on the street up there---please do something horrible to him----and tell him I sent you........lovetom
Rosa DeLauro isn't pulling any punches. She's quoted in Politico as stating that she believes that Joe Lieberman ought to be recalled:
"No individual should hold health care hostage, including Joe Lieberman, and I'll say it flat out, I think he ought to be recalled," Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) told POLITICO.
John Larson also indicated that he finally "gets it" regarding Lieberman..sort of:
"It goes beyond frustration in Connecticut in terms of the way people feel," Larson said. "I have a great deal of respect and I have long admired Joe Lieberman. This goes against the grain of most of what he's fought for and stood for all of his life. It's thoroughly frustrating and disappointing for so many of us."
Thankfully, Connecticut voters have another chance to do what they should have done three years ago: vote for Ned Lamont, albeit for governor instead of senator. Can you begin to imagine how much better off this country would be today if Ned Lamont were in the United States Senate instead of Joe Lieberman? I hope we don't have to ask ourselves that question about the state of Connecticut three years from now.
A House Democrat from Connecticut said Tuesday that Sen. Joe Lieberman should be recalled from office over his opposition to the Senate health care bill.
"No individual should hold health care hostage, including Joe Lieberman, and I'll say it flat out, I think he ought to be recalled," Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) told POLITICO.
Connecticut has no recall law for state officials, and the Constitution does not authorize states to recall members of Congress since each house has the authority to police its own members.
But DeLauro's comments speak to concerns running through Democratic circles in Connecticut and in Washington after Lieberman exerted his will on Democratic leaders and the White House, saying he would join a GOP filibuster if the bill included either a public insurance option or a provision allowing people aged 55-64 to buy into Medicare.
Now it appears that the leaders will drop those plans to win the support of Lieberman and the rest of the Democratic caucus.
"There's huge concern that borders on frustration," Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) said of Lieberman's position.
"It goes beyond frustration in Connecticut in terms of the way people feel," Larson said. "I have a great deal of respect and I have long admired Joe Lieberman. This goes against the grain of most of what he's fought for and stood for all of his life. It's thoroughly frustrating and disappointing for so many of us."
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Wasn't DeLauro's husband a pollster or advisor to Lieberman in 2006? Did he serve Lieberman in the 2006 general election? Can't remember off hand.
As I was looking for something else this morning, I found the following Word file which includes:
> A message sent to the DCCC and DSCC explaining why I support individual candidates, but won't contribute to their "umbrella" fund-raising efforts, AND
> A June '06 letter to Senator Schumer -- written by Robin Winick and me, and read by 31 Connecticut voters who endorsed its contents. It's small consolation that we were so on target. Given Lieberman's continuing outrages, and Ned's possible run for Governor, I thought it would be interesting to see what fell on deaf ears at the time.
The letter also is relevant to this week's close House vote on health care. While Republicans vote in lock step, Blue Dog Democrats continue to thumb their noses at meaningful reform. Why on earth should we support those who ignore their own constitutencies?
And aren't those of us who blog on and read My Left Nutmeg getting tired of the endless copy written about Joe? I apologize in advance for contributing to his obvious hunger for public attention -- however negative. . . .
Nine health care reform activists were arrested this morning while staging a sit-in inside Senator Joseph Lieberman's congressional office in Washington, D.C.
The activists were there representing an organization called Mobilization for Health Care For All.
Explaining their reasons for their actions, student activist Jason Ortiz said, "we staged a sit-in at Senator Lieberman's office this morning in order to ask him to return the $65,000 campaign donation that he recently received from the Aetna health insurance corporation and to ask him to represent the people of Connecticut, not the insurance companies."
The group was also there to protest Senator Lieberman's announcement last week that he will filibuster any health reform bill in the Senate that contains a public option.
In total there were 9 arrests made at approximately 10:15 a.m. EST, Thursday, November 5.
At 9:15 this morning the group requested a meeting with the Senator and refused to leave until they were given a chance to meet with him. They were told by Senator Lieberman's staff that they would not be given a meeting with the Senator, and that if they did not leave they would be arrested. Senator Lieberman's staff subsequently contacted law enforcement, and 9 activists were physically removed from the building and arrested.
Some members of the group went to a meeting of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (which Senator Lieberman chairs) to stage a protest in the presence of Senator Lieberman. They were asked to leave and did so without incident.
Of those arrested, one, Brittney Florio, is currently a University of Connecticut student, and one, John Mohrbacher, is an alumnus.
For more information, please call Jason Ortiz at (860)639-8101
In stating his opposition to a public health insurance option, Lieberman sounded familiar notes from reform's opponents, calling it a "government entitlement program" that will cost the government more money. Neither assertion is true. The public health insurance plan would be paid into, not subsidized, and as the Congressional Budget Office has repeatedly stated, the plan would reduce both premiums and government costs.
The Wilton, CT Democratic Town Committee tonight unanimously approved a strong Resolution for health care reform with a public insurance option, and urged representatives in Congress to stand with them at every stage of the legislative process.
The Resolution comes on the heels of a contentious public event Sunday, August 30 outside Wilton Town Hall where Congressman Jim Himes -- faced with a group using fear, prejudice and ignorance -- spoke with courage, conviction and intelligence about the need for a public insurance option as part of real health care reform in America.
David Sirota writes on OpenLeft that he got an email written by Lieberman, forwarded to him by a fan that Lieberman still opposes the public option.
Here's what Lieberman said
A broad coalition is needed when addressing an issue as large, and as important for our nation's citizens, as health care reform. While, in general, I would prefer not to see a public plan option because of cost concerns and the possibility that it could potentially prevent the formation of the coalition that will be necessary to pass reform, I am very open to all options that have been laid on the table.
Now as Sirota notes, Lieberman did not say he would vote against a healthcare bill with a public option, so looks like he's got his finger testing the political wind again.
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said this weekend that he opposes a public option plan for consumers in a healthcare reform plan to emerge from the Senate.
"I don't favor a public option," Lieberman told Bloomberg News in an interview broadcast this weekend. And I don't favor a public option because I think there's plenty of competition in the private insurance market."
Lieberman's decision joins several other centrist Democrats' decision to have publicly refused to back the plan, derided as a "government-run" plan by Republicans.
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"We have a unique opportunity, a real opportunity to do this year what we've been trying to do for years, which is to reform American healthcare," Lieberman said. "I think the one thing that will stop that is pressure on the so-called public option."
"Let's get something done instead of having a debate," the Connecticut Independent added.
This decision needs to be turned into a death knell for any re-election attempt Lieberman may have for 2012.
Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have threatened to halt all business in the Senate until Congress passes their legislation allowing President Barack Obama to suppress photos showing detainee abuse.
"We're not going to do any more business in the Senate," Graham said. "Nothing's going forward until we get this right."
But House Democrats are insisting on hearings before they even consider signing onto the Senate's effort, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said Monday night.
The Lieberman-Graham amendment, which would empower the Pentagon to block the photos for up to three years without review, has sharply curtailed House support for the congressional war supplemental, as has an $108 billion line of credit for the International Monetary Fund. The Huffington Post confirmed Monday night that Lieberman-Graham had been removed from the bill in conference. Anti-war Democrats who oppose International Monetary Fund money can compromise on that issue, Frank said. But Lieberman-Graham, which would supersede the Freedom of Information Act, is different.
"I believe it would be possible to get people to switch. I'll switch, others will switch. But not if that FOIA thing is in there," he said. "This is a bill that nobody's had a chance to debate."
The detainee photos bill sailed through the Senate appropriations process with a simple voice vote just before the Memorial Day recess. Frank deemed hypocritical those Senate Republicans who complain that the Democratic majority has flouted typical approval processes.
"I'd like to hear the case why they think it's a problem, I'd like to hear from some opponents," he said regarding the potential release of detainee photos. "This has got nothing to do with the Appropriations budget. The IMF does. The IMF's spending. Whatever happened to procedural regularity?"
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The people in Iraq already know the brutality that took place in our prisons. The only reason our government doesn't want those photos published is that they want to keep Americans in the dark about the nasty deeds they did in our name and keep the illusion that our military and intelligence services only have our safty in mind. What b.s.!
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