Censured! Lieberman repudiated. Impact on US politics

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Censured! Lieberman repudiated. Impact on US politics

Posted on 06 November 2008. Tags: Democrats, Joe Lieberman, USA

Lieberman’s “extraordinary disloyalty” means he should resign from the party. Lieberman’s “support of right-wing candidates cannot be reconciled with the ideals and values of the Democratic Party,” the resolution states….Leaving a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Thursday afternoon, Lieberman told reporters that he was “considering the options I have before me” and said nothing more. Hartford Courant. CT

On the surface Senator Lieberman has once again changed his colors and is supporting President Barack Obama.

“The election is over, and I completely agree with President-elect [Barack] Obama that we must now unite to get our economy going again and to keep the American people safe.

“That is exactly what I intend to do with my colleagues here in the Senate in support of our new president,” he said. “And those are the standards I will use in considering the options that I have before me.” Senator Lieberman CNN November 6th, 2008

However the ill feelings run deep and the Democrats may take away the chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee.

“While I understand that Sen. Lieberman has voted with Democrats a majority of the time, his comments and actions have raised serious concerns among many in our caucus,” said Reid, D-Nevada. “I expect there to be additional discussions in the days to come, and Sen. Lieberman and I will speak to our caucus in two weeks to discuss further steps,” he said. John Reid. CNN November 6th, 2008

Sen. Joe Lieberman’s decision to campaign for Sen. John McCain angered Democrats.Payback, the saying goes, can be, well, tough. And it could be Joe Lieberman’s turn to be on the receiving end. Throughout the campaign, the Connecticut Senator prided himself on being a “Democrat for McCain,” desperately trying to win over support from the left and the middle for the GOP candidate.

Now, Lieberman’s support for McCain is pretty much irrelevant. But it’s Lieberman’s Democrat label that could also become a thing of the past. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid summonsed Lieberman to his Capitol Hill office early this afternoon to have, according to a senior Hill staffer, a “frank chat” with the senator. If the meeting goes as planned, this aide confirms to NEWSWEEK, Reid will only give Lieberman the equivalent of a legislative talking-to, demanding that he rally behind Obama, or at the very least, release a statement of support for the president-elect. But if it turns tense or combative, Reid could deny admission to the Democratic caucus, even strip away Lieberman’s valuable chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee. “I doubt that will happen,” this aide says, “unless the meeting goes really bad.”

Lieberman was part of the Democrats hope for the future once upon a time when he ran with Al Gore against Bush-Cheney in 2000. But it was the near-loss of his senate seat in 2004 that almost spelled the ultimate political defeat for Lieberman. He lost the primary to fellow Democrat Ned Lamont, but squeaked out a win by running as an independent. Posted Thursday, November 06, 2008 2:55 PM In Which Joe Lieberman Faces the Music, Newsweek,By Daniel Stone

Senator Lieberman faces a similar uncertain future right after the election in which he supported the Republicans. Ironically the festival of Eid ul Doha (Bukra Eid) is also right around the corner.

As one of two senate independents (the other is Bernie Sanders of Vermont), Lieberman chose to still caucus with the Democrats. And the party needed him. With just 50 seats, the Democrats clamored over the Lieberman’s affection for a prized 51 seat majority. The Republicans did too, to ensure that the Democrats didn’t get it.

But when John McCain threw his hat into the ring for the White House in 2006, Lieberman swung right. He didn’t only endorse McCain, he traveled with the GOP hopeful on his campaign plane and spoke at the candidate’s rallies and stump speeches–often with harsh criticisms of Obama.

So as the Democrats take firm control of both houses of congress (54 seats in the senate, at last count), Lieberman might be the first to go. Must be tough to realize how few friends a guy’s got in Washington. Posted Thursday, November 06, 2008 2:55 PM In Which Joe Lieberman Faces the Music, Newsweek, by Daniel Stone

What goes up must come down! Senator Lieberman has played a nasty game with the American people. He is an opportunist with an agenda. He joined forces with Al Gore to gain prominence and become a Vice Presidential candidate. However right after the election he supported the war in Iraq and became the administrations mouthpiece to speak up against Muslims around the planet.

The American people have rejected the likes of Mayor Guiliani and Mitt Romney. It is a matter of time when Senator Lieberman loses his seat in NH. With the demise of the career of Senator Lieberman, the demise of his cohorts and other Neocons is also on the decline. It will not end immediately but it will nt be as prominent as it was during the past decade.

The local Democrats are passing a censure resolution against Senator Lieberman.

“This is local and this is personal,” Audrey Blondin, one of the authors of the resolution, told me. “This needs to be addressed.”The resolution has attracted the support of dozens of party activists. Local town committees are now considering the proposal and the Democratic State Central Committee could vote on it on Dec. 17. Hartford Courant. CT

Here is the full text of the resolution:

Resolution To Censure Joseph I. Lieberman

Whereas Joseph I. Lieberman sought re-election in 2006 as an independent after losing the Democratic primary; and

Whereas he has publicly endorsed and actively campaigned on behalf of Republican Presidential candidate John McCain, among others; and

Whereas he has attended and addressed the Republican National Convention thereby undercutting the election campaigns of Democratic candidates all across America; and

Whereas support of right-wing Republicans cannot be reconciled with the ideals and values of the Democratic Party, nor with the best interests of the people of America; and

Whereas these actions exhibit extraordinary disloyalty to the countless Connecticut Democrats without whom his career as an elected official would never have been possible;

Therefore, be it hereby resolved, that we, the undersigned members of the Connecticut Democratic State Central Committee, delegates to the Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, and Connecticut Democratic public officials publicly censure and repudiate the words and actions of Joseph I. Lieberman, and ask of him that he resign as a member of the Democratic Party of the state of Connecticut.