It is time to replace Reid. He has no backbone at all. He just made a statement that Lieberman can be allowed to caucus with Democrats.
Hillary get ready to be Majority Leader.
Posted by suresh at November 10, 2008 01:07 PMObama says he wants Joe in the caucus. Interesting.
Posted by iamcoyote at November 10, 2008 01:21 PMI'd love nothing better than to see Joe's new "chairmanship" be as head of the Senate coat check room, but it would seem to me Obama would have everything to gain and nothing to lose by delivering (through Reid) a message along the lines of:
"Don't worry, it's all forgiven, as long as I can count on your vote. REALLY count on your vote, and the moment I feel I can't count on your vote, say hello to Joe Lieberman, R-CT, the senate's newest freshman Republican and coffee gofer (cream, 2 sugars)"
Why push him to the other side to start (even if he does deserve it)?
Posted by Jamie at November 10, 2008 01:46 PMI'd like to see Joey L. rode out of town on a rail myself, but this is the perfect way for our Prez elect to put his money where his mouth is (so to speak). During the campaign, he talked about reconciliation, healing, and bringing people together, what better moment than this? Everyone know Liberman is a smuck, Obama is smart to pick his battles.
Posted by itsmecissy at November 10, 2008 01:53 PMPlay nice with Joe.
It's very good PR. Dissing Joe only plays right into the hands of the Reps.
Damn, Boehner practically had himself a boner reacting to Rahm Emanuel as CoS! If Joe keeps his chairmanship the Dems have leverage over him. If they dump him they've got nothing.
Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. -Sun-tzu
Posted by snark at November 10, 2008 01:56 PMAs much as I'd like to see that bastard out on his ear, it'd be much more fun to have him marginalized and whispered about in his own caucus. And then watch the fucker get beat by Lamont. I just hope no one says anything at all important within his hearing 'cos he's a traitor, and they're always looking for something to sell to the other side. I don't think he should be trusted with any vital chairs, though, he's proven he's unreliable.
Posted by iamcoyote at November 10, 2008 02:19 PMReid does not want to do anything until the Alaska, Georgia, and Minnesota races are decided. If Dems capture all three, then Joe could have a lot of say-so, given that his would be the 60th vote.
Second, committee reassignments will not be done until the next Congress. Given that Obama will likely yank one or two Senators into his administration, that will also affect things.
I agree that Lieberman should lose his chairmanship, and I urge all of you to contact your Democratic Senators and urge them to strip it from him, but a vote is a vote.
Posted by sdh at November 10, 2008 02:26 PMJoe Klein from Time muses on Lieberrat:
According to Sam Stein over at Huffington Post, Barack Obama wants Joe Lieberman to remain part of the Democratic Party. The actual details are slim, but Stein has the elements of a possible compromise--Lieberman remains chair of Homeland Security, but relinquishes his seniority on two other committees. I'd love to see Lieberman gone from Armed Services, where his attempts to draw General David Petraeus and other witnesses into partisan political statements have been truly obnoxious. But don't get me started.
The President-elect apparently wants to send conciliatory signals. Good for him. Good for us, too.
Apparently, Obama called Reid early last week to keep Lieberman. It was a done deal , LONG before Kos and Josh started their false tirades against Clinton (which claims are completely false).
Kos and Josh are playing stupid games.
It will get them marginalized by Barak Obama, if they don't shut up and back off.
Posted by Mary at November 10, 2008 07:15 PMIf Dems capture all three, then Joe could have a lot of say-so, given that his would be the 60th vote.
This is the neocon thug who proclaimed on the campaign trail for McThuselah that the Dems getting 60 votes would be "the end of America". He's not going to give the Dems his vote when it counts, so he's worth nothing.
Let him stay in the caucus as a junior member if he wants, but I want that rat bastard out of the Homeland Security charimanship where he's done nothing but quash investigations of Bush's corruption and criminality for the past two years.
Whatever incremental benefit from keeping his one vote, it is absolutely acid-corrosive to keeping the party united to let an out-and-out party-traitor keep his catbird seat. It says that Dems are gutless, that they will let a dirtbag walk all over them and do nothing in response -- so the Repigs will do the same.
Now is the time to fire him -- it looks much worse firing a committee chairman doing it in the middle of the congressional session after he pulls more party-traitrous crap. If Reid lacks the stomach to fire Lieberman out of senatorial clubbiness, then it is time for Reid to go.
Posted by Kyle at November 11, 2008 12:10 AMsdh makes very good points
Posted by Katherine Hunter at November 11, 2008 06:00 AM