Lieberman refuses to close door on switching parties

AP ^ | 11/12/2006 | AP

[jern]

HARTFORD, Conn. --Sen. Joe Lieberman on Sunday repeated his pledge to caucus with Senate Democrats when the 110th Congress convenes in January, but refused to slam the door on possibly moving to the Republican side of the aisle.

Asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" if he might follow the example of Sen. Jim Jeffords of Vermont, who left the Republicans in 2001 and became an independent, ending Republican control of the U.S. Senate, Lieberman refused to discount the possibility.

"I'm not ruling it out but I hope I don't get to that point," he said. "And I must say -- and with all respect to the Republicans who supported me in Connecticut -- nobody ever said, 'We're doing this because we want you to switch over. We want you to do what you think is right and good for our state and country,' and I appreciate that."

[pray4liberty]

Joe, savor your victory. You've earned it.

[muawiyah]

He'll get to that point. The Democrats want to give up Iraq, the Gulf States AND Israel so that we have no exposure in the Middle East.

Joe's just not ready to do an Adolph Eichmann.

[EDINVA]

one truly distinct difference between Lieberman and Jeffords, should it come to that: the GOP never betrayed Jeffords; they supported him in his election immediately before he switched.

[the_Watchman]

I doubt that Lieberman switches, but he WILL make them pay!!

[NormsRevenge]

Oh, that Joe. He is such a kidder.

[Lysandru]

If Joe Lieberman were to vote for a Republican for Majority Leader-- or abstain...he would need 24/7 protective custody.

The DUmmies might try to assassinate him in that case.

[woodbutcher]

I hope Lieberman will tell the dims that he wants to be head of two committees: Appropriations and Armed Services.

And House Leader.

Or he switches.

And if he gets the posts, use them to screw them.

They screwed him.

[Graybeard58]

If lieberman were to get a cabinet level appointment, who might Jodi Rell appoint to his senate seat?

[dbehsman]

I don't expect Joe to switch parties. He sure would be welcome though. I probably disagree with him 90% of the time. But his stance on the war on terror is absolutely correct. The war on terror is the number one issue in this country, everything else is secondary.

I was honestly glad to see him win. I really felt bad for the guy after the way he's been treated by the democRAT party in years past. Obviously I would love to see Republican representation from Connecticut one of these centuries, but I know it's going to take a while.

[Gondring]

I doubt that Lieberman switches, but he WILL make them pay!!

Bingo. Nice little negotiating strategy...not a serious possibility, IMHO.

[Kozak]

Bet he doesn't get the glowing press coverage that Jeffords got....

[Zeppo]

So, are the moonbats' heads exploding yet? He's toying with them and with Reid like a cat toying with a mouse (maybe I should have said 'Rat' instead of 'mouse'). Wonder what kind of goodies the Republicans are dangling in front of him... But IMHO he's just making sure that Reid is going to uphold his end of the bargain...

[Blood of Tyrants]

Joe has an inordinate amount of power. He can threaten to switch parties unless he gets his way. I think that means that he will insist that certain Israel hating and US hating liberals do not get the committee chairman seats that they think they will get.

And remember, he can switch at any time and a simple majority can force a new vote for the leader of the Senate.

[muawiyah]

No doubt if he has something like that in mind he's already contacted the right people to arrange for the security.

[EDINVA]

kinda hard for a Senator to become House leader, but to keep their fragile majority, they'd try ... and as Dems, they can get away with anything!

[zendari]

Then they get another Republican senator...Connecticut's governor is a Specter type RINO.

Still better than a Democrat.

[dbehsman]

The DUmmies might try to assassinate him in that case.

I've been getting worried for a little while now. The moonbats have been openly fantasizing about killing President Bush for a while. I fear that one of these days, one of the extraordinarily stupid moonbats is going to make an attempt.

[muawiyah]

Big problem for the Democrats is that they have 51 members in the Senate who can caucus with the Republicans at any time and disrupt their operation.

Most probably aren't motivated to do so.

[comebacknewt]

He is just playing it smart.

He will end up with the D's, but he is going to get some big concessions out of them before he makes it official.

[fat city]

Joe was going to "clean up Hollywood" in 2000- until that Hollywood campaign money came rolling in.

[I got the rope]

Republicans should offer him the leadership position. It would certainly be a step up for us. This guy at least plays hardball and doesn't roll over.

[padre35]

Let them twist in the wind Lieberman, they did the same to you and all is fair in love war and politics.

Naaah, he is an old pro politico, he won't forget, but he won't cut off his own nose either.

[umgud]

We know how Pelosi would treat him if he were in the house, but we'll have to wait and see how Harry's gonna treat him in the senate. He may not be too happy.

[quantim]

He sure would be welcome though.

We don't need no stinkin' RINOs, thanks anyway we've got enough.  Especially from CT.

He may have had a sense of national security but he was in the minority in the senate - his vote did not count.

And Algore's running mate, there are some things that cannot be forgiven.

He's a tool.

[PresidentFelon]

If Pelosi goes through with pushing Murtha for the Majority Leader spot in the House, Lieberman may lean a little more to the GOP than before. Not a smart move by Pelosi to send this message to Lieberman who supports our efforts in Iraq.


PF

[Cobra64]

The war on terror is the number one issue in this country, everything else is secondary.

Gee. You didn't get flamed? I made the same remark on a thread re abortion and the Nomex burned off.

[donmeaker]

How would the DUmmies do it. Conservatives are the ones with guns.


I guess they would be able to send some really cutting emails...

[I see my hands]

The party doesn't have to let him join, right? We have a Muslim dim in congress so now we need a stinking lying lefist in the republican party?

[Roy Tucker]

Yup, very clever. He wants the Seniority on committees that are due him as a Democrat.

[dbehsman]

The war on terror is the number one issue in this country. All other issues are completely secondary. The democRATS are determined to screw up the war on terror. We are talking about the lives of our soldiers here. That means that if we have to put up with a RINO to support our troops, then I'm willing to put up with a RINO.

It's no joke, the democRAT party does not support the US having victory in the war on terror.

In the fifth or sixth district in Minnesota a man by the name of Keith Ellison (democRAT) was elected to the House. Haven't heard of him? Don't worry, you will. This man is the first Muslim to be elected to Congress. His supporters at his victory speech started shouting "Allah Akbar". Would you rather have someone like Ellison in office or someone like Lieberman?

[onyx]

Ya gots ta pick ya spots.

[onyx]

Joe's just not ready to do an Adolph Eichmann.

Huh?

[padre35]

IMO, Obama is the first muslem to be elected to the Congress...

[chuckles]

I'd rather have Joe than Chaffee. Ya takes what ya can get.

[dbehsman]

IMO, Obama is the first muslem to be elected to the Congress...

I think Obama's parents are Muslim, but I don't recall ever reading about Obama himself being Muslim. It wouldn't surprise me either way. I been reading lately how this Ellison clown is the first Muslim to be elected to Congress.

[ModelBreaker]

I hope he doesn't. An R Senate will confuse responsibility for the coming disaster in the middle east. Besides, the Senate has nothing to do with what happens in Iraq. That all comes out of the house appropriations committee. If they won't let funding for the war out of committee, the troops are coming home. Nothing the Senate does can affect that.

In addition, we are likely to get one more Supreme Court nominee in W's term. Regardless who controls the Senate, no judicial nominee to the right of Carl Marx will get out of the Senate Judiciary committee. The margins on the judiciary committee (even if we hold the majority in the Senate) will be too thin to overcome the RINO vote. If we hold the Senate, that blurs responsibility for blocking the nominees.

On the third of my big issues, control of the Senate makes no difference on immigration. Even when we had 56 R Senators, the Senate was all for amnesty. With only 49, they'll be even more all for amnesty. No difference.

The House was the prize on Iraq and Immigration and the rats took it fair and square. Unless we have 55+ votes in the Senate, it really doesn't make such a big difference on the big issues coming up and it does confuse political responsibility for the coming debacle.

[padre35]

I read that he went to a Christian school, but in islam, if your Father is a Muslem, so are the children considered Muslems.

[dbehsman]

That's interesting. It's been reported in the establishment media though that Ellison is the first. Regardless, this Ellison is a nut in the mold of Farrakhan, and I'm not thrilled that he is in the House where he'll possibly have access to classified documents. This is not good.

[padre35]

Of course, Obama is a rising star in the Dhimmi party, they certainly wouldn't want that sort of thing becoming general knowledge.....

[pray4liberty]

Lieberman would be a much better Majority Leader than Murtha any day of the week.

[Shortstop7]

lol....thanks for the chuckle. I needed it!

[right way right]

Extortion!

Gotta be great to be Lieberman right now.

We don't need no more RINO's though.

[mdmathis6]

I think he should run for Senate Majority leader and all Republicans should vote for him....the vice president can be the tie breaker,,,,!

Watch the screaming from the Liberal Dem's begin!

[mdmathis6]

I think he should run for Senate Majority leader and all Republicans should vote for him....the vice president can be the tie breaker,,,,!

Watch the screaming from the Liberal Dem's begin!

[AVNevis]

Hey, if Lieberman wants to come over and give us the majority, he is more than welcome. He'd be a RINO, but I'd rather have a RINO than a Dem majority...

[right way right]

Point made.

[AVNevis]

GREAT idea! If only he would really go for it.

[c-b 1]

The war on terror is the number one issue in this country, everything else is secondary.

If the President gets his way on his "comprehensive immigration reform," Amnesty bill, this country won't have the resources to conduct a war on terror.

[right-wingin_It]

Dems won't be able to retrain themselves. Won't play nice with Joe. Republicans will raise the ante. And when it appears that the Dems are the party of obstruction by rejecting the Bolton nomination, suppressing judicial nomiees for floor votes, and latly trying to tank the Iraq and greater WOT effort, he will have his publi justification to switch from "I/D" to I/R". Still independant, but now caucusing with republicans. 'Dancin' with the ones who brung him.'