Posted on 07/16/2008 6:15:50 PM PDT by seanrobins
Several Democratic insiders are now saying Sen. Joe Lieberman, D- Conn., will be kicked out of the party's caucus and lose his Senate chairmanship next year if he addresses the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., as planned.
Lieberman, the four-term senator from Connecticut who was elected as an independent in 2006 after losing the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 because of his support for the Iraq war, is supporting Republican nominee John McCain for president.
According to The New York Times, Lieberman's Democratic colleagues are upset over his openly campaigning and traveling with the senator from Arizona during this election season and are fuming over his refusal to tone down his rhetoric against Obama. Some in his party are advising him that speaking to the GOP convention in September will be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Lieberman reportedly excused himself from the weekly lunch of the Senate Democrats Tuesday when his Democratic colleagues began discussing, then criticizing, McCain’s energy policies.
"I just didn't feel it was appropriate for me to be there," Lieberman explained to a Times reporter afterward.
"It was the right thing to do," Ill. Sen. Richard Durbin, the Democratic whip, said after a colleague approached him to complain about Lieberman. "This is a delicate situation."
Lieberman has reportedly not ruled out switching parties, but has not to this point thought that he should, which is increasingly becoming an intolerable embarrassment to Democrats.
"I don't have any line that I have in my mind," Lieberman says about reaching the point of no return with the Democratic Party for speaking out on behalf of McCain. "If it happened, I'd know it when I saw it."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Dont'cha think?
So much for tolerance and bi-partisanship. But then, it only becomes an issue when Republicans are taking it in the shorts.
After the way the Rats stabbed Joe in the back during his last election campaign, I just don’t think he cares anymore what they think or do. I just wish he’d leave the caucus now so that the Rats would lose their slim majority in the Senate and cause Harry Reid some serious indigestion.
Nope...ain't happenin'.......firstly, McCain isn't going to beat Hillary in November......secondly, Lieberman remains a 'Rat through and through, other than his Jewishness.
Lieberman turned against them, so the only reason for them to be nice to him is for their majority. He should just join the GOP or not already.
If Joe really cared, he would have caucused with the Republicans. What he wanted was those committee seats.
But there’s no way he’ll let them dictate where he can speak.
>>>McCain isn’t going to beat Hillary in November
Huh??!
What’d I miss while I was sleeing?
Joe is a lib. He just has a little common sense on a few issues, and he doesn’t foam at the mouth.
In any case, as far as bad PR for the DIMocrats, Joe is much more effective keeping his affiliation as (D).
>>>I think its just because he is a Jew, i think the democrats want to replace the Jews by muslims
OK, are we (1) just getting a bit silly, here... (2) being sarcastic, or sardonic, or whatever... or (3) losing it completely?
Would you be saying that if, for example, we were talking about Chuck Hagel campaigning for Obama?
Isn't he an Independent?
sarcasm...
We don’t want him.
Never, NEVER forget his act in the well of the Senate regarding the impeachment of His Slickness...
He excoriated President Squirt publically and then...
...voted to acquit him.
No thanks.
Put him on the GOP ticket. I like Joe L. Anything would help. In fact, put him on the top of the ticket.....The Great OZ has spoken
Like all good Stalinists, censorship is a hallmark.
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
Any bets on “Republican” Chuck Hagel speaking at the Dem convention?
I don’t necessarily disagree with you. I just think that he is much more of an embarrassing irritant to the DIMs this way. At least I am enjoying it.
I’m not convinced his voting pattern would change noticeably though if he did change party affiliation.
Did anybody hear or find the context in which Obama backed Lieberman up into the wall on the Senate floor a month or so ago? Where Claire McCaskill motioned them to go DL, as cameras were rolling on them in the mezzanine?
Isn't he an Independent?
Yes, he is.
Lieberman has on occasion impressed me. As far as his speaking at the GOP Convention he has some big shoes to fill. Namely Zell Miller, Now he’s a Democrat I actually liked.
They’re pretty sure they are going to pick up some seats in the election. Notice they aren’t threating to kick him out now, since that would leave the Senate 50-50 with Cheney as the tiebreaker. Of course Joe could always surprise them and switch after the convention. Sure would PO Dingy Harry.
I absolutely can’t stand Joe’s politics, but I do think that he’s a good decent man with integrity and I respect him, unlike the rest of the Rat riff raff in Congress, with the possible exception of Webb.
"Okay...but...that's the last straw..."
Pound sand on what? I never learned what the topic was.
Maybe the Dems don’t want him either. The GOP can’t afford to turn away free Senate seats at this point.
What are the dems worried about, ole whiny is no Zell Miller.
Well, we didn’t expect it from Ben Campbell back in the 1990’s, either. It could happen.
If getting kicked out of the Party isn't the last straw, I don't think you can ever really, really reach the last straw.
Bet you if it’s just one seat different in the Senate, they all line up to kiss Joe’s ass.
I think Joe Lieberman has finally realized that the only Party that would come to Israel’s aid if war with Iran broke out is the Republican Party..While the dimRATS mouth the words we support Israel, they turn around and want to pull out of the Middle East, establish dialogs with Palestinian thugs and murderers and would even give them their own State or Country...Imagine nationhood for a brood of thugs! The dimRATS would also run the other way from a war with Iran...Cowards!...and now they want to elect a Muslim/Christian/whatever with no experience...hoo boy !
Mr. Lieberman has it right and he is a decent man, able to reach across the aisle if conscience says to do so..He should say good riddance to the dimRAT party that abandoned him and join the Republican Party as the moderate he is at heart...
Let’s see now....Muslim is the religion of peace, and the Democrat party is the party of tolerance....riiiiiiight.
Aside from the Iraq war, Liebermann is an ultra liberal. Check his votes with any political rating organization. He’s in the same league as his neighbors Kerry, Kennedy, Schumer, and Clinton. Let him fester in the democrat’s craw for a while, and maybe sow enough division to make a few fence sitters take the plunge. His influence as a republican senator would be bad.
Speaking of Zell...what’s up with him these days...haven’t heard a peep. I know he’s retired, but...he doesn’t strike me as a person who could really stay retired. I would LOVE to hear from him again!
For those who may be interested:
Chuckie did not show up at the Nebraska State Republican Convention at all. No staffers showed up. Nothing.
The man is now as conservative as David Brock.
No, but Dems are the ones always bemoaning the lack of tolerance and bi-partisanship.
What will happen when the GOP is shut of the White House and both houses of Congress?
You're right. He is an "I-Conn". LOL.
What would happen tomorrow if Lieberman became a Republican and caucused with the GOP?
Read Roman history for parallels.
The same thing that will happen if Lieberman becomes an elder statesman for the republicans. Conservatism goes out the window. More taxes, more gun control, more abortions, socialized medicine, union bosses pulling the strings in the congress, etc. IMO we saw enough of RINOism with the gang that brought us the current legislative morass.
Do we need more pork, more bridges to nowhere, and more debates on whether the government should provide all things to all people? We're in a policy driven energy crisis. Our economy slumped because of government lending mandates. No one in congress was willing to cut spending on other programs to accommodate the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the budget is out of control.
Lieberman the G.O.P. senator - I can't see him improving that situation.
“What would happen tomorrow if Lieberman became a Republican and caucused with the GOP?”
He is, Obama's first trip across the pond next week will get the highest profile media coverage of the year, aside from the conventions. It's a campaign event, and Hagel will be at his side.
Yeah, I believe I do. Interesting the rodents insulate themselves from “change” but the GOP got caught with its pants down when Jumpin’ Jim screwed us 7 years ago.
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