Sen. Joe Lieberman's Just Desertion

Investors Business Daily ^ | 8-21-08

[SJackson]

Patriotism: Joseph Lieberman will be called a Judas for speaking to the Republican Convention, but he was betrayed by his own party for refusing to support losing a war for political gain.

It's only a matter of time before the long knives are unsheathed for Connecticut's "independent Democrat." Al Gore's 2000 running mate still caucuses with the Democrats, which lets the four-term senator maintain his seniority in committee assignments.

Lieberman serves in the plum post of chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, where earlier this year he published a powerful and fascinating report on how terrorist groups such as al-Qaida use traditional media and the Internet to propagandize and recruit on a global scale.

He is also a high-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and is currently visiting Georgia, Ukraine and Poland with fellow panel member Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to show U.S. solidarity with those young democracies in the wake of the Russian invasion of Georgia.

But because he dared to place country before ideology and supported nothing less than victory in Iraq, Lieberman was targeted for destruction by his party and defeated in the 2006 primary by a blue-blooded leftist willing to spend his family fortune against him.

[SES1066]

I recall the DSCC and the Dem party leadership supporting Lieberman in the primary. Obama and Bill Clinton actually campaigned for Lieberman.

OK, I wasn't there and I may be faulty in recollection about Lieberman's support from the National Democrat resources. I do KNOW that Clinton campaigned for him in the Primary and I will take your word about Obama. My recollection is that the rest of the support was quite luke-warm and diminished rapidly as the Primary went on and Move-On and its ilk made such waves for Lamont.

[Alter Kaker]

My recollection is that the rest of the support was quite luke-warm and diminished rapidly as the Primary went on and Move-On and its ilk made such waves for Lamont.

Well, it varied. The left wing of the Dem Party was pretty luke-warm, whereas other Dems pretty actively supported Lieberman. But I think there's a pretty stark divide between "luke-warm support" and open betrayal. Open betrayal would be the Dem Nat Committee actively recruiting candidates to run against Lieberman. That's not what happened.

[Vigilanteman]

Gordon Smith votes with conservatives 72% of the time, which is very commendable considering he represents the ultraliberal state of Oregon. He was also spawned from the ultraliberal Udall family tree, which makes his record even more commendable.

I'm far more concerned with the mix of conservatives and liberals in the Senate than I am with the mix of Democrats and Republicans.

While I don't appreciate some of the idiot causes he has alligned with (Gorebal warming, just like McCain), can you find him on this list just like McCain?

Here are the Senators who voted against the Cornyn amendment , which would have established a permanent bar for gang members, terrorists, and other criminals looking to snag a shamnesty visa. Republicans underlined:

[Teacher317]

You know, McCain - Lieberman would likely be a winning ticket. They could sell their "independent maverick" image as not falling for "politics as usual" which plays VERY well for the mushy middle, they can sell bipartisanship which plays very well in the media (and makes it tough for either party to whine about the opposition party "not cooperating"), and they can counter the loss of "a historic first" (first woman or black) with another... the first cross-party ticket.

(Nat saying it would be a ticket that is good for small-government conservatives, mind you...)

[weegee]

It would be a winning ticket. Unfortunately, (A) it is not a conservative ticket so while we’d win the election, we wouldn’t win on policy significantly (it IS preferable to an Obama administration on the political agenda of the hard Left).

and (B) in 2012 it would leave us in the same situation we found ourselves this election, no encumbant in the race. McCain was as close as it came because he’d run the race for the White House already in 2000 and started working with Democrats For McCain2008 back in 2006.

[Captain Kirk]

it IS preferable to an Obama administration on the political agenda of the hard Left).

When you made that statement, you already showed that you gave up the ghost. McCain knows that whatever he does, you and and others will vote for him....hence he has no reason at all to care what you think.

[Teacher317]

Do you really think McCain cares what is best for we right-wing nuts, or for the future of the GOP?

[M203M4]

That is disgusting. But it happened before people put their blinders on.

[Alter Kaker]

with another... the first cross-party ticket.

Check your history books. John Tyler, a Democrat, was William Henry Harrison's VP. Harrison was a Whig.

Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, was Abraham Lincoln's VP. Lincoln was a Republican.

[Alter Kaker]

I'll also remind you that both times Americans have elected Vice Presidents of parties other than their running mates, those Vice Presidents have succeeded to the Presidency. Andrew Johnson became President after Lincoln's assassination. He proved to be so much of a Democrat that the Republicans, who elected him Vice President, actually impeached him. John Tyler was so much of a Democrat that he was expelled from the Whig Party (to which he had nominally become a member for the purposes of the election).

John McCain is 72. Do you really want Joe Lieberman as your President?

[beckysueb]

There will never be another Zell Miller. Now there is a real man!

[Teacher317]

Cool. Thanks for the history lesson!