Looking for Lieberman

Can the real Joe Lieberman be making a comeback? Gosh, let's hope so. I've missed that guy since he disappeared in a cloud of campaign rhetoric a couple of years ago, and was replaced by some imposter spouting the party line.

Announcing for president last week, Senator Lieberman billed himself as "a different kind of Democrat," which would be a nice change after Al Gore. It'd be good to have one Democrat who'd stand out among the ideological look-alikes now pursuing their party's presidential nomination in Oh-Four.

Then again, I thought Joe Lieberman was a different kind of Democrat back in 2000. Early 2000. Then he was nominated for vice president and became indistinguishable.

There was a time when Joe Lieberman was his own man. Some of us can remember when he wanted to experiment with school vouchers in Washington, D.C., where kids whose parents aren't rich or high-ranking politicians may be consigned to the best-funded and worst-run schools in the country.

At one point, Senator Lieberman co-sponsored a voucher program that would have freed those kids from their awful schools. Along with schoolchildren in five other demonstration projects around the country. Oh, freedom! That wasn't the only thing that made Joe Lieberman a different kind of Democrat two years ago. He was also in favor of cutting the capital gains tax, building a missile defense system, campaigning for tort reform and giving the president greater authority to negotiate lower tariffs. Once he even denounced Bill Clinton's abuse of his presidential office.

Then the campaign started, and Senator Lieberman caved in on one issue after another, giving in to one special interest after another in the Democratic Party -- from trial lawyers to teachers unions. Until the old Joe Lieberman was just a memory.

On issue after issue, this candidate for vice president switched positions -- or "explained" his earlier stand until it turned out to be nothing like what it had been. By the end of the campaign, the old Joe was nowhere to be seen.

At least Senator Lieberman seemed embarrassed at having to play this game; he was clearly irritated when he got caught at it. When he'd be asked, as he repeatedly was, what he'd done with his old self, you half-expected him to rise up and shout: "I'm not Lieberman!"

This year he's running for the job at the top of the ticket, not No. 2, and can be his own man. Or, as he puts it, "this gives me an opportunity to do it my way."

He's started off well, fully backing this Republican president when it comes to Iraq, though he does call the Bush administration's policy toward North Korea confused, which indeed it has been.

He did the expected for a Democratic presidential hopeful and bashed the administration's plans when it comes to taxes -- mainly, cut them.

But he declined to come out against repealing the tax on dividends. He said the idea was intriguing. It is. It's not a quick fix (which is a point in its favor) but, like many sound principles, it could pay dividends in the long run. Literally.

What about letting people own and invest a part of their Social Security fund? Over the years that opportunity would strengthen the system by increasing people's return on their money. The old Joe Lieberman used to speak favorably of the idea. It'll be interesting to see if the 2004 model does. It'd take guts, especially in this market. But it would indeed mark Joe Lieberman as a different kind of Democrat. It would show that Joe Lieberman believes everybody on Social Security should have a stake in the American economy.

It would be good to have Senator Lieberman sounding like his old self in this campaign. No doubt he intends to. But a lot of strange stuff, usually bad, can happen to presidential candidates between their announcement and the end of the campaign. Their principles get chipped away every day by every special interest they court.

And the first thing a presidential candidate has to do is Excite the Base of his party, as the pros say. And the base of the Democratic Party includes the plaintiffs' bar and the teachers unions.

No doubt the gentleman from Connecticut is sincere about going his own way this time. And he can be trusted to try. But at the same time, let's keep in mind what Ronald Reagan said about arms treaties: Trust but verify.

Byrd Says "Free Republic is Pretty. Pretty Pretty Pretty Pretty. But I want it to be a figment. A Fig Leaf! Fie on Free Republic! Fie on Conservatives!

Tick him off. Donate Here By Secure Server

Or mail checks to
FreeRepublic , LLC
PO BOX 9771
FRESNO, CA 93794

or you can use

PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com

STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

a Texas gal tried to make some of the same points in a letter to the editor, see the Dems reponse

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/827009/posts

And the first thing a presidential candidate has to do is Excite the Base of his party

Judging by the views of the leftwingnuts on DU, he's got a long way to go.

DAY of SUPPORT....FLY your flags (US, a British one, Hungarian, Australian and Japanese one, too if you have them)....and put up your BUSH/CHENEY signs, (and the BIG W's on your SUV's) for the STATE of the UNION next Tuesday, Jan 28th, if you support the President, our MILITARY and the United States of America. PSST....pass it on.

6 posted on 01/22/2003 7:57:29 AM PST by goodnesswins ((I'm supposed to be working on my book and business, but THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT!))

.....No doubt the gentleman from Connecticut is sincere about going his own way this time. And he can be trusted to try.....

Horse pucky!

A democrat is a democrat.

If they were not liars, deceivers, traitors, abusers of themselves with men, truce breakers murders of unborn and partialy born, abusers of themselves with women, they would not be democrats.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.