THE PLANK OCTOBER 30, 2009
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From a Guardian column by Maura Keaney on Lieberman:
Joe Lieberman has become the Balloon Boy dad of the Senate Democratic caucus, a fame-whore so addicted to media attention that he hatches ever-more-desperate and risky schemes that sell out his "family" to earn press attention.
It's a catchy lead, but I think this misdiagnoses Lieberman's motivations for his filibuster threat on health care legislation that includes the public option. It's not that he craves attention (at least not more than any other politician); it's that he's mad at his "family"--for his 2004 presidential defeat and for his 2006 Senate campaign--and is trying to get back at them.
The big question for Democrats at this point is whether there's any way to help Lieberman get over his obviously bruised feelings. Last November, after Obama, Reid and other Democratic bigwigs went to bat for Lieberman and urged Democratic Senators not to strip him of his Homeland Security Committee chairmanship as punishment for his McCain endorsement, Lieberman seemed genuinely humbled and grateful. But that feeling has obviously passed and he's back to nursing old grievances.
Having tried to kill Lieberman with kindness, I think it's probably time the Democrats resort to more coercive measures, like outright threats. Which is what Tom Harkin is doing when he suggests that Lieberman's committee chairmanship should be up for another vote at the start of the next Congress. Of course, Harkin has been hawkish about Lieberman for some time. The real change will come when Reid starts saying this sort of thing.
P.S. Josh Marshall is expressing surprise over Lieberman's comments that he's planning to run in 2012. But I think Lieberman pretty much has to say at this point that he's planning to run in '12, since he doesn't want to be a lame duck for 3+ years. I still think the odds are pretty favorable that this will be his last term in the Senate.
8 comments
Meh ... fame-whore pretty much does it. Petulant, sanctimonious, ill-mannered, hand-biting cur would also work. "Lieberman seemed genuinely humbled and grateful. But that feeling has obviously passed and he's back to nursing old grievances." Nothing about this oik is genuine; to put "humble" and "Liberman" in any sentence other ironic risks subverting not just the English language but any notion of meaning itself. He is not nursing grievances but jealousies, Iago-like.
- icarusr
October 30, 2009 at 12:01pm
"It's a catchy lead, but I think this misdiagnoses Lieberman's motivations for his filibuster threat on health care legislation that includes the public option." Well, the Guardian seldom gets it right when it comes to the US. Many of their left wing readers are anti-American and their reporters often play to that crowd. Having said that, as a former supporter I am deeply disappointed in Lieberman's stance on health care. If he goes through with his threat I hope he is defeated in the next election.
- jacksondyer
October 30, 2009 at 12:17pm
“He is not nursing grievances but jealousies, Iago-like." No one who has read and understood Othello would call Lieberman "Iago like." This is just plain ignorant.
- jacksondyer
October 30, 2009 at 12:19pm
jd, I actually don't think he will filibuster, I just think this is some kind of political ploy to extract some concessions. Ct. is a big insurance state so I think he will get the best possible deal for them that he can. Look, this is not to say he isn't an egomaniac and a prick, he is a Senator, it kind of goes with the job description, but for now I am withholding judgment as to his real motivations. If he does filibuster though, then I say strip him of everything and let him roam in the wilderness for the next 2 years. And for the record, he said he might not vote for cloture on debate, not that he would filibuster even bringing the bill up for debate. It is a critical difference.
- blackton
October 30, 2009 at 1:54pm
I used to think, "Well, Lieberman's a creep, but he's OUR creep". If he votes against cloture, I think we can declare that he's THEIR creep and their problem and just cut him loose from seniority, committee chairmanship, and caucus membership. All senators may be flawed human beings, but there's something about Joementum that makes my skin crawl.
- JackR
October 31, 2009 at 9:00am
I think Lieberman is afraid of a Tom Delay ("The Hammer") style threat to fund his opposition in the next election. He has to strike now while he has something to trade.
- Nusholtz
October 31, 2009 at 9:47am
What do you mean it a misdiagnoses? The diagnoses of Lieberman is perfect! All GI JOE wants is attention to ME, ME, ME. He's like that now. He's always been that way! Lieberman lost his Democratic Primary to Ned Lamont. At that time, the Democratic Senators were out campaigning for Joe. After he lost the primary, these same Democratic Senators backed their party's official candidate, Ned Lamont; while poor sport Joe took his ball and bat home and decided to create a party of one. Thats where GI Joe felt slapped in the face and the ol' "payback" plan got set into motion. And note that Lieberman's one-man party was named "Connecticut for Lieberman" (where we are his servers); and not "Lieberman for Connecticut" (where Lieberman would serve CT). Again - It's All ME, ME, ME!! The guy the Republicans had running against Lamont hardly got any money and votes from Republicans. Lieberman was the Republican Party's man. And now Joe's payback has begun (along with his Iraq War Votes and pushing for more war if he had the power to do so).
- lapdogs
November 1, 2009 at 6:44pm
Lieberman is just doing what he always does--providing Dems with a bridge to reality. If incremental reform is preferable to non-productive confrontation and brinksmanship, which I for one think it is, we need to avoid the attempt by ideologues to create a giant new entitlement which most voters view as unlikely to be any less vulnerable to fiscal malfeasance than Medicare/Medicaid which, let's remember, are on the brink of insolvency already.
- Robert Powell
November 3, 2009 at 4:18am