Obama wants Holy Joe to continue caucusing with Dems

Wow, that was fast.

Every winning candidate disappoints his supporters sooner or later, of course. It's inevitable. I just wasn't expecting it this soon.

Lieberman campaigned for the other candidate. He questioned the competence and basic loyalty of the Democratic nominee. And in his committee chairmanship (Homeland Security), he couldn't find anything worth looking in to during the last several years of warrantless wiretaps, telecom breaches, habeas suspensions, Special Ops missions into sovereign nations we're not at war with, and sundry other joys of BushCheneyCo.

He TURNED DOWN chairmanship of the veteran's affairs committee because it wasn't enough for him. One of the biggest supporters of the surge doesn't have time for veteran's affairs? WTF?

There's never any consequence for bad behavior in the Democratic party. So if it seems like the Democrats are undisciplined and, at times, spineless--well, if the shoe fits.

Am I missing something here? Is there ANY reason the Democratic Caucus should do anything besides toss him out on his ear? If you can actively work against the Democrats and still be a part of the Democratic caucus, then they truly don't stand for anything. He wouldn't be able to play those sorts of games with the Republicans--they'd tell him to toe the line or get out.

Seriously, there has to be a price for his behavior. There has to be.  

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by: KCProgramr @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 20:07:20 PM CST

I would love to see Joe outta here

But what President-elect Obama is doing is keeping his "friends" close and his enemies closer.

Sound familiar?  That was Lincoln's policy and it is going to be Obama's too.

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by: bkmn @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 21:20:29 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Dependence

If he keeps the Homeland Security position, Lieberman will know it's down to Obama's influence - so he'll be both indebted to and dependent on Obama's continued support. Lose the support and he'll lose both the position and his Democratic caucus. Since he's from a blue state that voted strongly for Obama (60% vs. 38% for McCain) loss of both Obama's support and his Democratic caucus could be enough to lose him a 2012 re-election bid.

Obama just bought Lieberman.

____________________________________
Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.

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by: tavdy79 @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 05:22:49 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Even Better, he's the Good Cop

The Dems in the Senate, who apparently are not in as forgiving a mood (Obama's senior Senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin, is reportedly PISSED at Joe). If they do vote Joe out of his chairmanship (which Obama only advised they do) Obama is still the good guy. Not a bad political move when your party has 57 - 58 seats and needs 60 votes to get sh*t done.  

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by: CPT_Doom @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 08:06:06 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Wow, that was fast

YES theres a very good reason not to toss him out the GOP well grab him up and they will regain one more seat in the senate.

Brandi Parker
SWVA Rep Equality Va

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by: sweetbrandigirl @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 22:42:10 PM CST

[ Parent ]

One thing

that Obama wants to do is get us all rowing in the same boat... REAL bipartisanship.  And starting out by being petty at Joe Lieberman isn't much of a way to signal that he's serious about that.

For him to succeed, we're all going to have to learn to appreciate compromise.  I'm less concerned about concessions he might make to get broad support for what he wants to accomplish than I am concerned that the democrats will get power-crazy and do the exact same pork-barrel bullshit the GOP did when THEY had the chance.

We trusted him enough to elect him.  Let's not start second-guessing him before he even takes office.  Give him some room to work and some trust to count on.

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by: Rae @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 20:22:39 PM CST

Excuse Me?

Boot Joe and you've thrown me and hundreds of thousands of other Democrats out of the Democratic Party.

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by: Holly in Cincinnati @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 20:31:52 PM CST

Why?

I don't get what you're saying.

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by: earthlingblues @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 22:16:35 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Holly, last I checked, Lieberman wasn't a Democrat

Hanging on to his Senate seat was more important than respecting the will of the Democratic primary voters in his state.  Publicly supporting and campaigning for his buddy John McCain was more important than supporting the Democratic nominee for president (or just keeping his mouth shut).  Obama may find a strategic advantage in keeping Lieberman in the caucus, but he's not a Democrat.

"If the apocalypse comes... beep me." -- Buffy Summers

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by: Kathy @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 09:42:38 AM CST

[ Parent ]

It is called Forgiving.

Hey, you were wrong, dead wrong, but let's let it go.  Use him to the hilt. It is a big win in my book.  It removes many of the attacks that we all know are coming.  

I don't care for Holy Joe, but he has his uses, and will be used.  

If I make sense? it was quite by accident.

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by: HappyCat @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 20:50:51 PM CST

dilemma

One of my reasons for supporting Barack Obama early on was his expressed commitment to bipartisan efforts and ending the acrimony of politics in recent decades.  However I now find myself wondering if the caucus can trust Joe the Lieberman with the intimacies of the caucus discussions.  Just as McCain declined to seriously consider being running mate to Kerry; Lieberman should've shown some loyalty to the Democratic Party by remaining mum.
But, Barack Obama is now the head of the Democratic Party and he did indicate to the voters that progress would require compromise and cooperativeness.  We'll see how the culture wars go in the next four years.   Sarah the Palin may seek a bloody vengeance with her Joel the army of end days.  If she does, then Obama's compassionate liberalism will triumph (WWLD - What would Lincoln do?)

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by: Passionforprog @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 20:54:14 PM CST

Right on, Barack!

I do not agree with much of what Joe Lieberman has done, including calling for the bombing of Iran and his support of right-wing Zionism. But I support Barack's call to stop this ugly procedure underway to kick him out of the Democratic caucus and strip him of his chairmanship. We have got way bigger fish to fry. Mmmmmmm, fish.

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by: x88justy @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 21:03:21 PM CST

Obviously, Obama is a better politician than I would ever be ...

... so I hesitate to second-guess him on a matter like this. Still, it seems absolutely batshit crazy to let Lieberman keep his chairmanship, and I don't notice Obama saying explicitly that he wants Lieberman to retain that position.

It seems to me that if there are no repercussions at all for Lieberman, it's going to make Obama and Reid both look like pushovers.

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by: earthlingblues @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 22:13:49 PM CST

Sadly...

...Lieberman still votes with the Dem. caucus 90% of the time, and until the Dems get a filibuster-proof majority, they'll need him.

Notice what Obama didn't say, though, which is that he wants Lieberman to keep his chairmanship. My bet is that he'll get offered something else, and oh, gosh--you won't take that, Joe? Too bad; so sad.

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by: Darkrose @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 22:17:51 PM CST

Second thought,

This is a power play.  It is a who is going to set the agenda.  Which path is it going to take.

If I make sense? it was quite by accident.

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by: HappyCat @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 22:22:28 PM CST

Churchill said it best

"Better to have them inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent and pissing in." - Winston Churchill

Besides, as Dems, if we believe in inclusiveness, we should do our best to practice it.

Peace.  

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by: peacemonger @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 22:34:15 PM CST

Disconnect

Yes you keep your enemies closer but not ones whom have supeona power over your office. It is not a position where you can fire the mofo once he starts that crap.
He needs to discuss this w/ Biden. I do not think he realizes the perogative of the Senate are not tied to his election.

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by: Robert M @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 22:50:26 PM CST

What Obama said is not binding

Obama was just expressing his opinion; Reid can take it or leave it.  The Senators will vote on this by secret ballot and likely boot Lieberman, making them the "bad cops" and leaving Obama looking squeaky clean above the fray.

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by: Naperville Mom @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 23:49:57 PM CST