Joe Lieberman and the Dems
September 19th 2008 05:33
Joe Lieberman, the Independent Democratic Senator from Connecticut, isn't exactly a favored son of the Democratic Party these days. He ran as Gore's VP in 2000, but he was targeted by his own party in his 2006 Senatorial re-election bid because of his stance on the war in Iraq. He lost the Democratic Primary, but ran as an Independent and retained his seat. His support for the war continued and he has been campaigning for John McCain in this year's presidential election. He even went so far as to speak at the recent GOP convention. In his speech, he praised McCain and castigated Obama as being wholly unprepared for the job. He has been one of McCain's strongest allies in this election.
So why haven't the Democrats kicked him to the curb? Why haven't they stripped him of his seniority or taken away his committee assignments? That's simple. He caucuses with the Dems -- and with him, the Democrats have 51 Senators (including 49 Democrats and one Independent Socialist). The Republicans have 49 Senators. If Lieberman caucused with the Republicans, there would be a 50-50 split between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate and the VP (A Republican) would break the tie. That would allow the Republicans to take over chairmanships of all the committees. They would also have the power to control the agenda in the Senate. And, of course, they would get to move back into the big offices (as opposed to the smaller offices). For this reason, the Democrats will continue to make nice with Lieberman. He holds a LOT of power.
Will they continue to play ball with Lieberman after November? IF the Democrats can pick up at least a net of one Senate seat in the upcoming election, they can go ahead and do whatever they want to Lieberman. At that point, a defection by him would still leave the Democrats with control. If they do pick up that extra seat, I believe they will go ahead and take punitive measures against him. He has been a reliable vote for the Dems on almost every issue, but his votes with regard to the war and his actions during the election season have infuriated them. If they can control the Senate without him, I'm guessing that he will quickly become persona non grata around the Dems. At that point, they won't have to worry if he decides to caucus with the Republicans or even becomes a Republican. They will still have the power they so desperately covet. If that happens, Joe Lieberman will find out that the "big tent" of the Democrats isn't really that big after all.
So why haven't the Democrats kicked him to the curb? Why haven't they stripped him of his seniority or taken away his committee assignments? That's simple. He caucuses with the Dems -- and with him, the Democrats have 51 Senators (including 49 Democrats and one Independent Socialist). The Republicans have 49 Senators. If Lieberman caucused with the Republicans, there would be a 50-50 split between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate and the VP (A Republican) would break the tie. That would allow the Republicans to take over chairmanships of all the committees. They would also have the power to control the agenda in the Senate. And, of course, they would get to move back into the big offices (as opposed to the smaller offices). For this reason, the Democrats will continue to make nice with Lieberman. He holds a LOT of power.
Will they continue to play ball with Lieberman after November? IF the Democrats can pick up at least a net of one Senate seat in the upcoming election, they can go ahead and do whatever they want to Lieberman. At that point, a defection by him would still leave the Democrats with control. If they do pick up that extra seat, I believe they will go ahead and take punitive measures against him. He has been a reliable vote for the Dems on almost every issue, but his votes with regard to the war and his actions during the election season have infuriated them. If they can control the Senate without him, I'm guessing that he will quickly become persona non grata around the Dems. At that point, they won't have to worry if he decides to caucus with the Republicans or even becomes a Republican. They will still have the power they so desperately covet. If that happens, Joe Lieberman will find out that the "big tent" of the Democrats isn't really that big after all.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by PopulistConservative
Angry Electorate
I always laugh when they talk about the "big tent".
Comment by Lester Caudill
Round Politics
Comment by PopulistConservative
Angry Electorate
Comment by Don Lee
White Line Philosophy
Comment by PopulistConservative
Angry Electorate
Comment by Don Lee
White Line Philosophy
Comment by PopulistConservative
Angry Electorate
Comment by Don Lee
White Line Philosophy
Comment by PopulistConservative
Angry Electorate
Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
You're right, PopCon. We're in trouble either way, but the troubles are a little less nasty with McCain/Palin than with Obama/Obiden. Don Lee was right, all that DC air is toxic.
Comment by Jonathan Biviano
Politics Realm
However, and I believe McCain is coming around to this: It needs to orderly growth, with secure borders, background checks, temporary work visas, and booting non-citizens out without a second thought if they commit a crime.
I don't know how it's happening in states other than my own where we have a Republicrat running for Senate, but the drilling for oil and natural gas issue may be what allows the Republicans to keep the ability to fillibuster and if they push Leiberman away, he may just be the vote that keeps bad legislation from even getting voted on.
I think you'll be surprised by President McCain, who I do think will win the Electoral College with less chance at the popular vote. He will listen to people like Gov. Palin and the other smart people he puts around him and there will be plenty of us conservatives to hold his feet to the fire.
Comment by PopulistConservative
Angry Electorate
The American people trusted the government in 1986 to secure the borders when the last amnesty occurred. That never happened. Now, they expect us to be dupes and fall in line again. Not me.
This is a huge economic problem. The average low-skilled immigrant household costs the country a net of $30K per year. And that is exactly what we're getting: Low-skilled immigrants. That is a formula for disaster.
Beyond that, though, this is a personal issue for me. My cousin was murdered by an illegal immigrant 1 1/2 years ago. If our government had simply done its job, she would still be alive today and her daughter wouldn't be an orphan. And I'm not the only one who is impacted by this. There is violent crime detailed by illegal immigrants at least once a week in the Atlanta paper. Just this week, about 8 foreign nationals were arrested outside Atlanta for drug trafficking. We are drowning and our government is throwing us an anchor.
Do I think McCain is better than Obama on this issue? Yes. However, that's like asking if Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy is my favorite serial killer. One of them will win, but I won't support either.