Lieberman: Obama Has Not Always "Put The Country First"
Another day, another unsightly smear of Obama from Joe Lieberman:
"In my opinion, the choice could not be more clear: between one candidate, John McCain, who's had experience, been tested in war and tried in peace, another candidate who has not,'' Mr. Lieberman said. "Between one candidate, John McCain, who has always put the country first, worked across party lines to get things done, and one candidate who has not. Between one candidate who's a talker, and the other candidate who's the leader America needs as our next candidate.''
Between Lieberman saying that Obama hasn't always put country first, and senior McCain aide Charlie Black saying the other day that the McCain campaign concedes that Obama is a patriot, you have to conclude that the McCain camp's message is a bit muddled on this.
Surely the McCain team, irked by this glaring lack of message discipline, will be working harder to get their surrogates a little more in line with the campaign's message that attacks on Obama's patriotism are out of bounds. Right?
Separately, here's more proof that Lieberman is all but certain to attend the GOP convention.
Late Update: The McCain campaign officially endorses Lieberman's assertion.















Will someone just get some duct tape around Holy Joe's mouth to get him to STFU?
August 12, 2008 4:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least the NYT was covering the campaign event.
ABC chose to interview Joe after his speech and ask him questions designed to detract from the formation of Repuiblicans for Obama by Former Sen. Chafee and Rep. Leach yesterday. That allowed ABC to bury the news of the Obama Republican group in an article headlined "Obama accused of not reaching out to Republicans" led by Joe Lieberman's comments. When is Greg going to cover what ABC is up to?
August 13, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
"...one candidate, John McCain, who has always put the country first..."
"The country" being America or Georgia? :P
August 12, 2008 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Neither. It's Countrywide First.
August 12, 2008 4:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Make that Countrywide Joe and McFish.
August 12, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lieberman has been criticized for not giving an example of when Obama did not put the country first. Allow me to cite one. When Obama endorsed Lieberman for reelection in the 2006 primary. Joe remains a big hickey around the neck of many Dems, most notably Al Gore.
August 13, 2008 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lieberman is the biggest jerk in the United States Senate.
Remember his tirade to ban video games in the 1990s. Saying the NES Zapper was a tool to teach kids to kill. He paved the way for nut cases like Jack Thompson today. What Lieberman didn't realize was the kids he was pissing off in the 90s would be grownups to vote against him today.
You wonder why Al Gore lost his presidency in 2000, he put a negative like Lieberman on his ticket.
Lieberman was out of the '04 race as fast as Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton.
Lieberman's own state had enough of him tired keaster in 2006.
I await the day when this man becomes history.
August 12, 2008 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why hasn't LIEberman been stripped of his committee chairmanship yet? Having a majority for the next few months isn't worth having the asshat around claiming he's still a Democrat.
August 12, 2008 4:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Senate rules lock it in during this session. If they voted and bounced him, it would be a 50/50 split and Cheyney would be the tie breaker, is that what you want? He will definitely not be allowed in the caucus in the next session.
August 12, 2008 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
By the same token, you may be right. Let the Repugs show their true colors prior to the election in November.
August 12, 2008 4:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Angling for the doo-doo position (number 2), Joe?
August 12, 2008 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama Has Not Always "Put The Country First?
When has Joe ever put the interest of this country in front of Israels?
August 12, 2008 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Holy Joe's policies would lead to the destruction of Israel. That's why I think it's unfair to say he puts Israel first. He's more interested in getting it Rapture Ready.
August 12, 2008 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lieberman is playing both sides, and Reid is letting him and smiling along the way.
What I mean is, I don't know if anyone noticed, but Lieberman donated $115,000 to the DSCC?
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/09/lieberman-donates-115k-to-dscc/
So, way I see it, despite his blatant attacks against Obama, and his clear alignment with the Republicans, Reid allows it because he's giving them money. It's utter political bullshit.
August 12, 2008 4:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Too bad he has only 2 orifices to give to his country (wherever they may be).
August 12, 2008 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
$115k is not really that much.
August 12, 2008 6:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Out of his own pocket? It's a decent chunk of change.
August 12, 2008 6:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ka-ching! Thanks for getting me to use my plastic, Joe.
August 12, 2008 4:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Of course, no one could say Lieberman puts the interests of another country first.
One would have to say that he puts the interests of froth-at-the-mouth channel-Reinhard-Heydrich thankfully-untypical ultra-right-wing minority-even-in-Israel fascist nutjobs first.
August 12, 2008 4:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Right arm! Joe LieberSchmuck is definitely Likud First.
August 12, 2008 4:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does anyone even care what Lieberman has to say? Honestly? What credibility does he have with either party? He's just McCain's lackey. I hope McCain picks Lieberman over Ridge, as Veep, that make things too easy.
August 12, 2008 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Strip him! (of his senatorial powers, Mr. Reid).
August 12, 2008 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
What voters does Lieberman rally to McCain's standard?
Who is he bringing?
August 12, 2008 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Himself.
August 12, 2008 4:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
But I'm still around and using my Senate privileges to serve my corporate overlords and battle the forces of democracy. Thanks Connecticut voters! You can fool all the people all of the time ... in that state.
August 12, 2008 4:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
if holy joe is gonna say something like that, it would be nice if he provided an example of obama not putting the country first.
but since this is just a smear for smear's sake, i doubt he has one.
August 12, 2008 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wish one of our alleged journalists would kindly ask Senator Lieberman (R-McCain's Colon) to please provide a few examples of occasions when Senator Obama did not put America first. If he can't, then maybe he should just STFU!
August 12, 2008 4:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!!!
And yet, a very frightening constituency...
August 12, 2008 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
What does, "Putting Country first," mean? Is it putting your country first when you help start stupid wars that cost thousands of American lives, injure hundreds of thousands more Americans, bankrupt the country financially and cause the rest of the world to lose thier respect for said country?
Or maybe "putting country first" is all about handing out tax breaks to billionaires and companies like Exxon... Ah, that is it, McCain thinks he lives in the United States of Exxon. If that is the case then yes, he always has put country first.
August 12, 2008 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's my advice, send Obama to Alaska (http://strategy08.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/get-thee-to-alaska/), then make Holy Joe go defend it on behalf of McCain.
What a shmuck.
August 12, 2008 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
He is going there, or so I've been told. Arkansas will be the only State he hasn't visited since January. I'm sure he'll make it there as well, to push his 50 State Strategy.
August 12, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lieberman seems to believe he has "independent" credentials because he ran and won as an [I] in Connecticut. He doesn't seem to realize that he won because Republicans voted for him just to spite the Dems and Ned Lamont.
I think he's a terrible surrogate, everybody can see his is a worm.
August 12, 2008 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama should attack Lieberman. Obama cannot allow such scurrilousness to go unanswered. He should hit back. Now. And hard. (Forget the vacation.) Nobody can be permitted to make attacks like this on his patriotism. Not Black, not McCain, and certainly not Lieberman. Barrack, you are now the leader of the Democratic party: Go get 'em!
August 12, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
No. Harry Reid should attack Liebermann (R-McCain's Colon)
August 12, 2008 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
i really, really, really, wish the senate had a recall mechanism...
August 12, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Senator Reid? You there?
You mean "Give 'em Hello Harry"? don't hold your breath on that one.
August 12, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
If I weren't laughing, I'd be crying.
August 12, 2008 4:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Harry will be all over this just as soon as he finishes cleaning Joe's bathroom.
August 12, 2008 5:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Counting the days until the Dems get the numbers to kick Joementum to the curb.
Which will you savor more in January?
Seeing Bush leave or seeing Joe Dirt stripped of his committee assignments?
August 12, 2008 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another Lie from Lieberman!
If McCain loses this election, Joe will be toast and I find myself wistfully longing for the Good Old Days when Tar and Feathers were all the rage for Traitors.
August 12, 2008 4:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm curious if Joe really could take some Dems from Obama.
Perhaps the Jewish vote? It's possible. Then again, we know from Joe Klien and MJ Rosenberg, that the Jewish vote is not a monolith. The neo-con type Jews wouldn't every vote Obama, but I could concieve of a 'mainstream' neo-liberal kind of Jew voting for McCain/Lieberman just so he could say "A barrier was broken today"
August 12, 2008 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm guessing you are not Jewish, right?
August 12, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I will switch my registration in the Democratic Party to independent if we don't kick Joe Loserman out of the Democratic Senate caucus after the elections as soon as we can. What a piece of crap Joe Loserman is!!!
August 12, 2008 5:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lieberman knows his political career is over should Obama win the Presidency, which is why he'd going "all in" backing McCain.
Senator Reid is an embarrassment. One can only hope the Dems believe Lieberman aligned so closely to McCain is actually hurting McCain. However I think Lieberman has threatened Reid that he would vote completely with the GOP on every future issue if he was stripped. That or the Dems don't want to strip him and then have the GOP say "Look, Obama can't take criticism, he wants to trample on Lieberman's constitutional rights of free speech".
August 12, 2008 5:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
When is Senator Reid going to grow some balls and kick LIEberman out of his leadership positions with the Dem Senate?
August 12, 2008 5:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Reid knows that he isn't going to be Majority Leader much longer.
August 12, 2008 5:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Join me in asking Harry Reid that very question!
http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
August 12, 2008 5:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
According to the polls, Obama is crushing McCain in CT....so much for Joe's influence on his constituents, eh? Makes you wonder who actually cares what this guy has to say.
CT polls:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/ct/connecticut_mccain_vs_obama-527.html
August 12, 2008 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is he starting to look like Mr. Magoo or is just me? Oh. right. Mr. McGoo.
August 12, 2008 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Really, Joe? Can you name an instance where Barack Obama didn't put his daughters and the rest of the country above his party?
But let's look at John McCain's record.
Was John McCain putting his country first when he was one of 90 House members to oppose establishing a federal holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Was John McCain putting his country first when he was one of 28 Senators who voted to strip funding from the MLK commission?
Was John McCain putting his country first when in 1993 he voted not to table the patent extension to the United Daughters of the Confederacy?
Was John McCain putting his country first when in 1990 he opposed the bipartisan Civil Rights Act of 1990, which fell one vote short of veto override?
Was John McCain putting the country first when in 1993 he voted against the bipartisan landmark "Motor Voter" law?
Was John McCain putting the country first when in 1993 he voted against the bipartisan abortion clinic violence law that even pro-life Sens. John Danforth and Mitch McConnell supported?
Was John McCain putting his country first when he voted against the minimum wage increases in 1989 and 1996, which passed with 62 and 74 votes, respectively?
Was John McCain putting the country first when last year he was one of 28 Senators who voted to repeal effectively the minimum wage law?
Was John McCain putting his country first when he voted against extending unemployment benefits during the 1991 recession and the 2003 economic recovery?
Was John McCain putting his country first when in 1997 he co-sponsored a bill to abolish the Department of Energy?
August 12, 2008 5:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
NICE!
August 12, 2008 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
A-Plus!
August 12, 2008 5:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Snap.
August 12, 2008 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's all about branding. "Putting Country First." To be expected.
August 12, 2008 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is McCain putting country first when he's trying to pick a fight with Russia?
August 12, 2008 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
How can we recall this bastard from CT? The guy is annoying from all front. He is a war monger just like his burdy McCain. I hate him
August 12, 2008 5:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, we looked that up. Unfortunately, you can't recall a Senator or the greazy fuck would already be out on the street.
August 13, 2008 3:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Joe BitchHole Lieberman is soon becoming the topreason why I want McCain to loose. No sight it better than joining these two old fucks at the waist and disposing them into the orbit.
We all know Lieberman puts Likud Party first.
August 12, 2008 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah Joe, Obama has failed to consistently put Israel... erm... I mean, America first!
August 12, 2008 5:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
It time for Obama to make a big stink about this. Really go after Liberman, Black, McCain.
He should make sure this is being talked about for at least a weak in the mainstream media.
Nobody should be allowed to question another's patriotism or accuse them of being a traitor. These attacks need to stop. This isn't civil politics it is disgusting and should bot be allowed.
August 12, 2008 5:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Could someone please tell me WTF "putting country first" even means? I know what it's supposed to mean in right-wing world, but IMO it's nothing more than a bunch of jingoistic crap; three words that strung together add up to exactly nothing. Just more hot air from a big-time blowhard.
August 12, 2008 5:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Aw, c'mon! When you're chair of the Commerce Committee and handing out favors to campaign contributors represented by former staffers, you can always convince yourself that you're doing it for the good of the country.
August 12, 2008 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
After we have a larger majority of dems in the senate (November!) He will be asked to caucus with the republicans where he belongs - and I just bet this is his last term.
What a jerk!
August 12, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
In Joe's world,..."Putting country first".....means spend!, kill!, & consume! unnecessarily.
He really meant corporation instead of country, right?
August 12, 2008 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, it's "country" in the sense of "what's good for General Motors is good for America."
August 12, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I can think of one great example where Obama failed to put the country first. He should have campaigned for Ned Lamont against Joe Lieberman in 2006.
I bet Obama regrets his restraint in that race more every day.
August 12, 2008 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Joe Lieberman is the worst kind of political and in turn the most despicable type of man. Lieberman is a coward who puts his own self-interests, ambition and ego ahead of his state, party and country. He’s the most awful kind of sore loser acting out like an adolescent junior high school girl seeking revenge on anyone he feels wronged him.
Lieberman has no sole and come November he will have no place to go. When the Dems increase their majority in the Senate they wont have to kiss his ass anymore and payback is a bitch when they strip him of his chairmanship. The republicans won’t need him because they wont need a dem who has no power and who votes to the left most of the time. He’ll be left all alone and shunned the way most traitors live out their sorry assed lives.
August 12, 2008 5:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, extremely well said! It is worth considering sending that to his office. Joe has been a thoroughly despicable person and indeed he is a coward.
August 12, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Didn't McCain put Keating first and the citizens of the USA of second ?
August 12, 2008 6:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jonze and I are thinking alike here, I think that Lieberman's seniority and chairmanships and all the perks and prestigue that goes with them, are over when President Obama is sworn in.
As for Obama not being able to work across party lines, Lieberman should be confronted with this:
http://www.washingtonpohttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/st.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010303303.html
Here's some highlights:
August 12, 2008 6:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Journalists should be asking McCain and his people every chance they get what they mean by this attack. What does it mean to not put your country first, and when has Obama done it, exactly?
August 12, 2008 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lieberman hasn't read this WSJ Market Watch commentary entitled "Why McCain Would be a Mediocre President"
http://tinyurl.com/64azfh
August 12, 2008 7:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
lieberman only cares about enacting violence on arabs. mccain is much more promising to green light israeli agression. lieberman fears obama. doesn't trust him. lieberman is patriotic to israel before the u.s. one could argue he is actually a traitor to israel as well since the aparthied policy is not in israel's true interests either. he should be hanged.
August 12, 2008 7:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Where is Obama's Lieberman?
August 12, 2008 7:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
hopefully, no where.
August 13, 2008 12:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey joe,
tell the voters about McLoser's scandals like Vicki Iseman and KEATING FIVE.
August 12, 2008 7:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Joseph Lieberman, the party-of-one, does not speak for Jews or individuals with a positive orientation towards Israel. Joe-mentum speaks for himself.
Frankly, I find disconcerning the number of individuals referring to themselves as 'liberal' who find the 'freedom' to assign angry words towards Jews and/or people who are less angry about Israel just because Liberman is an asshole.
Although such less than fully appropriate behavior is more expected by the opposition AND is not acceptable by either side. Wallowing in positionalism is to allow the more divissive party a win.
August 12, 2008 9:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
LIEberman is a piece of work. He has the audacity to question Senator Obama's patriotism while he has dual citizenship (USA and Israel) and routinely puts the interests of Israel before those of America.
I would love for Obama to cold-cock him if LIEberman ever takes a break from his brown-nosing and returns to his real responsibilities in the Senate.
That would be a sure way of getting my vote!
August 12, 2008 11:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've decided that Joe Lieberman threw the election 2000. I know I'm right.
August 13, 2008 12:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
“Enter Senator Joe Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew, and former Vice Presidential Candidate, dubbed the moral conscience of the Senate when he took to the Senate floor to upbraid Bill Clinton on his immorality. While he’s confused as to party loyalty, he’s not confused as to his primary allegiance to Israel, not America (January 30, 2008: http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/49300).” Shame on you Joe for questioning Obama’s patriotism, and for insinuating that Obama has not always put the Country (US) first! Lieberman is a parasite, backstabber, and agitator! Our Country will not fall again for such smears and follow a leader who sees war as the only solution.
August 13, 2008 3:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
You just did me a huge favor. You beat me to posting something similar and since I get to just quote you - I can duck behind you when the anti-Semitism accusation is headed our way.
I so agree with you.
August 13, 2008 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
The weasel Lieberman will go whichever way the prevailing political winds are blowing. Now that MCain's prospects are sinking faster than a lead weight, I wouldn't be surprised if Lieberman once again decides to jump ship and become a cheerleader for the Obama candidacy. What a slimy disingenuous opportunist.
October 26, 2008 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
The weasel Lieberman will go whichever way the prevailing political winds are blowing. Now that MCain's prospects are sinking faster than the Titanic, I wouldn't be surprised if Lieberman once again decides to jump ship and become a cheerleader for the Obama candidacy. What a slimy disingenuous opportunist.
October 26, 2008 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink