Liberal Bloggers Pressuring Dem Senators To Vote Lieberman Out
As I reported here yesterday, Senator Harry Reid is mulling an interesting option with regard to Joe Lieberman's fate: He's considering having the Dem caucus vote at their next meeting on whether Lieberman should be allowed to keep his plum committee chairmanship.
It's not precisely clear yet how that mechanism would work. What's clear is that it would put Lieberman's fate in the hands of his Dem Senate colleagues.
Now liberal bloggers are pre-emptively mounting a campaign to pressure those Senators to come out against Lieberman, should this vote happen.
MyDD's Josh Orton, a former Senate aide, is calling on readers to telephone their own and other Senators, particularly conservative ones and Lieberman allies, and ask them whether they still support Lieberman keeping his plum committee chairmanship.
And John Aravosis at AmericaBlog is pushing his readers to do the same. This is likely to snowball, and the advantage of this approach is that it provides people at the grassroots with many more targets to pressure for Lieberman's ouster.
Meanwhile, readers who think Lieberman should pay some kind of price for suggesting that Obama sold out the troops and hasn't always put the country first can always sign this petition urging Reid to give Lieberman a push.
The lovely thing about this is that it gives the Senators cover. We'll be doing a lot of this under Obama, I believe. Great idea!
November 7, 2008 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Joe Lieberman Now Lobbies to Become Vice Pope
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=2667
November 7, 2008 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just say NO to Loserman.
November 7, 2008 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Campaign Diaries has a full update on all 10 remaining congressional races, including the 3 Senate contests (GA, MN and AK) and all 7 House races (most notably VA-05, MD-01 and OH-15!).
November 7, 2008 2:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well I signed that petition.
We'll see what good it does but I can't believe the leadership is considering letting Lie-boy's betrayal go unpunished.
November 7, 2008 2:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I signed yesterday. Will call senators after the news conference.
November 7, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sign the petition, and call your Senators.
One of my Senators is Joe. Hmmmmm. "Senator Lieberman, would you please lobby the caucus to kick your bony ass out of your committee chairmanship?"
November 7, 2008 2:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Signed, sealed, delivered.
Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Lieberschmuck.
November 7, 2008 2:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am not represented in the US Senate; I live in Texas.
November 7, 2008 2:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
You and me both. And one of mine is Orrin Hatch who loves Joey almost as much as Johnny does.
November 7, 2008 2:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I actually wrote to Reid and one of my senators (my second one is Obama ;-D ) this morning. Get the traitor out!
November 7, 2008 2:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Apparently it was just announced that Lieberman will be stripped of his chairmanship.
November 7, 2008 2:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, my bad, it was Byrd.
November 7, 2008 2:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hm, that is probably all for the best that Sen Byrd is losing his chairmanship. If you will pardon the vulgarity of the suggestion, it is time to get a younger butt in that seat.
November 7, 2008 2:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excuse me? One of the few Senators - maybe the only Democratic one - who stood tall for the Constitution against Smirky's treasonous attacks?
BYRD gets kicked out and Traitor Joe stays in?
That's IT - fuck the Senate, and every DINO in it.
November 7, 2008 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Byrd voluntarly relinquished his position. He wasn't kicked out.
November 7, 2008 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good. The man deserves a decent measure of respect, so forcing him out is unseemly. That said, it is not good for a man of Byrd's years to die in office and take what he knows with him. Better to get someone else in that spot while they still have the ability to take advantage of Byrd's accumulated wisdom.
November 7, 2008 3:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Lieberman petition page also has a form for telling Democratic Party leaders what "bold, progressive leadership" means to you. Lots of space to pour out your heart after you vent your spleen over Lieberman.
November 7, 2008 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
It seems to me he went all-in and busted. Why wouldn't you (as repulsive as it may seem) leave him in position with the understanding that the first time he supports a Republican filibuster he's toast? For at least some period of time you'd have him in the bag, an exceptional condition for any Senator. Face it, the Senate is about deals and not emotional satisfaction. Personally, I'd like to see him gone but I'd rather pass a decent agenda.
November 7, 2008 2:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
OT but our next President is about to address us HERE
November 7, 2008 2:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
In addition to the inexcusable personal attacks Lieberman made against Obama there is another factor - Lieberman should be dumped (or at least marginalized) for the purpose of narrowing his options in running for re-election. In other words, there should be no willingness to consider helping Lieberman when a real Democrat will be running for Senator in CT in 2012. Democrats should be helping Democrats get elected.
I know Lieberman may not stand a chance of getting re-elected (MAY not). But it is not the Dems job to assume that. It's their job to move the party forward.
November 7, 2008 2:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Greg & Eric, how about a list of all repub senators who will be up for re-election in 2 years?
I think we need to assume that some repubs will be willing to work "with the people" - and concentrating on convincing a few of them how helpful it will be to their futures to fall into line with Barack's agenda.
Let "Judas"{ go where he deserves to go.
And gather in those repub senators who are open to working with "We the People."
November 7, 2008 2:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bob Bennett (R-UT) will be up for re-election and is surprisingly level-headed most of the time. He may be persuadable. . . I'll have to keep an eye on him.
November 7, 2008 3:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
O they will.
I keep saying this - Chuck Grassley's state just went blue. He wants to keep his job - he'll be amenable.
I don't think there is really going to be a big problem with that - if the nutjobs want to filibuster I guess they can, but if they ever want any money or projects for their constituents again, some of them are going to have to play ball, too.
Our playas run this bitch!
November 7, 2008 3:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is what I wrote to my own Senator, Claire McCaskill:
I think that anyone living in a state whose Senator endorsed Sen Obama should make this same point. How can anyone who backed Obama let this snake-in-the-grass escape the consequences of his actions?
November 7, 2008 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Signed the petition yesterday and emailed Reid separately.
I reminded the senator that the internet financed a big chunk of their campaigns and we were pretty united in our determination to see Lieberman out.
November 7, 2008 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
My guess is that Lieberman is getting a better offer from Reid than he's likely to get from the Dem caucus (or from McConnell, for that matter). He's been taking advantage of his status as 51st member of the caucus and I think they've been looking forward to telling him to STFU.
November 7, 2008 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah, new bipartisanship. It smells just like the old partisanship.
November 7, 2008 2:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, one buttock usually smells like the other.
November 7, 2008 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Apparently some senators believe that kowtowing to "Judas" is in line with Barack's "let's all come together" message. But Barack has also sent out a powerful call to responsibility.
Actions have consequences. Irresponsibility should not be rewarded.
November 7, 2008 2:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
How has Lieberman been irresponsible in his chairmanship? How is keeping Lieberman in his chairmanship kowtowing to him? What message does kicking out of his chairmanship send? What are the consequences? And why do you keep referring to Joe as Judas? Who did he get crucified? Or are you just trying to be as clever as a five year old?
November 7, 2008 3:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't most Republicans hate Lieberman just as much as we do?
November 7, 2008 2:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why does Lieberman beleive that he can leverage his participation in caucusing with Dems?
How does that benefit Dems?
Is this more about Reid wanting Lieberman's vote for him to remain as the Senate Majority Leader?
November 7, 2008 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink