Okay, fine. Let Lieberman HAve His Gavel

[WeDidIt]

Looks like both Barack and the Big Dawg are trying to help out Holy Joe.

End of the day, Joe will owe his career to Barack and the Clintons.

So fine, let him have his gavel. If he sticks a knife in Obama's back, though, I WILL say, "I told you so."

[ananda]

1. Don't worry, HoJoe will stick that knife ..

.. not only in Obama's back but ours too.

Why they are defending him is totally beyond me.

[WeDidIt]

2. I don't know

but The Big Dawg is making calls for him.

[ieoeja]

21. The only then Democrat who voted for impeachment.

Holy Joe have pictures of EVERYONE in bed with a dead girl or live boy? He's already left the party. He is as good as dead in the next election 4 years from now. Joe is as lame duck as W. And we still treat him like he is relevant?

[atreides1]

6. Remember

He's only the chairman of the committee, there are other Democrats that can keep him in line.

[piesRsquare]

18. Not "other" Democrats

Joe Lieberman is an Independent, not a Democrat.

[moodforaday]

20. And they've been doing a GREAT job of it

so far, haven't they?

He fucking **campaigned** for McCain! If he had some sort of unique knowledge or competency, I could maybe understand it - although you could be sure that if he did have any such thing, he would use it AGAINST the Obama administration, not to assist it.

[bluestateguy]

3. Lieberman might want to take a good hard look at the election returns from his state

That might help uh, "convince" him to support President Obama.

[ikojo]

4. WHY is Barack Obama sticking up for this

turncoat? Joe LIEberman spent the past year disparaging Obama and now Obama does not want to punish him? Guess it's change but I'd like to see some change in what LIEberman does.

[WeDidIt]

5. Maybe they are going to save his career

Maybe they are going to repaint Joe over the next two years to give him a chance to come back into the fold.

Barack is a better man than I because I'd never trust the little twit.

[HelenWheels]

8. Joe should go

At least take away his chairmanship. He chaired the Homeland Security Committee that also was responsible for looking into misconduct in the executive branch. He didn't call even one meeting while he was chairman. He also campaigned for the Repukes in the Minnesota Senatorial race. He should not keep his chair. Call your Senators and let them know how you feel. I did.

[Clio the Leo]

11. Dr. Conciliatory is starting to rear his .......

..... precious head.

This whole "getting everyone in the room and working together" is superfun and all when it comes to fixing all of the problems we're up against but even I have to admit it does suck when it comes to "revenge seeking."

[Poiuyt]

14. Obama is signaling that he would like the little shit to remain in the Democratic caucus

not necessarily in a position of leadership.

[high density]

25. I think this is Obama showing us what a "uniter not a divider" really is

Revenge against LIEberman would make us happy, but I don't see it accomplishing much else.

[spanone]

7. he just campaigned ALL YEAR for the opposition party.....take that gavel away...N O W

[NewJeffCT]

9. you mean when Lieberman starts using Homeland Security

to actually thoroughly investigate the Obama Administration, like he refused to do to Bush these past two years?

[kath]

10. Anyone who is on the fence about this needs to watch this video:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x237738

[DearAbby]

12. Okay, fine. Let Lieberman have His Gavel...

shoved sideways.

[backscatter712]

13. A deal maybe?

Obama, Clinton and Lieberman met, and the deal was "You keep your chair, but you have to kiss our asses and grovel for us - no participating in GOP filibusters, no reaching across the aisle for them, PERIOD. No using your chair to harass Obama." (I am assuming Obama has enough political smarts to know what Joe's chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee gives him the power to do, and a condition is that he stays off Obama's back. And I'm assuming Obama knows how to make Joe wish he'd never been born if he stabs us in the back again.)

Much of what goes behind closed doors on Capitol Hill is all about saving face, and Obama and Clinton, along with Reid and the rest of the Senate likely have allowed Joe to save face and not get his committee chairs publicly yanked from him in exchange for some very serious concessions.

At least they'd better have extracted some very valuable concessions from Joe.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

15. Joe the Traitor doesn't deserve a seat in the men's room.

[Dragonfli]

16. Maybe we should just give it To Tom Delay?

Just give him some Dem's fucking seat and a gavel or two.
Why the fuck not? If it is reward your enemies day.
I sometimes wonder if the democratic party will ever be Democratic again.
THANKS DLC and centrists for turning it into the republican light and wimpy party.
I guess their are no alternatives for the people anymore. Just defense contractors and corporations.

I had such hope too.
What a waste of my time canvasing this has been.

[Lady-Damai]

17. Um...sometimes best to keep enemies close. n/t

[moodforaday]

24. This argument has so far been used

about Lieberman, about Emanuel and about the (hypothetical) Republicans Obama is apparently planning to invite into the cabinet. Might as well throw Colin Powell in. It really is a pretty vacuous argument. How many ememies is is still OK to hold close and endowed with powerful posts?

The question to ask is, are they Obama's enemies? Or are they enemies of the people? Colin Powell certainly is, as is his son (of the telecom deregulation / airwaves giveaway fame).

Here's another enemy of the people: Larry Summers, currently one of Obama's economic advisors, a potential secretary of the Treasury. Read here about how he considered developing countries "UNDERpolluted" when he was the Chief Economist for the World Bank. He wrote: "the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable". This from a Democrat? Judging from just this one leaked memo (read it, really!), this person is a piece of human waste.

With so many ememies to hold close, when are we going to see friends?


(ed: typos)

[mokawanis]

19. damn, I wish that fucker would just leave public service

He pisses me off more than just about anyone.

[yourguide]

22. what did I miss? Obama and Clinton trying to help LIEberman???

LINK????

[TexasObserver]

23. At least that asshole Zell Miller had the decency to fucking LEAVE!

Joe must not get a chairmanship.

[regnaD kciN]

26. I think they're both saying Lieberman should stay in the caucus...

...but not saying anything about having him keep his committee chairmanship and assignment.

So far as I know, no one has suggested kicking him out of the caucus -- it's Traitor Joe himself who seems to be considering bolting to the Republicans if he doesn't get his chair position back. That's his choice, not the Senate Democrats'.

[acmavm]

27. I do not understand this at all. Why put one's ass on the line for that

sleezoid? He campaigned for THE OTHER SIDE.

I do not understand this at all.

[dave29]

28. Put him in charge of the TDC Committee

Turncoat Dems Committee

[4themind]

29. I haven't read where Obama wants lieberman to keep his gavel

Just suggestions that he wants to keep him in the caucus. Hell I want a million dollars, the question is what am I willing to give up to get it. And this doesn't necessarily mean that they won't take away the gavel just that they won't kick him out completely. And if Lieberman does leave they may still "want" him to come back, again though that doesn't say what they're willing to do(or give up) to get what they want. So let's just wait and see, we'll know soon enough.