Who Will Be First to Call for Joe’s Official Expulsion?

[whometense]

http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/08/25/who-will-be-first-to-call-for-joes-official-expulsion/#more-4152

I’m quite pleased to see Hillary Clinton giving Ned Lamont real, and not just symbolic, support. Good for her. Next big contest: who will be the first big name Democrat to say Joe Lieberman (CFL-CT) should not be welcomed back into the Democratic caucus if he should win in November, now that he’s campaigning with in-state Republicans and rescinding his prior backing of Connecticut Democratic candidates (h/t xyz in the comments)?

Who will come out and say, publicly, Joe’s not welcome back in the tent, that doing Republican GOTV against Democrats is beyond the pale, not forgivable? Who will stand up as the first true Democrat of principle?

Will it be John Kerry?

Or John Edwards?

Or Frank Lautenberg?

Or Russ Feingold?

Hillary Clinton?

Al Gore?

Nancy Pelosi?

Rahm Emanuel?

Howard Dean?

Bill Clinton?

Who?

Let’s keep score, take names and make some phone calls next week. Harry Reid deserves pressure, but so do all the others, especially those in the Senate. Once one person comes out to say that Joe has left the party and is not welcome back, I’ll bet others will follow.

It’s time to expand the target field. Wouldn’t you expect one of the 2008 hopefuls to want to be the first Principled Pioneer on this? Since Joe has cut and run from, you know, Democratic voters and the Democratic Party, shouldn’t leading Democrats fall over each other to show us voters some stand and fight bona fides? I’m just sayin’.

First billing in a list like this is real progress. I know some will say it's backing from the wrong quarter, but I am really enjoying seeing Kerry get the 9long overdue) recognition he deserves from the liberal left.

[whometense]

1. Comment:

http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/08/25/who-will-be-first-to-call-for-joes-official-expulsion/#comment-262666

Anne says:
August 25th, 2006 at 6:25 pm *

Cozumel @ 138

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Sen. Joe Lieberman, the three-term Democrat whose independent campaign for re-election is being seen as a referendum on the Iraq war, said Friday he would consider taking a look at a fellow lawmaker’s proposal for a timeline for troop withdrawals.

http://www.examiner.com/a-243486~Lieberman_to_Consider_Iraq_Pullout_Pl an.html

bwahahahaha

Yeah, I heard this tonight, and almost drove off the road…and what had me yelling at the radio (again) is that his comment was phrased as though this was the first credible proposal he had heard of…as if Kerry and Feingold and other Democrats had not already come up with plans for withdrawal. Which made him look even more like he has been completely disconnected from the Democratic Party for waaaay longer than just since the primary.

And this one
http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/08/25/who-will-be-first-to-call-for-joes-official-expulsion/#comment-262701

Blue Wind says:
August 25th, 2006 at 6:40 pm *

I think it will be probably John Kerry. It seems that he has been the most critical of Lieberman so far and he is eager to get support if he runs again in 2008.

I have to say that whoever calls first for Lieberman’s expulsion will score points with me and I will consider voting for him/her in the democratic primary in 2008 (if he/she will be running for president of course).

[Luftmensch067]

2. It will be interesting to see how JK handles this

I don't really understand why people think it's important who calls for this "first", but I do think Lieberman's actions will require continued reaction from Democrats. I don't know what Kerry will do, but I know already that I'll respect his action. :-)

[whometense]

3. I agree.

I'm following this mainly because I am so amazed at JK's phoenix-like rebirth in the liberal blogosphere. Of course, we know he's by far the best. But who imagined they'd figure it out?

That said, chasing the good opinion of the liberal blogosphere can give a person whiplash. It doesn't matter a whit who's first, but to the liberal blogosphere whoever is first gets most of the credit.

Found this interesting bit via Wonkette.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/8/25/145140/089

Today, Hillary Clinton lent Ned Lamont one of her top consultants, Howard Wolfson.

But two weeks ago, under the radar, Harry Reid did the same. Stephanie Cutter, a key member of Reid's vaunted war room, has been in Connecticut for the last week and plans on helping out through November. She worked as Deputy Communications Director in the Clinton White House, communications director at the DNC in 2003, and communications director for John Kerry (after the late-2003 staff purge which revived his primary campaign).

It's clear that while their words may seem cautious, some key Democrats are lending more than moral support to the Lamont effort.

And while Lieberman struggles to put up even the most rudimentary website, Lamont's team is bulking up with some heavyweights.

Of course, all that is only fine and good as long as Tom Swan keeps the DC crowd in line. Lamont didn't win the primary by following the DC script, but because he tossed it aside.

Let's all hope that doesn't change.

I totally missed this. Am I the only one who didn't know Stephanie Cutter was working for Reid now?

[Luftmensch067]

4. The more I find out about Reid

the sicker (and madder) it makes me. I didn't realize he had a "vaunted war room", let alone that Stephanie Cutter was part of it. I understand that within the Beltway, one must "move on", but I prefer Amy Dacey's loyalty...

[karynnj]

6. I didn't - I was even worse, I thought she came from Kennedy's staff

She didn't seem all that good. (and she really didn't seem to know Kerry well in the "Inside the Bubble video" - when she looked panicked when he spoke Italian.

[TayTay]

7. She works at Mass Victory '06 as well

She was on-loan from Sen. Kennedy's office.

[karynnj]

5. I don't think any Democrat should or would force Lieberman out- it's dumb!

Assume Lieberman wins and the Democrats across the country do very very well and with Lieberman we have 50 Democrats plus Saunders in the Senate - Anyone who called for throwing him out of the party if he won will look like an idiot - whether Lieberman leaves or not. Who do we want to control the Senate?

The other reason it seems stupid is that it feeds into the Republican theme that Lieberman is being persecuted by the leftie Democrats - though there is a far more organized effort on the right to eliminate their moderates. If you look at the progression of Kerry's Lieberman comments, he is avoiding anything that goes too far. His first statement spoke of knowing Lieberman since they were both in college. When Lieberman attacked the liberal Democrats including him - his statement critisized these comments as surprising from a man of his quality. Kerry is clearly not burning bridges while he supports the choice of his party (and his views on foreign policy.

[TayTay]

8. Karynnj, I agree with you on this.

I think it would be unnecessary and dumb to do this. John Kerry is too good a politician to kick someone out unilaterally.

Ahm, plus it's illogical. The whole point of the opposition was that Lieberman was thwarting the wishes of Democratic voters of Connecticut by not bowing out of the race after his primary defeat. If the whole of the State of Connecticut does vote for Lieberman, than that becomes a different situation. (He would not be violating the wishes of the voters of his state.)

This is a unique situation. I think that Kerry should back Lamont as the Dem nominee. I am glad the good Senator from Mass is raising money for Lamont. I am very, very glad that the issue of Iraq has been brought up and that Kerry is clearly challenging Lieberman on it. But the insider baseball stuff of not welcoming a freely elected Senator back is a bridge to far to burn for me.

[Dr Ron]

9. Pissed off at Lieberman, but agree

The party should do whatever it can to help Lamont after some of the things Lieberman has pulled, but if he is elected it would be foolish not to take advantage of his vote for Democratic control.

Even if it there aren't 50 Democrats, you never know how things will change. Perhaps if they are one short they will manage to get Chafee or one of the moderates from Maine. Unlikely but not impossible. Perhaps someone will die or retire and be replaced by a Democrat next year. Maybe they'll only need one vote after the 2008 election.

We need to look at the big picture. We can accomplish more if Democrats control the Senate, even if that control comes with Lieberman being the final vote.

[JanusAscending]

10. Them's my sentiments too!

I'm from Ct., and am voting against him, but should he win, we'll more than likely need him for a majority victory. We MUST get the majority to save our country from further ruin. John Kerry won't have a country to be PRESIDENT OF otherwise!!! At the least, he will have his work cut out for him.

[Dr Ron]

11. Senate rules make it unlikey anything will happen

Check info re Senate rules here:

http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=162