Sen. Lieberman, first to call Clinton immoral - why no such attack on Bush

[Bluebear]

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Sept. 3) -- In a significant break with his president, Democratic Sen. Joseph Lieberman took to the Senate floor Thursday to condemn President Bill Clinton's marital infidelity as immoral, disgraceful and damaging to the country.

Lieberman of Connecticut said he was angered and disappointed in Clinton's behavior, and what he called Clinton's "premeditated" deception.

Lieberman said Clinton "apparently had extramarital relations with an employee half his age and did so in the workplace in the vicinity of the Oval Office. Such behavior is not just inappropriate. It is immoral."

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/09/03/clinton.lewinsky/

===

Is the way Bush lied our country into the Iraq war not immoral?

[autorank]

1. That has been my question. Asked many times here, never answered.

But you see, when some politicians say "We are the people" they think that others outside our border, some others, really are not people. Hence, the attack on clinton for diddling with one of "the people" but the lack of concern for Lieberman's sanctioning a slaughter of non people.

Let me known if you get a good answer to this.

K&R

[Sherman A1]

2. Well Said

[Eurobabe]

3. Oh but JoeMentum supports and delights in Bu$h's

oily wars, that kill our soldies and innocent civilians, you know the 'collateral damage.' I'm not saying what the Clenis did is right, but on the scale of morality, pick your damn battles.

Joe, you are a fucking hypocrite.

[cantstandbush]

28. And what was his first divorce all about? nt

[ShortnFiery]

4. "Is the way Bush lied our country into the Iraq war not immoral?"

Of course the answer is "yes."

NoBODY complains too loud for one simple reason = FEAR!

The RNC has a very sophisticated smear machine that kicks into overdrive with one mere FAX from Rove.

These a**holes play for keeps and their hatred of liberals is palatable. Many of them came out of the woodwork from the Nixon Administration. :scared:

Next time we beat these Authoritarian Bastards down, lets make sure that "the whole sick Right Wing Movement" is DESTROYED. Our children and grandchildren do not deserve a world of fascism. :(

[Clarkie1]

5. I respect Lieberman for saying that on the senate floor.

I'm glad a Democrat had the courage to say what needed to be said.

That said, I do disagree with Lieberman's positon on the war. I assume the reason he is not cricizing Bush on it is he agrees with it.

[Bluebear]

6. 'the reason he is not cricizing Bush on it is he agrees with it'

Then SHAME on him.

[Clarkie1]

8. I think Lieberman has intergrity and honestly believe what he believes.

I do think he is wrong on Iraq.

[Bluebear]

9. Bush honestly believes what he believes too.

Remember, he's DECISIVE!

I don't support people merely because they are unshaken in their beliefs, damaging as they are.

[Clarkie1]

13. Yes, but Bush and Lieberman disagee on more than they agree on

seems to me.

Anyway, I've just tried to provide some perspective tonight. I think whatever happens Lieberman will be senator for at least another 6 years, and I think he's right to run as an independent in the position that he's in because his constituents deserve that choice.

But, if Lamont wins, good for him.

[KurtNYC]

32. Perhaps you should read this Conason piece

http://www.observer.com/20060717/20060717_Joe_Conason_opinions_conason.asp

snip:
Mrs. Lieberman signed up with Hill & Knowlton in March 2005. The firm’s clients included GlaxoSmithKline, the British pharmaceutical giant that manufactures flu vaccines along with many other drugs. In April 2005, Mr. Lieberman introduced a bill that would award an array of new government “incentives” to companies like GSK to produce more vaccines—notably patent extensions on other products, at a cost of billions to governments and consumers.
...
No doubt Mr. Lieberman would do the bidding of the pharmaceutical lobby whether his wife was on their payroll or not, but this kind of coincidence is best avoided by a man who lectures the world about morality and ethics.

[Old and In the Way]

47. Think BC was the 1st President to get a little side action in the WH?

Of course not. But he was the 1st to have it used as a political club by the opposition. And Joe played along with them. Why Gore ever picked this self-righteous prig is beyond me.

[papau]

7. Clinton marital infidelity was damaging to the country? but not GOP?

"a Democrat had the courage to say what needed to be said"

I guess we will need to agree to disagree as to "truth" of what Joe did then and did not do re Newt, etc. and indeed does not do now re current GOP government types marital infidelity.

No problem - as long as Joe really sees a difference.

[Clarkie1]

10. The President of the United states is in a unique postion.

Yes, Clinton did wrong at that particular time and that particular incident was damaging to the country.

[silverojo]

15. The old saying is true....

I'd rather have a President who screws an intern, than one who screws the country...and the world.

[cantstandbush]

29. But Clinton is STILL married to his first wife. nt

[ProgressiveEconomist]

52. Kick

[itzamirakul]

11. If Lieberman agrees with Bush then that means

he agrees with "preemptive warfare." Definitely not a liberal position.

It means he agrees with torture since he has not spoken out strongly about the tactics used in interrogation of "detainees."

If he does not criticize Bush then he is more of a Republican than a Democrat because it is his JOB as a member of the opposition party to find differences and thus criticize the other party. Otherwise what is the use or the sense in having a two party system?

These are some of the main reasons that so many of us want to see this man defeated.

[NYC Liberal]

12. Really? Why was it something that "needed to be said"? n.t.

[Fermezlabush]

21. Courage=speaking truth to power, Joe postured for the bullies

WTF courage dows it takes to run with the brown shirts? To side with the bully? Did Joe serve in any war that I am not aware of? Where is that courage that you speak of? Was Benedict Arnold brave?

[Old and In the Way]

48. Actually, Benedict Arnold was brave. He was a Revolutionary War hero.

He got screwed by politicians after the war and was passed over for a major general slot. Gerorge Washington even went to bat for him. His actions were a consequence of this preceived slight.

I doubt you could actually compare the two. Joe might be consider a Vichey Democrat....he is certainly an accommodationist who seems to do better for himself when his Party is out of power.

[dsc]

24. as a divorcee he has no right at all to criticise anyone else's marriage

at least Clinton stayed married, which is better than Lieberman could manage.

[The Stranger]

27. I think Leibercon is about 8 years late.

Did it take him 8 years to get to the floor to say this?

[wakeme2008]

14. Blowjobs = Evil, 2543 American troops Dead fighting for Oil = Good

Simple.... :grr:

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. Lieberman is a duplicitous son of a bitch.

'nuff said.

[Fermezlabush]

17. yet, somehow he's OK with JFK's affairs (as he calls himself JFK's

descendent or something like that)...
During the 2000 elections Joe almost made me decide to not vote for the first time of my life when he engaged in that religious sermon, declaring that only religious people have morals...Thankfully, he eventually shut up...

[Swamp Rat]

18. Here ya go:

[Hubert Flottz]

19. Cause Joe knows that Bush is a Jesus Man!

Joe can't separate church and state either!

[H2O Man]

20. Lieberman is a neoconservative.

Many of the original neoconservatives were democrats. They were liberal on social policies in general, but hawks on "defense" issues. Most left the democratic party during the Reagan years. Lieberman stuck around a little longer. But he is nothing but a neoconservative.

[Swamp Rat]

23. yep

Good morning H20 Man :hi:

[H2O Man]

25. Good morning.

I think that some of the pro-Lieberman comments are evidence of a Stockholm syndrome that results having having one's mind kidnapped by neoconservative lies.

[Swamp Rat]

26. Hopefully the fog of cognitive dissonance will lift as the Sun comes up

[mmonk]

22. Depends on one's "moral" perspective.

Some people have no problem with "pre-emptive" war but are "morally" horrified at the small stuff.

[BlueJac]

30. Joe sucks........and he always will

He likes his power as a Senator, but has no conviction on the oath he took when he became a Senator, to protect the constitution against foreign and domestic attacks.

[Strawman]

31. National ambitions

A desperate, futile attempt to connect with "family values" voters in the red states who vote Republican.

[LWolf]

33. I agreed with Lieberman on this one.

I don't know why he doesn't apply principles equally to both past and current presidents. :shrug:

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

34. Clinton's daliances were not a good thing. I love the guy, but

the fact is it weakened his authority and ability to function as President.

There was also the factor of the power differential between him and the intern, which always makes such things questionable.

However all things considered, what Clinton did was a personal indiscretion that didn't have much impact on the world, vs *'s lies and Iraq war.

Some of us aren't so much for Joe as just tired of what seems to be a mob mentality of jumping on Lieberman.

I mean some folks are getting on Lieberman for having divorced?

Being divorced doesn't mean a person gives up a right to comment on marital infidelity of a sitting President.

With the high divorce rates, you'd have to eliminate a huge portion of the population from having opinions.

When Al Franken uses the irony of Newt et al's divorces etc, it is by way of contrast and hypocrisy with their angelic posturing over "family values," while they viciously attack and lie about Democrats in general.

In addition, there are other Democrats who have much worse voting records than Lieberman. Lieberman's Liberal Quotient was 80% last year per the ADA, and most of that 20% came from votes he didn't participate in.

http://www.adaction.org/ADATodayVR2005.pdf

We're not hearing the outrage against the others.

Look, Joe has been a knucklehead the way he has conducted himself in some ways. He doesn't get that it is NOT just his position on Iraq, but it is his insufferable lecturing to his own party on the necessity of accepting of the reality of the remaining years of the * term. Or any statements echoing the GOP talking points that try to shut down dissent.

I don't know why he does these things, I do know he has served the party and nation well in many ways for many years.

All this energy that sort of clings to the idea of Joe Lieberman could be harnessed and used more productively, one might hope.

[tdiscuss]

35. It was not the marital infidelity that was the issue

It was the fact that he committed perjury in a Federal lawsuit brought under sexual harassment legislation that he had advocated and signed into law.

[mmonk]

36. But he's all for the present lies

that strike at the heart of this country's laws, international laws, and treaties.

[Bridget Burke]

37. But Republicans can lie to get us into war.....

Of course, Bush avoids perjury by refusing to testify under oath. In fact, he "discussed" his criminal inaction on 9/11 with Cheney in the room.

The issue was trying to bring down a popular Democratic president.

[Bake]

39. The alleged perjury was just the excuse.

The Pukes can't stand the idea that someone, somewhere, might be having sex. It was ALWAYS about the sex. The rest was just the excuse. I don't condone what the Big Dog did; frankly, I wish he had been smart enough to see the potential damage to his administration (because he was always brilliant otherwise).

But think about this: Holy Joe was the first to condemn Bill. So in that regard, it was perhaps an early sign that he wasn't exactly a "loyal Democrat" even back then. He certainly isn't now.

So Joe had a problem with Bill GETTING a blow job. The reason he doesn't speak out against * now is that he's too busy GIVING a blow job to * at every turn. Hard to speak (I would imagine) with *'s cock in his mouth!! And frankly, if Joe's divorce resulted from his own indiscretions, then he had NO right to condemn Clinton for his. So to that extent, Joe's divorce IS relevant.

Bake

[eridani]

49. Actually, he didn't

Perjury is lying under oath about a material fact. Lying under oath about your tax return if you are on trial for murder is not a material fact (unless perhaps staying home to fill it out was your alibi or something). Lying about a consensual relationship has no bearing on an investigation of non-consensual harrassment. Saying that it does is advocating the same mentality that puts rape victims on trial for their past history instead of trying the actual rapists.

[spanone]

38. In Joe's world, War is moral ?

[Generator]

40. Bombs good, blowjobs bad

Lieberman is just like all the other fundies.

Video games bad, war games good. It's easy. Don't make it complicated people.

[in_cog_ni_to]

41. GREAT QUESTION !

That would be a good question for some journalist to ask him. Too bad none of those exist in this country.:(

[walldude]

43. Hey... we still have Palast. Although no politican in their

right mind will speak to him.... The last true journalist in America. Who is only seen on the BBC :eyes:

[in_cog_ni_to]

44. YUP...Greg Palast is the only one and he's been blackballed/exiled

to the UK. He is investigating the Mexico election at Randi Rhodes' prodding and reports on her and Malloy's shows. That's SOMETHING, thanks to Progressive radio. He was on Malloy the other night and said he's ready to move back home to the states, so maybe, just maybe, he can get a job here doing REAL investigative journalism. Maybe AAR will hire him?! Wouldn't that be cool?

[Reckon]

42. Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Bluebear!

Lieberman should be emailed and ask where is his outrage at this Administration? Or is he just a joke in a repub clown suit like the rest of them?

[grannylib]

45. Yes, Clinton's act was immoral...but there is a lot more to morality than

issues of sexual behavior and its consequences.
War is a moral issue.
Living wages is a moral issue.
The gap between rich and poor is a moral issue.
The death penalty is a moral issue.
Torture is a moral issue.
Lies of ANY kind are moral issues.
Health care is a moral issue.

And why is it only Clinton who was labeled 'immoral?' What about Newt Gingrich? Bob Barr?? Joe Scarborough??? Just to name a few...

[Reckon]

46. Darn good post, grannylib

And I totally agree!

[B Calm]

50. It would be interesting to know where Lieberman's stock investment

portfolio is invested. I'm certain the voters in his state would find it very helpful come November!

[fordnut]

51. Bush is immoral