ABC: Obama delivers stern rebuke to "Uncle Joe," asks how far he's willing to go for McCain

[BurtWorm]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/06/obama-confronts.html

Returning to the Senate after his securing the Democratic presidential nomination, Obama and Lieberman greeted each on the Senate floor in the Well as they were voting on the budget resolution.

They shook hands. But Obama didn’t let go, leading Lieberman - cordially - by the hand across the room into a corner on the Democratic side, where Democratic sources tell ABC News he delivered some tough words for the junior senator from Connecticut, who had just minutes before hammered Obama's speech before the pro-Israel group AIPAC in a conference call arranged by the McCain campaign.

Watch video of the encounter on the Senate floor HERE.

The two spoke intensely for approximately five minutes, with no one able to hear their conversation. Reporters watched as Obama leaned closely in to Lieberman, whose back was literally up against the wall.

Neither party is officially talking. But while Lieberman spokesman Marshall Whitman says the conversation was "a cordial and friendly discussion" and Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton says it was "private and friendly," Democratic sources tell ABC News that the conversation was a stern rebuke to Lieberman for his criticism of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee on the conference call, as well as a discussion about how far Lieberman is willing to go in his advocacy of McCain, and the tone of the campaign.

"It's one thing to support McCain," said one Democratic source, "but many think Uncle Joe has gone too far."

[ClassWarrior]

1. Boo-YAH.

We got yer Joementum right here.

NGU.

[roguevalley]

26. I don't know how much more I can love this man. GO, OBAMA!

between this and no PAC money for the dnc, I am totally happy.

[ClassWarrior]

30. I cheered out loud over the DNC announcement today.

NGU.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. About time we have a Democratic leader with some backbone

Kudos to Obama for doing this. What will be interesting is what Joe does next.

[Ilsa]

25. Abso-frikkin-lutely! You said it! Geez, I think my own testosterone

peaked a little reading while reading about that.

[glowing]

3. Just out of curiosity.. how "junior" is the senator from Conn.? Interesting how that was written.

[Hydra]

5. That jumped out at me too

But I think it's in reference to his switch to being an "Independent"- he lost credit for his previous years as a Democrat.

[Larkspur]

7. Sen. Chris Dodd is the senior senator from CT

I seriously doubt Lieberman will ever become the senior senator from CT. He burned his bridges in 2006 and doubt he'll run for re-election in 2012. Lieberman's hopes are tied to a McCain Admin that Obama is working on torpedoing.

[NYC Liberal]

13. Joe has been Senator for 19 years, Dodd has been Senator for 27. nt

[Hydra]

4. I keep waiting for Joe to go R

OTOH, he seems to derive a great deal of benefit from being an unrecognized Repub.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. makes you think Joe is going to be McBush's running mate?

[napi21]

9. No. He's been asked that and said "No thanks, been there & done that."

Besides, McNuts is well aware that one of his BIGGEST problems is his age. Having two old farts standing side by side on the entire campaign trail wouldn't help.

[smoogatz]

11. If he is, it would be a huge blunder on McCain's part.

The only less dynamic speaker in American politics than McCain is Joe Lieberman. McCain will pick someone young, dynamic and probably either black or female (or both). I'm still betting on Condi Rice, though that would symbolically wed McCain forever to Bushco, of course.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

33. we want him to blunder ofcourse!

[BurtWorm]

12. Makes you think Obama wants him to think carefully about the consequences

of being McBush's running mate.

[Ganja Ninja]

8. They need to get holy joe alone and ...

throw a bed sheet over his head and beat the crap out of him.

[smoogatz]

10. Now we're talking.

I'm guessing the message was probably something like this: if you want to caucus with the majority in January (and keep your seniority and committee appointments), you'd best either support the Democratic nominee or shut the fuck up. Have a nice day, now, y'hear?

[The Magistrate]

14. This, Sir, Is Leadership We Have Long Needed!

It is becoming daily clearer the Party has not only made its choice, but made a damned good choice, and got the right candidate....

[Jack Rabbit]

16. Hear, hear!!

It took me a while, but I came around in January.

I'm sticking by my prediction that Obama will defeat McCain in a landslide. He's ahead in recent polls beyond the margin of error, and we'll see more daylight between Obama and McCain in the polls as voters come to see that there is little daylight between McCain and the discredited Bush.

Perhaps Obama was warning Lieberman that there will be consequences for supporting McCain in ways that are less than fair. For example, Lieberman must not have his name associated with any swiftboating effort.

Lieberman may well switch parties. But come January 3, the Democrats will have almost 60 seats in the Senate, and Lieberman will be just another member of the minority.

[The Magistrate]

18. A Great Pleasure To see You Here, Old Friend!

And to be on the same page as well.

My view throughout this has been quite neutral between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton: both are fine Democrats, and I remain sure either would make an excellent candidate and a great President. But the choice has been made, and it is certainly a good one.

[Phred42]

15. Obama Bitchslaps the Bastard K&R

[HCE SuiGeneris]

17. Our President defining his agenda and setting the boundaries!

Wooo Freak'n Hooo!

:yourock:

[Supersedeas]

29. soon it will be time for the gloves to come off

[cbc5g]

19. It's good that we have a strong candidate not afraid to confront assholes like Joe.

[gatorboy]

20. They love to talk the talk but 1 on 1 these conservatives are such cowards.

"literally up against the wall..." Love it! :rofl:

[blonndee]

21. Ooh, video, finally. Thank you.

There's a new big dog in town. :)

ETA: Dang, the video doesn't show the encounter, just Joe approaching Obama and Obama quickly leading little old LIEberman away. Traitor Joe looked like a bratty little pup getting "corrected." :rofl:

[blondeatlast]

22. Watch Lieberman--he has that "uh, oh, the boss wants me in the office" look!

WTG, Mr. President! :rofl:

[samsingh]

23. kick

[burythehatchet]

24. Oh just kick him in the nut

[northernlights]

27. to kick it...

...he'd have to find it.

[4_Legs_Good]

28. Lieberman won't be an "independent" past January 2009

and thankfully we won't need him anymore.

David

[Segami]

31. A one-way ticket back to OZ for Uncle Joe come 2009.

UNCLE JOE THE COWARDLY LIAR.

<>

[4_Legs_Good]

32. Nice!

:)