Howard Dean: Keeping Lieberman As Chairman Is Shrewd Move

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Dean: Keeping Lieberman As Chairman Is Shrewd Move

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/18/dean-applauds-move-to-kee_n_144667.html



DNC Chair Howard Dean welcomed the decision to keep Senator Joseph Lieberman as head of the Homeland Security Committee and, consequently, in the Democratic Caucus, saying the move was pragmatic, magnanimous and politically shrewd.

Speaking to the Huffington Post just moments after it was announced that Democrats in the Senate had voted to keep Lieberman as committee chair, Dean said the party had done the right thing by not giving into urges for retribution.

"You know, the desire of revenge is great, of course. But the truth is public policy doesn't run on revenge very well," he said. "And when you see the trouble this country has gotten into in terms of foreign policy, where Bush basically ran a foreign policy based on petulance because he was mad at, for example, Mexico, for abstaining on the Security Council when the Iraq War came up, if you have to actually run the country, it is best not to do it based on feeling of anger towards your enemies."

The Democratic Party chair, who will be leaving his post this January, went on to applaud Barack Obama for putting hurt feelings aside and welcoming the Connecticut Independent back into the party fray. He also predicted that the caucus would benefit from keeping Lieberman, who spent the past year campaigning alongside John McCain, often criticizing Obama and the Democratic Party.

"My point of view is that Barack won," Dean said. "He can afford to be magnanimous. And if we happen to win both recounts and Georgia, Joe is the 60th vote. And the truth is -- and I certainly don't have to defend Joe Lieberman because, you know, we have an interesting history -- but the fact is, he does vote 90 percent of the time with the Democrats. And no, he shouldn't have said all those things. But why not clean the slate? Why not start all over again? Why not allow him to vote with us on the 90 percent of the stuff? He will be a good vote on climate change -- and this matters. He may be a good vote on election reform, which I hope we will get to. So, you know, he may end up - though it is a little against the odds -- he may end up being the vote that allows us to conduct business when Mitch McConnell decides we shouldn't."

[madfloridian]

1. I disagree.

More about Joe

[Gin]

4. why is wanting him out called revenge? behavior has consequences

and he stepped over the line during the campaign....he should have lost his chairmanship....unless we need him for the next 2 months and then he loses it...is that possible?

[madfloridian]

8. It isn't revenge. "Revenge" is being used as a talking point against the opposition.

Which is us.

[Dover]

20. Exactly...n/t

[smoogatz]

2. A reasonable point.

Although I'd have postponed the caucus vote until after the three pending senate races were decided.

[Salviati]

5. I just hope that if he decides to run as a democrat in 2012...

that no real democrat endorses him in the primary, and that we have plenty of people actively campaigning for his primary opponant...

[2Design]

3. I respect Dean - so I will take a wait and see - I voted for Dean

because I beleived he was good for usa - he may be wrong - but lets try this road for now

[cobalt1999]

6. Although I think Lieberman should have been removed from the chair

I can see why the Democrats did what they did politically. Every vote is important.

[tabatha]

7. I don't believe that Obama gets hurt feelings.

[Larkspur]

9. If I murder Lieberman, can I do it with impunity?

The Senate Dems and Obama are basically saying that actions have no consequences. That's not the kind of "change" I voted for.

[Hydra]

10. Dean may be one of my heroes

But I allow my heroes to be human. And in this case, he is VERY WRONG.

Had Lieberman been tapped to be McCain's VP, would he have said the same?

[Dover]

11. I don't think the Dems had hurt feelings. I think they all belong to the same club

...and both Lieberman AND McCain are basically on the same page as the Dems.
So even IF McCain had won, many of the same policies that are in line would be passed
or upheld. Look at their voting records and bill authorship/support. Particularly
on foreign policy. Very chummy.

Too bad many/most constituents aren't on that page.

So the secret vote to keep Lieberman was, imo, to protect Dems from criticism from their constituency, not from Lieberman's wrath. Shrewd?

[Bonhomme Richard]

12. This is Obama's doing and for now I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

I have to believe he is smarter than I am.

[Malikshah]

13. 2010

I'm far from a fan of Lieberman. His voice gives me hives and his "morality" give me gas.

Can we count on CT to get their act together in 2010?

[democraticinsurgent]

14. 4 Year Dead Walking

Would have loved to see a quick demise to Lieberman's power, but he is condemned to four years of limited clout and sure defeat in 2012. Obama owns him.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. So, whats to stop him from voting with "us" if he isn't HSC chair?

If, as Dean says, he votes with "us" 90% of the time anyway?

[spanone]

16. stripping lieberman of his chairs would not be revenge, it would be pragmatic, magnanimous & shrewd

[EndElectoral]

17. It's not shrewd. It's capitulation. As a progressive, I am very, very dissapointed thus far.

[otohara]

18. Lieberman Is An ASSHOLE - He's Proved That Over and Over

again!

Not any more...no, the skies have opened, the light has come down, celestial choirs are singing and Joe Lieberman will no longer be an ASSHOLE.

[DrDan]

19. wrong . . . . once again

[Better Believe It]

21. Sure .... And Appointing McCain To A Top Post Would Be Absolutely Brilliant!

NOT!

[RiverStone]

22. It's not magnanimous to go against the will of your electorate!

It's arrogant.

I give Howard great credit for his 50 state strategy, but on Lieberman --- he is flat out wrong!