Dean: Keeping Lieberman As Chairman Is Shrewd Move

[babylonsister]

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


Dean: Keeping Lieberman As Chairman Is Shrewd Move
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November 18, 2008 02:10 PM


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."

[lib2DaBone]

1. One small problem... Lieberman is a Repuke and no chance he will vote DEM

[babylonsister]

2. Wrong. He's gone if he doesn't vote with the Dems. I'm quite sure

that was made perfectly clear to him today.

[noiretextatique]

6. of course it was

lieberman got his orders to tow the line. he's disgraced himself so much it's unlikely he will win another term, so this is his last chance.

[babylonsister]

8. Exactly. nt

[Grateful for Hope]

11. Yup

and, well said.

[HelenWheels]

26. How are they going to get rid of him?

If they didn't dump him now when they had every reason to dump him what makes anyone think they'll dump him later? No matter how you slice it the Dems screwed up big time.

[Coexist]

3. Oh noes! I love, LOVE Howard Dean

and I understand his statement - but I wonder - will the Dean worshipers blame him as they blame Obama? or cry about how he is being 'used'? or blame Obama for Dean's words?

Oh the PURITY TEST! IT BURNS!!1!

[babylonsister]

7. Now there's a question!

:D

[Coexist]

9. .

:hi:

:fistbump:

[MadHound]

4. It's not revenge that motivates this, it's self defense

OK, perhaps a bit of revenge, but seriously, with Lieberman as chair of Homeland Security, he can either block or boost any number of investigations on the ground of security. This gives him a huge knife to stick into the back of Obama and anybody else he feels like stabbing.

Then there's this whole appearance thing, you know, how this can be perceived as more of the same ol' same ol' shit.

Hopefully Lamont or some other strong Democrat runs in '10 to kick Lieberman on to the trash heap of history.

[Bake]

27. I'll gladly admit that it's all about revenge for me!

After eight years of having our faces rubbed in it, having Joe hold us "hostile," you're damn right I want a little revenge. Elections have consequences.

Nevertheless, I respect Howard's position.

Bake

[HelenWheels]

5. Sorry, Dr. Dean

I love you Howard but your wrong on this one. That chairmanship should have gone to one of the Senators who worked for Obama not that treacherous little pimple.

[babylonsister]

10. It's now a done deal, but we can whinge forever!1! nt

[HelenWheels]

24. The Dem's are their own worst enemy

They over think things and they are too kind when facts dictate they should do what's right over doing what feels good.

[AlinPA]

12. Deans seems to be confident that Lieberman won't vote with the republicans on the

issues he mentioned. He is still tight with McCain and the republicans since he worked so hard for them. It is hard to believe that he will switch sides to vote with Democrats.

[TreasonousBastard]

13. Dean's absolutely right. Anyone can piss and moan on...

an internet board, but governing is a whole 'nother matter. Rarely are things purely black and white in the halls of power, and we've seen how governing by retribution works.

As I've said before, Lieberman is a pain in the ass but his war vote and McCain bullshit are only two areas where he challenged the party line-- other than that he's reliably Democratic. He'll be needed an all sorts of economic, environmental, and other votes coming up, so there's no need to toss him to the wolves.

[AlinPA]

14. He could vote for those same issues as a member of the republican caucus.

[TreasonousBastard]

15. No he couldn't, and...

perhaps I was wrong in assuming everyone knows all that "caucusing" involves.

[AlinPA]

16. I don't follow; there are many votes that are not straight party line. I know

there are some 99-0 or 100-0 votes but most often there are splits. That is what I meant.

[MindMatter]

17. Election reform.

Interesting he mentioned that. It was almost completely missing during the campaign.

In my view, there is no issue more important than election reform. When the truth of the neocon era is finally told, it will become clear that elections have been rigged, not by 1 or 2 percent, but by much larger numbers.

I'm not naive enough to believe we'll end election rigging forever, but we better damn well end the GOP's free ride on those damn paperless fraud boxes. If we don't do that now, we may never get another chance.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

18. I like shrewd

not to be confused with conniving, which would characterize GOP/reich wing/conservatives.

but shrewd in the interests of getting the ship afloat again and running smoothly-- yes.

[rockymountaindem]

19. Dean's a traitor and a DINO!!!

:sarcasm:

[TheDebbieDee]

20. Tin Foil-wearer here, but does anybody think it's possible

that Joe Lieberman has been acting as an informant to the Obama campaign from the inside of the McCain campaign?

After all, Mitt Romney aides joined the McCain campaign as well - the only difference being that McCain knew those aides were former Mitt supporters.

[babylonsister]

21. No, no way, no how, no. IMO. nt

[TheDebbieDee]

22. I'm really at a loss to explain why lieberman has his chair

and is able to caucus with the Dems. This open-armed, turn-the-other-cheek act by the Dems really pi$$es me off.

It's one thing that lieberman didn like the Dem nominee. But to actively and openly participate in working against the Dem nominee is totally unacceptable in my book. And joe should have been dumped for that.

[babylonsister]

23. That's explained in the OP. I'm thinking the Dems think getting

close to 60 in the Senate trumps ill will, though I'm sure he'll be watched like a hawk.

[BlooInBloo]

25. hahhaha! He's gotta talk the talk. I bet a brazillion dollars he HATES...

Obama's decision to throw Joe a life-preserver.

[Bolo Boffin]

28. "Why not allow him to vote with us on the 90 percent of the stuff?"

What, he's going to stop? He's not voting his constiuents' interests when he does that?

And Dean frames this as revenge, when it's not revenge. It's looking at his record and realizing what he will do.

Jesus, they think we're so stupid.