Lieberman Tells Reid To His Face: I'll Vote Against Current Health Care Bill

[Are_grits_groceries]

Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) informed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in a face-to-face meeting on Sunday that he will vote against a health care bill that includes a public option or a provision that would expand Medicare, a Democratic Senate aide tells the Huffington Post.

The two senators had a discussion in Reid's office shortly after Lieberman appeared on CBS's Face the Nation Sunday morning. The Connecticut independent discussed with Reid some of his concerns about the legislation, elaborating on issues he had raised during the show. According to the source, who was briefed on the exchange, Lieberman punctuated the discussion by telling the majority leader directly that he will vote against the bill if the Medicare buy-in and public option provisions remain in it. Roll Call reports that Lieberman said he would also support a Republican filibuster of legislation that included these provisions.

"Leadership was definitely a bit surprised with the lines being drawn in the sand the way they were," said the source. "We expected that he would say critical things about . But he is not even giving us a chance to get it scored."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/13/lieberman-tells-reid-to-h_n_390416.html

Oh don't worry about Joe we were told. Harry will take care of Joe. Yeah, that's working out.

It's been clear that no matter what the Dems propose, Lieberman will threaten to gut some part of it just to watch people squirm. He'll pull a 180 if he wants to. He doesn't care. His game is screw the Dems.

It's time to squash him and move him to an office in the basement of the Capitol. He's just sewing seeds of discontent within the party anyway. By keeping him in his position, it just gives him the publicity he craves so he can stab those that voted against him.

I hope the voters of CT vote him out of office. CT members - Let us know what you need. Money, volunteers, etc ??
What will do the most good and the least harm in trying to remove him? I'll do what I can.

He'll probably be given a position in the administration if he loses.

[CraigNelson]

1. We are gonna have to go incremental

Pass a simple bill that bans denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, bans recission and allows children to stay on their parents insurance until age 27. That is something that can pass and may even get some Republican support. We can forget about a big reform package. Lets just make what we have better.

[Are_grits_groceries]

2. Meh!

The only thing that will get Rethug support is doing nothing! That goes for Lieberman.

BTW what do you mean we?

Edit to add: Republican support - Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaha! I could find a unicorn first.

[CraigNelson]

4. I mean Democrats

We are not going to get a package with any type of public option or expansion of Medicare. We can probably pass a scaled down reform bill that does a couple of key, important things to reform private insurance like banning denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

[Are_grits_groceries]

6. If the Dems show some balls,

they might a hell of a lot more than they are trying to get now. We are acting like we are in the minority.
Have you been paying attention? We aren't going to get Rethug support. It's a big tease even from Snowe. It's a siren song designed to string Harry and the Deaftones up to the rocks of FAIL.

BTW what do you mean we?

[cyclezealot]

5. Insurance will fight effective regulation

as strongly as they will fight the public option.. This will not lower the cost of insurance because it's not in the works. They are a for profit organization and legally they must maximize shareholders returns'.. You think CEO's will make real sacrifice , pretty dam naive.. Just let the system fall apart until we get real reform..

[CraigNelson]

7. We wont get real reform

When are Democrats ever going to have the House, Presidency, and 60 Senators again?

[cyclezealot]

15. Obama seems to be in the fight alone

Where are his troops knocking on congressional doors.. ?.. As they say , when the people lead, the politicians will follow.
The Democrats have rolled over and gone to sleep making the Democrats cower to the tea baggers..
We get what we deserve thanks to the great silence and activists staying home behind their pc's..
when.. Likely , never...

[Jamastiene]

3. Again Lieberman, Fuck you.

:grumble:

[charlie]

8. So make him own it

It would be easy enough, if they'd just had the sense and gumption to do it. The free floating anger and fear out there would attach itself to a face in a minute, if someone would just point him out.

THAT guy. THAT guy right THERE. The lackey for the parasites who imperil your job, your savings, your health, your peace of mind. HE's the one making sure you never get out of that hellish trap.

[Are_grits_groceries]

9. How would you suggest we do that?

He has been ranted at and excoriated all over the map about his positions and not just on healthcare. Everytime the steam gets rolling Harry or somebody comes along to save him by assuring people that he's okay.

Joe doesn't CARE. I'm not sure at this point if he even cares about re-election or his chairmanship. He wouldn't care if he got a brazillion letters from God and everybody.

While I am more than pissed at him, there are people like Reid who run a close second. He couldn't be any worse if they had handled him differently. The Joe problem started long ago and was fed by others on both sides of the aisle.

I believe it began when he kept his chairmanship. He took that as a big signal that he wouldn't be really cracked down on, and he was right.

[charlie]

10. Not we. They

Not that this timorous bunch would do it, but they could. Joe cares very much about his image. He preened as the so-called Conscience of the Senate. He loved his prominence on the Sunday shows as the "sensible" Democrat. He glowed whenever he could finagle his way beside the Wartime President. He's lost much of that mo' since 2006 and it's pissing him off. He hates being a nobody, counts being ignored as disrespect. So make him Dick Cheney, someone the whole country knows is a vile, despicable beast. People can be made to think of Lieberman with every deductible increase, every procedure denied, every loss of assets and income to the health insurance beast.

[Hubert Flottz]

11. I think Joe is every bit as harmful as Dick Cheney, maybe more.

He has tried his best to help the GOP destroy the country.

[depakid]

13. +1

This along with stripping him of his chairmanship and blocking every single request that he makes.

[vi5]

12. Exactly...

..my contempt for the Senate leadership including Reid is almost as palpable as what I have for Leiberman because his role as a problem and a stop sign to any dem legislations was handed to him on a silver platter the day they refused to provide any ramifications or effect of his words and actions.

They needed to signal and they still do that you don't get to reap the benefits of a democratic majority while consistently stimying their every efforts.

[dysfunctional press]

14. joe is just playing it smart for joe...

he's gonna want to keep his chairmanship when the pukes regain power.

[cornermouse]

16. The leadership propped him up after Lamont

won the nomination instead of supporting Lamont.

[Bonn1997]

17. I don't care if he votes against it but he shouldn't block it during cloture.

[Bitwit1234]

18. You only have to look at Liberman

to see what mean petty "little" man he is. And I don't mean in size. He is so full of himself that he thinks the whole senate is revolving around him. If they would just strip him of his chairmanship, give him the most inconsequential position and leave him there he will start to be a real person again.

[LiberalFighter]

19. November 2010 will be the time to take care of Joe.

That is when the Senate can reorganize. Change committee assignments, etc.

In the meantime, we all need to make sure we don't lose any Senate seats that are up for grabs in 2010. If we do, Reid and the Democrats lose their bargaining power. Granted they haven't done a very good job IMO in regards to legislation. But the problem is that there are a few that don't support these issues.

[ThomWV]

20. How about pulling his Chairmanship on January 1, 2010

Just to pave the way for his defeat in the General Election.

[LiberalFighter]

22. I don't believe the Senate rules allow that to happen.

It needs to wait until the November elections when there is a new Congress.

[eridani]

21. Irrelevant, as the current bill sucks

Of course Liebermann sucks even worse just on general principles.