How long do you think it will be before Lieberman officially becomes a Republican?

[Poiuyt]

You know it's just a matter of time that he becomes a member of the Republican Party. He's been voting that way for some time now, and he seems to be more comfortable with other Repub senators. He will be hosting a fundraiser for other Repubs. How long before he makes it official?

In a February 22 article, Editor & Publisher reported that Lieberman is quoted in the March 5 issue of Time acknowledging "a remote possibility" that he will "jump[] to the Republican side." But as blogger Greg Sargent noted, on October 3, 2006, The Empire Zone, The New York Times' weblog about politics in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, quoted Lieberman promising: "I've given my word that's what I intend to do. I am going to caucus with the Democrats." Prior to his August 2006 loss in the Democratic primary but while collecting signatures for his independent bid, Lieberman told New York Magazine: "I've been a Democrat for 40 years, I'll die a Democrat, I'll probably be a Democrat after my death, I may still be voting Democrat in some cities in Connecticut postmortem." Sargent compiled additional examples of Lieberman or his communications staff promising that he would caucus with the Democrats. Further, in October 2006, blogger spazeboy posted a video in which Lieberman is asked the question: "Would you unequivocally ... caucus with the Democrats?" Lieberman responded: "I've said that 1,200 times." When asked to clarify with a "yes or no" answer, Lieberman responded: "Yes. Yes."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200702240001

[reichstag911]

1. He hasn't?? nt

[Hardrada]

2. How can extraterrestrial lizards have a poltical party at all?

[Old and In the Way]

3. I'd help him along.....strip him of his chairmanship.

Holding fundraisers ought to be the last straw. He left our Party a lonmg time ago. Let him be a liberal Republican...talk about oxymoron...

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. Next year he'll run as a repuke. Baaad move on his part because the repuke party is finished for a

LONG, LONG time, but we certainly won't 'need' his useless ass after we win BIG in '08!

[LiberalFighter]

9. He can't run as a Republican next year.

[in_cog_ni_to]

15. You're right...in 2012... That sucks REALLY bad. OK...he'll switch parties when he can

no longer do damage to the Dem party.....and that will be after we win BIG in '08.:)

[Fresh_Start]

5. why should he? he can do more good for Reps by staying Dem

they're probably encouraging him to stay dem

[Skip Intro]

6. he's hiding from that brand for now, just like the slimeball that he is

he'll enable them, but hide from their brand by standing just under the edge of our umbrella, as long as it suits his selfish aims, just like the hypocrite he is...

[Lint Head]

7. The prick needs to go ahead and show his true colors. Red!

The war is done and so is this jerk! :dem:

[Grandrose]

8. The Repubs need him ......

as a insurgent in the Democratic Party! :eyes:

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. Jump to the losing party, Joe. You deserve to go down with the ship.

[Forkboy]

11. When being where he is no longer serves him.

Right now he's drunk on the power of making both parties kiss his ass.

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. He only has to announce. He's already there.

[LiberalFighter]

13. We are better off if we keep the pressure off of him

until we gain additional Senate seats that make any support from him immaterial.

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. I think that's what the Senate Dems are doing already. They're putting up with his crap

because they HAVE TO. After '08...he's toast as far as POWER goes. I really doubt that he will be given any committee chair after what he's done.:(

[LiberalFighter]

22. That's fine by me... We have to be patient!

But that doesn't mean we can't do other things to bring about the outcome we seek. (We being mainly the Senate Democrats) And as a result make Lieberman's impact in the Senate minimal.

[jobycom]

14. Never. He has no power in the Republican Party.

As a Democratic-caucausing independent, he's the vote that gives the Dems the edge. The Dems have to do what he says, or at least compromise enough to keep him happy, or they lose the Senate, and have no realistic chance of accomplishing anything. They have to give him the committees he wants, etc.

As soon as he switches, he's powerless. He can't realistically switch back, so the Dems have no reason to court him, and the Repubs have no reason to listen to him. As a Republican, he's a liberal on everything but the war. They don't like him, either, or won't if he switches.

[MannyGoldstein]

18. We Have A Winner

Perfect analysis.

[Davis_X_Machina]

19. Democrats don't lose the Senate...

...if Lieberman stops caucusing with them, or even if he jumps to the other party.

The Rule under which this Senate was organized, passed back in January, runs for the life of this Congress, till the January after the '08 election, and isn't subject to mid-course corrections, unlike the Rule under which the Senate was organized under when Jeffords jumped. Reid is Majority Leader, committees are organised as per status quo, etc, even if the numbers change.

We went over this when Senator Johnson took ill...

[jobycom]

20. So the Senate committees would have a majority of a minority party?

:shrug:

If so, Lieberman would have even less reason to jump. His only power would come as a Democrat.

[Dinger]

17. Is There Any Info On What The People Of Connecticut Think Of This Asshole?

Polls? Anything? Are they glad they fucked up?

[napi21]

21. I've been wondering that same thing myself! How do the voters in Ct.

feel NOW? I remember Joe playing on their sympathy vote, saying how much he supported the ship builders and all he's done for Ct. over the years. That he always voted Dem, and it was unfair that everyone was picking on him because he believes we have to win in Iraq. Now that they've elected this AH, what do THEY THINK?