Lieberman predicts Congress will extend Bush tax cuts for 'at least a year or two'

[metapunditedgy]

So the story is that we allowed Lieberman to compromise HCR because we needed his support on other important things. Has that strategy worked out in *ANY* respect? Or is the story just bullshit?


-------------------

(CNN) - "In a September session, it's hard to separate anything you do from politics."

Independent Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman's explanation for the Senate's decision to wait to vote on extending the Bush tax cuts until after the American people vote in November is indicative of the political gridlock in Washington and the political battles being waged around the country.

"We didn't get much of anything done," Lieberman conceded Sunday to CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley on State of the Union.

More interesting quotes where article continues.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/26/lieberman-predicts-congress-will-extend-bush-tax-cuts-for-at-least-a-year-or-two/

[COLGATE4]

1. Oh Joe, just STFU and go away. Don't go away quietly, just GO.

[Edweird]

2. Lieberman was Obama's BFF in the senate if I remember correctly.

I'm pretty sure this is a trial balloon.

[metapunditedgy]

4. A trial baloon to see how Democrats will respond? n/t

[Edweird]

6. Well, yeah. I think we already know where the R's stand on it.

[metapunditedgy]

11. In that case, it sounds more like a "call-out" than a trial balloon?

On edit: that is, Lieberman is forcing the Democrats' hand on an issue they'd rather let slide for a couple of months.

You know, didn't that same strategy work so well for him during HCR? He'd just keep pushing and pushing from the right, and in the end, he'd get his way.

[Edweird]

12. If the president wanted to extend them, but didn't want to come out publicly in support,

the easiest way is for him to have 'not had any choice'. Get his buddy Lieberman to start making noise and he's suddenly 'powerless' and has to do whatever he wants. See HCR and the catfood commission for other examples.

[TBF]

8. Exactly - we know there's going to be some sort of extension

because if there weren't they wouldn't be doing all this talking about it in the press. The rich will continue to get their tax breaks because Obama is not going to piss off his major campaign contributors (which are largely wall street bankers and law firms)

[Zen Democrat]

7. Where do you get this? Lieberman was Bush and then McCain's BBF in the Senate.

He was Bush's most reliable vote for all things Iraq War. He supported McCain in the Presidential and even spoke at the Repubican Convention -- he couldn't have been too close to Obama. I remember the video when Obama confronted Lieberman on the Senate floor about the things he was saying.

No, I don't think any Democrats were too close to Joe Lieberman after Bush planted that big kiss on his face after the SOTU.

[Fumesucker]

10. Lieberman was also the Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2000..

And yet it was all Nader's fault that Gore did not become POTUS.

[Individualist]

18. FYI

Lieberman was Obama's mentor in the Senate

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-06-18-lieberman-side_N.htm

http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2007/12/17/386/the_hidden_politics_behind_liebermans_endorsement_of_republican_mccain

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7228229&mesg_id=7230444

http://washingtonindependent.com/1166/lieberman-questions-obamas-judgment-on-iran-and-israel

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/joe-lieberman-hints-obama_b_96754.html

[Xipe Totec]

3. What would we do without Lieberman on our side?

Pretty much the same things we can do having him on our side.

Lieberman is a zero on the left; you see him but he adds no value.

[metapunditedgy]

5. Speaking practically, he's like a game piece that lets you exchange votes for corporate $$. n/t

[Rochester]

9. It would be a bad idea

because then the issue would come up again with the 2012 elections looming.

[RelativelyJones]

13. I'm convinced all Obama's Senate problem go back to not punishing

Lieberman after the 2008 election. He should have been crushed after supporting McCain. Instead he got away with it. And then we had Baucus, and then Nelson, and then the ridiculous dance with Snowe and Collins. And in the end we have a disgusted electorate and a pissed off base. Had Joe been cut off at the knees, like he deserved, Obama could have moved much more effectively.

[metapunditedgy]

17. That conflicts with the narrative I was told, that we needed to keep Joe happy

so that he would support us on HCR and Finance Reform. (And then the narrative sort of falls apart when you start asking specific questions....)

Given that "appeasing Joe" seems to leave about 70% of the electorate unhappy (per the polls), you have to wonder what exactly Joe brings to the table.

[Bitwit1234]

14. I was changing channels and heard him but why is he even

being allowed to speak???

[madinmaryland]

15. madinmaryland predicts Joe Lieberman is full of crap.

[metapunditedgy]

16. He has been full of crap for years, but it seems to be very powerful crap.

Here's to hoping he's wrong.