Connecticut for Toady

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Having declared his undying love for all things Rupert Murdoch, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman foreshadows his campaign strategy for 2012: Sucking up. Why deal with the middle men, the best Congress money can buy, Republican party which some say is his only hope for re-election.

Having watched Rupert's largesse in 2010 [right, John Kasich?... and thanks a lot, Roberts rightwingcourt], Joe is doubtless busily lining up and counting his chickens....

So why not go right to the spigot and firmly attach your mouth to it.

Watch for it. The imminent announcement from Feckless Joe: Senate candidate of the Connecticut for Toady Party. Coming soon to a Fox program announcement near you.
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Undermining....

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Joe Lie-berman and the friendly folk at Fox news have been quick to ramp up the Fort Hood shootings into national security. Hearings to come.

Not to be outdone, Senator John McCain joins in the fray at an event for Mitch McConnell:

"This may sound a little harsh, but I think we ought to make sure that political correctness never impedes national security...."

Nor political opportunism neither, Senators?

Wonder which one of these guys will be first up in the lazy Rolodexes of the Sunday morning gas bag shows?

President Obama set exactly the right tone and the right message in his memorial service comments.

Give the guy due process, convict him and and carry out appropriate punishment.
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crossposted at firedoglake's The Seminal

Survivor: Democratic Caucus

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Tuesday, Joe Lie-berman will make his presentation before the Democratic Caucus on why he should retain his chairmanship of the Dept. of Homeland Security. There's a Survivor quality to all this. Who are the alliances? Who will vote the opposite of what's expected? What will the final vote be?

There have been public statements on both sides airing in the media, and enormous conversation in the blogosphere. But the ultimate decision will be made behind closed doors. It's not just that we won't hear the presentation. (Yeah, I'm bettin' it'll be one of those non-apology apologies, too.) It's that we won't hear each Senator's comments. But there'll likely be much posturing and venting and "unacceptables" and "Joe's a good friend of mine..." back and forth.

But what it really comes down to is, if the cronies trump the accountability, then how can the American people ever trust you again, Senators? Because it's gone beyond whether the Democratic Caucus can trust one that they profess is really, scratch the surface campaign sins, one of their own...

While the caucus will decide, it's not for the caucus or for the ego of Joe Lie-berman or for the netroots or for the good of the Senate or for Cokie and the punditocracy or whatever that this decision will be made.

It's for the integrity of representative democracy...and whether one Senator can set himself above all the other Senators, above the voters, above his own word...whether he can play God. And in the doing, flout ethics, flout responsibility to his oath of office, flout honor and trustworthiness. Whether he can obstruct and subvert the oversight responsibilities of the chair and then blithely expect to sit in it again.

The voters have spoken on that. And now, the Democratic Caucus must speak.

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The Magic 60

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In the smackdown that is the current contention over Lieberman's hold on the chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee, the latest wrinkle I've run across is Evan Bayh's proffer that this must not drag out because poor widdle Pal Joey might get bitter.

Well, he's already gotten hypocritical, self-serving, nasty and bald-faced lying. Oh yeah, and there is that whole Katrina thing. So bitter?

Spare me the incestuous coziness of the Incumbent Class.

The backstage maneuverings by Dodd [and thanks, Iowa, you did us a favor], Bayh and others to grease the skids of the return of Lie-berman may achieve their end of the restoration—but not the rehabilitation—of the whiny Independent Joe.

But I'm still holding out for Lieberman--caucus of one. When Joe turns out to be the backstabbing, self-serving scorpion once again, don't tell me "who could have anticipated..." I got enough of that Condi-esque crap from the Senate Democratic voters for the Iraq War Resolution. And the $700 Billion bait-n-switch bailout.

Delude yourselves, Senators. 'tain't foolin' me.

And as for that magic number 60, has anybody thought of lookin' at who on the Republican side is vulnerable in 2010? Or 2012? Why can't we reach 60 the old-fashioned way? Flip a senator....

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(crossposted at firedoglake's Oxdown Gazette)

Lieberman's Nature

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A short reminder:

A scorpion wanted to cross a river but could not swim, so he asked a fox to carry him across. The fox, demurred: You'll sting me. Not I, said the scorpion, for that would mean the death of me, too. Very well, hop on, said the fox.

Halfway across the river, the scorpion stung the fox with a mortal wound. As the river sucked them both down, the fox said, you promised! Why did you sting me?

I know, said the scorpion. But it is my nature.

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Crossposted, with comments, at firedoglake's Oxdown Express.

The Understated Symmetry of Harry

The word leaking out that Harry Reid offered Joe Lieberman the chairmanship of Veterans Affairs has generated a lot of heat. Mine included.

Lots of us are signing the online petition saying that Joe Must Go. For three prime reasons that can be summed up "The Kiss," Katrina, and the Kampaign....

And while I for one have no room in heart or mind for any accommodation for Joe the Backstabber and Breaker of Pledges, I do see a certain stark beauty in Reid's offer to Lieberman of the chairmanship of Veterans Affairs.

Let him see what he has wrought. Let him deal with the families of the dead and the wounded. Let him tour the hospitals and rehab centers. Let him walk side by side with the soldier learning to walk on steel and computer technology instead of a leg. Let him see the face of the man blinded and burned by an IED.

Let him face himself. If he has the courage.

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(crossposted at firedoglake's Oxdown Express)

Lieberman = Tessio

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Once there was an iconic movie, The Godfather, which played out in grand scale the struggles of good and evil, strong vs weak, smart vs stupid.

Tessio, they say, did the "smart" thing...taking sides against The Godfather. Betraying the Corleone family to ally with Tataglia for the opportunistic "winning" side. Except, Michael turned out to be not just a kid to be patted on the cheek and dismissed.

In a political sense, the same story is playing out as Joe Lieberman now starts talking about how much he "respects" Barack Obama. Larger minds than mine will decide Lieberman's political fate, but I'd proffer that the just end to this current political epic for Joe Lieberman will be to sleep with the political fishes.
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"Relax and Enjoy It"

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That's Joe Lieberman's reaction to the McCain "I'm proud of this..." celebrity ad.

Yeah, right.

Sounds like Joe's tryin' out for Viagra spokesman a la Bob "Down Boy" Dole. Guess L'il Joey needs to plan for something after November 4, 'cause he's gonna be Senatora non grata with the Dems and used garbage with the Rethugs.

Better rest up, Hadassah.
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Confront the Crapola

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It happened again.

Yesterday, Joe Lieberman spun merrily on his way with his pro-McCain self-facts and his Obama mud spatters on Snuffalufagous' show. Link here to the C&L site where I commented briefly already [#27].

Why don’t Dems call bullshit on this stuff in the moment? Where was Reed’s rebuttal? No, he just let Joe-Lie’s crapola stand. Where is the passion in Democratic speakers? It’s like watching Dukakis give his kitty rape response.

Joe’s going to keep lying.
The media’s going to keep giving him the venue to lie.

We need to have spokespeople who call this stuff. We’re supposed to be the party of the people, the party of empathy…where is it?

Jon Stewart didn’t kill Crossfire…it’s morphed into the modus operandi of the media today. We must deal with it…with tactics that work. It’s not going away.

This one just keeps gnawing at me: when are Democratic spokesmen going to confront directly in real time the Republicans who still continue to ride roughshod ... over facts, reality, truth ... and their Democratic opponents. They come to these programs prepared with their talking points. But those talking points get lost in the heat of Rethugs' ranting.

Let me say again:

Jon Stewart didn’t kill Crossfire…it’s morphed into the modus operandi of the media today. We must deal with it…with tactics that work. It’s not going away.

Yeah, we've all heard the speculation that there are special super-secret training schools for rightwing pundits to teach them how to lie with impunity, and we see firsthand the tactics of talk louder, talk over....

But c'mon, folks, it's been eight years. Isn't it about time we figured out how to shut this strategy down?

I was so rooting for Laura Flanders to turn to the Rethuglican over-talker this morning on CNN's American Morning and say, if you don't shut up while I'm talking, I'm going to smack you...
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Ralphie Parker had a solution for dealing with bully tactics. Ya gotta confront the bullies and toadies directly...and call bullshit.
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