Joe Lieberman Shills for McCain

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:47:54 PM EST
Tags: Joe Lieberman, John McCain (all tags)

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Is anybody watching this charade? He even has the nerve to call himself a Democrat.

Update: He says Obama isn't right for the job because he has no record. And Sarah Palin, who would step into the Presdency should anything happen to John McCain? Please.

Now Lieberman is praising Sarah Palin, calling her a great lady. She's a reformer. She is a leader we can count on to help John shake up Washington. What about counting on her if she has to take over as President? He can't address that. All he can do is steal Obama's message of change.

Update: Now Lieberman steals Obama's red states/blue states meme: "What we need is not more party unity but national unity."

While I dislike the change meme and the unity meme on both sides, it's ridiculous that the Republicans are just mimicking Obama.

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Joe Lieberman Shills for McCain | 93 comments (93 topical)

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I am in awe (5.00 / 0) (#2)
by nrglaw on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:49:39 PM EST

His betrayal of the party is total.

Global warmed over (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by pixpixpix on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:50:45 PM EST

"John McCain led the fight to do something about global warming."

I must have missed that

nope, not watching (5.00 / 0) (#4)
by andgarden on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:50:51 PM EST

I've got recorded Emeril Green.

Your picture is missing what Joe is cleaning up. . .

Is that show any good? (none / 0) (#9)
by SueBonnetSue on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:53:22 PM EST

I watch the filming all the time at my local Whole Foods. I must say, that Emeril is consistently nice to everyone, even at the end of a long day. Look for me in his commercials and background in his interviews.

Parent

Amazingly, it is good (5.00 / 0) (#12)
by andgarden on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:56:45 PM EST

You get the impression that he got tired of "BAM!" and he knows that everyone else did too. His new shtick is that he refuses to say the word.

Here he's a quiet, patient, teacher.

Parent

He's a good guy (5.00 / 1) (#23)
by Redshoes on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:04:29 PM EST

when last in NOLA I eat at one of his places (can't remember the name) and I always chat up the wait staff -- his folks were pre-Katrina and talked of how he continued to pay them post-Katrina until everything back back up. Pretty loyal and had nice things to say.

So BAM or no BAM he's cool.

That said, my favorite restaurant in NOLA is August. Food just melts in your mouth....

Parent

: It's my favorite too, (none / 0) (#37)
by SueBonnetSue on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:10:20 PM EST

We ate there twice in the same week, because it was the best. The name of the one where we ate was NOLA. Fantastic.

Parent

Really? (5.00 / 1) (#27)
by skuld1 on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:05:26 PM EST

I didn't know that, thanks for the heads up. That whole BAM! thing really annoyed me :P

Parent

Listening to Him (5.00 / 2) (#6)
by glanton on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:52:11 PM EST

Makes flossing with cardboard seem an appealing proposition.

No Joe (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by domerdem on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:57:08 PM EST

I am angry and frustrated with you

Parent

Posted this on the prior thread before I knew (5.00 / 3) (#17)
by litigatormom on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:00:08 PM EST

this one was up.
****

McCain is more bipartisan than Obama! It shouldn't take a natural disaster to make Democrats and Republicans work together!
McCain is not like Bush! He is not a partisan Republican! Democrats are lying when they say that! (Was McCain lying when he said that?) God only made one John McCain and he is his own man. If John McCain is a partisan Republican, then Liebertoad is Michael Moore's favorite Republican.

So he's not just supporting McCain on national security. And keeps calling himself a Democrat.

On Obama: talented but too young. Times too perilous for someone lacking accomplishment. Obama has not reached across party lines to accomplish anything significant. Contrast to McCain's record of bipartisan accomplishment. Contrast Obama's record to Clinton, who got important things done like welfare reform, balanced budget! {The crowd gives muted applause; Liebertoad does not address the fact that McCain wants to ape Bush economic policies.)

Now Liebertoad talks about Palin as a leader who can help McCain shake up Washington. Real ticket for change is McCain-Palin ticket.

Others wanted to withdraw in defeat from the battlefield. Some like Obama wanted to cut off funding for troops on the battlefield. Thanks to McCain's courage, troops are coming with honor.
(Alas, also without adequate medical care, which Liebertoad does not mention.)

Oooh, McCain is popular among foreign leaders! But our enemies will fear him! (But I thought it was not good for foreign leaders to like our president? That's what Fred Thompson told me.)

Liebertoad wants to speak to independents and fellow Democrats. You are angry and frustrated with politics. You may have never voted for a Republican before. But this is no ordinary election. Because these are not ordinary times. McCain is no ordinary canadidate. You may not agree with McCain on every issue, but you will always know where he stands. You can trust him to be what he is naturally, a restless reformer.

So I want to ask you if you are various kinds of Democrats, vote for the person you believe is best for the country, not for the party you belong to. Because the guy who supports everything you hate is best for the country. McCain always puts America first. (That's why he chose Sarah Palin to be vice-president.)

Can we throw him out of the Democratic caucus now? This is really unconscionable.

Parent

not bipartisan? (5.00 / 2) (#44)
by A DC Wonk on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:15:03 PM EST

Is Lieberman unaware of the Obama-Lugar Act (hint: Lugar is (R)), or Obama-Coburn (hint: Coburn is (R)).

True, there is McCain-Feingold, but McCain says he'd vote against it now.

True, McCain voted against Bush's tax cuts (as did Lieberman), but McCain says he wants to make them permanent now.

Sheesh . . . .

Parent

Obama has one law with his name on it? (2.00 / 1) (#55)
by SueBonnetSue on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:21:24 PM EST

And McCain has how many? I don't think we want to go down this road.

Parent

: I named two (5.00 / 0) (#56)
by A DC Wonk on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:22:35 PM EST

and my point was not how many...

Parent

That's Flip-Flop not bipartisan. ;-) (none / 0) (#54)
by themomcat on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:19:51 PM EST

Parent

If we throw him out, (none / 0) (#34)
by SueBonnetSue on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:08:37 PM EST

Doesn't that flip the Senate? Some democrat committee chairs might object to that.

Parent

: Not when we throw him out (5.00 / 0) (#36)
by Pegasus on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:10:08 PM EST

next January.

Parent
: No, it wouldn't flip the Senate (5.00 / 2) (#39)
by litigatormom on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:11:53 PM EST

There was an agreement after the 2006 election that a Dem would be majority leader even if someone switched parties.
And if we don't toss him now, he MUST be tossed in January.

Parent

Good synopsis of his speech (none / 0) (#95)
by wasabi on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 11:53:21 PM EST

What will the Democrats say tomorrow? I guess it's a good thing for Joe that Congress is on vacation.

Parent

I don't like charades (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by themomcat on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:54:13 PM EST

Except maybe the movie with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. Filmed in Paris, great thriller/ romance and loved the music.

"for the party you happen to be in..." (5.00 / 1) (#21)
by Oje on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:03:29 PM EST

Wow, Joe, you mean being a Democrat just happened to me?

Oh, good, Donna Brazile. I wonder what role she had in picking Joe to be VP 8 years ago...

This is not the Joe she knew (5.00 / 2) (#33)
by litigatormom on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:07:44 PM EST

she says. But then she says, "Maybe we should have given him more red meat in 2000." WTF? then she limply points out that Liebertoad agrees with Obama 90% of the time. Can we get her out of the party leadership? Please?

At least Gergen notes that Democrats will think that Liebertoad has gone over the line by attacking Obama directly. Duh.

Parent

"This is not the Joe I knew..." (5.00 / 2) (#89)
by Grace on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 11:17:25 PM EST

"This is not the Bill I knew..."
"This is not the John I knew..."
"This is not the Reverend I knew..."

Sigh. It seems like the standard answer this year.

That was not the Donna I knew...

:)

Parent

: The DNC is not the party I knew (5.00 / 2) (#96)
by Prabhata on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 11:54:28 PM EST

Party I saw at the DNC 2008 convention roll call is not the party I knew.

Parent

Rate! (none / 0) (#43)
by Oje on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:14:15 PM EST

(But I don't like the "toad" part...)

Parent

yes, no more (5.00 / 0) (#50)
by Jeralyn on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:18:29 PM EST

Liebertoad references, we don't do name-calling here.

Parent

: Sorry (5.00 / 1) (#53)
by litigatormom on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:19:31 PM EST

It's a nickname I've used for a long time. Won't use again.

Parent

Yeah, McCain has a record (5.00 / 2) (#24)
by litigatormom on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:04:39 PM EST

A record of being wrong.

your disagreement has been noted (5.00 / 2) (#49)
by Jeralyn on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:17:42 PM EST

and I strongly disagree. Please stop repeating it multiple times in a single threed. We heard you.

Parent

: Yes, thank you (5.00 / 1) (#75)
by Gabriel on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:50:19 PM EST

I wish McCain supporters would stop pretending they stand for Dem ideals.

Parent

Not 'may' be true (5.00 / 0) (#78)
by Gabriel on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:51:48 PM EST

IS true.

McCain has terrible judgment and when you have terrible judgment no amount of experience can compensate.

Parent

He doesn't call himself a Democrat (5.00 / 0) (#38)
by txpolitico67 on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:11:40 PM EST

He's an Independent. Wonder how all those fine, er, I mean duped voters feel about Schmokin' Joe now?

He referred to himself several times (5.00 / 1) (#40)
by litigatormom on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:12:46 PM EST

in this speech as a Democrat. "You may be wondering why a Democrat like me is here...."

Parent

I will defer that (none / 0) (#52)
by txpolitico67 on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:19:05 PM EST

since I didn't hear him speak. I was referring to the initial after his name: Lieberman (I), CT.

Parent

And he'll keep on calling himself a Democrat (none / 0) (#77)
by nrglaw on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:50:54 PM EST

as long as the Democrats let him caucus with them. The Dems in the Senate won't wade into that thicket now, though. They don't need to make him a GOP martyr just now. There will be time enough shortly after Election Day.

Parent

He ain't no Democrat (5.00 / 1) (#92)
by shoephone on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 11:29:24 PM EST

He's a "Connecticut for Lieberman".

We who supported Ned will not forget.

Parent

You sound (5.00 / 0) (#102)
by txpolitico67 on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 12:23:10 AM EST

bitter

Parent

: (Sigh.) Clingy too. n/t (none / 0) (#103)
by shoephone on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 12:51:11 AM EST

Parent

they act like (5.00 / 0) (#45)
by TimNCGuy on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:15:47 PM EST

if Palin became president, she wouldn't get to pick her own version of Biden as VP to back her up.

"national unity, blah, blah, blah" has (5.00 / 1) (#46)
by tigercourse on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:16:08 PM EST

been going on for 250 years. Obama's hardly the first pol to chuck that ball around.

I especially like McCains' (5.00 / 1) (#60)
by themomcat on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:25:26 PM EST

solution to the health care crisis. His adviser, a guy named Goodman in an OP-Ed in the WSJ, said that since everyone has access to an Emergency Room everyone has health care coverage. So there is no longer a need for the Census Bureau to count the uninsured. Problem Solved.

: I read that (5.00 / 2) (#67)
by connecticut yankee on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:33:35 PM EST

Part two of the plan involves something called Soylent Green.

Parent
: Gee (5.00 / 1) (#113)
by litigatormom on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 08:28:33 AM EST

I didn't know you could go to the emergency room to get chemotherapy or bone marrow transplants!
BTW, McCain's advisor isn't the first person to make that argument. Bush himself said it several years ago. The press -- and the Democratic candidates -- didn't make much of it at the time. Surprise surprise.

Parent

Words, these days, mean nothing anymore. (5.00 / 1) (#73)
by Gabriele Droz on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:47:49 PM EST

Biden was your bottom line, until you decided he was not.

Promises made, and speaking truth to power, no longer are trustworthy of the words spoken. And now you are included with the rest of folks who say one thing and do another.

My love for the Native American culture is based on their most important groundstone of their functioning societies. Telling the truth at all times were the glue that kept them together, and, amongst many tribes (where no prisons ever existed), the highest form of betrayal was to not speak the truth.

Our society is filled with so many words, so many interpretatins of words, and so little adherance to actual truths. We, nowadays have to spend hours on end to FIND the truths amidst all the thousands of words and advertisements being tossed our way every single day.

Native Americans, on the other hand, felt that silence and contemplation on FEW words were worth far much more. I agree.

Chief Joseph, Nez Perce, "It doesn't take many words to take the truth."

So sorry Jeralyn, that you too got caught up in the million words game, where no one can keep track any more as to what is the truth and what is just words.

The "Country First" slogan (5.00 / 0) (#94)
by shoephone on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 11:34:39 PM EST

is easily debunked, considering the billion$ in debt to China the Republicans have saddled us with.

Lieberman always ... (5.00 / 1) (#98)
by Robot Porter on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 12:02:34 AM EST

reminded me of Henry Gibson.

When did Joe start peppering his comments (5.00 / 0) (#99)
by wasabi on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 12:03:27 AM EST

When did Joe start peppering his comments with "my friends"? I never noticed that before tonight. He's annoyingly sounding like McCain.

: He started when he no longer had any... (none / 0) (#116)
by andrys on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 10:01:55 AM EST

Parent

My impression after hearing (5.00 / 1) (#101)
by oculus on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 12:19:22 AM EST

Thompson and Lieberman on C-Span: don't discount the Republicans' ability to communicate.

please tell me this is sarcasm (5.00 / 0) (#107)
by ChuckieTomato on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 01:06:35 AM EST

Parent

: It isn't actually. Did you watch their (none / 0) (#121)
by oculus on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 12:46:48 PM EST

speeches w/o benefit of media commentary? Quite direct. Seemed sincere. Reaching out to all. To me, much more effective than many of the speeches at the DNC.

Parent

I want my BTD (5.00 / 2) (#104)
by facta non verba on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 12:52:45 AM EST

Where's BTD? It isn't TL without him.

: don't worry the earth is still turning (5.00 / 0) (#108)
by ChuckieTomato on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 01:08:36 AM EST

and the sun will rise. Talkleft will go on.
I think he is coming back

Parent
: He's Reviewing the Situation. ;-) (none / 0) (#106)
by themomcat on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 01:05:49 AM EST

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVeJwXUg98Q

Parent
: For Gosh sakes (none / 0) (#109)
by shoephone on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 02:09:34 AM EST

He's just taking a few days break. Think of it as his end-of-summer-last-hurrah.

Parent
: Bill Bailey, won't you please (none / 0) (#122)
by oculus on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 12:52:07 PM EST

come home?

Parent

Don't let the door hit you in the......... (5.00 / 0) (#112)
by mmc9431 on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 06:21:27 AM EST

I have to believe Lieberman made this speech realizing that his political career is over and he had nothing to lose. Reid will be pressured to remove him from his committee's after the election. I think that without a national microphone and no Senate power, Lieberman will resign. Polls in Con. show they didn't want him before this. Now, I'm not sure he's going to be welcome to make too many public appearances, even in his home state.

I like that he says (5.00 / 0) (#114)
by Jlvngstn on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 09:22:00 AM EST

she is a reformer. Because that is what we need in Washington. What we need is for her to demand that our students in grade school and high school are taught the truth. According to Palin, mother Earth is approximately 5000 years old and I find it rather distressing that our kids are being taught that the Earth is 4 billion years old. We need Sarah Palin and our kids need her too. We also know that the liberals think the Iraq war is all about oil, Sarah knows better. She knows that this war is sanctioned by God and it is a war for Christianity versus Muslimism, and we need leaders who will take the strong stand for god in our wars and schooling. Gosh darn I hope she wins, it is about time we got rid of junk science like climate change and evolution and brought back real science like creationism. How about asking her these 3 questions:

How old is mother Earth?
Is evolution junk science?
What role does god play in the Iraq war?

Experience Arguments (2.00 / 0) (#110)
by T X P on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 03:47:42 AM EST

Instead of having silly rhetorical battles about an issue that makes BOTH Obama and Palin look bad, why can't we just accept an obvious fact and move on to something else?

The experience issue is a wash. They're either BOTH prepared or BOTH unprepared to be president.

PALIN
2 years as a state governor = a short time in a top-level executive position

6 years as a small-town mayor = irrelevant (it's a small town!)

OBAMA
4 years as a U.S. senator = a short time in a top-level legislative position (more time, but less similar to the presidency).

7 years as a state legislator = irrelevant (Illinois' legislature is a den of corrupt party hacks!)

Furthermore, a lot is being made about Palin's small constituency. So what? Biden's constituency isn't significantly larger. Are we now prepared to say that this fact diminishes what Biden's done? Of course not.

And lastly, the entire issue pits a WILL against a MIGHT. If the electorate chooses Obama/Biden, Obama WILL become president. Whereas if the electorate chooses McCain/Palin, Palin only MIGHT become president. This poses a potentially HUGE political problem for Obama. Because if these arguments continue to equate inexperience with incompetence (as most of them seem to), undecideds could very well -- and quite rationally -- choose to vote for the lesser of two evils. And who would the lesser of two evils be in an "inexperience equals incompetence" scenario? Palin, because she's only a MIGHT.

Hopefully, this post doesn't offend anyone. Because that's not my intent. I'm just saying that this line of attack is an exercise in futility -- and a possibly self-defeating one at that. Because it's something that could very well turn out to be a boomerang that comes back and hits the thrower square in the face.

: Since these are being itemized ... (none / 0) (#120)
by andrys on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 10:11:15 AM EST

Obama's state-legislature time was part-time
Obama's, if you count only the time before he started running for President (as we're counting for her) his was 143 days or almost 5 months. After that he didn't have much time for his Senate duties, as he explained when asked why he didn't hold subcommittee meetings.
In your comparison of Palin's and Biden's constituencies,
true. Few mention the distinction between governing a state and representing it. There's a lot more day-to-day attention to mainly small but some large details of running everything, which means running a huge organization. 700,000 is a lot in that case and the state covers a lot of ground as has been pointed out. Senate duties require a lot of time sitting in committees listening (or not), reading, and focusing on 2-3 issues at a time instead of a myriad of them as a Governor must. So they don't do well to shortshrift her experience as a governor of that state.
Biden, no one running can match as far as TIME and Range of experience and knowledge built up. That doesn't help him on Georgia vs Russia I was sorry to see. I think Obama will be more open to a less b&w approach to that. Not to mention the dangerous situation with Poland/Iran/Russia, on which we are not innocents.
I agree with you totally, as far as Dems continuing to compare Obama to Palin! That is just so obviously going to look weak.

Parent

Can't watch the (none / 0) (#1)
by gyrfalcon on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:49:18 PM EST

sanctimonious little jerk.

Love the pic!

I mostly dislike his mouth (5.00 / 0) (#97)
by Prabhata on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 11:59:55 PM EST

When Lieberman talks, his mouth looks like the mouth of a fish.

Parent

He's no Fred Thompson (none / 0) (#5)
by SueBonnetSue on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:51:29 PM EST

Fred was at least humorous. Lieberman always looks so sad, but I suspect he does appeal to a few moderate democrats, particularly Jewish voters.

Oh gosh, Lieberman is praising Bill Clinton!

Parent

He always looks (5.00 / 1) (#20)
by gyrfalcon on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:02:51 PM EST

just incredibly self-satisfied to me. I find such deep self love repulsive in anyone, but particularly in a politician.

Parent

: He knows that he's holier than thou (5.00 / 2) (#42)
by litigatormom on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:13:59 PM EST

and thou. And thou. And thou too.

Parent

Chuckles the Clown? (none / 0) (#7)
by domerdem on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:52:50 PM EST

: Mary Tyler Moore? (none / 0) (#25)
by PssttCmere08 on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:05:17 PM EST

Parent

Now I know why... (none / 0) (#8)
by santarita on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 09:53:11 PM EST

Gore couldn't capture the White House.

I can't believe what a hack this guy is. And I don't like that little laugh that he makes at his own witticisms.

Did you catch the little whining (5.00 / 1) (#22)
by litigatormom on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:03:54 PM EST

bit at the beginning, when he said, you don't know how much it means to be to be welcome?

Hell hath no fury like a toadie scorned.

Parent

: Whining and Smirking... (5.00 / 0) (#65)
by santarita on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 10:32:06 PM EST

not a winning combination.
The nicest thing that I can say about Lieberman is that just maybe he feels such personal affection for McCain that he has lost any sense of perspective.
I just continue to wonder who thought that Lieberman was right for the 2000 ticket. The guy was probably a Republican mole back then, too.