Joe ain’t all bad.

I thought people went easy on Dodd on the AIG bonus loophole, making the story more about White House pressure on Dodd than about the fact he caved to it. We demand that Harry Reid take responsibility for his own legislative decisions. It is about time we held Dodd to the same standard.

Just shows how the fraternity trumps the party in the Senate.

Lieberman’s office needs to be flooded with phone calls. Please post his number on your site. Thanks.

Obama, Reid and Dodd all vouched for Lieberman. If Joe turns around and fucks us over then those three are responsible.

Sounds like a soap opera.

Harry Reid screwed up…

I notice that that is in paragraph 6.

Which is appropriate – it’s not exactly headline material any more….

Dodd’s gonna get dizzy tryin’ to spin his bankster and insurance company crap.

Ah, the moldy strawman does another hit and run.

Jane, did Dodd not see you on Maddow last night? They blew it before, we were disappointed. But, now? C’mon, guys. That Joe must give some kinda hummer.

Obama’s mentor

Sad when men you thought had integrity and courage turn out with feet of clay! But I think we knew this about Dodd when we heard about the sweetheart mortgages he got as a “Friend of Angelo”. Still, one wonders whether their allegiance is due to an “old boys club” relationship or whether it’s more due to the fact that the other “old boys” know where the bodies are buried. If each one has something on each other “member,” it’s not nearly so surprising that they stick together like glue, or like symbiotic parasites.

AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen Hamsher and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:

Is it possible that The Darkman actually has Dodd, Reid and Lieberman in his pocket and has been usin’ ‘em all to deflect critical attention from himself during the overture and opening act of the healthcare melodrama? If this is true, then at some point soon, Obama is gunna hafta come out from behind the screen ‘cuz if a strong, effective piece of legislation doesn’t pass then his presidency is over and we have a replay of 1994 in November of 2010.

I guess what I am sayin is that if ObamaRahma is behind the Likuderman efforts to kill reform, he’s committing slow suicide in public…I don’t think he’s that stupid and neither is Rahm.

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION SOMETIMES THE TRUTH NEEDS A LITTLE HELP!!

hmmm – how to word this…(?)

I don’t think that Harry is “up” to receiving sexual favors anymore.

This is pure BS this filibuster shit.
Let’s cut to California to see how empowering the minority worked out?
The american voters selected another way last November.The Democrats are in the majority now republicans need to get out of the way. This shows how the democrats/ republican serve the money masters only, otherwise 41 spineful democrat Senators could have prevented the war.
I starting to think both parties are using this to distract and delay from the ongoing ME bloodletting in terms of Money, Lives and Moral clarity.
If republicans haven’t stalled congress, how many unconfirmed are the Democrats letting slide back?

It just shows how influential big insurance is in key areas.

People’s chains are being yanked, one way or another.

Regretfully, I agree.

I have considered Dodd one of the good guys, but his loyalty to members of the club has been a weak point. Recall how he has appeared on Imus, and defended him on the “…nappy headed hoes” comment. Recall how he went to Lieberman’s hotel room after Joe was defeated in the primary and his good buddy didn’t even let him in. But still Dodd defends Lieberman.

He’s been good on torture, FISA, etc. I guess the CIA is not in the club. Apparently the banksters are.

I got a fundraising email from the Dodd campaign yesterday. With supreme irony, it was trumpeting Dodd’s role in the triumphant inclusion of the public option in the Senate bill. My response was not in $$: “I am your loyal supporter based on your past record and current activities. But please have a chat with your fellow Senator from Connecticut before you declare victory. He’s now offering cover to Bayh, Landrieu, Nelson, Lincoln and similar ilk to jump ship. And, BTW, where’s the leadership from the WH on this critical issue. Is Rahm really running the show?”

I still like Dodd, and I don’t care how loyal he is to his buddies on his own time. But as a legislator, a public figure, and a leader I expect his undivided loyalty to his constituents and to all citizens. Guess I’m just an incurable idealist.

ah geez,

I can’t even tell which card Dodd is playing here

bygones ? powder dry ? sound more like his opponent ?

someone help a sistah out

Citizen SouthernDragon:

Dodd has been compromised and in ObamaRahma’s pocket since he carried water for the administration on the credit card horror…indeed Reid and Likuderman really owe their very existance to The Darkman. It is a very dangerous game Obama is playin’ but in the end he must get real healthcare reform or he and the Democratic Party are toast and he knows it. This is why I think Likuderman will cave in when cloture on a strong public option is called up.

looking for campaign help from the Lieberweasel?

Bloody goddamned millionaire’s club.

That is a very good point — we are on the road to being Joe’s California.

Does Dodd have a primary challenger? Reid? Lincoln? Nelson?

And what if Obama is opposed to a strong public option?

I find myself leaning toward Jason Rosenbaum’s view that we should support Reid, while continuing to pressure him, as he moves through the ridiculous games of the Senate, step by step, and shows strength and courage.

Jane has been angry about the idea of a silent filibuster. Well, by going through the ridiculous games of the Senate, Reid is forcing certain immoral, sleazy senators to show themselves publicly for what they are. Lieberman was just the first.

After Reid’s announcement on Monday, I wrote that we should not thank Reid just yet, but after taking 24 hours to think about what he’s doing I like so far the direction that this is moving, and wrote Senate Reid a letter last night to thank him, but also to remind him that millions of Americans are expecting a real, strong, competitive public health insurance option for everyone once he goes to conference with members of the House.

This is far from over. And there will be good reasons to be angry along the way. But we should support actions that are worthy of support as we try to apply the pressure that is necessary to achieve our goals.

a primary challenger?

right there in Jane’s post

Now Dodd’s opponent Rob Simmons is applauding Lieberman’s bold move to derail health care

Reid is running behind all 3 (?) GOP challengers in NV

Lincoln’s numbers poll anemic against any Republican

Don’t know about Nelson (NE) other than his JAR is the lowest it’s been in his tenure

Yeah, he kind of is.

I agree Rahmabama is behind it all but I do not agree “if a strong, effective piece of legislation doesn’t pass then his presidency is over.” Obama just needs to pass something. And that he will do.
He can move on to less hectic issues and he will most certainly be re-elected…along with Rahm.

Write and tell Dodd what you think of his enabling the contemptible Joe Liebermen. LINK

Isn’t Rob Simmons the rethug challenger? If so how would he challenge Dodd in the primaries?

Dodd is being foolish, but it’s Harry Reid who needs to be held to account. Reid lets him off the hook every time Lieberman thumbs his nose at his (former) party. Holy Joe must be forced to vote with the Dems on procedural matters or be forced from the caucus. It’s that simple.

“I think he firmly moves into “part of the problem” territory.”

Seconded. When is Dodd up for (hopefully not) reelection?

Reid is forcing certain immoral, sleazy senators to show themselves publicly

that remains to be seen. or did you miss his dismissal of Lieberman’s threat as just a difference of opinion

fyi – count me in the school that thinks Reid announced the PO in the bill before he was certain he had 60 because of the tremendous pressure from Labor and progressives calling in to NV

sorry – didn’t focus on “primary” in your question. Simmons looks to be the one viable threat at this point

Every day and in every way I am seeing a senate that has no worth, no job, and no help to anyone but corporations.
If Harry Reid allows the vote without reconciliation, I campaign for the republican to replace the spineless mormon milquetoast. If he thinks the senate bill is worth bringing to a vote, then he will be replaced too.

You don’t get it Senator. We want real health care reform. Not the kind that the agent for israel can stop by throwing a hissy fit and peeing all over you. Get to work and give us HR676 and stop screwing around. We are dying daily and the families of the dead are going to rise up and make you the star of the biggest zombie movie in history. And you know how zombie movies end don’t you senator?

You are acting like a conservative republican and you are allowing one to lead you around by the sphincter. Trash lieberisrael before it is too late for you, too late for the senate, and too late for this third world country.

Citizen Bluetoe2:

“And what if Obama is opposed to a strong public option?”

Then he’s snookered and he’s tied to it anyway because his entire presidency and the future of his party are now tied to real healthcare reform…whether he likes it or not. That’s why I don’t think that we are seein’ the entire playin field here…this posturing and dancin’ around for position is classic political “chicken” and Obama only loses if his approval falls under 55+%. Remember when it looked like he was gunna bail out in August and his numbers went under 50%? The Darkman is NOT stupid and he is no more and no less “liberal” than FDR who was committed to doin’ anythin’ to save capitalism even advancing reform that helped the little guy.

And let’s not protect Dodd, he is a crook. Look at his record.

I am posting this because I could not get it out when calling Reid’s office a few minutes ago.

The post on Andrew Sullivan about Lieberman getting the most scut-work committee assignments is excellent. It is Lieberman’s right to behave like an I, but treating him as a member of the Democratic Party for committee purposes implies that he will behave more like a D than he otherwise would have. Lieberman has a very weak threat to become an R. If there is no room in the Republican Party for Arlen Specter and there barely is room for Dede Scozzafava, there is little room for Joe Lieberman there.

Was it Jane on Rachel who asked what good is it to have 60 votes if you don’t really have them? If Lieberman is going to vote against us on all the critical legislation, what good does it do us to keep him in our caucus?

I say we drop the hammer on him, he’s worthless to us.

The Baucus support for Reid’s bill causes warning, warning signals to go off for me. I am not sure that the strategy isn’t to shoot down the PO.

If there is no room in the Republican Party for Arlen Specter and there barely is room for Dede Scozzafava, there is little room for Joe Lieberman there.

I think you’re misunderestimating how far to the Right Joe Lie is. I think he’s a perfect fit for the Republifascists.

Citizen tjbs:

Exactly…that’s why I don’t think Obama is gunna cave in…the worst case is reconcilliation…defeat of real reform has not been an option since September.

Reid is forcing certain immoral, sleazy senators to show themselves publicly

that remains to be seen. or did you miss his dismissal of Lieberman’s threat as just a difference of opinion

fyi – count me in the school that thinks Reid announced the PO in the bill before he was certain he had 60 because of the tremendous pressure from Labor and progressives calling in to NV

He definitely announced a po before he was certain he had 60 and he definitely did it because of the tremendous pressure.

Why is that a problem? He’s responding to us. Good. He’s forcing the handful of asses in his caucus to marginalize themselves publicly. Also good.

I don’t think Reid dismissed Lieberman’s threat as just a difference of opinion. I think he dismissed Lieberman. And I think that he’s waiting for the CBO to take the winds out of the sails of Blanche Lincoln and Joe Lieberman. As the process moves forward, there will be opportunities to push Lieberman into the fold or to push him out of the way.

Let us all thank the citizens of CT for two such excellent choices as Senators.

It seems that is beneficial to the rethugs to have a spy in the dem caucus who can report back to McShame after every meeting.

He couldn’t be the VP pick because he wasn’t conservative enough. If the base understands that no one who is pro-life could get elected in Connecticut that might be a different thing.

Responding to cue: What does being an agent of Israel have to do with health care?

Presumably Chris Dodd knows how quickly a primary challenger can be generated in Connecticut politics. Why should Nutmeg Democrats stand for a weak incumbent who defends Lieberman?

Does Ned have money left after the crash? Could he be prevailed on to challenge Dodd in a 2010 primary?

Citizen Suflizard:

Likuderman is a creation of the fascists and was patched together in William Buckley’s dark and smelly basement to run against Lowell Weicker who led the Republican defection from Nixon. Buckley, of course, was the creator of the fascist movement we see today and Likuderman is as far to the right as all of those cypto-Nazis that came outta the Nixon administration.

Oh right, CT needs another rep from Goldman Sachs. Lamont is pretty much a kool aid drinker when it comes to supporting business.

Hell, I don’t read my own links. Israel doesn’t have a “public option” or a government-run health care plan per se. The health insurance organizations are not-for-profit and existed before the Israeli government. Citizens pay taxes to enroll in each of them.

Make the Republicans filibuster. Change the Senate rules so that they have to talk about the bill that they are filibustering.

41 spineful democrat Senators could have prevented the war.

Unfortunately there were only 21 Nay votes, not 41.

Citizen Knoxville:

Hang in there Citizen Knoxville, I’m comin’ in with gunships and napalm. You are, of course correct, One Hung Harry Reid was forced to hook his entire political existance to the public option and real healthcare reform…whether he liked it or not. And ObamaRahma has left him out there to either get his shit together and get the votes or get reform to reconcilliation. In either case, Reid and now Dodd are catchin’ the heat for Obama who ducks all the direct criticism and stays outta the line of fire and in either case we get reform…this entire fight is now a procedural three act drama and we’re in the second act.

Please FDLers, don’t try and read The Darkman’s mind or figure his real ideological motivations, none of that means shit and he’s way ahead of us anyway. He is literally playin’ for his life because if he loses on healthcare, if he doesn’t kill the insurance industry, he won’t survive and neither will the Democratic Party.

“If Chris Dodd has more loyalty to an “old boy’s club” notion of the Senate than he does to an issue he was tasked to lead on by both the President and Ted Kennedy, I think he firmly moves into “part of the problem” territory.”

Reminds me of Kerry deciding to be mum about scull and bones. The nation, on their list of priorities figures at the bottom of the page.

Jon Walker has a fresh cross-post already in progress: “Making Public Option Less Robust Is A Double Slap In The Face To Working Class Americans”

This is sickening. Reminds me of when I saw parents totally condoning their “precocious” tot who was slamming into everyone, pulling pigtails, and throwing basketballs at the buffet and their response was: “Isn’t he cute?”

Albert Gore & Joe Lieberman. A winning Ticket.

being chris dodd is “ridiculous”.

Then we’re going to have to reprimand Chris Dodd by voting him out of office.

Exactly. I think it might turn into a five act drama, though! And we’re only in the second act… My point is that, yes, Reid was pushed. But he’s in now. I think he still needs more pushing to get all the way to a strong, competitive public option. We can keep doing that! But had he waited until he had all 60 votes, he would have had to make many backroom compromises. In other words, he would have been allowing Lieberman and Nelson and Lincoln to water the thing down even more. It would have been a silent filibuster!

Citizen Knoxville:

We’re gettin’ to nut cuttin’ time…the fascists can’t add anymore acts they can only, in the end, either succeed in killin’ the entire cast or the drama goes to the final curtain WITH a strong public option.

Norske:

As you wrote earlier,

[Reid] is literally playin’ for his life because if he loses on healthcare, if he doesn’t kill the insurance industry, he won’t survive and neither will the Democratic Party.

I totally agree. Reid has tied his political future and the future of the Democratic Party together. This is part of what I wrote Reid last night:

The millions of Americans who support a strong, competitive public health insurance option need you to stand up to those few who would turn against your leadership by joining Republicans to block cloture in order to block real health care reform from becoming a reality. Siding against you and the vast majority of Senate Democrats would be an unprecedented move and would certainly destroy both real health care reform and our chances to hold on to a super majority in the Senate after the 2010 election.

It has probably been said by others, but what a douchebag Dodd has become. When he ran for President last year, he was supposed to be one of the high-minded, principled ones, you know, like John Edwards. But if you have seen what he has been doing and saying as chair of the Senate Financial Services committee overseeing the financial industry, he has been just another bought and paid for pol (as has Frank on the House side). I was willing to cut him some slack on the favored mortgage terms he got from Countrywide but now I really wonder what I was thinking. He didn’t know the same way Captain Renault didn’t know there was gambling going on at Rick’s Cafe.

sorry this link is not useful, it doesn’t provide Dodd’s office email address.

Actually, I think the link @ 29 does provide a way to send Dodd a message. Look below Dodd’s photo and click on “send message.” I’m not 100% that that’s the best way to send him a message, though.

You might try this:

http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3128

Like many Congresspeople, Dodd has a note saying he really only responds to those from Connecticut.

Is Dodd stupid? Lieberman doesn’t have to face the voters for another 5 yrs–Dodd next year. I guess he doesn’t like being a Senator.

I think that it is fair to say that bloggers to this site are among the harshest critics from the left. And the most likely to mobilize and act on their beliefs. That’s great. But when there is a choice between mere persuasion and action we should always opt for action.

Also I think that everyone should have a threshold for allocating blame to people and then take action against them. Action is not possible if there is no trigger to set it off.

For example Dodd apparently will abide having this cockroach undermine the public’s interest. Fine but we should act in response. This insect that is Lieberman should be squashed. Reid is a little harder to make out so he should be pressured to do the right thing.

My threshold for action is that Lieberman, the human garbage, should be recalled and the people of CT should be urged to do so. Dodd should be challenged in the primaries by a viable candidate who we may support. Reid sholud be told to strip the insect of any vestige of power and influence and throe him out of the Caucus.this prick should pay for what he is doing.

These three in addition to the other wavering amoebas, like Lincoln, Landrieu and the rest are should be getting our emails and calls ceaselessly.

My point is that we should have a threshold for action and follow through.

Just so others don’t gag on their coffee or tea like I almost did, wanted to clarify that LIEberman faces voters in 3 years, not 5. Whew. I almost threw up thinking we had to put up with that asshat for 5 more years!

Of course we should also not forget Obama who has essentially accomplished one thing to date, to deliver the public’s taxes to the Banks. This invertebrate should be replaced by Sherrod Brown in the next election.

I think we should work toward raising Brown’s profile.

Keep up the good fight Jane. But as for Dodd, I’d remove the “if” in your last sentence–this stunt was not only an unacceptable betrayal, but just plain dead stupid as well. Chris must have been busy thinking about his Wall St. friends. I wish the good people of CT would find some better senators.

Lieberman was always the Corporatist Obama’s trump card.

Call joe liebermann’s office and demand he stop siding with the Medical Industrial Complex/Cartel against the wishes of a majority of citizens in his district.A Public Option with a Opt Out provision will leave millions of Americans in red states to the whims of the criminally corrupt Medical Industrial Complex/Cartel.Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score’s the baucus plan at $829 Billion over a 10 year period, that is paid for. The CBO also states that it will lower the deficit by $80 Billion and it would be much lower if there was a public option.Criminally corrupt politicians are the reason the U.S. is ranked near the bottom of every catagory when ranked next to other modern, industrialized nations. Time for publically funded elections. lieberman $12.6M, mcconnell $7.8M, baucus $7.7M, cornyn $6.7M, kyl $5.6M, grassley $5.4M, ensign $5.2M, conrad $5.1M, cantor $4.9M, nelson $4.9M, burr $4.8M, boehner $4.4M, hatch $4.4M, lincoln $4.1M, vitter $3.9M, carper $3.6M were paid by the Medical Industrial Complex to kill Health Care Reform. (Source: OpenSecrets.org, Aug. 09)Follow the Money: LinkCall Congress and demand, Single-Payer Health Care for All!(Toll Free # House and Senate)1-866-338-1015 _____ 1-866-220-00441-866-311-3405Sign Single-Payer, Public Option and Health Care as a Civil Rights Petitions: Link Link Link kucinichpetition Don’t let the Medical Industrial Complex steal your Health Care from you and your family by donating huge sums of money to Crooked Politicians in order to maintain the Status Quo. Keep up the good fight.SEMPER FI!

If you want your voice to be heard please sign our petition to tell Joe Leiberman to support the public option :

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/tell-leiberman-to-support-the-public-option

What’s ludicrous is both senators from Connecticut. Mr. Dodd seems to want to retire from his privileged public employment as much as Mr. Lieberman. I wish them both well as they join K Street’s bloated legions.

Looks like Senator Dodd wants NO Support from me and many people in Connecticut, either financially or campaigning for him.

If the Democrats capitulate on health care reform, in 2010 their report card will look something like this:

Jobs: D

Iraq: C-

Afghanistan D

Financial Regulation: D-

Global Warming C+

Government Secrecy F

Domestic Surveillance F

Election Reform F

Gay & Lesbian Rights C (now) B (then?)

Income Tax Reform D

Labor Reform F

Health Care Reform F

How much time and money will liberals, progressives and union members contribute to keep that record going?

Regardless of whether Lieberman is sanctioned for being one of the most contemptible villains in American political history, Dodd, Lincoln and the Blue Dogs won’t have a snowball’s chance in Huntsville of being re-elected.

Unfortunately, Lieberman probably is a better fit for the Likud Party.

Yikes, that’s two strikes for Dodd (at least); and I’m not even sure it will require a third to get him out come election time. Too bad, so sad, bye bye…

Lieberman has threatened to filibuster.

How should Dodd respond?

Should he publicly exclaim, “If the bastard filibusters, there is no punishment that could be too severe, and I’ll see that he gets it!”

Or, should he make two separate statements. One to the public, and another privately, to Lieberman.

To the public: ”We don’t punish people around here for having different points of view. I believe Senator Lieberman is a fine Senator, who cares deeply about the people of Connecticut. I know he’ll do the right thing”

Privately, to Lieberman: “If you filibuster, you sorry bastard, there is no punishment that could be too severe, and I’ll see that you get it”

“It’s another to assert his authority within the caucus as a powerful committee chair to say Lieberman will face no penalty for abandoning the caucus on a critical procedural vote. He went too far.”

I thought he went too far when he started pimping McCain/Palin, but I guess it’s OK…Reid trusts him. I’m sure Joe won’t stab him in the back AGAIN. I mean, 4-5 times, that’s OK by Harry, but there’s no way Joe will do it a sixth time. It’s just inconceivable.

No, not at all….he only threatened to take down one of the greatest pieces of legislation in a generation (which is actually far from perfect), all to empower himself or to exact revenge on the DNC.

I don’t care what Joe says, but he obviously got his feelings hurt when the DNC ran a candidate against him his last go around, and now he is trying to punish the Democrats, irregardless of what the American people need.

Pathetic…