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Per K-Tum, Harry Reid says he has a wonderful relationship with the albatross hanging around his neck:
In addition to all these public battles, Reid is waging private ones as well, according to sources on and off Capitol Hill. He has complained to colleagues that the White House has pressured him to lean on the CBO to speed its cost estimates of the measure — something that could easily be seen as exerting improper influence on the CBO’s calculations, which are supposed to be free of political pressure. And he has been pleading with liberal interest groups to ease up on Senator Joe Lieberman — an independent whom Reid counts as part of his 60-member caucus — over Lieberman’s public declaration that he will filibuster any bill that contains a public option. It was Reid who made the risky call to put a version of the public option in the bill that he will be taking to the Senate floor. “He’s telling everybody, ‘Leave Joe Lieberman alone. I’ll handle him. I know Joe,’ ” says a Democratic strategist who has been part of those conversations.
You have to be fucking kidding me. Where have I heard that one before? The classic Tim Tagaris piece about the Lamont/Lieberman race in 2006 deserves revisiting:
We had been promised by Democratic leadership they would do the right thing. We had been told that there is a way to keep Joe in the race, and a way to make him see the light and “do the right thing.” Even Sun Tzu says among the most glorious of battlefield victories is the one in which your opponent surrenders without a fight. If there was a shot to win this thing without raising a fist post-primary, we were going to rely on Democratic leaders to “talk Joe off the ledge.”
The conventional wisdom was that Joe’s defiant “concession” speech would be an opportunity for Joe to show toughness in his final hour in the public eye. After a few days, the coverage would die down and Joe would ride off into the sunset without a fight.
[]
We have no idea who, if anyone, tried to talk Joe down. Did Rahm Emmanuel say anything about potentially costing Diane Farrell, Chris Murphy, and Joe Courtney shots at pick-up opportunities? Probably not. Did Chairwoman DiNardo speak about a real opportunity to capture the governor’s seat in CT? I’d guess no. How about Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid talking to Joe about Ned traveling the country as the poster-boy speaking about accountability on Iraq? Don’t think that happened either.
Dear Harry: Football. No. Kickie.
As Joe Conason notes, Hadassah Lieberman is employed by the Susan B. Komen “Race for the Cure” organization, which needs to explain why the man blocking health care reform is repeatedly invited to their events. Ostensibly, they are calling for the changes he is trying to prevent. Are they about raising money, or are they about…you know, health care?
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I thought they were all about T-shirts that read “Save the Ta-tas”.
The question is who is handling whom?
Lieberman:
Good Morning Jane,
I have been waiting for that big pink shoe to drop – I have called, tweeted, e mailed, FB’d on Eshoo and Hagen, now Hadassah – so far no response
wonder if it would raise the profile to join in their online forums
;~p
No need to fear, people. Harry Reid is looking after your interests.
With friends like Harry Reid who needs an enema?
…and he’s with us on everything but the war’.
Oh.
Harry Reid reminds me of the low talker episode on Seinfeld.Why is it that the liberal electorate that put these clowns in power cant have a Liberal Agenda?
Can’t decide who I dislike the most, Lieberman, Reid, or Rahm.
I can’t help wondering what the brave firefighters and their union whom
supported Joe over Lamont must be thinking now!
It’s a classic addict/enabler relationship.
How is it that ‘short ride’ the Dems Trojan Horse has taken us on a trip to pain and dispair? LIEberman may have taken down the Dem Party and it will be his legacy. That’s what happens when a foreign spy is alowed to operate freely not just in the US but inside the US Government…his enablers are also guilty.
Goodbye Harry! You have been the stone around the neck of the American people as you allowed vice president to run you into the swamp. You don’t appear to have the guts of a possum. Possums will play dead but stand their ground. You play dead and retreat.
Give us what we demand or you are retired. Or have you already given up on getting your old job back?
Lieberman you can handle? Since when? He has shit all over you so many times you can’t get the stink out, why should now be any different. If you don’t take the republican’s (R-Israel) gavel away and put him quietly on the back bench, you are through. Your own people of Nevada hate you for the slime you feed them. Stand up and be a human being for a change instead of the worst senate majority leader of all time. Now you know the word for this don’t you? It’s called orders. Orders from the people you offer a disservice to ever god damned day of the century.
Reid doesn’t need to take care of Joe, Joe will take care of himself by losing his next election.
That sounds a lot like an optimistic cavalry trooper saying, “Oh good, Custer’s here.”
he’s on us with everything but the floor (vote).
“Leave Lieberman Alone, I’ll Handle Him”
Famous last words.
To my contempt for JoeL, add that for Harry the weak Reid.
Reid is clearly getting something he wants from JoeL and his WATB routine, but I don’t know what it is.
You must mean Susan B. Anthony.
“i’ll handle him” is congress-critter-speak for ‘nothing to see here, move along… this does not concern you’
with a “leader” like this, its no wonder no progressive actions are being (have been) taken under reid…
but then, this is a ‘leader’ the corporate rulers WANT to have in place…
I used to think he sounded like the dad from the TV show Alf. But since that time, a new, more fitting, comparison can be made to Senator Palpatine from the Star Wars movies. See this photo.
EDIT – I was referring to LIEberman.
Yowsa! Good question. All three are equally disgusting, although IMHO LIEberman edges out Hairy NoBalls and the Rahmanator. Remembering Joe sniffing around McCan’t's butt during last year’s general election takes the cake.
Why Dems keep insisting that this turncoat will do the “left” thing is beyond me. He’s a Republican in an “Independent’s” clothing.
Plus Mr. LIE is a fame-whore drama queen. Out for himself only.
Reid knows exactly the position to take when it comes to Lieberman. In the animal kingdom it is referred to as “presenting.” The problem is only Harry presents but we all get screwed.
If I might be permitted to say one thing about the current health care model that I have yet to read — anywhere! — it would be:
– the goal of healthCos has zilch to do with overall outcomes of ‘improved wellness among populations’.
– IF IT WAS measured by ‘wellness’ and improved outcomes, we would all see health ‘insurance’ companies start to join the forces that want to crack down on pollution.
Why?
Because many of those incidents of breast cancer can be linked to pollutants (in the home, as well as in the environment).
So no matter what Haddassah does, until her husband and his senate buddies start cracking down on polluters, Superfund cleanup, and other pollution-related problems, HoJo’s **not** protecting the public in the 21st century.
HoJo seems like a prima donna — the more attention he receives, the more off-the-rails he goes. I interpret Reid to be saying, “stop giving HoJo so damn much attention; the more everyone sucks up to him and obsequiously asks for Joe’s Great Insights, the harder he is to deal with.”
In that respect, it does appear that Reid has a point.
However, in this as in so many issues, I defer to Jane’s keen observations and astute insights.
In a time of war aren’t foreign spies executed?
In a perfect world Russ Feingold would be Senate Leader and Dennis Kucinich the House Speaker.They seem to be the closest to what I truly believe when it comes to what this administration should be doing.
Great reference to the “Godfather”.
Don’t leave out Summers & Geithner.
But that would mean we have a Congress that represents the people. That would be revolutionary.
Those two might come closest to representing your ideals but neither would be the best choice to lead their respective institutions. We simply need a larger number of genuine progressive advocates on the Hill. How best to accomplish that is the hard part.
There are lots of jerks in Congress. What is particularly terrible about Lieberman is that he KNOWS his constituents DON’T support him on his filibuster threat. So, this is a big fuck-you to Connecticut voters, symbolizing his arrogance, his absolute rejection of his role as a representative of this state. In fact, it seems like after being primaried his driving motivation has become spite and an anger at the Democratic Party. Whatever is going on in that sad little man’s head has turned him into a parody of democratic values and a disgrace to Connecticut.
If this next 4 years does not yield a better economy and a more level playing field for the true creators in this country;As in people that build things and manufacture;then this current system of bailing out banks and leaving trillions of debt to the rest of us has to be destroyed.Since these democrats will not do anything about these banks with there big majorities Americans will have only one thing to resort to and that is Anarchy.
My contempt for Joe Lieberman is infinite and eternal.
Sadly I think you just described more than half of our elected officials. In the House and Senate.
It isn’t called the Connecticut for Lieberman Party for nothin’, folks.
I don’t recall who coined the term, but it is as true today as it was a few years ago: Joe Lieberman is a bag of assholes.
I’d consider it a win if he were kicked out of the caucus – let the Republicans have him. They pretty much already do. It’s never been clear to me what the Dems gain from someone like Holy Joe whose support when it counts is… let’s say less than reliable. Catering to his constant need for ego gratification could be justified I suppose were he to deliver on something, anything. Instead he gets to pretend he’s still relevant and his friends in TV can keep putting him out there to spew his useless drivel.
Meh!
Hell, Harry, we’re not even going to leave you alone.
RRRAAA2WWW111!!!
Give’em Hamsher!!!
And may reid forkin’ choke on them!
The Democrats were really dumb to allow Joe to think that he is very important to the party. Fluffs his ego, makes him virtually unbearable, and does nothing for the Dems.
I’m all too happy to leave Lieberman alone. on a desert island. with a Wilson volleyball and self-inflicted dental care.
The only way Lieberman gets away with what he does is because leadership wants him to provide cover for them. They don’t fucking see they are taking the whole ship down with their cowardice.
Who cares about Lieberman? He’s doing God’s work by slowing down the Insurance Company Enrichment Act, which every progressive blogger ought to be OPPOSING with all his/her might instead of falling into this idiotic “win vs. lose” game.
The entire health care debate and process is a sham. The American people deserve an end to corporate wars against poor brown people in mud huts on the other side of the world and FREE universal health care. We should stop taking what we can get and go for the gold.
If anyone’s interested, Anna Eshoo will be on a radio call in show in a few minutes. If you want to call in, dial any of the bay area area codes 415 510 408 650 707 925 + 8080810.
Lieberman knows Reid, and Reid doesn’t know Lieberman. That’s an easy one. Lieberman wins, we lose. Thanks, Harry!
We don’t really know how the Dem leadership really falls on health care reform. It may be that Reid and Pelosi realized at some point that they had to make us feel that they were trying. Lieberman may be doing them a big favor by giving them a scapegoat for the failure they want.
Politicians really are never good guys. They have a job to do and a game to play, and we’re just a nuisance except when we vote.
I hope Owens can make her squirm re her amendment that has evergreening but I doubt that she will. She just doesn’t seem to care. So disappointed in her.
I think we have had quite enough of this dynamic duo, Reid and this vermin from CT. But we are in a position to act, in the here and now, only about Reid. It really is about how we see ourselves. To be talked down to and repeatedly have our interests trampled on as if we are pathetic idiots is one thing, but to do nothing about it is really very debasing.
Reid must be unseated in part through our efforts beginning now. If we have any influence, and it’s safe to say we do, then now is the time to exert it. If there is a candidate in Nevada who wants to defeat Reid and who shares our views then he should start to get our support now.
Whether the challenge to his incumbency causes Reid to act against that scum is not the only motivation, that threat is also a show of strength on our part and an example to others. When we speak of the grassroots as being the agents for change this is the very situation in which this proposition is tested. Either we are or we aren’t.
When King Henry III asked his Barons, for very different reasons, about St. Thomas Becket, “who will rid me of this meddlesome priest” they responded by acting very boldly and swiftly to be rid of him. As regards Reid the question is the same, who will rid us of this meddlesome pest, the answer is that the task falls on ourselves.
I wouldn’t bet on it, Owens is a superficial douche.
Absolutely, which is why Harry Reid has to wear Joe around his neck for the way he’s empowered him & used him as an excuse for years.
Not kicking the football.
listen live
“I’ll handle him” What by giving him another committee chair for undermining health care reform efforts
Lieberman is a two faced yellow bellied (deferment during Vietnam) traitor. So concerned about the debt now just a bit too late after he supported a war based on a “pack of lies” that have cost our nation lives and treasure. Not to mention the lives lost in Iraq.
Isn’t that what we heard every single fucking time with Lieberman’s craven cowardice (and bravery towards the GOP/lobbyists) and on the whole, every single time the Democrats have let us down?
“I’ve got this” is a joke. It’s telling us to stop being activists, but keep the money flowing into the Democratic organizations that elect Blue dogs and people like Lieberman.
Why don’t YOU shut up and listen to the people, Reid? Pelosi and Obama too, for that matter. You do not “got it”, nor are you getting it for US.
“we’re just a nuisance except when we vote.”
You’re forgetting our American duty to fill their coffers.
As if this wasn’t outrageous enough already, the Komen info. was news to me! As a survivor who has volunteered & donated to them a great deal in the past, no more. You better believe I’ll ask them. Thank you SO much for the heads up!
Harry you’re as hapless as ever. Joe the skunk stinks up government too much to be ignored. So do you – like a turd in the rain.
Ah! finally a laugh! Throw in a root canal!
To me it is very simple to understand.
LIBERMAN IS WORKING FOR OBAMA, REID AND RAHM DEADFISH.
He’s the strong man giving them cover.
Come on you politico guys, this one is a no-brainer.
That’s what they keep him around for. He’s done it before. This is how the game is played. Bait and switch the real progressives.
* Shocker of the Day: Anonymous White House aides who have long wanted to lure Olympia Snowe with a “trigger” deal now leaking that they think the trigger is better on the merits.
Anyone who still thinks Obama wants a public option is fooling themselves. He never did. He trapped and he didn’t expect it.
Simple solution: Just steal Joe’s eyeglasses the day of the vote. Then tell him that in exchange for not filibustering the PO, he can offer an amendment denying Exchange subsidies to Muslin extremists.
Joe Lieberman is a bag of smashed assholes.
Wasn’t Lieberman Obama’s mentor in the Senate? Obama has punk’d independents and progressives who voted for change. It is a no brainer.
Lieberman & Reid: Midnight Cowboy in the Senate
“No question now, what had happened to the faces of the whores. The creatures outside looked from whore to john, and from john to whore, and from whore to john again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
With apologies to George Orwell.
Very good, I like that.
How could I forget our favorite WH whore?
Lieberman, Reid & Emanuel were in a boat….
I beginning to wonder what the point is in getting all worked up about Lieberman in particular and the proposed health cared reform in general. It seems pretty obvious to me that those who are drafting the legislation fall into two groups: those who clearly represent the corporate interests and those who would like make changes to the system that wil benefit Americans but are too politically incompetent to make it happen.
Why are we ignoring the 800 pound gorilla in the room? The corporations own both houses of congress. Is this not clear to everyone?
“However, in this as in so many issues, I defer to Jane’s keen observations and astute insights”.
Enough defering. You ARE readeroftealeaves!
The way it looks now Harry is going to “handle” his own defeat in the next election. And the guy he is defending will continue to go to the Komen events and act like he belongs there.
Anyone who’s sick of Joe is welcome to join at an interfaith prayer vigil in Stamford CT, his hometown, this Sunday 11/15 at 6PM
http://www.healthcare4every1.org/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=101761&whence=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcare4every1.org%2Fsite%2FPageServer%3Fpagename%3Dcalendar_landing
NO HARRY WE WON’T LEAVE JOE ALONE !!!
YOU WON’T DO ANYTHING. YOU’VE GOT NO SPINE LEFT – YOU GUTLESS WONDER.
Jane wrote:
What a wonderful image. Brilliant…Pythonesque!
Rahm gets my vote…he gave us the Blue Dogs. Heath Schuler for instance.
Last night on MSNBC Ed was pounding Liebermann. One radio host called him “Traitor Joe” and made sure we knew not the store
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/14472
November 11, 2009
Categories:
Leahy open to booting Lieberman — again
My POLITICO colleague Manu Raju reports:
Sen. Patrick Leahy, one of 13 Democrats who voted last fall to strip Joe Lieberman’s gavel of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, answered sharply when asked if Lieberman should be kicked out of the Democratic Caucus if he filibusters the health care bill.
“Let’s see what happens. I don’t think anybody should be filibustering — nobody should be filibustering health care. Either vote it up or vote it down.”