I think no caption is necessary.
You knew this was coming. Some senator in the Democratic caucus would announce that he will not vote for cloture in order to stop a Republican filibuster to give the health care bill an up or down vote. The only question was, who? Max Baucus? Kent Conrand? Blanche Lincoln? While these three might also vote against a cloture resolution, the first one to declare this outright is none other than frequent turncoat motherfucker Joe Lieberman.
A couple of weeks ago I said that the final senate version of the health care reform bill would not include a public option (PO). To me, it was a forgone conclusion. The PO looked nearly down and out after Baucus submitted that hunk of garbage he calls a health care bill, leaving us to wonder whether he’d support a Republican filibuster against real reform. Then, inexplicably, majority leader Harry Reid found his testicles and announced that the senate version would indeed have a PO. For a moment it looked as if the PO side had retaken the lead.
With my cynical prediction in danger, Joe Lieberman stepped up to the plate and belted a double into the gap (he only has warning track power) in what the health insurance giants hope will be the start of a late inning rally for their team—the one with the highest payroll in this contest.
As I noted two weeks ago, the Democratic leadership unfortunately does not have the mettle to properly deal with recalcitrant party members. Here’s what I said:
[The Democrats] are willing to tolerate an intolerable amount of rogue behavior. Take the whiny, sniveling Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut). When this little shit lost in the 2006 Democratic Senate primary in Connecticut, he refused to bow out, and ran as an independent against the Democratic Party in the general election and won. How was Lieberman punished by the majority Democrats? As the ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, he was allowed to ascend to its chairmanship after the Democrats retook the Senate, even though (in addition to running against the party) Lieberman supported George W. Bush every misguided step of the way on the Iraq war.
At the time, I was more concerned about Baucus derailing the PO. After all, his own committee’s bill didn’t have one, which probably had something to do with the fact that he gets oodles of money from the health insurance industry. But now here comes Lieberman—who also gets oodles of dough from said industry—in a sickening display that should finally get the message through to Dems that they cannot count on this backstabbing pipsqueak when the game is on the line. Although, the Republicans sure can.
It’s quite possible that Lieberman’s bluffing, hoping to get a seat at the conference committee to reconcile the House and Senate versions if and when they get passed. Or, he could be 100% serious, given that his home state of Connecticut is a hub for health insurance providers. Whatever his reasons (and really, who cares?), if Lieberman is not stripped of his chairmanship on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the Dems might as well just disband. There’s no point in the Democrats being a national party if they’re going to allow themselves to be held hostage by the likes of Joe Lieberman. This is a man who for some reason ran for president in 2004 on a platform that was basically this: George W. Bush is doing a good job as president, and the Iraq war was a great idea and is going splendidly. To this day, I have no fucking idea why Lieberman ran for president in 2004. None whatsoever.
This is a man who also endorsed the elderly John McCain and Sarah Palin. He even spoke at the Republican National Convention, and alleged that Barack Obama was not ready to be president in front of a zealous right-wing crowd that briefly pretended to like a northeastern Jew who happened to be singing their twisted tune.
It’s possible the Dems are treating Lieberman with kid gloves because they don’t want to alienate him and push him into the Republican camp. However, I do not see this as a real concern. If Turncoat Joe starts voting with the Republicans more frequently, then he’ll have his Connecticut constituents to answer to in 2012. Although it’s a full three years from now, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll Lieberman would not win reelection, and currently has a negative approval rating.
Mark it: November 6, 2012. Lieberman, your ass is grass. Or at least, I goddamn hope so.
- Max
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