White House Inexplicably Lets Lieberman Soak Up DADT Repeal Glory

The face of douchebaggery

Independent Senator Joe Lieberman, long the bane of the left, is now taking the lead on a cornerstone Democratic issue: don't ask, don't tell. At the White House's request, Lieberman will sponsor Senate legislation to repeal the policy, which bans gay men and women from openly serving in the military and which Lieberman has long opposed. Liberals, wary of trusting Lieberman with a pet issue, are skeptical of his involvement and are asking why the White House would let him reap the glory.

Atlantic Wire

Boy, Barack Obama sure does have a funny way of dealing with recalcitrant legislators. I mean, Joe Lieberman has been nothing but one big pain in the ass for his administration, (a party he once belonged to but quit after he got his ass kicked in the 2006 primary, and ended up winning the general election as an Independent). He single-handedly killed the public option. He killed the Medicare buy-in. He campaigned for John McCain and Sarah Palin for shit’s sake. And yet, Barack Obama has asked Lieberman to sponsor a bill that would repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on sexual orientation, whose repeal is a fait accompli at this point. So the White House, advised by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen, just blasted a 320 yard drive that rolled up to within six inches of the cup and said, “Go ahead, Joe. Tap it in.” And to top it off, Lieberman opposes gay marriage. So it’s not even like he’s some great champion of gay rights.

If Obama were an actual progressive, he wouldn’t give Joe Lieberman the time of day. But the fact that the White House asks Lieberman to take the initiative on this shows just how unserious Barack Obama’s request for a public health insurance option was. I mean, think about it. If you’re the president and you truly believe that having a public option available would do millions of Americans a great service and maybe even save lives, and then Senator Droopy Dog who campaigned for your opponent comes out and says that as the potential sixtieth vote for a cloture resolution he couldn’t vote for something he actually once supported, how rip-roaring bullshit would you be?

But Barack Obama is going to let Joe soak up a lot of the glory on the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal. The reason why is beyond me. It may be beyond everyone. Lieberman has walked all over Obama and yet gets to sponsor slam-dunk legislation and keep his committee chairmanship.

Obama has shown himself to be an inept, uninspired, uninspiring, run-of-the-mill, lackluster politician and president. Legislative treason doesn’t always have to be met with punishment, but Jesus Christ, don’t ever reward it. Even George W. Bush knew that much.

- Max

Al Franken Shuts Down Joe Lieberman

Well, well. Looks like some Democrat finally had the balls to show Traitor Joe that he doesn’t appreciate his recent duplicitous conduct on health care reform.

- Max

New Anti-Lieberman Facebook Page Pledges To Donate To His Opponent If He Continues To Shill For HMOs

Joe Lieberman is a dingleberry (seen here metaphorically clinging to the anal hair of the Democratic Party).

There’s a new anti-Joe Lieberman Facebook page. By becoming a fan, you essentially give your word that you’ll donate money to the campaign of Lieberman’s yet-to-be determined opponent in 2012 if he filibusters the health care bill. I’m generally skeptical of the ability of websites and internet petitions to effect change, but it certainly can’t hurt.

Become a fan today!

- Max

Profiles In Courage: Joe Lieberman Stands Up For The Poor Health Insurers

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