for using dirty language...

Joe Lieberman is a Douche!

Joe Lieberman was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2000.  Now, he's thinking of switching to the Republicans over Iraq?!?  What. The. Hell.

I am grinding my teeth too, but we should chill on this as much as possible.  Focus on campaigns, '07, '08, etc.  We don't need this Lieberman irritant to turn into a raging infection.  The more attention we give him, the more visibility he gets.

Civility is the best strategy with Joe.  It is smart politics anyway, but we don't really have any choice.

We need more leaders among the grassroots to step up and counter the shrill people who would walk the Democratic Party over the gangplank.

would endorse any war against any Muslim nation just like the bigots on the far right. That's how much he frightens me.

Joe Lieberman isn't a bigot.  He's just got the wrong idea aobut how to protect Israel.

People who want to nuke the Middle East or build a wall around Mexico have the wrong idea about how to protect America.

scolding of President Clinton on the Senate floor, I've viewed him as opportunistic, self-serving and very vituperative.  As I recall,up to that point, President Clinton had considered him an ally and a friend.  How Al Gore ever could have been so stupid as to partner with him in 2000 is beyond me. 

Let's hope for two things:  1) that Connecticut law has a "recall" capability and 2) that Lieberman has enraged enough CT Democrats to invoke it!

I think we need to be thinking about who to put up against Tom Davis if and when he runs for the Senate. We only have the Senate by a thread and it could easily go back to the Republicans. We need to be very worried about that.

because the way Senate was organized this time does not allow for that.  You had an agreement in 2001 that did allow flipping because of the tie vote, and because people didn't want to get into issues about whether the VP should be voting on a tie for organizing the Senate.

experts on senate procedure have diaried about this elsewhere.  he can flip but Dems keep control, and it probably makes no difference in any actual vote.

But it still sucks that Lieberman's threatening to leave the Democratic Party.

He is correct. 20 Democrats could all switch parties tomorrow, and Dems would retain control. That is normal Senate procedure. The 2001 was an exception, an agreement between Dems and Republicans to allow for party switching during the 2001-2002 session. Normally, you have to wait until the start of the 2 years between elections to establish control.

We Republicans will just have to try to take back control in 2008.

According to this comment on the site you linked to, Hrconservative is right.

"by Tarquin on 02.22.2007 at 05:15 PM

"The Senate already passed an organizing resolution that made no provision for changing in the balance of power. Mitch McConnell might become Majority Leader, but the Committee memberships are set and the Chairs will remain firmly in the hands of the Democrats. Contrast this to 2001, where the 50-50 Senate had a provision to change the committee membership in event of a change in membership.
Don't take my word for it, read the bills!

"http://www.govtrack....

"http://www.govtrack....

"So even if Lieberman switches, the Dems will still have the Committees. "

It is possible that some Democratic Senators in other states could be defeated. We simply cannot afford to take for granted that we will still have all the Democrats we now have. I think that would be overconfident. That's why Warner's seat is so critical.

For the Dems, you can bet that Republicans will go after Democrats in South Dakota and Louisiana.  However, we're in better shape then they are.  We have two week spots.  They have many more.  New Hampshire is going stronger and stronger Democrat.  Colorado looks good for Dems.  Oregon is a Blue State with a very conservative Senator.  Norm Coleman will most likely get a celebrity challenger in Al Franken, who will be well funded.  And even Susan Collins in Maine has to be careful of anti-Bush feelings taking her down.  They'll have a lot of territory to defend if we have good candidates.  I can only think of two of our seats that are really in any danger.

but that's it. And the Dems will probably pick up a seat in CO to even that out if Landrieu goes down.

Tim Johnson is probably running for re-election and that will probably be a safe seat if that's the case.

I don't know about Coleman. If Gov. Pawlenty could get re-elected, Coleman should have little problem. He's not as unpopular as previously believed. He's polling 57% against his likely challengers.

Oregon should be a good opportunity, but no big names have surfaced to run against Smith yet. In Maine, Tom Allen is supposed to be the best challenger the Dems could come up with, so that looks good.

With the way NH is trending, I think Sununu could be our best bet after Colorado. He's not as moderate as the other Republicans in the northeast like Specter, Snowe, and Collins.

Louisiana they have at Leans Dem, and they have South Dakota at Toss-Up.  That's what I'm going with for now.

Coleman is fairly popular.  But remember, so was Chaffee.  Coleman may end up getting backhanded by voters who believe that a stronger Dem majority could help them better.  Remember, Minnesota is getting more and more Blue.

I've come to point of believing, that Joe Leiberman is a selfish prick, and right-wing nuts think he's Jesus (excuse the pun).  So let's give them to him, and let them have a good ol' Lincoln Chaffee for the Republicans to knock around again.  The committee assignments aren't going to change dues to a defection, and its not like he's a real 'Democrat' anyways.  Besides, the media will stop being able to use him as a way to say 'Not all Democrats believe that _____________," in their story.

the Committee Chairs won't change hands until 2009 regardless. It will make the Democrats look like a party of principle over an issue that most Americans agree with them on.

I know it sucks, but losing the Senate majority would be one of the worse things we could do.  We'll have to hope that we don't lose any of our current Senate seats in 08 (could lose South Dakota or Louisiana), and that we get pickups in Colorado, Minnesota, and maybe New Hampshire or Oregon.  2008 won't just be a big year for Presidential races, but it'll be a big year for the Senate.  We need to make of gain of at least 1, because we can't expect Joementum to stick around much longer.

above.

Democrats should focus on extending their razor-thin majority in 2008. That would make Lieberman's leverage useless in the 2009 Senate. Remember, of the 33 senators up for re-elections in November '08 21 are Republicans, many of them like John Sonunu and Norm Coleman are in blue states

I don't suppose Connecticut has re-call, does it? That's mostly a Western state option, so the Senator from Israel will stay in place doing his meddling.

I've known Joe since the mid 70s when his kids and I attended the same Southern Connecticut summer camp. He was a rising star in the Connecticut Democratic Party - a State Senator from New Haven and later State Attorney General.  We cheered when he was elected to the U.S. Senate and got teary-eyed when Al Gore picked him to be his VP candidate.  In 2004, I was one of the first to donate to his presidential campaign - $200 I could hardly afford to give - but I thought worth the gamble.

And I thought I knew this guy.

Joe, you heartless deceiver.  I want my $200 back. 

For an observant Jew to forget the most-important tenet of Judaism, tikkun olam (loosely translated to "heal the world"), is unconscionable.

 

when he castigated Clinton on the floor of the Senate, when Clinton needed a friend?  He was history to me that day.

Shalom

President Clinton did a bad thing with the whole Monica thing, and was worse with lying.  Joe has every right to be disappointed.  Hell, we were all very disappointed with Bill.  But the difference is, I think, that we took it for what is was: a man trying to get out of cheating on his wife.  Yes, it was uncool.  And yes, it'll be a horrid stain on an otherwise great Presidency.

Where Joe went out of line was by instead of saying his piece once or twice in a short and sweet manor, he became one of the Republican mouthpieces.

P.S.-  The reason Gore picked Lieberman was to try to escape the Clinton Scandal.  That's a no-brainer.

is being recruited to challenge Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) in '08. If he's elected, maybe he can take out GOP Incumbent Sen. Lieberman in 2012. http://politicalwire...