F U Joe Lieberman
“I told Senator Reid that I’m strongly inclined–i haven’t totally decided, but I’m strongly inclined–to vote to proceed to the health care debate, even though I don’t support the bill that he’s bringing together because it’s important that we start the debate on health care reform because I want to vote for health care reform this year. But I also told him that if the bill remains what it is now, I will not be able to support a cloture motion before final passage. Therefore I will try to stop the passage of the bill.”
Personally I think Lieberman is actually maneuvering, trying to get some concession out of Harry Reid. I hope Harry Reid is prepared to play hardball with the so-called moderates. Why is it even an issue that a Democratic bill get a vote with a 60-seat supposed Democratic caucus?
Tags: Health Care Reform, Joe Lieberman
I’m hearing that Lieberman’s Senate in-box is completely full already. Perhaps we can fill up Carper’s in-box telling him to go talk to Lieberman.
He didn’t say ‘may.’ Rather, he said he would block and vote against any health care bill with any sort of public option, even one that has an opt out clause.
Wow! Lieberman pulled a Lieberman. Time to pull his chairmanships and his caucusing with the Dems.
And this is why the myth of the 60-seat Democratic supermajority is a load of crap. Myself, I’d consider the bill just as “bipartisan” if Lieberman votes for it as I would if Snowe votes for it (or Landrieu or Lincoln for that matter). I think UI’s right that he’s trying to get something, even if it’s just recognition that he’s still relevant. How long until Olympia reminds him that the position of Queen of the Senate is already taken?
With a 60 senator majority every senator in the majority (or helping out…) is suddenly the most important one in the room. It’s painful to watch the conservative Dems complain, and then the liberal ones. Leiberman should have been shunned from the beginning. And so I add my own FU Lieberman. Thanks for providing the forum to do so.
All I want for those of us that need it to get the same heath care that the senators and congressman get, is that so bad.
I think the reason Reid went with the public option opt-out in the first place is because some progressive senators threatened not to vote for cloture if it didn’t contain the public option.
I think Lieberman’s words look like hedging to me. Yes, there’s an awful lot of senators who really want attention.
Unless someone can find evidence that Lieberman already has plans in place to join the Republican caucus, I find it hard to believe he would vote against cloture. He’ll go on as long as he can, making it look like he’s the only one standing between pass and fail for reform, get what (if anything) he can from Reid, and then “reluctantly” allow a vote. He may well vote against, but that’s fine. It’s Reid’s job to figure out who gets to vote against the bill to save face. We only need 50 Yea’s.
Joe Loserman is saying that putting right wing jurists like Alito and Roberts on the Supreme Court deserves an up-and-down vote, but providing a public option for health insurance does not.
Tom Carper, being the grown-up that he is, also opposed filibustering Alito and Roberts. Ya’ think he’s relying on the old man to run interference for his corporate pals while he keeps himself below the radar?
TPM points out there are several steps to the vote:
So, even if we get through step 1, we still have step 4 to worry about.
I apologize to all my fellow liberals when I thought that Lieberman could be brought back into the fold. He’s more in the pocket of the health insurance lobby than Carper is. And that’s saying a lot.
Can you believe we all VOTED for Lieberman? Thinking about that is like looking at your old yearbook photo.
Way to go JOE!
I like him more and more!!!
Why, P? Does Lieberman have a health care plan? What is it?
Just wondering…
Why, it’s just watching him make you democraps twiddle your tonsils on his yiddish tool. He’s yanking on your pigtails and slapping his wrinkled ballsac against your chin.
All while proudly wearing a yamulke with a picture of Elijah winking and giving the middle finger at the same time.
Oy!!!!!!!!
He is a principled pol not beholden to anyone.
uluau is taking the fox news attitude, higher health care costs for everyone, now and in the future. The public does not even deserve a crumb from anyone our anybody, it,s the republican creed, Wall street and profits are king, wait for trikle down to pay for your prescriptions.
Well, I don’t know when people were voting for Lieberman, but it wasn’t me.
I don’t understand why his faith is being brought into it, though. I’m not used to that.
Brooke,
If you voted for Gore, you also voted for Lieberman.
Lieberman is beholden to the insurance companies. That’s why he’s lying about the public option. It pays for itself and it reduces the deficit.
Nate Silver on Lieberman. Lieberman doesn’t have much to gain from the filibuster but attention. He may embolden other Senate assholes, though.
Ah, true. I blocked that. :p Talk about nose-holding.
I was thinking about primaries.
“Wow! Lieberman pulled a Lieberman. Time to pull his chairmanships and his caucusing with the Dems.”
Yeah, that’ll show him. Punish that bastard for representing his constituents.
He is representing his paymasters, not his constituents.
LOL miscreant, I thought you were better than that especially since the polls show that the public likes the public option (Christian Science Monitor)
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that Lieberman’s wife works as a lobbyist for the pharmaceutical industry.
Pu — that’s what I thought: ya got nothing.
Brooke– looks like “faith” came into the discussion when Pu did. Apparently, people who don’t have an answer to the health care crisis also like to inject faith into things. Interesting, no?
thwap, thwap, thwap!!
Meshugenah!