News.com/TPM.com
Joe Lieberman, deciding that his judgement is better than a majority of the American people and a majority of his Democratic colleagues has said that "as a matter of conscience" he will not allow a health care bill that contains a public option to come to the floor for a vote.
It is not enough for Lieberman to simply speak out against it and vote against it. His "conscience" is such that, in being all seeing and all knowing, he will use senate rules to keep the majority of his colleagues from exercising their own consciences which obviously Lieberman regards as inferior to his own.
Liebermans arrogance in believing that he knows best, and having a track record that doesn't exactly inspire confidence (as his support for the war in Iraq shows) needs to be confronted by Harry Reid and it also needs to be dealt with as a matter of conscience.
Harry Reid should make it clear to Lieberman, that as a matter of conscience, if he votes to support a Republican filibuster he is going to be stripped of his Democratic seniority and his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee. Given his recent comments on Fox News that the Fort Hood shooting could well be an act of terrorism before the facts are in, stripping Lieberman of his Homeland Security chairmanship would be no great loss.
But given the high profile it gives him, its likely Lieberman would think twice about filibustering the health care bill if it meant losing his chairmanship.
It should also be made clear to Lieberman as a matter of conscience, that if he should support a filibuster, aside from losing his seniority, he can forget about getting any bills or amendments through the senate. And he should be threatened with being expelled from the Democratic caucus. If he wants to vote with the Republicans let him become one.
If Lieberman wants to spend the next four years stripped of his chairmanship and seniority, and if he wants to come to the senate every day knowing he will be unable to get any legislation through, then by all means let him listen to his conscience, support a filibuster to prevent a vote and become useless to his home state of Connecticut for the next four years of his term which, in all probability, would make it his last.
There has been some talk in the senate about going back to Olympia Snowe's "trigger" public option as a compromise, but that is absurd. The "trigger" would still be contentious in terms of getting enough senators to agree on exactly what the trigger would be. And it still wouldn't get Lieberman on board because according to him, he is against any public plan because he believes it would be too expensive and become a government entitlement in spite of the CBO saying otherwise. Yes it would mean Snowe would help break a Republican filibuster but the trigger option is too high a price to pay.It would delay any real public option for years.
The best approach is to let Lieberman know the price he will have to pay for a filibuster. Then let him exercise his conscience. And make his choice.
Comments
This article is the kind of wreckless, emotional, nearsighted garbage that I have become used to reading from the liberal media. Thanks for the laugh this morning.
...you sound like a 4 year old child crying that thier favorite toy was taken away.
Nice to Know that it's what these people want and not what the people from the state's they represent want. I'm sick and tired of party lines and all this crap there is a difference between right and wrong and this bill will bankrupt company's and give the government one more nail in our coffin. By the way to threaten a man for doing what he feels if right or what the citizens of his state want give me a break. Next you'll be sending someone over to break his knees.
This is the best article I have read on Lieberman and healthcare debate. I hope Mr.Lieberman himself reads it and adjusts his conscience in favor of the healthcare bill.
"majority of American people"
Really? Apparently you've been hiding under your bed. Did you not hear the THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of people who were able (MANY were not able) to come to the rally on Thursday? You could clearly hear them chanting 'Do you hear us now?' - and they weren't speaking about how much they wanted this ridiculous bill. Have you read it? Those of us who are opposed HAVE read much, if not all of it.
Get a CLUE.
Here Here! If Lieberman isn't going to vote with the majority of his constituents, let him burn. If he's going to pander to industry, hoping thousands of people will die so a few people make a buck, he is lost to all of us.
@Jesse, and Julie: Just because you are part of a vocal Minority, doesn't make you any more important, one vote one person. Your opinion is no less or more valid than anyone elses.
There were 4-5000 protesters on thursday...not that impressive a showing for the tea baggers.
The Costs of Free Care
The first thing to realize is that free public medicine isn't really free. What the consumer doesn't pay, the taxpayer does, and with a vengeance. It is going to cost the average two-child family pays close to $5,000 per year in public health insurance. This is much more expensive than the most comprehensive private health insurance plan. And since our enconomy is doing so well this shouldn't really be a problem for anyone, right? And this is just start, everyone knows taxes NEVER GO UP-ESPECIALLY when you vote for Democrates.
And how about Social Secuirty??? How's tax doing? I heard that wsa going broke...anyone else heard that?
WAY to go JOE STOP THE BILL!!!!!!!!!
Kick him off of his committee chairmanship. Let him go completely conservative and see how many times he gets re-elected.
Call Lieberman's bluff and he will back down.
Doug
So easily the young forget ...
After World War II, we left the war taxes in place. We used these taxes for the benefit of the American people (you know the ones--of the people, by the people, for the people.) We used these taxes to put a car in every persons home, a chicken in every pot, etc. We built dams for water, sewer systems for health, roads for travel, parks for recreation, created social security, etc. It was great! Some of this is still OK.
Today, they are still taking ALL these taxes and a LOT more, but "government" is now telling us we are going to have to pay for what we need, ourselves.
The only thing which has changed is priorities; with all the jobs going overseas, the illegal aliens, using prison labor, etc., we now need health care for our citizens. Are we paying for it? YES! Are some (and especially Joe Lieberman) attempting to deceive us and use OUR MONEY for THEIR PURPOSES? YES?
Wake up to reality; the crooks are in your wallet, again!
Regards,
JS
The Democrat party stuck a knife in Lieberman's back in 2006 and now you moonbats are surprised that he's not towing the line?
You reap what you sow.
The House bill si never going to pass the Senate so save your sanctimonius lies and propaganda about the American people wanting this bill to become law.
Also Leiberman wa snot elected by the Dems in CT. He was elected by the Repubs and Inds. so he is serving his constituents because they don't want it.
It must hurt to get so close and yet it's never going to happen.
I have a big smile on my face rightnow.
Great post. This encapsulates the issue very well. Lieberman owes his chairmanship and seniority to the Democratic Caucus. He is obligated to at LEAST vote on procedural matters (getting past a filibuster so there can be an up or down vote) with the caucus. If he doesn't, then there is no point whatsoever in having him in the caucus. That's politics folks.
And that's not even getting into the substance of his changing, inane arguments against reform.
And to all you wingnuts out there ... try reading a bit more and not parroting FoxNews/Rush talking points without the slightest thought to their accuracy. This bill is deficit-neutral AND actually saves the country money over the long-run. And, more importantly, even if it didn't, it is something long overdue and will help millions of underinsured and noninsured.
But I digress. If you are loathing Lieberman as much as thinking Americans are, there is a new Facebook group for us: "Loathing Lieberman" LoathingLieberman.com
Wow. You libs sure have gotten your panties in a bunch over this nasty little bit of proposed legislation.
If you guys want this to become law so bad why don't you just have Obama send some union thugs from Chicago to give Joe Leiberman the business. You know...they could break one of his knees, make anonymous phone calls to Leiberman's office threatening the lives of his grandchildren etc etc ....because all that really matters is that the far left gets to have their way with this nation. It doesn't matter what the American people want(they don't want this plan despite the lies and propaganda coming from the author of the article and his ilk) as long as Nancy Pelosi gets her way.
I know Joe Leiberman will do the right thing. he's not prepared to sell this nation out so that a bunch of diehard commie leftists can finally begin laying the groundwork for turning us into a completely sociliast state.
God damn Nancy Pelosi and god blass Joe Leiberman!
With the polls showing over 50% dissent on the healthcare initiative, how can you say that Lieberman is going against the majority of the people? Again, when people proclaim Cao a hero for looking out for the interests of his "constituents" and abandoning the GOP stance, why is this so different?
Sounds like you are pulling polls out of yer a&&
Most recent real polls show that nearly six in ten Americans want Congress to continue working on health care reform bills that have been passed through various committees. And 55% support a public option. CNN/Opinion Research Corporation (11/6/09)
According to Rasmussen as of 9/8/09 45% support the bill and 52% oppose.
Nobody with any sense wants this bill. It is irresponsible to write such misinformation.
Be prepared to live in a Communist country. Just look at everything this gov. has done to take over the private sector. What have they done for our economy? NOTHING! What have they done with the 2 wars that they all knew best about during the campaign? NOTHING! The Osama Administration is filled with nothing but Communists and terrorist sypathizers!
Boo hoo hoo!!!! So cry us a river! I totally concur with Jesse's point!
You are of the same ilk of the Abortionists crying over the fact that ObamaCare would have totally failed if it was still pro-abortion (as it was on September 9 when Obama expressly said in Congress that abortion wasn't covered). Crying over the problems that moderates like Joe Lieberman and pro-life Democrats have with ObamaCare - and their ability to wield power to moderate it or totally scrap it - will get you absolutely no where. If the final product is like the House Version - it will fail in the Senate -- and thankfully so.
Well done. I almost agree -- Harry Reid should not just threaten, but do it.
Now, how about a story, column or editorial about Sen. Lieberman's own health coverage? Which government policy has he chosen?
Bill Moyers gave report on this about a year and a half ago. In addition to a big pension package and other percs, senators and congressmen get the health care they deny to the rest of us.
But maybe some of them conscientously refuse national health care for themselves. It would be refreshing if that were the case. Does Sen. Lieberman? Please ask his staff.
I am really fed up with the two-faced opposition to national health care.
I have Medicare, and agree that there is waste, big time. In addition to the many doctors and others who have been gaming the system, I know that some specialists(how many, nationwide, I'd like to know) game the system, too.
The press has done a poor job on this.
Great article Marc! I can't say what I would like to see happen with Joe Lieberman because I might get arrested! I’m afraid we have to put up with this snake until 2012.
See you have a bunch of crazies leaving comments here! Nothing new. Isn't it amazing how the Party of "No" couldn't care less about another human being - unless of course it's still in the mother's womb!
By the way, I'm following you, are you following me?
Not so great an article, Marc. I'm a little puzzled at your idea of the "majority". By the way, Mr. Constitutional Expert, even if the majority were in favor of this government takeover, the Constitution grants it NO right to do so. I know you'd contest that last statement if you ever responded to your critics, but, no matter, your (lack of) credibility has already been well established. Your truth is only what YOU think.
No, I don't think your article is all that great either. You're pretty upset that Lieberman would vote HIS conscience and "...use senate rules to keep the majority of his colleagues from exercising their own consciences, which obviously Lieberman regards as inferior to his own." Yet the reason he sees fit to do that is because HE believes those he opposes are acting in opposition to the will of the American people and the U.S. Constitution.
F*uck all you Demo"crap" liberal, big spending d*ouche bags. The public option will never be part of a final bill. Thank God for sensible politicians like Joe Lieberman. Obama has yet to be in office for a full year, and he has already spent more tax payer money than George W. Bush did in his eight years in office.
I am salivating for the 2010 elections, as this will be the beginning of the extinction of the Demo"craps". The GOP is going to take over the House of Reps, and pick up at least 4 Senate seats. Then let's see the "furor" Obama try to pass anything. He'll be powerless!!!!!! lol
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