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You know, it's not that the Delay's and Rove's of this world are smarter... it's that they gather dirt and use blackmail to get what they want... and it works UNTIL folks start actually examining WHAT THEY ARE DOING and START CHALLENGING them on the legality...
Are you suggesting that's the approach Obama and the Dems need to start taking? Because if it is, it will be only a matter of time before they turn into EXACTLY what is vile about the Repubs...
If anything Tom DeLay's antics can be learned from the Democrats: controlling all facets of the legislative process can reaps huge amounts of money and success and also went things go bad, a huge amount of scorn and control. Don't try to squash the opposition, no K Street project, no punishing donors for supporting the other party. What happens is the Democrats get s albatross around their neck of the likes of Jack Abramoff...
Ironically, the person who probably did more to bring Tom DeLay down, was Senator John McCain when he released Abramoff's emails. DeLay was playing a very dangerous game for some time, whether making enemies of McCain and other Republicans.
Having said all that, and while worrying that Lieberman is indeed the Republican in Democratic clothing, who will conduct hearings every time Obama sneezes whilst giving Bush a literal get-out-of-jail-free card, I suspect that a: Lieberman is more a paper tiger than anything else. He holds onto his chair like Daffy Duck holding on to that pearl after being shrunk to the size of ant "NO NO NO! DOWN DOWN DOWN! MINE MINE MINE! (I'm rich, I'm a happy miser). He sided with the GOP to feel like a winner, Obama being gracious enough to let him continue to caucus with the Dems will make Joe beam with pride like a bat boy with the Babe-Ruth era Yankees (and he'll be about as meaningful to the team as those glorified mascots were as well). And b: The GOP would've had assuredly called Obama petty and vindictive if he made any overture to Reid that Lieberman should be punished. Now, if the Dems result in stripping Joe of his cushy gig "against Obama's wishes," not only will it make the Dems look kinda sorta braver (for standing up the new and oh-so-worshipped President), but it absolves Obama of blame AND punishes Lieberman, it's the hat trick. But if they opt to accede to Obama's wishes and not punish Lieberman at all...it could look weak, but it could look merciful, and with Obama's approval ratings currently as high as they are, I suspect the narrative will lean more towards "merciful" with everyone but the hard-left.
Again, I will shed no tears if Joe is banished to Obscurityville, but Obama's message isn't necesarily a sign of weakness. He made some very shrewd moves while running for President, moves that many people on this site didn't agree with, but that worked out for him just fine. If anyone's earned the benefit of the doubt, I'd think it's Obama.
It is captured in a quote from Abraham Lincoln, "The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend."
-Jonathan
PROPOSITION 2008: NO TO HARRY REID
Does anyone know how we get ried sent to pasture as Senate Majority Leader?
But Obama is out-maneuvering him here. If Lieberman is facing giving up his chair-person seat, or worse his seat in the caucus but Obama helps him keep his job, then Lieberman will likely end up with a sense of gratitude towards Obama. There will be a day soon enough when Obama is going to need Lieberman's help in getting some Republicans on board with some major policy changes.
This is an effective political maneuver on Obama's part. Everyone citing it as a sign of weakness are simply reading too much into it.
Offer him another Sub committee chair or tell him to go to the Republicans to seat him
as a matter of fact, I would be looking over my shoulder a lot...
something anyone who has seriously studied this campaign would know.
I think Lieberman is as despicable, foul, two-faced, mealy-mouthed and more, as they say. But I just think this is a great time for Obama to show mercy (which goes a long way towards building relationships), and a great opportunity for Reid to tie a very tight leash around Lieberman's neck.
This opinion doesn't make me a traitor to the cause btw, though I'll probably get stepped on for having a non PC thought.
Obama is playing this smart. There has to be strategy involved in this. Lieberman is hated by Democrats and wields no real power but this is getting MSM attention. Obama is looking like the bigger man right now. His "nice guy" strategy won this election, remember? I hate it when bloggers act like they know how to politick better than the best politician in Washington. Do you really think Lieberman can outsmart Obama?
WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS.
Maybe he's watched "Hunt for Red October" and "The Godfather" a lot.
He's no dummy, he's gotta have a reason.
Obama wants his agenda passed and he comes out looking great and bi-partisan and willing to work with enemies. Two birds with one stone.
Obama seems to be setting things up like a chess game.
Lieberman is just a pawn in it.
Obama is keeping his friends close, and his enemies closer. I'm OK with that.
But would she win? I know Alaska has a strong anti-everyone-else streak. Nonetheless, she's looked like such a dullard over the past few months, even they might want her to just go away.
If Sarah, with her thin resume, truly never blinked when McCain asked her to be his VP, then she too has a huge sense of entitlement and would probably prefer to be the one and only governor of Alaska rather than the 100th senator. Besides, since 1976, except for Poppy Bush and Obama, all the presidents have been ex-governors. She may think she has a better shot at being president if she stays in Alaska.
Public financing
Townhall-style debates
Suspending his campaign
Obama did none of those things indicating that he's not going to be the Republican's bitch. It might not be exactly analogous right now but it seems to me that he's not afraid of Der Lieberworm.
"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."
~
And it will.
Enjoy.
the man is ONLY interested in what's good for him... he's also gotta know that he is done after this term. so if he doesn't like a bill, what's to keep him voting with the Dems?
not advocating the pissing match... but you have to realize that even getting INVOLVED with the man is going to start pissing matches.
I'm no fan of Joe the Traitor, but how does this make him any different than the other 99 members of his club?
keep an eye on what he says for the next few months... how much does he praise the repugs, and diss the Dems?
at this point, I bet he'd rather be a repugnican... but he doesn't want to give up the money, staff and power that comes with his comittee seats.
like I said, he KNOWS he's done in the senate when his term is up... so why should he vote with the Dems?
he is telling Harry Reid, "it's your call".
The main reason I would kicked Lieberman out of the caucus, has nothing to do with his mean words he said to President Elect Obama on the campaign trail or speaking at the Republican National Convention.
Two Words: Tom Allen
Lieberman went out of his way to support Susan Collins, even had a fundraiser for her. He pretty much shut down DHS committee as an investigatory arm so he wouldn't embarrass Collins for her piss poor job on oversight, (ie Hurricane Katrina?) He basically stabbed the Democrats in the back over one of their best candidates for Senate, (Compare to gadfly Al Franken) I wouldn't punished for Lieberman words, I would punished him for his actions, and he did many of his actions out of pure spite.
If the Obama Administration wants to keep him in the caucus, fine. However, they have to deal with him, when is trying to whip up some circular reasoning attack or subpoena an Obama Administration official... I still think Lieberman will be kicked out of the Caucus, whether now or later, because he is only looking out for himself. I just think it is easier and less painful to kick him now, then the brouhaha when they kicked him out for some outrageous betrayal in the future.
http://thesebastards.blogspot.com/
They are a bunch of weak cowardly spineless frauds who have no idea what the people who voted for them DEMAND THEY DO.
KICK TRAITOR JOE OUT! PERIOD. This is not hard.
I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.