Liebersave

I've certainly criticized him (roundly) in the past, but Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has been the biggest mensch on DADT repeal, even beating back the GOP attempt to slip a mickey into the defense appropriations bill.

Credit where credit is due. I don't expect Joe to be on my side for a lot else, but this could be enough to earn him reelection. It makes for good politics but he certainly didn't seem to be playing politics, at least none of the posturing of the other side, including his buddy, John McC.

Meanwhile, could Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) be more cruel and political on the 9/11 Responders bill?

Beware the Winter Cannibals.

On Foreign Soil

Who leads U.S. foreign policy? According to the Constitution, it's the Executive Branch. But if you're John McCain and Joe Lieberman, maybe you think you're in charge of it:

Government sources said the threat of the US using economic leverage - such as withholding loan guarantees - to place pressure on Israel was not raised in the one-hour conversation. US Middle East envoy George Mitchell, when asked last Wednesday in a television interview what "sticks" the US had in its arsenal against Israel, raised the notion of withholding loan guarantees, although he quickly said this was not the direction the US wanted to go in.

Lieberman, after saying that an administration official had already disavowed Mitchell's statement, said that in his opinion "any attempt to pressure Israel, to force Israel to the negotiating table by denying Israel support, will not pass the Congress of the United States. In fact, the Congress will stop any attempt to do that. I don't think we will come to that point."

McCain was equally unequivocal, saying that this type of pressure would not be helpful "and I don't agree with it."

McCain added that he was sure that the administration would make it clear in the future that this was not its policy.

I support Israel the way the progressives in Israel support their own country, in that there has to be some kind of change in entrenched approach, otherwise it will not go well for Israel in the long run. Yes, there has to be strong defense against the forces that would like to wipe it off the map, and yes, there has to be some give on the Palestinian side, but if there is only the fist (think the atrocities coming to light from the most recent Gaza invasion), there will never be peace.

Is there anyone out there on the Likud side or to the right of it that has a real concept for a future that isn't just continued threat of aggression and extinction?

If so, I'd love to hear it. Status quo for the next millennium is a pipe dream.

Hypocrisy Follies

Here's Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) refusing to give Sen. Joe Lieberdouche (I-CT) an extension on his allotted ten minute speaking time in the Senate, followed by useless Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) standing up all righteous for his buddy, Joe:



McCain has kept up complaining about Franken to the press, including calling him "the newest member of the Senate" as if he's a brash young whippersnapper with no respect for his wise elders. I like how McCain claims he's never seen such lack of comnity (yes, sounds like comedy!) in the Senate before...and yet:

On October 10, 2002 — just ahead of the looming mid-term elections — the Senate rushed a debate on a war authorization giving President Bush the power to use force against Iraq. The resolution ultimately passed the Senate after midnight on an early Friday morning by a vote of 77-23.

During the course of the frenzied floor debate, then-Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN) spoke in favor of an amendment offered by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) that would have restricted Bush’s constitutional powers to wage war against Iraq. After a minute and a half, Dayton ran out of time, prompting this exchange:

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator’s time has expired.
Mr. DAYTON. I ask for unanimous consent that I have 30 seconds more to finish my remarks.
Mr. McCAIN. I object.

Byrd stepped in to grant Dayton time to finish his remarks. But just moments later, Byrd asked for more time to speak for himself. Again, McCain objected, prompting Byrd to chide him for doing so.

Dear Lord, with every new press moment it becomes increasingly clear how big a bullet we dodged by not electing McCain to the Presidency, and that's without even considering the Palin fusillade avoided.

Meanwhile, MoveOn is earning laughs and donations with their sock puppet dramatization of Holy Joe's hypocrisy:



PS: Paul Krugman say just pass it.

Lieberdouche

Step back. Has their ever been a more vile, self-centered politician? What is it about his unique combination of sanctimoniousness, opportunism and obstructionism that makes him a leader in his category?

Memories

TPM has a snappy look back at the general election. It has some pretty unpleasant memories along the way, but a very happy ending:



By the way, Democratic-ish McCain supporter Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has the lowest approval rating ever recorded in a Quinnipiac poll. Feel the Joementum!

Who Cares?

Underwhelming quote of the day:

"Everything that President-elect Obama has done since election night has been just about perfect, both in terms of a tone and also in terms of the strength of the names that have either been announced or are being discussed to fill his administration," Lieberman said during a visit to Hartford.

One wonders who Obama would have had to appoint to earn a 100% "perfect" score from the former Democratic Vice Presidential candidate who backed Obama's losing Republican opponent this year.

On second thought...who cares?

Six Senators

From the Senate comes our new President-Elect, and his colleagues are the subject of intense current interest, as the possibility of a filibuster-proof majority hinges on Al Franken beating Norm Coleman in the Minnesota recount, Jim Martin coming from behind to win the run-off election in Georgia against Saxby Chambliss, and two other contests decided today.

The best news is from Alaska, where the AP has just certified that Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich has defeated the convicted Federal felon, Ted Stevens, thus not only gaining a key Dem seat from the longest serving GOP Senator, but blocking Gov. Sarah Palin from appointing herself as Stevens' replacement.

The other settlement today was with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), allowing him to keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee, a potential threat to Obama since it has some oversight over the Executive, and essentially giving him a free pass after campaigning for Obama's rival, John McCain, impugning Obama's patriotism, extolling Sarah Palin, and neglecting to investigate the Cheney/Bush Administration in his committee role.

I have a couple of theories about this one. The first is that this is Obama's way of putting Joe to the test, just as I surmised he has put the nation on a pass/fail test that we fortunately passed November 4th. With flying colors. Obama's way is to give the offending party the opportunity to rise to the occasion, and if they make the affront of blowing it, they'll be cut off without a further word.

The model for this is how Obama handled Rev. Jeremiah Wright. After Obama responded to the oft-repeated excerpt of Wright's "God damn America!" with his breakthrough speech on race in Philadelphia, when three weeks later Wright went to D.C. and injected his megalonarcissism onto the national stage. That was it -- has anyone seen hide or hair of Wright since then.

My second theory is that this solves the mystery of who Obama met with privately at the airport right after visiting George & Laura. It wouldn't have been Clinton -- otherwise she wouldn't have had to make the trip to Chicago. National security doesn't make sense, safer in the Oval Office. And since we haven't heard of Joe making pilgrimage to Chicago or any hint of Obama having spoken with him prior to letting word out the other day that he thought he should retain his Homeland Security chairmanship, it falls into place that Lieberman would have met Obama as furtively as possible, maybe even having requested the audience and a private room at the airport being the provisional answer.

If this is the case, then no matter the public kabuki from Harry Reid or Joe Lieberman in their press appearance today, Obama has to have given assurance to Reid that Lieberman was in his pocket. Considering how strategic Obama always acts, it might even be for an anticipated vote, say what Obama's planning legislatively to end the war.

And in other Senate news, Hillary is agonizing.

Too Much

There's been a landslide of Sarah Palin. I can't be the only person wanting her off the ticket so she and her whole family and checkered history get out of my head. McCain I can handle, but not with Palin by his side. The two of them together, it's too McCreepy.

I'd like to have something original to say about the whole thing, and there's a lot of whole thing there. The lie about her being anti-earmark -- she loves earmarks when they're for her dominion. Her ironic, and tragic, slashing of funds for homeless teenage mothers. The affiliation with the anti-U.S.A. fringe Alaska Independence Party who's founder curses the American government and our flag. Her being in church a few weeks ago when the founder of Jews for Jesus spoke (easy way to lose Florida for McCain) and

described terrorist attacks on Israelis as God's "judgment of unbelief" of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity.

Now the National Enquirer is on the case and if what they did for John Edwards' career is any indication, the mudslide will continue, along with other mainstream publications with lurid headlines.

Heck, McCain's "maverick" choice even has mainstream media doing its job:



A shock, I know. But the material keeps on coming -- who knew that the Palins had a car wash that fell in to non-compliance by not filing or paying fees. Or that her spokesperson lied about her having visited Ireland. (This with the Wikipedia that had to be scrubbed, including her phantom Miss Congeniality award, all reinforce Palin as a resume padder.) And the McCain people getting handily scooped again today, on her Mayorial papers at the Wasilla town hall.

At dis-juncture like these, the beast is more apt to be laid bare. Witness McCain Campaign Manager, Rick Davis, giving the game away:

Rick Davis, campaign manager for John McCain's presidential bid, insisted that the presidential race will be decided more over personalities than issues during an interview with Post editors this morning.

"This election is not about issues," said Davis. "This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates."

In other words, they can only run on image, not issues. It's McCain, not Obama, who's the supplicant at the alter of celebrity culture. And there's Phil Gramm today, reiterating that those criticizing the current oligarchical economy are "whiners". Seriously. He's proud of that shit.

Sully has the killer quote from all of tonight's RNC speeches:

"What you can expect from John McCain as President is precisely what he has done this week," - Joe Lieberman.

Terrifying.

Crocodile Mitt

Having previous made a disgrace of himself and his family by equating his five able-bodied sons working to get him elected President to selfless young American soldiers dying in a war he fervently supports, Mitt Romney has once again open that can of bullshit.

Mitt's been getting misty-eyed in Iowa recalling a run-in with the coffin of a dead soldier in Boston's Logan Airport:

"The soldiers that I was with stood at attention and saluted," Romney told employees at Insight Technology Inc., a company that makes infrared optical equipment for U.S. troops. "And I put my hand on my heart, and tears begin to well in your eyes, as you can imagine in a circumstance like that. I have five boys of my own. I imagined what it would be like to lose a son in a situation like that."

But you won't. In fact, Mitt, the really telling part of your little emotimoment is when you say, "This is a nation which is united."

No, Mitt, not when the rich aren't vested in the very war their class seeks to profit from with the lives of other fellow citizens, without any risk of their own. This is John Edwards' Two Americas. Because only a fool or a liar doesn't recognize exactly how un-united we Americans are these days, save those of us united against the current leadership and it's enabling followers.

So with Giuliani sidelining himself with his infidelity and avarice, that leaves Mitt as the resident liar. The GOP Presidential race appears to be coming down to Romney, Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Ron Paul.

Huckabee has the smooth screen presence of a practiced pastor, starting to feel a little snake oily, like here in his confident, Christianist commercial for...Christmas. With emphasis on the Christ.

I give Mike credit for taking the old school, religious, non-materialistic position on Christmas, the one the wingers and their pundits claim we need re-instilled but please don't stop the shopping. On the other hand, this is a seriously chilling signal that Huckabee cannot for a second be trusted to keep church out of state. Is that the message he really wanted to send? And will any more perceptive Christians turn against him for using Christmas as a political tool?

Then there's the old folks club, today featuring John McCain and his latest endorsee, Sen. Joe Lieberdouche. The odious Joe, it turns out, just wanted to be relevant. See, it turns out he didn't endorse a Democratic candidate for President because none of them wanted him.

That leave Ron Paul, who's at about 6% in the national polls, but has a base so fired up by his combination of anti-War Constitutionalism and outright Libertarianism, that he's raising the most impressive stack of money amongst the GOP field. This isn't like Romney propping up his campaign with his own or his family's money. This isn't buying the nomination.

But expect that with such a war chest and such committed supporters, Ron can trail in the early states and still play through to the end.

I was on the Santa Monica Promenade yesterday when a parade of Ron Paul supporters, led by Revolution-drag fife & drum, walked right up the middle, passing out literature, the otherwise normal looking individuals both making me proud to live in a democracy, and scaring me with their with their focus and organization.

It was a signal, once again, that the Ron Paul candidacy could turn out to be the big story of the GOP campaign.

And even if not now, the network going into place will have four more years to position themselves to win it all.

Coup D'Iraq

Bush is right, Iraq is just like Vietnam. And if the Cheney/Bush Administration is now setting into motion a coup d'etat designed to replace democratically elected Prime Minister Maliki with Ayad Allawi, just like the U.S. did in 1963 in South Vietnam when that war was going badly.

I think they're trying to prepare us for major upheaval, the sudden and open-ended suspension, perhaps end, of the democratic project. You know, Bush's great "vision."

I think it's going to happen over Labor Day weekend, when they think no one here will be watching the news. Allawi just started spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a Republican lobbying firm in D.C., obviously to have his message outlet to build support among the GOP. And he's got the support of a C.I.A.-controlled intelligence operation in Iraq. There's his army.

They're dreaming that he's the new strongman who can keep a lid on the country and let us control their natural resources (oil & water). He tried before to execute a coup under Saddam Hussein. Second time's the charm.

They're laying the groundwork -- Allawi's secular faction (him and two other ministers) just dropped out of the Maliki government. You think it was any accident that they did it on a Friday night, after the news cycle?

My biggest fear is that since Maliki has been talking to Iran and Syria, this is a move in the Joe Lieberdouche direction, and Cheney/Bush will get their wish to enlarge the war into Iran, and set off the region. Bush is already talking about Cambodia -- I guess he hasn't taken enough souls yet.

Ah, well, at least we have our own Tet to look forward to. And since Rove/Bush set in motion the Vietnam parallels, it's only fair to compare dates.

If 2007 = 1963,

then we'll be helicoptering our people out of Iraq in 2017.

Slumber Party

Right on Harry Reid and fellow Democratic Senators and Representatives. (And be ashamed of yourself for once, Joe Lieberman.)

Right on Tom Harkin.

What the hell are you thinking, Diane Sawyer?