Just imagine the rage from Reid, Pelosi, Gore and company when they see Joe on stage at the GOP Convention hugging Johnny and declaring what a great president he would make, over the dem nominee.
Posted on 05/15/2008 9:41:20 AM PDT by Cinnamon Girl
Senator Joseph Lieberman, a stalwart backer of John McCain who calls himself an "independent Democrat", could face punishment from the Democratic party if he is asked to speak at this summer's Republican convention.
Lieberman has said he would appear at McCain's nominating convention if invited by the Republican, fuelling frustration among US liberals already angered by his support for the Iraq war. Democrats revoked his superdelegate status earlier this year.
The onetime vice presidential nominee of Al Gore has played a pivotal role in maintaining Democrats' narrow control of the Senate. But party leader Harry Reid today left the door open to sanctioning Lieberman if he speaks in favour of McCain's nomination.
"I'll consider anything," Reid said at a breakfast with reporters today, adding that the Democratic presidential nominee, likely Barack Obama, would want to weigh in on Lieberman's future role.
Reid noted that Lieberman's reliable alignment with Democrats on domestic issues such as education and taxes - he has proposed a "war on terrorism" tax to fund the US presence in Iraq - makes the case for his continued value in the party.
The Connecticut senator sides with Democrats "90 to 95%" of the time outside of war-related issues, Reid said.
But Iraq has permanently discoloured Lieberman's standing with some US Democrats who believe his praise for George Bush has undercut the party's efforts to end the war. The strong bond between Lieberman and McCain has only exacerbated those doubts.
Democrats nearly faced a similar conundrum in 2004 when their senator from Georgia, Zell Miller, publicly denounced presidential nominee John Kerry at the Republican convention. Miller's previously announced retirement from politics that year spared him sanctions within the party.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
The GOP HAD BETTER ask Lieberman to speak at the convention. His speech will be ON FIRE. I can't believe they haven't asked him already.
Since he ran and was elected as an Independent,, let’em squawk.
The real screech will be coming from the right.
I wish Lieberman would switch sides now. All he has to do is caucus with GOP.
They demmies are going to “punish” Joe? How are they going to do that? By running someone against him? What a great idea! Surprised they haven’t tried it already! /s/
Not only will he speak at the convention, I expect him to announce during the speech that he’s changing his status to (R), and proud of it. VP candidate? Wouldn’t doubt it.
How can the dems punish him? He is an independent, right?
I hope he speaks as well. I wouldn’t mind him as SOS in a McCain admin.
It will be up to McCain. We'll discover whether he's more interested in winning or in "bi-partisan comity".
By that, I mean, if he's interested in winning, he'll invite Liebermann to speak.
Let's face it, McCain will have to have the (more-or-less) conservative Democrats -- because he's not going to get much enthusiastic conservative support.
The dems can punish him by removing him from Committees. They need him right now to maintain power in the Senate. But if polls are correct the dems should pick at least 2-3 seats in the senate come Nov. and make Lieberman expendble.
The GOP HAD BETTER ask Lieberman to speak at the convention. His speech will be ON FIRE. I can't believe they haven't asked him already.
Still, it makes me wonder why Lieberman chose to caucus with those backstabbers rather than Republicans. And I cannot see how Lieberman can ever be ON FIRE during a speech. He speaks in a monotone that puts people to sleep. the only way he is ON FIRE during his speech is if he makes a Zell Miller-type speech and announces at the convention that he is leaving the Rat party for the GOP. Otherwise, it will be no different than his "scathing" denunciation of Slick Willie before he voted to acquit him of all charges.
They already took away his superdelegate status and I think they could take away his committee chair, couldn’t they?
Senator Lieberman is shocked, shocked I tell you!
The dems have the majority. More power in caucusing with them.
Actually they did, he had to run last time as an independent, remember?
Fine, I'll resign, Get a job doing commentary on Fox or wherever pulling down more than the $170k you are paying me,
And....
Write a tell all book.
He would have better retirement than that girlie-mann Reed ever would.....
Could be another Zell Miller moment. He was just great at the last GOP convention, and afterwards, when he regretted he couldn’t challenge that Sissy Chrissy Matthews to a duel.
If Lieberman would change sides, the GOP would have the majority (since Cheney would be the tie-breaker).
Believe it or not Lieberman is more powerful as an Independent caucussing with the dems, he can constantly hang his support over their heads. Can you imagine how powerful it will be to have a former dem vice presidential nominee and former candidate for president endorsing McCain during a keynote address to the Republican National Convention (plus you know he’ll make TV ads for Mac)? This will make Zell Miller’s speech pale in comparison, no offense to him.
“Democrats may punish Lieberman for Republican convention appearance”
So?
Will they punish all of their own for appearing at the GOP convention? Including McCain?
“I wish Lieberman would switch sides now. All he has to do is caucus with GOP.”
Heck, he wouldn’t even have to change any of his leftist views.
And....
Write a tell all book.
He would commit Arkancide within a week.
I believe that henkster was fully aware of that ... hence, the sarcasm tag on the post.
Well, the Dems have already tried to end him politically, and now they want to silence him.
I disagree with Joe L politically, I do think he is a man of Character and he understands what is at stake in Iraq and in this election, if he wishes to speak, by all means he should be asked on stage.
Granted he’s not Zell Miller, but I think his support will mean something in November.
Liberman will be the lever used by McCain to lift the Senate out of Gridlock. Liberman and probably Grahm working together will make life hard for the Senate Majority leader, Democrat or Republican.
There is no doubt it will mean something. I was talking with someone who is for some mysterious reason a Hillary! supporter and she was very surprised to hear that Joe Lieberman loves John McCain. She seemed taken aback by the news, as if this put things in a different light.
Lieberman is an independent, not a Democrat.
Stuff it.
What would Pope Algore say about that?
NOTE: My statement was directed at the DNC peanut gallery, not you personally...
“Take him to the secret room.
Are the electric cattle prods charged?”
Just imagine the rage from Reid, Pelosi, Gore and company when they see Joe on stage at the GOP Convention hugging Johnny and declaring what a great president he would make, over the dem nominee.
8675309 will be in my head all day now.
More info on Lieberman.
The Dems are evil, and evil knows no boundries.
Matthew 24:6-7 -
“And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.”
Lieberman reminds me of a battered wife. The Dems keep beating up on him, yet he still caucuses with them, as if he has nowhere else to go. It’s really very sad.
A note to Democrats:
While Lieberman may be far from a “Conservative”, he ditched the Democrat Party. If he is invited and elects to speak at the Republican Convention, they have no room to complain. They turned their backs on him. I am frankly surprised that he hasn’t taken on the “R” next to his name - as he is no more liberal than many of the RINOs out there.
A battered wife doesn’t usually have the upper hand, but Lieberman appears to.
Really? I don’t for the life of my understand why Joe “Bad boy, Bill! Bad! Now back to work!” Lieberman has any credibility with anyone about anything.
I hope he does, but there will NEVER be a better speech than the Zell Miller speech.
He didn’t ditch the Democrat Party. The DNC schemed to kick him OUT of office but he got back in despite their efforts.
If I were in Lieberman's position, I would be openly defiant. If asked about the matter, I would say something like this: "Sen Reid has needs to do...well, whatever he thinks he needs to do. And so do I. Right now, what I need to do is further consider the party with which I prefer to caucus."
In effect, that would amount to a thinly veiled dare to the Democratic Party: Sanction me, if you wish. In which case, I will simply walk.
It may well be that the Democrats will pick up net seats in the Senate this November. Even if they do so, however--thereby still keeping a majority--this would amount to a huge embarrassment to their party, and act as a momentum stopper.
I’d be fine with Hagel doing that. I hope he gets out and stays out for good.
Have most of you forgotten that your hero Lieberman sold his soul to the Clintons when he accepted Algore’s VP slot —and stayed on—during the presidential run in 2000?
Lieberman never repudiated the Clintons (or their surrogate Algore) during one of this nation’s most critical times in history. He had the chance to do the right thing. His complete inaction did nothing but damage to our great country. This damage will definitely reverberate in wicked Hillary’s nomination and general election process.
It’s one of the reasons the Clintons know that they need not ever surrender or cede in the current election cycle. They witnessed the suspension of reality and the moonbat idiocy embodied by words like “hanging chads”. They will soldier on due in large part to examples like that, examples that could have been repudiated by Lieberman who was right in the thick of it...
If Lieberman had a soul left or even a shred of integrity to which some of you are attributing him, he would have stepped off BEFORE the moonbats attempted to hijack the election with their maneuverings. Not AFTER. After was too late.
I will never give that traitor Lieberman any credibility, though he’d love to get his soul back I’m sure.
So now, all he’d be to GOP-ers is a reason for dem fence-sitters to decide to vote for the evil Hillary and not a RINO like McDole. Just one more gift to Hillary... another one that some conservatives seem to be happy to hand her.
Even if he runs as VP and loses he still would be Senator for four more years.
There will be hell to pay....LOL
Are you haters ever happy about ANYTHING? Yeah, it was all Lieberman’s fault Clintoon wasn’t tossed out. It had nothing to do with the majority of the country polling against the impeachment. It was all riding on Joe’s vote, right? So he puts his career on the line and has to run for re-election without dem party money because he stands with President Bush on the war and clowns like you don’t want to give him credit because he isn’t ideal all the time.
Lieberman is one of my favorite Dems. Of course that’s like calling someone a pretty turd.....
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