The GOP's McCain
Don't look now, but we may be seeing a significant departure from the Democrat "Over our cold, dead bodies will you Nazis fix Social Security" orthodoxy, and his name is Joe Lieberman.
Lieberman is being called a DINO - Democrat in Name Only, much as centrist Republicans are often called RINOs - and is still taking heat for supporting the war in Iraq, and the War on Terror in general.
Democratic faithful among his constituents and his U.S. Senate caucus say he's moving too far to the right in supporting a number of President Bush's initiatives, particularly the Administration's plans to remake Social Security.
The New York Times reports Lieberman has really irked Democrats by:
-His Bush-friendly commentary
-A prominent picture on his Web site featuring Lieberman and President Bush
-Distancing himself from his party on "security and social issues"
In other words, Lieberman is a grown-up, honorable, and possesses intellectual consistency and integrity - unlike the bulk of his colleagues.
So what is J-Lieb's reward to be for this?
In his home state of Connecticut, some Democrats are getting fed up with Lieberman's perceived increasing disdain for left-wing ideology – so much so, there is an effort just now getting under way to replace him.
"I think he has betrayed his constituency and he is leaning way too far to the right," New Haven resident and Web designer Marjorie Clark told the Times. She and some 30 others who supported Democratic National Committee chief Howard Dean's failed 2004 presidential bid met earlier this week to plan a "Dump Joe" campaign.
With 70% approval numbers, however (See what can happen when you appeal to more than the Deaniacs?), it's unlikely that Senator Lieberman has anything to worry about. For now, anyway.
Take this anonymous shot across the bow:
"I think that Joe understands that, at this point in time, unity is the most important card Democrats have to play," one Democratic senator told the Times on anonymity. "He is sympathetic enough to that need that he is not going to bolt the reservation."
Oh, really, Senator Whomever-You-Are? Don't be so sure....
"There is a whole attitude out there, 'Just say No!,' " he told the Times. "In other words, 'Let the president sink with this proposal. We are winning.' But we are not winning because the victory here is to solve the Social Security problem."
Senator Lieberman, IOW, wants to solve the problem; his colleagues want to prevent Republicans from getting the credit for it, even if it means sabotaging Social Security themselves.
Is it any wonder that Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) opined....
"If this becomes 'You cannot work with Bush to solve Social Security,' then it will be a death blow to the Democratic Party. You will have more Republicans up here than we can handle."
During last summer's Boston Bacchanalia I wrote after Lieberman's convention speech...
I know that Senator Lieberman, just like John McCain, has firmly and unequivocally denied that he will ever switch parties. But you have to wonder about the Connecticut Democrat, who is a rarity in that party anymore, a good, decent, and honorable man. He really did seem to be addressing the wrong convention.
Lieberman still insists he's a proud member of the Democrat Party "and intends to stay that way." Which is a wonderful real-life illustration of the old adage, "Lonely are the brave."
Lieberman is being called a DINO - Democrat in Name Only, much as centrist Republicans are often called RINOs - and is still taking heat for supporting the war in Iraq, and the War on Terror in general.
Democratic faithful among his constituents and his U.S. Senate caucus say he's moving too far to the right in supporting a number of President Bush's initiatives, particularly the Administration's plans to remake Social Security.
The New York Times reports Lieberman has really irked Democrats by:
-His Bush-friendly commentary
-A prominent picture on his Web site featuring Lieberman and President Bush
-Distancing himself from his party on "security and social issues"
In other words, Lieberman is a grown-up, honorable, and possesses intellectual consistency and integrity - unlike the bulk of his colleagues.
So what is J-Lieb's reward to be for this?
In his home state of Connecticut, some Democrats are getting fed up with Lieberman's perceived increasing disdain for left-wing ideology – so much so, there is an effort just now getting under way to replace him.
"I think he has betrayed his constituency and he is leaning way too far to the right," New Haven resident and Web designer Marjorie Clark told the Times. She and some 30 others who supported Democratic National Committee chief Howard Dean's failed 2004 presidential bid met earlier this week to plan a "Dump Joe" campaign.
With 70% approval numbers, however (See what can happen when you appeal to more than the Deaniacs?), it's unlikely that Senator Lieberman has anything to worry about. For now, anyway.
Take this anonymous shot across the bow:
"I think that Joe understands that, at this point in time, unity is the most important card Democrats have to play," one Democratic senator told the Times on anonymity. "He is sympathetic enough to that need that he is not going to bolt the reservation."
Oh, really, Senator Whomever-You-Are? Don't be so sure....
"There is a whole attitude out there, 'Just say No!,' " he told the Times. "In other words, 'Let the president sink with this proposal. We are winning.' But we are not winning because the victory here is to solve the Social Security problem."
Senator Lieberman, IOW, wants to solve the problem; his colleagues want to prevent Republicans from getting the credit for it, even if it means sabotaging Social Security themselves.
Is it any wonder that Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) opined....
"If this becomes 'You cannot work with Bush to solve Social Security,' then it will be a death blow to the Democratic Party. You will have more Republicans up here than we can handle."
During last summer's Boston Bacchanalia I wrote after Lieberman's convention speech...
I know that Senator Lieberman, just like John McCain, has firmly and unequivocally denied that he will ever switch parties. But you have to wonder about the Connecticut Democrat, who is a rarity in that party anymore, a good, decent, and honorable man. He really did seem to be addressing the wrong convention.
Lieberman still insists he's a proud member of the Democrat Party "and intends to stay that way." Which is a wonderful real-life illustration of the old adage, "Lonely are the brave."
posted by JASmius at 1:23 PM
<<< Home