General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJoe Lieberman: He's ba-a-a-ack!
from an email from MoveOn:
Senator Chuck Schumerwould-be Democratic Leader in the Senate, and the only Democratic senator to publicly oppose the Iran deal so faris feeling the heat. Politico reports that "with liberal groups furious over his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, Sen. Chuck Schumer has been quietly reaching out to dozens of his colleagues to explain his decision" and assure them he won't lobby them to join his side.
And in recognition that Schumer is against the ropes politically, a group backed by hawkish billionairesand headed by none other than the pro-war former senator Joe Liebermanhas bought a video billboard in Times Square to support him.
Every undecided Democrat, from Senator Cory Booker to Representative Jerry Nadler, is watching what happens to Schumer. They're trying to figure out whether there's more political risk in supporting the dealor opposing it.
There's an amazing story about the group that bought the pro-Schumer billboard, a story that tells you everything you need to know about this fight.
The organization, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), used to be chaired by Gary Samore, a nuclear expert who runs a security program at Harvard. During negotiations with Iran, he was skeptical. But according to an article in today's New York Times, after the Iran deal was finalized, Samore took a hard look at the textand wound up supporting it. If you want to keep Iran nuclear-free, supporting the deal is the best path to do it.
But that put him on the wrong side of the group he chaired, which was funded in no small part by ultra-right-wing pro-war billionaire Sheldon Adelson. So Samore stepped down. And into his chair slid Joe Lieberman, the Iraq War's #1 Democratic cheerleaderand the target of a MoveOn-supported primary campaign in 2006 that cost him the Democratic nomination for his Senate seat.
Lieberman, predictably, opposes the Iran deal. And under Lieberman's leadership, UANI wasted no time in coming to the aid of Sen. Schumer, who was facing a wall of criticism from progressives, just as Lieberman had a decade ago.
The fallout from Schumer's decision will shape the future of the Democratic Party, the country, and the Middle East. Everyone's watching. That's why we have to lean in to this fightand respond to the pro-war billboard in a way that can't be missed.
If we can raise the funds this week, we can buy an anti-war billboard in Times Square, and buy online ads to make sure that swing voters across America see our message. Can you chip in $3?
https://pol.moveon.org/contrib/nowar_billboard.html?bg_id=hpc3&id=128538-2669252-0NYxwVx&t=115
We didn't stop the last war. We'll all have to live with thatthose of us who didn't lose our lives to it. But we can stop this one.
GoneFishin
(5,217 posts)running mate.
As much as I would have given anything for Gore to be President rather than Junior, I shudder to think that Lieberman was that close to the Presidency and that Democrats would have taken the blame for all the shit he would have done to the country given the opportunity.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,122 posts)GoneFishin
(5,217 posts)The Wizard
(12,545 posts)Like those Adleson / AIPAC bribes.
Demeter
(85,373 posts)and I won't keep company with either Schumer or Lieberman.
JackInGreen
(2,975 posts)FFS Ash, the words were Klatu Barada Nikto....now we get to deal with this shit bird again.
Mike Nelson
(9,961 posts)Schumer with those opposing him. He should have called Joe and said, "You're name is not going to help me with progressive Obama supporters."
justhanginon
(3,290 posts)"Every undecided Democrat, from Senator Cory Booker to Representative Jerry Nadler, is watching what happens to Schumer. They're trying to figure out whether there's more political risk in supporting the dealor opposing it."
In other words, they don't give a flying fook about our country. To them, depending on how they vote, only what would be the political cost to them. And that sums up our whorish congress in a nutshell.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)Groups like this will use Citizen's United to try to bully Congresspeople into voting against the Iran deal. It wasn't that surprising Schumer came out against the deal, but certainly Adelson and Lieberman are going to try to scare other D's into voting against this.
If we don't ban the special interest money soon our nation is going to be in a lot of trouble.
MisterP
(23,730 posts)annabanana
(52,791 posts)DFW
(54,415 posts)I haven't talked with him since the deal was announced, but I'm pretty sure of two things: he's for the deal, and 85% of the people in his district are against it. It's not a position I'd want to be in. I really don't want to lose his voice in Congress.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)that is repeating on you.
A crusty little shitstain in the shorts of the US body politic.
Liberal_Dog
(11,075 posts)I'm just so gosh-darned happy.
No.
Not really.