Here's what I don't get about Liebermann - I'm a lowly party volunteer

[dflprincess]

I serve on my (state) senate district central committee - the group that keeps the local party unit running between elections when all the campaign enthusiasts have gone home. If I had been out campaigning for McCain or Norm Coleman I would have been kicked out of this volunteer group because I had broken party rules by working against Democratic candidates. Yet Liebermann runs all around the country dissing the nominee and he gets rewarded. :shrug:

[ryanmuegge]

1. That's because you're a real Democrat. The volunteers are. The actual politicians aren't.

[Generator]

18. Had to have a bitter laugh at that one

Oh and to the OP not only would you get kicked out where you volunteer-DU would tombstone Lieberman.

[SharonAnn]

52. Lieberman is an Independent "Democrat" who caucuses with the Democrats

He did not win Connecticut's Democratic Primary, so he had to run as a member of a different party.

He was not elected as a Democrat, but as an Independent Democrat, whatever that is.

[rvablue]

2. This has got to be the most poignant analysis I've seen of this yet

so simple. so true. so effin' unfair.

[anndash]

3. This was a victory for

Israel's interests - nothing more. So disgusting.

[immoderate]

27. Except Iraelis preferred Obama.

Don't confuse AIPAC neocons with Israeli interests. BTW, I am not a Zionist.

--IMM

[jrockford]

40. Quite disgusting - but expected. nt

[kath]

4. WIsh I could rec this 10 times - very good analysis

[nichomachus]

5. How many votes do you get in the Senate?

How much money can you bring in from lobbyists?

[geomon666]

37. Oh that's right. We don't actually elect representatives any more.

We elect whores.

[crispini]

6. yep. Precinct chair here, same rules.

in fact we kicked out our county party chair for endorsing a republican. But apparently senators are above all that. :eyes:

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. They can always find another volunteer to take your place

Lieberman is going to be a Senator for the next four years.

[dflprincess]

8. Actually, no, not in my part of town.

I don't live in the most active of areas and it pretty much tends to be the same old hacks who keep things going year after year. After every caucus we have an influx of new people for a few months. We had a bunch of them this year and I'll bet there are 5 of the that are still showing up at the monthly meetings and we really to try to keep people interested and make them feel welcome. But they find out pretty quick that being invovlved isn't always that exciting and they're not interested in the grunt work.

[mentalslavery]

32. More importantly, lie-ber-man can stall investigations!

Lets see, who does joe owe, o yea! the Big O! Go team! Lets see how many repuk investigations of obama admin get off the ground. Im thinkin O. Look, Im from Illinois. My sis has his old spot at the chicago acorn, parents have hosted fun raising events with him in our backyard when he was a nobody-if that was ever possible. Ive watched O work for a long time, way before his appearance on the national spotlight via kerry's run. He is the man! He speaks softly and carries a baseball bat with spikes in it. Very good poli-might be the best leader ever!! This is the right move, you guys are completely mis-reading it. Do you really think poli's are fair!!

[cobalt1999]

9. That's the difference between volunteers and politicians

Politicians build alliances and owed favors to cash in when needed. Sometimes that makes them do/support things you wouldn't.

What's the old saying "politics makes strange bedfellows"? It's true.

[MsLeopard]

10. K&R

Obviously state committees are not part of the club. Just as obvious is that having a Congressional seat in Washington means you're "in" and nothing you do or say can ever make you "out." Where's that change again?

[bean fidhleir]

11. Shee-it, if you'd so much as spoken out for a non-Dem here at DU, you'd have been kicked out

Even someone like Cindy.

But, that's the very essence of bad government: the rich get the protection part of the law, while the poor get the enforcement part.

[crispini]

12. Kick.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

13. K&R wholeheartedly

The most eloquent, precise and accurate post out of the Lieberman posts so far

[rbixby]

14. Agreed

I'm not sure what the logic is with this, the betrayal of Liebermann is terrible. I just hope there's some kind of good purpose to this.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

15. That's because you haven't won a general election

Lieberman has.

And Lieberman hasn't been rewarded. He managed, due to Obama's magnanimosity, to avoid punishment.

Which is good of the man (Obama I mean.) It shows that, unlike Bush and the majority of the D.U., he isn't interested in petty vindictiveness.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[dflprincess]

17. The last time Liebermann won a general election he ran against the Democrat

How is it vindictive to expect Democrats to stand up for something for a change? This isn't being magnanimous, this is being spineless.

And, may I point out, the party couldn't function and I can't think of any politician who would win an eleciton without volunteers.

[Eric J in MN]

35. rewarded or avoided-punishment depends on how you look at it

Arguably, Senators who get chairmanships are rewarded every two years, even if it's chairmanships they had in the previous session.

[geomon666]

38. And that's why you'll be the first one here to say no to war crimes trials for W.

Won't you?

[MisterP]

16. well, Senators are your betters and all of their decisions are good for America and the Party

listen and be silent! Since we are ignorant peons who deserve to be treated like the emotional, brain-dead, attention-deficit 5-year-olds that we are, it is not our place to question their virtuous and long-sighted actions. It is best to just shut up, be quiet, and praise God that only a lot of the conservative agenda is being pushed, instead of its entirety. We are to give due deference and lèse-majesté to our Leaders, beg forgiveness for that flicker of disbelief in their living-godhood, and pray that our lunacy did not destroy the Party permanently.
:sarcasm:
p.s.: don't forget to applaud their smartness

[bertman]

19. You should ask Howard Dean. He thinks it was a brilliant strategic move. But, I agree with

you that it is a slap in the face of the people who keep the party afloat at the local level.

[unkachuck]

20. K&R....n/t

[OHDEM]

21. I'm disappointed.

I would love to have seen Lie-Berman tossed out on his arse!

Campaiging for McCain I could maybe forgive since technically he's an Independent and McCain is all mavericky, but the "marxist" crap and the lies about cutting off funding for the troops were WAY over the top. The only thing I can think is that this is the pragmatic move - we want to get things done right now and can't afford to lose even 1 vote. Particularly since, despite recent events, Lieberman usually votes with the Democrats.

[TransitJohn]

22. Lieberman's not a Democrat and so

can't be kicked out of the party. The Senate Democratic Caucus should have stripped him of that chairmanship, though.

[sellitman]

23. This was Obamas decision.

He told us things would change. Apparently change doesn't mean growing a spine.

[tomp]

24. secret vote, very clever.

bunch of assholes, including obama.

[vssmith]

25. I defy you to tell me one time that the Senate Democrats

acting as a group have ever shown courage.

[Citizen_Penn]

26. He's not a democrat - he's an independent who votes

with our party.

big difference.

[D-Lee]

36. Exactly! And now he is motivated to vote with Dems

Looks to me as if PE Obama is lining up everything to support immediate positive action from day one. That is probably the reason for so many proposed appointees with prior administrative experience (and clearances).

Remember Lieberman doesn't technically count as a Dem on the "60 Senate votes" super majority stop-a-filibuster number. As a practical matter, he can now be expected to support Obama's legislative program.

Time will tell whether it was a smart move ...

[Citizen_Penn]

55. Disagree with your statement about whether he counts

toward 60.

My understanding is that if he caucuses with us, he's one of us.

Remember when that independent from Vermont (Jeffries sp?) switched caucuses? big happy for Dems that day - very sad looking GOP.

Strongly agree with you that if we let him play on our "team" - we have far better chance of getting things done.

Time will tell us how he'll play - but if he's willing to stay on our team - I see no valid reason for shunning the man.

Having said that, I completely disagree with him on many issues. But, that doesn't incline me to disregard him completely.

[bobbolink]

28. Thank you for all your efforts!

:applause:


For what it's worth to you..... I don't consider you "lowly"..... without you, the party would be much poorer.

:hi:

[asteroid2003QQ47]

29. "My friends, we live in the greatest nation...

in the history of the world. I hope you'll join me as we try to change it."
--Barack Obama

Like you, I joined and all I got was a lousy little Lieberman!

[pnwmom]

30. You don't have a vote in the U.S. Senate because a plurality of CT voters

chose you. He does. As long as he has a vote, and we need it, we need to work with him.

[dflprincess]

54. And if I had decided to work for someone other than the Democratic candidate

how much damage would I do to the party or their candidate? Not a whole lot. But a Senator (who most people do identify as a Democrat even if he calls himself an "Independent Democrat") works like mad against the party - how much damage can he do?

[Voice for Peace]

31. Suppose there is a guy with power, connections with bad guys, a history of kissing ass

in order to get even more power and prestige...
And you were the president....

If you dissed the guy, ignored him, punished him, humiliated him, took away all his power...
he'd likely ally himself more closely with the bad guys, keep kissing their asses, keep scheming and dealing in cheat and deceit, and especially in revenge. He and his evil connections would be thereby empowered.

But if you made the guy your ally, gave him strokes, gave him kindness, respect, and a small amount of WELL-SUPERVISED power, such that he knew where his next meal would be coming from... he'd be less likely to cause problems or invest energy in evildoing. You'd keep him really busy, and keep a close eye on him.

And then suppose there were legions of good people who knew you, and trusted you, and you knew they were going to have your back; and you knew their strength came from inside of them, not from you; you wouldn't feel like you had to worry about them, or try to please them all the time; because your relationship with them was deeper more real and more dependable than that.

This is coming out like a bit of babbling; but I trust Obama knows what he's doing.

[ksimons]

33. I assume Lieberman is going to be one, very lonely Democrat

When people no longer can trust you, you are ostracized. I think it may in fact be better punishment for Lieberman to become a stranger in his homeland (Dem party) than to be a visitor in a strangeland (Rep party). When no one drops by to talk about issues, or fellow members constantly shut down conversations or nod politely and walk away after he speaks, maybe he'll start to realize his true worth based on his actions against the Democratic Party's nominee.

To witness him, even today, in the Katie Couric interview say he was 'respectful' in his criticisms of Obama should be an eye-opener to all Democrats, those who voted to keep his chairmanship or not.

no remorse. how you like them apples?

[Hannah Bell]

46. I think you're wrong.

[dbmk]

47. But is he a Democrat?

Isn't he independent technically?

[truebluecollar]

34. What if McCain had actually picked Lieberman as his Veep,

would Joe still have gotten to keep his committee chairmanship?

[geomon666]

39. Yes n/t

[asteroid2003QQ47]

41. I'll add a big YES to that! n/t

[fla nocount]

43. Yes, of course. Lieberman is an ambassador.

He has immunity for anything he does stateside.

[Norrin Radd]

42. k

[Smith_3]

44. "Quod licet iovi, non licet bovi." n/t

[PVnRT]

45. The conventional thinking is that HolyJoe now owes Obama

We'll see. Joe seems to think he's accomplished everything on his own. It will be interesting to see what happens the first time there's a policy disagreement.

[Benhurst]

48. Hell, you would have been kicked off Democratic Underground if

you had posted crap not half as bad as Lieberman was saying on national television.

I have had to reluctantly conclude that our party is like Animal Farm: all our members are equal -- some are just more equal than others.

[zipplewrath]

49. He's not a democrat

You're confusing the party with a senate caucus. They are not the same thing. The rules are different.

[nyc 4 Biden]

50. They believe in responsiblity and loyalty.

Oh, not for them, just the grunts.

[onlyadream]

51. I was wondering the same thing too..

he's such a hypocrite - but I guess that's the Washington norm - so sad but true. :eyes:

[otohara]

53. I'm Done Volunteering For Democrats

my Obama team capt. came to my house the other night to give me a thank-you card. It was the night when the Senate Dems let that POS Lieberman off the hook. It will be the last thank you card I receive.