Lieberman defection on healthcare enrages liberals

The U.S. senator was the Democratic Party's nominee for vice president in 2000. By 2008, Connecticut's Joe Lieberman was an independent and the Official Best Friend of the Republican nominee for president.

In the aftermath of the election, some Democrats wanted to punish Lieberman for his nasty comments against Barack Obama during the campaign, but a magnanimous President Obama urged the caucus to allow Lieberman to retain his chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

Now, Lieberman has said he will join Republicans in filibustering a public option in the Obama healthcare plan, and the liberal blogosphere is furious.

In a piece called "So Why Was It We Didn't Kick Joe Lieberman Out of The Caucus?" TPM suggests that Lieberman has been "pissing inside the tent for a decade, at least. His treachery was capped off by his opposition to Barack Obama in the 2008 general election. His whole raison d'etre is to harm the Democratic Party."

In a piece called "Surprise! Lieberman Stabs Dems in Back," truthdig.com offers this analysis: "People are dying for lack of affordable health care. Delaying urgently needed reform for political gain is repugnant. It’s also exactly the kind of behavior we’ve come to expect from Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut."

As one correspondent, wheelimus, put it on Daily Kos: "Joe Lieberman should have been kicked out of the caucus a long time ago. But, damn it, we as a party and a majority have no backbone if his gavels are not ripped from his hands once he makes history by filibustering with the opposition."

Still, as newser.com points out, Lieberman is only one of six big headaches that Nevada Democrat Harry Reid has in corralling 60 votes in the Senate for the legislation. Check out the others here.

-- Johanna Neuman

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Comments

[Cowdogs]

At least Lieberman thinks, and does not permit himself to be herded like the others who wish to lead us down the path of serfdom.

There are, however, remaining concerns, about his opposition to the "public option" in its "current form". There exists no good form of it. It is the road to ruin for both consumers and caregivers. One needs to look no further than Europe for living proof (albeit, not always "living").

[Thumper]

People are dying for lack of affordable health care? What a crock. It's a wonderful lie to force an illegal power grab onto the American public though. People do not die in THIS country because they have no health care. Hospitals are UNABLE to turn away those in critical need regardless of insurance. Now, people DO die in places like Canada, Britain, and other socialist countries with so called "free" health care. (it's not free if you pay taxes. You know, those 'voluntary' taxes that if you don't pay you are thrown in jail?) Just recently a woman died in Britain from ovarian cancer. her state sponsored doctors sent her home FIVE times telling her she had......gas. Yup, shut up old lady, here's some laxatives, go to the bathroom. Later, she dies from a curable form of ovarian cancer. Breast cancer survival in America is over 70%....in Britain.....less than 30%. There's an actual BUSINESS in Canada whose sole purpose is to transport Canadians into the US for proper health care and surgeries. So tell me again how letting the same people who run the post office and DMV be in charge of my life is a good thing. The fact is people can buy health care in the US for less than they spend on cigarettes, alcohol and satellite TV. They simple CHOOSE not to, because they want someone else to do it for them.

[J Baustian]

Thank you, Senator Lieberman. So what if the lefties hate you? They didn't vote for you anyway.

[Rleb Blco]

What could be expect, from a TRAITOR AND A BENDING BACK MEN, TO ANY INTEREST What so ever ,as long there is money for him and his own bastard interest! . So they don't want to tell bad thing about JEWS!!! Isn't it?
But we get minds to think!,This chick is getting MILLIONS from the insurance industry, to vote their interests. They could care less about uninsured Americans. they and their families don't have to worry about high insurance premiums

[David Diel]

No candidate wins his seat by promising to be a robot slave of his party. When somebody thinks for himself and comes to a different conclusion than his party, we do not call that treachery. Many Americans have died to defend individualistic freedom, which is worth more than all of the drugs and treatments the government will ever provide.

[John]

Throw this Lieber guy out of the Senate he reminds me of the other Lieberman the racist foreign minister of the Zionist regime.

[James Twomey]

I must say that Lieberman is really the epitome of what is wrong with US politics. He clearly has no interest in what is best for the people of his state or his country. How he gets elected is a testimony to what corporate money can buy. How many other Senate seats are bought and paid for by corporations? He is worse than Bush. At least Bush had the excuse of being really stupid; to few brain cells left after a life of drinking and drugs. But Lieberman is just plain evil. He should have no say in what happens to the people of this country.

[Arulin]

Anyone know the number to the triad? Think the dems want to hire a hitman.

[Michael]

Joe the Lieberman should have been kicked out of the democrated party,he's a serious judas,democrates should not trust him,let him go to the party of NO.

[James C. Samans]

I think that 'wheelimus' has it exactly right: if Senator Leiberman votes with Republicans on a filibuster against the health care bill, he should be stripped of his chairmanship and removed from the caucus.

He was, in my opinion, right to take a principled stand on the war for the sake of the good of the nation. But healthcare is a fundamental Democratic issue. If he stands with Republicans on this, he should go caucus with them.

Until next election, of course. There sure won't be any room for him in the New Republican Party of Sarah Palin. Good riddance.

[AngryMobVoter]

The idea of government run healthcare is a joke. Just look at the VA. Look at Medicare. Both are poorly run and result in bad care. The current administration likes to attack the insurance industry while they are in bed with the drug companies. The drug companies will still be able to charge Americans the highest prices in the world for drugs and make far higher profit margins than the insurance industry. At the same time the current administration is doing nothing about tort reform which would yield substantial cost savings without degrading or rationing care. The two biggest areas of potential savings are drug prices and tort reform. The current administration is in bed with the drug companies and attorneys so little of that savings will ever be realized. Also, union members will not have to be concerned about their plans while the rest of us will pay for it.
VOTE THEM OUT!

[Michael]

Dems were stupid not to strip him of all chairmanships right off the bat. I would be happy for the treachorous slime to join the GOP, its where he belongs. This should have happened because of his campaigning for McLame and Failin in the last election.

[Ben R. Rodriguez MS]

We are very sad, that Senator Lieberman, asfter supporting many of his projects and needs for Israel, he has denied for us, Seniors, Retired, and Veterans, the correct options in Health Care Act in consideration. If we do not have the Public (Government) option, the abuses, high unreasonable prices for Health Care will continued as was before. I am certain, since if we had Government available Health Care, the my Daughter, could have survived her breast cancer. We spend billions in waste, illegal wars where we must not be involved, with every day more soldiers are sacrificed -- FOR WHAT?
LET US GO FOR PEACE, REASON, DIPLOMACY, AND CITIZENS RIGHTS TO PUBLIC HEALTH CARE, DO NOT SURRENDER TO GREEDY INSURANCE COMPANIES AND THEIR MONEY LOBBISTS AGAINST US THE AVERAGE CITIZENS IN PRESSING NEEDS.
Ben R. Rodriguez MS Ret Sr, Citizen in need.

[jeff finney]

Lieberman's a traitor on so many levels, it's not surprising that he'd turn his back on his Party and on the nation at such a critical time. Obama was wrong to reward Leiberman for his treachery during the campaign, and now the weasel has popped its head out. AIPAC is this guy's only reason for living.

[UNCLE BERNIE]

How can any sane person read that stuff?

[Chris Darrow]

If the liberals wanted his blind support why did they NOT support him for senator? If you will all recall they tried to elect someone else. Liberman owes the democrat party NOTHING.

[DBL]

You folks out on the Coast might not know this, but Connecticut politics are dominated by independents. I think there are more independents in Connecticut than either Republicans or Democrats. So the fact that the liberal wing of the Democratic Party is having a hissy fit over Sen. Lieberman is utterly irrelevant to his political future. Right now, Sen. Lieberman is wildly popular with Connecticut's independents and while Connecticut Republicans may not love him, they certainly prefer him to another Obamabot, so I'd say that he's hitting all the right notes from a political perspective.

[Gary Marchinke]

It is a big news story today when somebody does what they think is right!! How Sad!! Right on, Joe!!

[JohnR]

Yes, Lieberman had the temerity...the GALL...to support the Iraq war. And the Left responded in their typical manner to anyone who dares deviate a tidge from the Party Line by running a low IQ, radical Left moron against him in the primary. Well, the moron won the primary, but Lieberman ran as an Independent and won easy reelection; everyone but the radical Left in Connecticut knows a solid performer when they see one. And now? Why Lieberman continues to have the GALL to defy the Left on selected issues. How dare he!

[Greg]

It could be that Lieberman actually reflects the opinions of the American people and that he's not tied by partisan politics. Politicians seem to have completely dismissed the opinions of their constituents and have single handedly decided they are going to determine what we need in terms of health care reform. Ironically, by making the process so political, it has become completely devoid of a discussion on health itself.

[Ucl2]

Guess many in the democratic party will have to continue to foot the bill for their AIDS treatments from their own pockets since the public option seem to be out for right now.

[colonelgirdle]

I can't let Thumper's comments go unchallenged. I will concede that, yes, hospitals will treat someone for an emergency situation and that person can apply for relief from the bills as an indigent. Hospitals receive government money so they can do that. However, anyone with a chronic health problem such as diabetes, which requires maintenance care is not so fortunate.

[Ochocinco]

If you want Joe Lieberman's vote for a public option - just tell the Health Care Bill will buy him a few billion dollars more for Israeli defense - it will PASS no problem.

Joe can be bought - just tie it to Israel.

[Emilio Franciscus]

Access to health care, for all , is what we need desperately, and NOW!

[hypatiab7]

Bleb Blco: How nice of you to take advantage of a horrible situation to show off your anti-Semitism.
People are dying due to lack of medical treatment
and not being able to afford life-saving medicines, and all you can do it tell the world that you are a bigot. Well, we now KNOW that you are a bigot, so please shut your piehole. This
discussion is about healthcare not bigotry.