Did Joe quit the party tonight? And if he did .......

[Stinky The Clown]

.... should he keep his committee assignments?

[adarling]

1. he has decided to betray his party

why should he continue in the senate as one? He has turned his back on his constituents and has not listened to the voice of the people...the people have voted for Lamont, back him up.

[democrank]

2. Keep his assignments?

Are you kidding? No. Connecticut Democrats spoke tonight. Lieberman lost.

[TwentyFive]

3. Let's kick ALL the Joe Lieberman's out of the party!

The movement is growing! Power to the people...not the corporations!

[racaulk]

4. I'm going to hold my nose and say this.

Let me start by saying that I hate Lieberman and am thrilled by the results of this primary (as much as the rest of you). But in this Congress, he still has a D after his name, so I think he should be allowed to keep his committee assignments. However, if he is successful in his independent run, in January the Dems need to throw his ass out of the committees and not give him the time of day.

Excuse me for a moment while I put my flame suit on...

:hide:

[msongs]

6. you have my agreement - demonizing lieberman is low class

don't understand all the personalizing that goes on here against him (and others)

he has done good things.
he is doing good things.

his war stance and support of the bush gang is not something I admire about him.

the manner in which he seems to be conducting himself currently is not something to be admired.

he has been shocked and surprised due to his own self-importance, and he ought to take it like a man and support Lamont, or at least get out of the way.

his views that the constitution supports freedom OF religion and NOT freedom from religion lose my vote for him (doh, not that I can vote for him anyway)

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[Stinky The Clown]

8. I won't flame you

Your position is reasoned and you stated it well.

[racaulk]

12. Thank you for that.

I was worried for a sec, because I was going against the majority vote of your poll. Thanks for your comment.

:pals:

[beaconess]

5. I think he should be stripped of committee assignments, but that won't

mean much, since very little will be done in any committees before the election. It's an important symbolic statement, though.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Holy Joe should get the alien rectal probe!

and without lubrication!

[Zhade]

9. Strip him.

Wait, that sounds wrong. *shudder*

[Warren Stupidity]

10. Out on his arrogant ass. nt.

[IChing]

11. YES, And as the former Chairman of the DLC, the DLC needs to speak out.

Where they stand with the Democratic Party.

[madfloridian]

13. Yes, that is basically what he did.

And he did not do it very nicely.

[threadkillaz]

14. He better add an "(I)" after his name..

..when he gets back to Washington.

[SaveElmer]

15. Do it after the election...

Stripping him now might just be handing him a weapon to use in the general election campaign...

[Bucky]

16. Burn the witch! Burn the witch! Off to the Gulag with traitors!

I won't and don't defend any of Lieberman's decisions. He's doing the wrong thing. But that alone does not justify attacking his seniority in the Senate. What yall are suggesting is McCarthyism, Stalinism, mob rule.

Lieberman will be gone soon enough. Let him go without being petty about it. He holds his senate seniority based on his election in 2000 as a Democrat and his choice since then to caucus with the Democrats. His six year contract will not end until January.

In other words, there is no legal basis for stripping him of his committee positions. He earned those positions by caucusing with the Democrats, which he says unambiguously he will continue to do if reelected. I don't like his politics or his sucking up to neocons, but that doesn't in any way justify stripping him of the positions he's earned thru the Senate Democratic Caucus--a separate entity from the Democratic Party. To support this suggestion is to say "to hell with the law and the rules--he's against us and we gotta get rid of him." I expect that sort of thinking from conservatives and fascists and other extremists. To hear from liberals that same sort of "might makes right" thinking is appalling.

[Guaranteed]

17. What about the fact that he refuses to respect the decision

of the Democratic voters?

Isn't that enough- in itself- to strip him of his "Democrat" status?

[Bucky]

18. How did you feel about Jim Jeffords?

He ran against a Dem to get elected, yet caucused with the Democrats (as an independent) in the Senate. Still, the party hailed him as a hero and the caucus welcomed him with open arms and gave him full seniority consideration.

I believe in rule by agreed upon rules, not rule by human preferences and favoritism.

I don't like Lieberman's politics. I don't like his pandering to the neocons. But I don't think the Senate caucus has the power to strip him of his Democratic status. The voters of Connecticut can do that only--and did so tonight. Attacking him in the senate for exercising his rights as a US citizen to run for elective office is worse than petty--it's vindictive and McCarthyistic. Agree with me 100% or I'll run you out of town.

But frankly the pettiness is worse than the vindictiveness. Joe'll be gone soon enough. Let him go without being petty. If we are petty, he can easily use that to paint Lamont and his supporters as scary puritans bent on destroying all who deviate from their marching orders. It would hand a massive PR victory to Lieberman right at the moment when we need to marginalize him. If Lamont takes the high road, he can bleed Lieberman of support. If we engage in peripheral revenge tactics unassociated with the race itself, it's vaguely Stalinistic.

Winners don't kick a man while he's down. Pettiness never plays well with voters--particularly those who believe in fair play and are therefor attracted to the Democrats. For a dozen reasons, pragmatic and principled, it makes no sense to go after the committee posts. The only reason in favor of taking his posts away is based on revenge and partisanship, neither one of which does us any honor.

[Guaranteed]

20. We're not the ones being petty, here. He's trying to subvert the will

of the Democratic voters. I'm sorry, sir, but FUCK that. Fuck that very much.

Those ARE the rules. When the Democratic voters decide you don't get to represent them anymore, you respect that wish- IF you're a Democrat. If you're not a Democrat, you can do whatever you like. But that's the decision that the Democrats made, here.

The choice was and is his to make. He made it.

[inthebrain]

21. I don't care if Lieberman runs

He's only causing confusion amongst the right wing in that state. I do think he should be kicked out of the party as he doesnt represent the base and is willing to attack a dem in the general election.

FDR once said, "Don't judge me by my friends, judge me by my enemies!!!" Those words couldnt be more true in this scenerio.

[orleans]

19. if he registers tomorrow for independent then that's what he is

which would make him no longer a dem

[evilkumquat]

22. There Is a Reason Security Escorts Fired People Off Premises

When a guy is fired for incompetence, or for stealing from the firm, he does not get to stay captain of the company softball team, does he?

Evil Kumquat