The Sins of Holy Joe: Some Possible Reasons Why He's Sinking in CT

[BurtWorm]

Betrayed Bill and Hillary Clinton during the impeachment idiocy by being too willing to be a Democratic scold.

Repeatedly gave air to Republican talking points on family values--and still does.

Was a sole Dem voice arguing in favor of school vouchers and changes to Social Security.

Hedged his bets, running for both VP and Senator from CT at the same time. Some might call that prudence, but it seemed like lack of confidence in the grand prize to me. If he was so worried about losing that seat to Republicans, he should have turned Gore down.

Entered the convention hall in LA just in time to completely drown out Stephen Hawking as, via video, he began to appeal to what was left of Americans' intellectual pride on behalf Al Gore and against the know-nothing Bushists. Kind of prophetic, when you think about it.

Forced the 2000 ticket rightward. After Bush was selected, Lieberman said things turned out as they had because Gore had talked too much like a populist.

Singlehandedly decided to concede the absentee ballot issue to Republicans early on in the post-election. His eagerness to score yet another point with the right wing blinded him (to bend over backwards in {underserved} fairness to him) to the legitimate charges Gore's team was making about Republican dirty tricks sending ballots to the military overseas after the election and having their ops overlook the lack of postal marks on them when they flowed in a week or more later.

Within a year after Bush v. Gore, Lieberman cited the Ninth Circuit's decision against the Pledge as the worst court decision "in memory."

Support for the war. Support for the war. Support for the war.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. Bends over backwards to be "in step" with the worst president in history.

'Nuff said.

[BurtWorm]

3. Can't forget "The Kiss"

[MountainLaurel]

14. Has a hint of "The Godfather" in it

Doesn't it?

[dogday]

2. Alex, I will take support the war for $500............ nt

[Radical Activist]

4. So its not just a single issue, huh?

I love the Lieberman apologists who pretend the war is the only issue on which he acts like a Republican. Some of us have been paying more attention. His loyalty to the banking industry and corporate special interests is no small issue.

When he, along with the DLC, started claiming that Gore lost the election due to his populist themes, it became obvious how absolutely clueless he is about how to win a national election.

[texastoast]

5. No, he also was a big advocate

for the legislation that allowed Andy Fastow to do the Enron dance.

"Senator Joe Lieberman, as chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee, presides over hearings into what-went-wrong with the air of sorrowful piety that is his specialty. "Gatekeepers weren't keeping the gate, watchdogs weren't watching," he lamented. He neglects to mention that he is one of the faulty watchdogs and also a leading gatekeeper who blocked the timely reform of corporate finance. The Senator has a hypocrisy problem. He frequently sermonizes on the moral failings of others, including other public figures. Meanwhile, he has shilled vigorously, sometimes venomously, for the very players who are new icons of corruption--major auditing firms, corporate executives who cashed stock options early while investors took a bath and, especially, those self-inflating high-tech companies in Silicon Valley that drove the stock-market bubble. As a New Democrat, Lieberman held the door for their escapades."

More . . .

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0322-05.htm

[AndyTiedye]

6. He's Pro-Choice, But Votes To Let ** Pack the Court With Fundies Anyway

Making nice with the Rethugs seems to trump everything else.

[Cha]

7. Thanks for putting this

little summary together, Burtworm. I remembered reading about each and every little tidbit at the time but it's good to ruminate exactly why so many DUers gave poor joe a hard time on this Board.

Ol' sanctimonious joe..how can he live with himself without being so perfect?

[robbedvoter]

8. Doomed the 2000 recount: "Count all the military ballots"

That was a Gore vctory right there - by 202 votes according to NY Times recount. Joementum gave it up on teevee. Of course, he hedged his bets then too, running 2 races at the same time.

[Roland99]

9. Belt it, Bono!!!

I, I'm a humble guy
No really, I try
You know it's hard sometimes
You, you're messed up too
But both of us are gonna get through
I'm working my way to get to you.

Come on, come one, come on, come on
Be good to me.
Come on, come one, come on, come on
Be good to me.
Come on, come one, come on, come on
Be good to me.
Here it comes, here it comes
Holy Joe.

Please, don't make me say please
To champagne and ice cream
It's not what I want
It's what I need
Devotion, a little appreciation
A little heavy rotation
Oh, looks good on me.
I'm having the best of anybody's life
Closer than ever to everybody's wife, yeah.

Come on, come one, come on, come on
Be good to me.
Come on, come one, come on, come on
Be good to me.
Here it comes, here it comes
Holy Joe.

Come on, come one, come on, come on
Be good to me.
Come on, come one, come on, come on
Be good to me.
Come on, come one, come on, come on
Be good to me.
Come on, come one, come on, come on
Be good to me.
Here it comes, here it comes
Holy Joe.
Here it comes, here it comes
Holy Joe.
Here it comes, here it comes
Holy Joe.

[iconoclastNYC]

10. Liberman is a traitor to our party

He's the poster child of why it's wrong to let a corporate-funded thinktank (the DLC) pick our candidates for us.

[bvar22]

11. Bill Moyers

"Remember our recent story about how Enron used stock options to avoid paying taxes in four out of the last five years?
Well, even as we talk, the White House and business lobbies, with Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman as their point man, are working to block reform of stock options.

Yes, the rich declared class war and won. "

http://www.pbs.org/now/commentary/moyers7.html
(Please go to the link and read the rest of this commentary.)


Those who insist that Joe is Liberal on everything but the WAR haven't been paying attention.


The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[Hamlette]

12. He supported the religious nut cases on the Schiavo case

that was the end for me. I sent money to Lamont even though I live a couple thousand miles away.

[BurtWorm]

13. A CT-centric reason I should have mentioned in the OP

Has been flirting with running as an independent if Dems dump him in the primary. Has high-placed pals in the Democraticv Party who would back him as an indy against the CT Dems' choice. This is probably the last straw for a lot of CT Dems.

Full disclosure: I'm not currently a CT Dem, but I was one in 1988, when I voted for Weicker against Lieberman. So why do I complain when other Dems say they'd back an indy Lieberman over a Dem? Because Lieberman has always been suspect as a Dem.

[UTUSN]

15. How'bout POOR JUDGMENT,believing HIMSELF to be popular

Whatever benefit GORE chose to see in him for the 2000 ticket was WIPED OUT by his poor performance, especially his ass kissing of CHEENEE in the debates. So Joementum took the rah-rah part of the campaign as something PERSONAL about HIM. It was flabbergasting for him to even THINK of running himself in the '04 primaries, to think he had a chance or that he had a large constituency. He's just FLABBY all over.

[BurtWorm]

16. The debate!

Lobbing softball set-ups for Cheney's dishonest one-liners and not coming back to kick his corrupt ass. :grr:

[Bushfire]

19. Didn't he roll over when Cheney said he didn't profit from his connections

in government while CEO at Halliburton? I lost any respect for him after that debate.

[yodermon]

17. Don't forget his support for Rapist's Rights

http://firedoglake.blogspot.com/2006/03/lieberman-supports-rapist-rights-in.html

Lieberman said he believes hospitals that refuse to give contraceptives to rape victims for "principled reasons" shouldn't be forced to do so. "In Connecticut, it shouldn't take more than a short ride to get to another hospital," he said.

This alone should damn him among any to the left of robertson/falwell/dobson.

[Vidar]

18. Pretty damning list.

[rniel]

20. Be careful

there really is a lot of fans of 'Holy Joe' on DU I've learned.

[Occulus]

21. So what?

They're part of the problem....