WaPo: Is Feinstein The Next Lieberman?

[babylonsister]

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/11/feinstein_again_breaks_ranks_w.html

Is Feinstein The Next Lieberman?
Paul Kane

For the second time in recent months, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) on Friday confirmed that she will break ranks with a majority of her Democratic colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, in this case to confirm President Bush's nominee for attorney general.

Feinstein, along with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), announced that she will support Michael B. Mukasey's nomination, virtually assuring his confirmation despite the nominee's controversial refusal to declare an interrogation technique called waterboarding to be an illegal form of torture.

The decision to back Bush's nominee sparked immediate outrage among the liberal anti-war "Netroots" community, many of whom had been pushing aggressively for the undecided Democrats on Judiciary to oppose Mukasey. Within minutes of the Schumer-Feinstein announcements, timed to be released at the same moment, the liberal blog Talking Points Memo blasted the news on its home page, while Democrats.com urged readers to refuse to give money to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is chaired by Schumer.

Schumer's wavering on the issue was much debated and discussed over the past week, as his indecision was featured in profiles in The Washington Post, New York Times and insider publications like Roll Call and The Hill. Feinstein's role was just as pivotal and received nowhere near as much attention, but some think that will change.

Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, predicted short-term headaches for Schumer but long-term issues with the anti-war liberals for Feinstein, because it's her second major break from Democrats in the past three months. "The next Joe Lieberman for them is going to be Feinstein," Ornstein told Capitol Briefing, referring to Connecticut's Joe Lieberman, who has been effectively chased from the party for his strong support for the Iraq war.

more...

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/11/feinstein_again_breaks_ranks_w.html

[Redneck Socialist]

1. Chased from his party?!

Joe Lieberman, who has been effectively chased from the party for his strong support for the Iraq war.

Chased from the party? He lost the primary and like a petulant little child, unhappy with the results, went a ran as an independent. Jerk.

I for one would be pretty happy to see Feinstein kicked to the curb. She's been a drag on the party for far too long a time.

[opihimoimoi]

2. I am disgusted with these 2 idiots for breaking ranks////Treasonous

[KharmaTrain]

3. So They Use AEI As A Source?

There's some "objectivity" in reporting for you. No mention, of course, that it's a neo-con, Repugnican front group. While Ornstein is one of the few "reasonable" people inside that nuthouse, he's surely no expert on the mood of the Democratic Party base.

Feinstein is putting friendships and "working together" ahead of what's best for the country. Schumer strong-armed her into joining him, just as she's been pushed in other votes. Di Fi wants to be popular rather than to do what's right and surely deserves greater scrutiny now and a Progressive primary challenger when her term expires.

As someone (it may have been KO) pointed out the other day, Schummer screwed his pooch on this coming out in favor of a buddy and he's playing the "devil you do vs. the devil you don't" since he got too far out in front of this mess. He got set up and played by the boooshie regime (whom I'm sure are enjoying his pissing off so many Democrats) and now is stuck with his buddy. He compromised himself and that's gonna be felt for a while...his influence among Democrats has dropped big time.

[NightWatcher]

4. Why isnt Schumer the next Lieberman?

He's the one who held Mukasey's hand and escorted him along the Senate Confirmation path.

I think that Chucky is doing this in order to help Hillary out by not 'rocking the boat' as it were. Everyone thinks that 208 is a gimmie for the DINOS (Hillary included in my opinion) that they have written off the past 3 years while they wait.

[hadrons]

5. Feinstein been the next Joe Lieberman for a while ....