Leiberman, the obstructionist (or is it the opportunist?)
So Harry Reid is pushing hard for a public option in the senate’s health reform bill.
Joe Leiberman has threatened to filibuster with the Republicans if a public option is part of the senate’s health reform bill.
In the words of Sarah Palin (cringe) “Say it ain’t so, Joe.”
Does Joe Leiberman really care about health care reform, with or without a public option attached? Ummm, not so much. What Joe Leiberman cares about is getting re-elected. This time, as a Republican. From the NY Observer:
So it’s possible that he’s just playing for leverage and that he’ll be persuaded to return to the Democratic fold in the end, the scenario that Senate Democrats seemed on Tuesday to be banking on. And it’s also possible that he isn’t bluffing-and that John McCain’s favorite surrogate really is willing to provide the vote that would effectively kill a public option.
Either way, his latest headline-grabbing posture offered further confirmation to disgusted Democrats in his home state that even though Lieberman (thanks to Barack Obama’s intervention last November) now caucuses with Senate Democrats, he is writing the party off as he considers his own future.
Looks like the Democrats in Connecticut have had just about enough of Joe Leiberman. He could not get his ass elected there as a Democrat, or even, probably, as an Independent.
That leaves the G.O.P. option. And it’s not hard to imagine Connecticut’s Republican Party, which is far more moderate on cultural issues than most of its counterparts across the country, embracing him as their nominee. The state G.O.P. has a very thin bench and hasn’t won a Senate election since 1982 (and then only with the very liberal Lowell Weicker). In many ways, Lieberman would be doing them a favor by coming on board.
And is there a better way to curry favor with Republicans than to position yourself as the biggest obstacle standing in the way of ObamaCare?
“Joe is such an extraordinarily opportunistic thinker,” Curry said on Tuesday, “that what you immediately ask yourself isn’t what he might be trying to achieve on health care, but what he’s thinking about his re-election.”
So, Obama returns Joe’s chairmanship to him, and quicker than you can say, “Bob’s your uncle”, Joe turns around and kicks him in the teeth.
He’s not looking out for the president. He’s not looking out for the Democrats. He’s not looking out for the American public.
He’s looking out for Joe.
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Suggesting that Lieberman owes Obama and that “debt” should influence his vote shows just how f**ked up the partisan politics game is that you play.
Perhaps, Lieberman is just plain right (correct).
Of course that, “debt” should influence his vote, but he’s a new kind of maverick politician, much like his idol, John McCain. And that’s not f**ked up partisan politics, that’s just politics.
Will there be a follow up essay for Arlan Spector? The overwhelming percentage of US Senators and long-sitting Congressmen fall into this category. Hello? They’re politicians!
Ouch, Wormwood, you’re wounding me, because, of course, I was suggesting that this wasn’t politics?
[...] that their funding might dry up if they were to vote for a public option. (And then there are the opportunistic ones, without naming names) But, sad to say, who do we find in the fray of the Blue Dogs, but our very [...]
Joe !! ?
What happened? Only 3 months ago you wanted a health care plan !!! Now you say . . .
No public option. No reduced age health care in the medicare program?
YOU, are a SELFISH BASTARD and have NO idea how the PEOPLE are STRUGGLING when medical help is needed.
I can’t believe this. How much did the lobbiests pay you?