Has Reid really assured Joe he'll be welcomed back??!

Today's Hartford Courant has a story that asks the question, "Would Party Forgive Joe?"  We are starting to get hints that the answer is no!  But Joe doesn't seem to agree.  What does he know?

As we have seen, there are leaks from some Senate advisors that Joe may be losing support from many of his ex-colleagues, thus affecting his standing and seniority if he were to be successful with his Connecticut Republicans for Joe candidacy.  However, Joe's response to the reporter was:

"Sen. Reid left no doubt in my mind that I would retain my seniority and committee assignments within the Senate Democratic Caucus should I be re-elected," Lieberman said Thursday, "and that has been confirmed to me by several other members of the Democratic caucus."

Now... I am not one to take Joe at his word anymore and even the way he phrased it seems kind of slippery.  Reid "left no doubt in my mind".  He didn't simply say Reid "told me".  What is going on here?  

I have not been very vocal in demanding that Joe be stripped of his seniority and positions in the Dem caucus yet.  I think it is too soon.  I would rather Dems try behind closed doors to get him to drop out.  If they can help Joe save a little face by not publically humiliating him, I am all for it.  I don't care about Joe's feelings.  I want Democrats united behind Ned Lamont and against this war.  However, a time is going to come soon where either the behind-the-scenes talks aren't working, or they aren't happening at all.  Then I think we will need to demand more from Harry Reid and our Democratic leaders.  

The Courant story raises some issues about why Dem leaders have not been too heavy handed yet, including a fear of what Senator Lieberman could do in the future.

Then there's the power an individual senator holds. One person can block Senate legislation or nominations indefinitely, so "the cost of alienating a single member is high," said congressional expert Randall W. Strahan, associate professor of political science at Emory University in Atlanta. "Democrats may not want to treat him in a manner that he sees as heavy-handed."

There is no way we should let Joe be a threat - whether direct or implied.  Dems have been suffering nationally for too long because we have cowered to fears of what might happen if we act boldly.  It is time for Dems to take a stand.  We will not have a tidal wave election this year unless we are bold.  Besides, whether Dem leaders kick Joe out or not, can we ever really trust him anymore anyway?  

Time is running out for Joe.  He has one last chance to exit gracefully.  As we get into September, that window will close and it will be time for an all out push to take Joe out the hard way.  And based on what we've seen so far from Joe, he will come out of it looking pathetic.

•  Labor Day is my cutoff

  I think the best scenario is for Dems to let Joe exit gracefully (or at least as gracefully as possible considering what has already happened).  I hope this is the reason why Dem leaders haven't been strongly pushing Joe in public yet.  But a time will come soon when that will have to change.

  by TheC on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 08:33:13 AM PDT

  •  Totally agree <nt>

    by mrblifil on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 09:00:06 AM PDT

  •  Lieberman is not going to drop out..

    He is running as an Independent out of spite. I don't think anyone can talk him out of it - not Clinton, not Chris Dodd. After all, current polls show him ahead and Joe wants to win. Also, Lieberman is getting very  bitter towards the Democratic Party because so many  prominent Dems have endorsed Lamont. My prediction is laid out below: if re-elected he will switch parties.
    I hope I am wrong.

    by joedemocrat on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 09:11:16 AM PDT

    •  Omigod, Joe Lieberman is a BRAT!

      No wonder he gets along so well with Bush!  They are both immature babies who throw tantrums when they don't get their way.  I didn't see the similarity before because HoJo speaks in complete sentences.

      by LindaR on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 09:13:52 AM PDT

    •  I'm glad you have this handle because I would ...

      not want that CFL candidate to try and grab it.

      by CAL11 voter on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 09:29:44 AM PDT

    •  I agree

      As usual, he will want to have it both ways.  He would want to hold on to the positions he had as a Democrat, but he will vote with the Republicans, because he will owe them, big time.

      by drangel on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 10:28:40 AM PDT

•  Call Sen Reid's office

  and your own Dem senators...make it clear Joe needs to go...from committees and DSCC and otherplace - NOW.

  If Reid's office says you are not a NV voter (1 did once) say yeah but - he's the Sen Minority Leader and you are a dem...

  1-888-355-3588 Capital Hill toll free.

  by SallyCat on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 08:35:12 AM PDT

  •  Just Made The Call...

    The staffer wasn't able to make a statement on the Senator's behalf, but asked if I'd like to make a comment, which was spoken with no dearth of bemusement:

    "Senator Lieberman shouldn't be on any committees if he's not running as a Democrat.  Makes sense, right?"

    We'll see...

    by hubcity on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 08:51:07 AM PDT

  •  If we are within one of the majority

    after November, I hope that we would lure Joe to organize with the Democrats if he is the winner. I dont want him to be the winner but, it seems a bit short sighted right now to make early promises of excommunication of worthless Joe - especially since he could still win.  The balance in the US Senate will be so very close by current projections.  Better to have a Democratic controlling leadership of the Senate with the spectrum of views than an idiological pure minority leadership (that still will have a diversity of views or position on the war).

    by Brother Dave on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 09:04:58 AM PDT

•  Joe's not w/drawing, not now, not ever...

  He will fight from now til Nov, and, if he ever has any doubts on the subject, the Mrs. will set him straight.  The only shot at forcing him out was to shut off the $ spigots, and it appears that he has found financing.

  I'm not so wild about Harry these days as I used to be.  I don't like what he's doing w/ Jack Carter at all, and I have my doubts about what he's doing here.  Stripping JoeMentum of committee assignments now is a non-starter.  Jan, however, should be another story.

  The committees that JM would be chairing are exactly the investigative committees we don't want him chairing.  The whole point of getting back Cong majorities is to get subpoena power.  I don't want an acknowledged buddy of Rove's to have subpoena power.

  Reid could make this question moot if he helped Lamont.  Is he going to CT to campaign for the Dem nominee?  Is he encouraging others to do otherwise?  Why is Kerry's position the exception instead of the norm?

  by RFK Lives on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 08:43:41 AM PDT

  •  Actually, Reid needs to strip Joe now

    Many CT voters are influenced by Joe having seniority if he returns to the Senate. If Joe and Ned are put on the same footing, it would definitely make the "seniority" voters think twice about voting for Joe.

    by grayslady on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 08:55:39 AM PDT

•  Senator Byrd

  is supporting Lamont. Let's see if this venerable icon of the senate has sway over some of Joe's "friends" in the senate.

  by bookwoman on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 08:54:47 AM PDT

•  Our Goal

  Our goal should be winning control of the US Senate.  If Lieberman wins in November and the count is 50 D and 49 R who do you want Lieberman to vote for to be Majority Leader -- Harry Reid or Mitch McConnell.

  Our goal of winning control of the Senate is much more important than our dislike (and in some cases our obsession) with Joe Lieberman.

  by RoIn on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 09:05:06 AM PDT

  •  We Can Walk And Chew Gum At The Same Time.

    We are working for control of both houses of Congress but we also must get the Democratic Party straightened out, strong, and on message.

    Lieberman is a problem on both fronts because there is no reason to believe that if he honors his pledge to caucus with the Democrats, he won't be working to thwart D/democratic progress.

    by majcmb1 on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 09:10:48 AM PDT

•  My Prediction

  If re-elected, Lieberman will switch his party affiliation to Republican. Well, Rove and other Republicans are helping him and he will repay them. We may need to pick up 6 Senate seats.

  by joedemocrat on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 09:08:23 AM PDT

  •  I think you're right -- at the very least he will

    caucus with the Republicans.  What will the people of CT do if he breaks his campaign promise that he'll caucus with the Democrats, recall him?  They can't.  Joe's stabbed fellow Democrats in the back before -- just ask Al Gore.    

    by LionelEHutz on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 10:00:15 AM PDT

•  What this is

  Is the senate Dem leadership "playing" us.  They give verbal (tepid) support to Lamont to make us happy but behind closed doors and on private phonecalls, they assure Lieberman that he's their guy and that he just has to sneak past these nuts and all will be well.

  They are playing us and thinking that all we need is a good fascade rather than real change.

  by praedor on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 09:12:28 AM PDT

•  I just called Senator Dayton's office - MN

  I just called my Senator - Mark Dayton of MN.

  I asked "Has Senator Dayton taken a stand on the CT Senate race?"

  The staffer replied "I believe he is supporting Ned Lamont."

  by joedemocrat on Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 09:14:48 AM PDT