If only Reid had followed that inclination. But that's another story.
The Times’s account of Reid’s behavior squares with what many Democratic aides have been saying privately for weeks: that Lieberman had privately assured Democrats he’d go along with Reid but changed his tune at the moment of his greatest political leverage.
But Lieberman is taking exception to this version, releasing a letter which he claims put Reid on notice regarding the Medicare provision.
"Regarding the 'Medicare buy-in' proposal, the more I learn about it, the less I like it," Lieberman writes in the letter, which was marked "Personal and Confidential" and cc’ed to Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.).
"There are also concerns about what impact this Medicare buy-in idea would have on Medicare solvency and Medicare premiums," he added. "I have a feeling I will not be the only member of our Caucus who will not want to see this Medicare buy-in proposal adopted."
Democratic aides familiar with the situation scoffed at the letter, seizing on the fact that Lieberman never explicitly made clear his intention to oppose the Medicare effort — and dismissing it as an attempt by Lieberman to preserve his reputation.
"He put it in writing because he needed to find a way to slink back from the previous commitment he made to the leader," said a Democratic staffer.
Given his history, there is good reason not to believe Lieberman. Anyone who has seen the HBO movie Recount, about the Florida 2000 debacle, will remember that Lieberman totally blindsided the Gore camp by going on Meet the Press and saying that military ballots should be counted even if they were postmarked after election day, and even if they did not have signatures. This seems to be Lieberman's modus operandi. He's a back-stabber of the first order.
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