Joe Lieberman

An Historic Day In The US Senate: Repeal Of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Finally Accomplished! :)

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A seventeen year injustice toward military personnel has finally ended today with the vote of the US Senate just completed at 330 pm this afternoon.

The adoption of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on the subject of sexual orientation in 1993 was discriminatory from its inception, and has led to approximately 13,000 top notch, talented military personnel being dismissed.

After a long struggle initiated with the full backing of President Obama, finally the United States military meets the same standards as most European countries, Canada and Israel.

This is a major civil rights victory, and continues the difficult struggle for gay rights that has been going on for a long time.

On the vote to end the filibuster, six Republicans courageously joined 57 Democrats, so that the vote was 63-33. Those Republicans were Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, George Voinovich of Ohio, and Mark Kirk of Illinois.

It is interesting that Voinovich, a retiring Senator, and Kirk, a newly sworn in Senator, both voted in a way not expected.

Independent Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut must be commended for leading the fight to accomplish this repeal, although he failed to budge his good friend and colleague, Senator John McCain of Arizona, who stubbornly refused to reconsider his hard line attitude on the subject, despite earlier having stated that if the military leaders and the Defense Secretary advocated lifting the ban on gays in the military, that he would go along with them. So this is not one of John McCain’s better moments in the Senate. One can compare it to his predecessor in his seat, Barry Goldwater, who stated that you don’t have to be straight to know how to shoot straight!

The final vote has just occurred and is 65-31, including some Republicans who voted “no” on ending the filibuster, but have now voted for the legislation–Richard Burr of North Carolina and  John Ensign of Nevada.  So this makes a total of eight Republicans who backed the final passage.

This is a pleasant surprise, and makes for eight Republicans joining all Democrats who voted “aye”.

Overall, this is a great day for the United States and its military! 🙂

The Strange Relationship Of Joe Lieberman And John McCain

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The story of the strange, odd relationship between Independent Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona continues to amaze.

Lieberman was the Vice Presidential running mate of Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election.

After September 11, Lieberman became very fixated on national security, including giving full support to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, joining McCain and many Republicans in that view, including Vice President Dick Cheney.

By 2006, Lieberman had alienated many Democrats, lost the Democratic Senatorial primary for another term, and ran as an independent Democrat, winning back his seat.

By 2008, he had antagonized the Democratic Party further by refusing to support Barack Obama, and endorsing John McCain for President.

He was on the short list of McCain to run for Vice President, which would have been a path breaking bi-partisan ticket.

There was some consideration by the Democratic Party to deny him a chairmanship because of his disloyalty, but Obama made clear that he did not support such an action.

Lieberman and McCain have continued to be the best of friends, and on national security and defense, they are united.

But as McCain turned further right in order to win back his Senate seat, Lieberman continued to be a liberal on domestic issues, other than homeland security.

So Lieberman is working very hard to end “don’t ask, don’t tell” in the military, while McCain is leading the charge to keep it the policy of the defense establishment. Lieberman has even said that he is working on McCain but is having no success in changing his mind.

The two men are on opposite ends of the abortion issue as well, along with all other domestic issues, and yet they remain good friends and socialize a great deal with each other.

A book will be written someday analyzing the strange, odd friendship and alliance of Lieberman and McCain–of how a basically liberal Democrat and conservative Republican could become such strong allies on things they believe in common, and strong opponents of each other, in a very civil way, on issues that they totally disagree on.

This may be the greatest, but oddest relationship of two opposing Senators since the famous one of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch!

A Move Toward A Centrist Political Party, Called “No Labels”, And The Role Of Michael Bloomberg And Joe Scarborough!

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At Columbia University in New York City, on December 13, a centrist group is going to form a “No Labels” centrist movement to promote civility in American politics.

Among those who will engage in this new movement are the following: Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City; former Republican Florida Congressman Joe Scarborough, MSNBC talk show host of “Morning Joe”; retiring Democratic Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana; Independent Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut; Democratic Senator Debby Stabenow of Michigan; former Republican Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia; Republican Congressman Christopher Shays of Connecticut;  Democratic Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles; and former Republican Governor Christie Todd Whitman of New Jersey, among others!

The group is against hyper partisanship, and promotes civility, calm, reason, and cooperation. Prominent fundraisers are involved in the new movement, and the hope is to form chapters in all 50 states.

There is growing speculation that Mayor Bloomberg might run as an independent for President, and some even speculate that Joe Scarborough might seek the Presidency or run with Bloomberg for Vice President on an independent party ticket, although the “No Labels” group claims that is not the purpose of the organization being formed!

One thing for sure: Joe Scarborough has begun a full scale attack on the incompetence and inadequacy of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as a possible candidate for the Presidency by the Republican Party, joining many others who feel the same way, including not only Barbara Bush and Karl Rove, but also conservative columnists Mona Charen, David Frum, and Peggy Noonan.

Certainly, if Bloomberg were to run, being the wealthiest political figure in the nation, with billions of dollars in assets, he could fund his own campaign, but the question is could he win over the country with his overly liberal views on social issues, and being a New York Jew! In an early poll, it shows he would only win about eleven percent of the vote, but in a dry run with President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, Obama would be the beneficiary, as Bloomberg would hurt Romney more than he would hurt Obama!

Independent Candidacies A Long Shot This Election Year, As Always!

Ronald 2 Comments

This year, there are at least four and possibly five Independent candidacies that might affect election results!

The most likely to succeed is Independent Senate candidate Charlie Crist, Governor of Florida, who broke with the GOP and is running against Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Kendrick Meek!

A second strong possibility is Independent Lincoln Chafee, former Republican Senator from Rhode Island, running for Governor!

Additionally, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is running a write in campaign for her seat after losing the primary to Tea Party backed Joe Miller!

Congressman Mike Castle of Delaware is considering a similar write in campaign against the person who defeated him in the GOP primary, Christine O’Donnell!

Finally, former GOP Congressman Tom Tancredo is mounting an independent bid for Governor in Colorado!

The most recent prominent Independents in office have been Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut!

Further back, Jesse Ventura was Independent Governor of Minnesota; Senator Lowell Weicker was Independent Governor of Connecticut; and Angus King was Independent Governor of Maine!

These cases of Independents running for, and some winning, office are fascinating, but the odds this year, as always, are daunting!

IF both Charlie Crist and Lincoln Chafee win, it will be considered a major coup for the movement toward independent candidacies, but it is also very possible NO Independent will win, as the two party system is well entrenched!

The Growing Religious Bigotry In America Very Troubling!

Ronald 6 Comments

Religion is supposed to bring people together, promote peace and understanding, and encourage tolerance!

But just the opposite has been happening in recent years! We are seeing a nation that is, by reputation, much more devout than most European countries, demonstrating a total lack of tolerance on the part of many “good, religious people” who would claim to be close to God!

Why should it matter if someone is a Muslim, a Catholic, a Jew, a Mormon, a Hindu, a Buddhist, a mainline Protestant, a Baptist, an evangelical Christian, an atheist or an agnostic?

What makes any religious belief somehow better than other divine thoughts? We are supposed to be a nation of religious freedom, but there is apparently so much hate and suspicion, if someone in public life is of a different faith than you are!

Why should it matter that John F. Kennedy was a Catholic? Why should it matter that Barack Obama had a Muslim father? Why should it matter that Mitt Romney is a Mormon? Why should it matter that Joe Lieberman, a Jew, was a theoretical heartbeat away from the Presidency if Al Gore had won the Presidency in 2000? And why should it matter if some political candidate might doubt the existence of God or not believe in God?

We are supposed to be a nation that believes in separation of church and state, so religion should NOT be a factor in politics, and promotion of hate and prejudice towards people, public or private, based on religion is a disgrace, that undermines American democracy! 🙁

Charlie Crist: Possibly The Most Important US Senator Next January?

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Governor Charlie Crist of Florida continues to lead public opinion polls over Marco Rubio, since he left the Republican Party and started an Independent race for Senator!

Crist is gaining a large portion of Independents, as well as Democrats, who are not thrilled by either Congressman Kendrick Meek , or his primary opponent, billionaire real estate investor Jeff Greene!

Crist could become the third Independent Senator next January as a result, joining Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, both of whom ally with the Democratic caucus and often vote with the party!

The question that arises is what Crist would do if he won the Senate seat, but it seems likely that he would ally with the Democrats as an Independent, similar to Lieberman and Sanders!

This issue could be more than just interesting; it could be decisive in organizing the Senate if the Republicans, somehow, manage to gain eight seats, and Crist joins the Democratic caucus, creating a 51-49 Democratic Senate!

Of course, if the Senate was evenly divided, Joe Biden could organize the Senate by his tie breaking vote! But a nine seat gain could also be resolved without Biden, if Crist declared he was in the Democratic caucus!

So Charlie Crist could be the man of the hour and the year, and in some ways, become the most important US Senator next January!

I am sure the thought must please him greatly, particularly after the collapse of his GOP support, which led to his Independent candidacy in the first place! 🙂

The Incongruity Of Terrorists And Gun Rights Versus “Miranda Rights”!

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Everyone is in agreement that terrorists are “terrible” people who must be kept track of so they cannot get on planes, but if the suggestion is made that such people on a “watch list” should not have the right to buy arms or weapons, forbid the thought, as it means the loss of “gun rights”! 🙁

How could anyone in their right mind think it is alright for people being tracked by the FBI to have the ability to buy weapons and explosives that could be used to attack Americans on the streets of our cities? What is it about “gun nuts” that they cannot see the craziness of unwillingness to limit ability of such people to buy arms, when it is for no good purpose? 🙁

That is exactly what Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, often quite reasonable on many issues, has declared! Don’t dare touch the Second Amendment, even for dangerous people, who are being tracked because they are thought to be a threat to all of us! 🙁

But at the same time, if terrorists are American citizens, as the Times Square terrorist is, Graham says that they should not be read their “Miranda rights”, and Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut wants to strip citizens who commit terror of basic citizen rights after the fact! 🙁

How loony these senators are, and how inconsistent they are! 🙁 Rather than use common sense, and stop angling for votes and to please extremist constituencies on the right, they use irrational thoughts which do great harm to our Constitution and Bill of Rights and national security! 🙁

Military People Against Cheney And McCain, And Lieberman Against McCain

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This past weekend, we saw some interesting commentary by General David Petraeus and former General Colin Powell.

Both made it clear that they did not believe that utilizing torture, such as water boarding, and the abuse at Abu Graib prison in Iraq, had been productive and wise. Both also believe that abandonment of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is very likely in the future, and neither expressed opposition to this changed attitude toward gays in the military.

In so stating their thoughts, both of these prestigious generals contradicted the statements of two leading Republicans, former Vice President Dick Cheney and 2008 Republican Presidential nominee and Senator John McCain of Arizona.

Cheney continues to uphold the use of torture as a viable method, and McCain continues to uphold continuing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the armed forces.

Interesting point, though, is that McCain’s opposition to open gays in the military is opposed by one of his closest friends in the Senate, Independent Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who was on McCain’s short list for Vice President.

Lieberman, who already has angered Democrats for his opposition to health care reform, seemingly is trying to repair his ties to the party ahead of his election campaign for his seat in 2012. But also, one must remember that in many ways, Joe Lieberman IS a true Independent, as his voting record is indeed difficult to label!

Civility In The US Senate: Desperately Needed!

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It was disturbing to see another example of the loss of civility in the midst of the heated debate in the Senate over health care reform, when Minnesota Senator Al Franken, who was presiding at the time, denied Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman the opportunity for one more minute to finish his remarks.

It is true that the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had set up a ten minute limit so that work could be made on the defense appropriations bill, so as to make it possible to return to the health care debate. But if a senator was to be allowed a one extra minute extension would not have been a crime. It made Franken look very rude and nasty.

In any case, it led Arizona Senator John McCain to criticize Franken for his action, although it has since been shown that McCain prevented extra discussion of the Iraq War resolution in 2002 when he was presiding, so there is an element of hypocrisy in McCain stepping in to protest.

Ironically, Lieberman took the rejection of the extra minute gracefully and even chuckled in surprise. And get this: later in the day, Lieberman and Franken were seen conversing, laughing, and even hugging each other as if nothing important had happened.

So the whole incident does seem maybe somewhat contrived, as one looks back at it. But it also shows that Joe Lieberman, for all the criticism he takes and the anger he engenders, can still be a decent human being and a cordial, friendly person, even to those who wrong him in some way.

So the incident does not deserve the condemnation of the Minnesota Republican party to the extent that they bitterly denounced Franken. But again,realize, so much of this is staged politics, so it is hard to know if what you see occurring is real.

Let’s just say that the principle of civility and decency in political discourse is still a good thing to promote under any circumstances!

The Democratic Party Deterioration: The Obama Crisis of 2010 And Beyond

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Now it is not only Independent Joe Lieberman who has made it clear he will not vote for the health care reform bill if the public option or Medicare extension remains in the bill.

Also, the much more admirable Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has said he probably will not vote for the legislation, if it does not INCLUDE the public option or Medicare extension, or even better, a single payer system.

Plus Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska has stated that if the bill does not disallow abortion coverage, then he will not vote for the bill.

It looks more and more as if this health care legislation is in deep trouble, and even an attempt to recruit the two Maine women senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, seems unlikely to work because they have their own special problems with the legislation.

If the legislation does not pass in a reasonable form to bring real reform, the American people will be the losers, and the health insurance industry will have a big victory.

And, unfortunately, it could be the end of the dream of a real reform period under President Barack Obama. A defeat now would be hard to recover from, and particularly so with the unrest within the party over the “surge” of troops in Afghanistan ordered by President Obama. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made it clear she will not lobby her colleagues to back the Afghan appropriations bill and is tired of backing funding for wars she does not believe in.

The possibility of major Democratic losses next year, with the decision of four House veterans to retire, is alarming, and it is highly unlikely that the Obama Administration will have any better an opportunity than right now to promote real reform initiatives.

It sadly seems as if the old gridlock and stalemate so common in recent administrations is occurring again, a highly regrettable situation, to say the least! 🙁