Joe Lieberman; Words versus actions
Joe Lieberman’s words:
“I can’t see a way in which I could vote for cloture on any bill that contained a creation of a government-operated-run insurance company”
Joe Lieberman’s actions:
He voted for cloture.
What else needs to be said? Joe Lieberman was counted on as a man of principle, a man who put principle above party, an independent man but in the end he was nothing more than a hack for the Democrat party and a shill for government run healthcare.
We are supposed to believe that this vote for cloture was nothing but a formality, a procedural vote but it was much more than that and the final outcome of this legislation is not in doubt. 97% of all bills that make it to the floor for debate become law so yesterday Joe Lieberman voted for healthcare reform and for the public option.
Joe Lieberman promised that no bill that included a public option would make it to the floor and he had it in his power to make good on that promise. He could have stopped this bill before it was too late but he chose to fall in line with Democrat party leaders.
I am sure that he will now claim that he will fight the public option on the senate floor but it is much too late for that now; if he really opposed the public option and was not just providing lip service the time to do so would have been before the cloture vote, while he had the leverage. All of the leverage is gone, the bill will pass, and we have Joe Lieberman to thank for it.
America's Watchtower 
I think its a good vote. Yes I am in favor of the current legislation, but even if I opposed it I would think it would be wrong for one man to deny the country a debate..
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But isn’t the post about the principles of the man? Obviously, something happened that caused him to reverse his position – perhaps something similar to “the Louisiana Purchase”?
But regardless, refusing a debate on a bill can and should be stopped by many or one if that bill is un-Constitutional, not in the best interests of the country or its citizens, or just frivolous.
And the bill they just voted to have debate on meets at least two of the three criteria I just listed above.
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It depends on how you define principals. If the polls are accurate, his constituents want the public option. As their representative, shouldn’t he be representing them? In an ideal world, that is what should be happening with elected officials.
Now that said, this probably the result of some back room deal.
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Good point Terrant. I still have a problem with him coming out not only opposed to the public option but extremely opposed to it only to change his mind. He must have known what his constituents wanted when he came out opposed to the public option, this makes me feel like he was bargaining for something all along.
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It depends on how you define principals. If the polls are accurate, his constituents want the public option. As their representative, shouldn’t he be representing them? In an ideal world, that is what should be happening with elected officials.
Now that said, this probably the result of some back room deal. I expect that his nest was feathered in some way. My prediction is that he will be running an underfunded democratic candidate.
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Yeah, I expected a little more fight out of him… and am dissappointed.
But according to Politico, the deals made with him and others dealt a death blow to the public option… I hope they’re right, Mr P/E:
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/2009/11/divided-dems-move-obamacare-along-but.html
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I hope that you are right, but I just don’t think so.
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There is too much dealing in those back rooms for the common man to have any idea about whats going on. They are afraid to bring their sh#t out into the open for fear of a revolution if the American people saw their corruption. Joe Liebermann in the end will roll over if he hasn’t already done so as you claim.
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He already did, both Independents in the senate voted in favor of cloture.
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