TresSugar

Democrats Keep Former Enemy Lieberman Close

LibertySugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:30:28 -0800

Joe Lieberman used up another one of his political lives, after Senate Democrats voted today to let him keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee. The 2004 Democratic VP nominee, turned defeated primary candidate, turned independent senator delivered some hard punches against Barack Obama during the presidential campaign, on behalf of his Republican friend John McCain.

Instead of truly punishing Lieberman by stripping him of the crucial post, the Democratic caucus, including newly elected senators, voted to remove him from chair of the less-important Environmental Public Works Committee, a symbolic gesture.

The 42-13 vote for Lieberman today proved that independence from the party won't cost you power. Do you think the decision to keep Lieberman in power was a signal of a postpartisan era to come, or a rejection of the American people who voted for change?

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Should Dems Be Concerned About Lieberman?

CitizenSugar — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 07:00:10 -0800

Senator Joe Lieberman is a Democrat-turned-Independent who supported Republican John McCain for president. He caused an upset among Democrats during the campaign when he attacked Obama and met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid this week to discuss his role in the Democratic caucus, leaving many to wonder if Dems will capitalize on his bipartisanship or remain bitter about his choice of endorsement.

The senator didn't say exactly what he and Reid talked about after the meeting, but according to CNN said:

"The election is over, and I completely agree with President-elect [Barack] Obama that we must now unite to get our economy going again and to keep the American people safe. That is exactly what I intend to do with my colleagues here in the Senate in support of our new president. And those are the standards I will use in considering the options that I have before me."

Reid is quoted as saying he understands Lieberman has voted with Democrats a majority of the time, but that his comments and actions have raised "serious concerns." Prior to the election, 50 percent of CitizenSugar readers said Lieberman is no longer reputable and would only help McCain's campaign as much as he helped Gore. What do you think now - should Lieberman ask the Dems for forgiveness, and perhaps give up his powerful positions, or should he accept the Republican's offer to join their ranks?

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Lieberman to Speak at RNC! How Much Does He Help McCain?

LibertySugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Independent Senator Joe Lieberman will speak at the Republican National Convention, where Lieberman's former rivals will nominate his good friend John McCain for president. And an even juicier rumor is floating around: the real Lieberman surprise might come as a slot on the ticket, not merely as a speaking slot at the convention. John McCain is seriously considering Joe Lieberman as his vice-presidential nominee.

Let's get back the substantiated rumor that Lieberman will speak at the RNC. At first it seems a little odd that a senator who got the Democratic VP nod in 2000, ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, and still caucuses with the Senate Democrats will speak at the Republican's biggest party. But it's also no secret that some of Lieberman's stances veer to the right. He strongly supports the Iraq war and crossed the aisle to support McCain early on.

A while back more of you thought Lieberman should speak at the RNC than those who thought a speech would be the ultimate betrayal. Now that the speech is happening, how much of an advantage does it give John McCain? As an Orthodox Jew, Lieberman could help McCain in a swing state like Florida. Should McCain go all the way and tap the recovering Democrat as his VP?

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Should Lieberman Speak at the Republican Convention?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:00:12 -0700

Sen. Joe Lieberman (Democratic-caucusing, I-CT) hasn't made any secret of his support for John McCain, and now he's toying with the idea of being the political equivalent of his best man, standing up and giving a speech for McCain at the Republican Convention in September. On Fox News Sunday, Lieberman said:

I want to help him. I’m not going to attack Obama. I am going to explain why I, as an independent democrat, support McCain, hoping that I can convince other independents and Democrats to join me in choosing the man who is clearly more ready to be the president America needs today.

It's not the first time that someone left the gate open and a donkey has wandered into the elephant pen. In 2004 Sen. Zell Miller (D-GA) crossed the party line to deliver a fiery keynote speech at the Republican Convention (he was introduced on the floor as "the conscience of the Democratic Party.) It was a dramatic performance, the likes of which I can't conceive Lieberman coming close to repeating (seriously. Go watch it. Wow.) but the symbolism remains as interesting.

If Lieberman speaks in Minneapolis, will the Democrats kick Joe out of their caucus? Should they? Is Lieberman a traitor, or just making a solid independent decision?

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Gaffe or Straight Talk: When Troops Return Not Too Important

LibertySugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:45:00 -0700

The ghosts of presidential elections past are coming out of the dark to go back and forth about John McCain's latest quote on Iraq. Let's check out the exchange.

On the Today show Matt Lauer asked McCain if he had a better estimate of when the troops will come home. McCain said:

No, but that's not too important. What's important is the casualties in Iraq.

Former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry responded saying:

It is unbelievably out of touch and inconsistent with the needs of Americans and particularly the families of troops who are over there. To them it’s the most important thing in the world when they come home.

And let's not leave out former Dem veep nominee Joe Lieberman, who said:

The attacks on Senator McCain this morning [are] another partisan attempt to distort John McCain’s words, to distract the American people from the fact that McCain has been both courageous and right about the surge in Iraq, and Barack Obama has unfortunately been consistently wrong.

Click here for a roundup of other reactions to the comment. Even if McCain's interview is not so bad, he's already had to spend time explaining away his "100 years" in Iraq comment. It still remains to be seen whether the "not too important" line will help him contextualise his stance, or simply provide useful fodder for Obama supporters.

Who do you agree with - John or Joe?

Whose Quote From the Petraeus Hearings Do You Agree With?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:00:29 -0700

Gen. Petraeus faced big questions (and several protests) on Capitol Hill today, with Senate hearings stretching all day. It was a real marathon of inquiry. Here are some highlights of the varied responses from some of the Senators.

"In the intelligence world, at least for the foreseeable future, they tell us that we are much more likely to be subject to a terrorist strike emanating from Afghanistan or possibly the tribal regions of Pakistan than we are Iraq. And yet we are currently spending five times as much in Iraq as we are in Afghanistan on a monthly basis." - Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.
"As I hear the questions and the statements today, it seems to me that there's a kind of 'hear no progress in Iraq, see no progress in Iraq, and most of all, speak of no progress in Iraq.' The fact is, there has been progress in Iraq." - Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn.
"This new increase in violence raises questions about the military success of the surge. But, more significantly, the purpose of the surge, as announced by President Bush last year, which was to give the Iraqi leaders breathing room to work out a settlement, has not been achieved." - Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.
"Today it is possible to talk with real hope and optimism about the future of Iraq and the outcome of our efforts there. For while the job of bringing security to Iraq is not finished, as the recent fighting in Basra and elsewhere vividly demonstrated, we're no longer staring into the abyss of defeat and we can now look ahead to the genuine prospect of success." - Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Petraeus faced all three presidential candidates today, here's how they differed in approach. Do you think anyone had a particularly poignant statement or question?

The quotes above range wildly in tone - who summed up best how you feel about the war?

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Citizen Poll: Your Thoughts on Politicians With Prior Drug Use?

LibertySugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:04:38 -0800

Politicians used to avoid admitting to past drug use at all costs. In 1992, Bill Clinton infamously hedged that although he tried marijuana, he did not inhale. Yet in 2000, George W. Bush's youthful indiscretions did not doom his bid for presidency. By 2004, candidates openly admitted to experimentation with marijuana. Senator Joe Lieberman even apologized at a debate for never smoking pot.

This election season, candidates are being open once again. When asked if he ever smoked (and inhaled) marijuana, Barack Obama responded: "I inhaled . . . frequently. That was the point." Check out the video above to see a good recap of the changing political impact of past drug use.

How does disclosure of past drug use impact your opinion of a candidate?

Front Page: 20-Year-Old Whose Father Ran Her Over Is Dead

TresSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:36 -0800

Arizona woman Noor Faleh Almaleki is pronounced dead after being in a coma for weeks. Her Iraqi-born father ran her over in a parking lot to protest her becoming "too Western." - New York Daily News
Half of US kids, and 90 percent of black children, will be on food stamps at some point during childhood, according to a study that looked at 30 years of national data. - AP
Two women got in a fight on the NYC subway over fears of catching swine flu, after one of them refused to cover her mouth when she coughed. - NBC
NYU has confirmed that a student died in its Bobst Library this morning, a location that has a reputation for student suicides. -WSN
Senator Joe Lieberman apparently decided not to filibuster the public healthcare option after all. - The Hill
Hillary Clinton announced today that the US will offer aid to help boost America's ties with the Muslim world. - Reuters
Here are 10 races to watch in today's off-year election. - CNN

Front Page: Thousands of Troops Quietly Sent to Afghanistan

TresSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:00:25 -0700

Peace activists are not happy to know that President Obama has quietly sent 34,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. That's 13,000 more than he said would go in March. - Washington Post
Governor Schwarzenegger has signed tough antipaparazzi legislation into law in California. - AP
Bernie Madoff got in a prison brawl with another senior-citizen inmate. They were fighting about the stock market. - New York Post
The Senate Finance Committee is set to vote on a crucial healthcare reform bill today. - AP
Joe Lieberman might help the White House repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell with bipartisan support. Lieberman has opposed the policy since it was introduced in 1993. - The Advocate

Day 2: Lieberman & Thompson Take the Stage & Bush Appears

CitizenSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:01:48 -0700

After a quiet day at the convention yesterday, it seemed like the response to the hurricane had galvanized Republicans even more. Every delegate with a Gulf State delegate badge was the object of goodwill and well wishers, and all in the arena seemed relieved to gear up the real convention.

The speakers tonight, former presidential candidate Sen. Fred Thompson, and Independent McCain supporter Sen. Joe Lieberman, took the top in-person billing. President Bush, bumped from his live slot yesterday by the Hurricane, also addressed those assembled via satellite saying: "We need a president who understands the lessons of September 11, 2001: That to protect America, we must stay on the offense, stop attacks before they happen, and not wait to be hit again. The man we need is John McCain."

The job of the Senators tonight was to lay out the biography of the candidate - and given the scant mentions of his name yesterday out of reverence, it was nice to be reminded why everyone was there. To see how they did their job, read more.

Joe Lieberman was an especially big hit calling McCain a "restless reformer," urging nonpartisan voting, and saying, "I'm here tonight because John McCain is the best choice to bring our country together and lead our country forward. I'm here because John McCain's whole life testifies to a great truth: being a Democrat or a Republican is important. But it is not more important than being an American." Sen. Fred Thompson was a rousing combination of vigor and strength saying, "This man, John McCain, is not intimidated by what the polls say or what is politically safe or popular."

Was it the right time for the Republicans to begin the ramp up? Was the emphasis of McCain's character from Thompson and Lieberman compelling? And Bush on the big screen - right move?

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