I find it hard to believe that Lieberman isn't going to be a huge deficit to our side inthe future. And he's only "necessary" because by an odd twist of fate Franken's seat is being held up, Kennedy has brain cancer, and etc...
Have you been to Nebraska? Look, I voted for Nelson when he ran for governor (not my first choice -- I voted for someone else in the primary), and let me say that you're going to have a pretty hard time running a more liberal Democrat in Nebraska who has a shot at winning.
Nelson won the governorship with less than 50% of the vote -- 49.9% to 49.2%. Despite being a competent and popular governor, he got trounced in his first Senate campaign by Chuck Hagel, and won his second attempt with only 51% of the vote.
Scott Kleeb didn't break 40%, and he's not ultra-liberal by any means. I think you have to accept that that is the base that any Democrat starts with, and the rest has to be made up by attracting Republican votes.
To call the Lieberman amnesty a wise decision, you have to assume that Lieberman wouldn't have intervened in the stimulus bill if he had lost his chairmanship.* And if that assumption is true, Lieberman is hypocritical self-centered a-hole, and not deserving of any fence-mending.
*I don't know why the HP cites the caucus booting option, which had zero chance of happening, rather than losing his chairmanship, which had a slim chance of happening.
As much as I hated Lieberman for being a turncoat, I thought it was good (great) politics for Obama to mend fences here.
Good leaders have good instincts - and Lieberman has proven of late that he is, in fact, NOT a Republican.
For contrast - see John McCain!
Posted by: Mark-NC | February 14, 2009 at 10:36 AM
Ben Nelson needs a primary challenge.
Posted by: wonkie | February 14, 2009 at 11:33 AM
A wise decision? We shall see when Afghanistan unravels......
Posted by: bobbyp | February 14, 2009 at 12:26 PM
I find it hard to believe that Lieberman isn't going to be a huge deficit to our side inthe future. And he's only "necessary" because by an odd twist of fate Franken's seat is being held up, Kennedy has brain cancer, and etc...
aimai
Posted by: AIMAI | February 14, 2009 at 03:30 PM
Ben Nelson needs a primary challenge.
Have you been to Nebraska? Look, I voted for Nelson when he ran for governor (not my first choice -- I voted for someone else in the primary), and let me say that you're going to have a pretty hard time running a more liberal Democrat in Nebraska who has a shot at winning.
Nelson won the governorship with less than 50% of the vote -- 49.9% to 49.2%. Despite being a competent and popular governor, he got trounced in his first Senate campaign by Chuck Hagel, and won his second attempt with only 51% of the vote.
Scott Kleeb didn't break 40%, and he's not ultra-liberal by any means. I think you have to accept that that is the base that any Democrat starts with, and the rest has to be made up by attracting Republican votes.
Posted by: Scott P. | February 14, 2009 at 05:10 PM
lieberman is an ass.
big frigging deal -- he did his job.
lieberman has a long way to go just to make up for the damage he's done.
Posted by: karen marie | February 14, 2009 at 07:02 PM
To call the Lieberman amnesty a wise decision, you have to assume that Lieberman wouldn't have intervened in the stimulus bill if he had lost his chairmanship.* And if that assumption is true, Lieberman is hypocritical self-centered a-hole, and not deserving of any fence-mending.
*I don't know why the HP cites the caucus booting option, which had zero chance of happening, rather than losing his chairmanship, which had a slim chance of happening.
Posted by: Mark Erickson | February 17, 2009 at 11:33 AM