Lieberman: No apology for attacks on Obama
By David Sunday Nov 23, 2008 9:31am
Sen. Joe Lieberman told NBC's Tom Brokaw that he regretted some of his statements attacking Barack Obama during the campaign but declined to offer an apology.
"I do regret as I said to the caucus and afterward publicly, there were some things I said in the heat of the campaign that I wish I had said more clearly. Other things, frankly, I wish I hadn't said at all," said Lieberman. "That happens to all of us in the heat of it campaign but nonetheless, I regret it and I want to move forward."
Brokaw pressed Lieberman for an apology. "I heard word 'regret' but not the word 'apology.'"
"You can take from the word regret what you will," answered Lieberman.
John Amato:
Brokaw made a point of telling Joe that he used to hold others accountable back in the day, when he stabbed Clinton in the back during the impeachment. "Holding yourself accountable, looking back at the last six weeks, two months or so, what are the statements you most regret? Joe wouldn't go into the details, because they were so many times that he crossed the line, but he still thinks McCain is a really swell guy. He called Obama and Barack was too busy to answer.
Watch your back.
Although I think he'll be on his best behavior initially because the economy is in such shambles, there will be a time when he speaks out against Obama.
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Thanks a lot, Democratic senators. Now we're stuck with him--chairing a committee vital to Obama's domestic program. This is so infuriating to me that I have to wash my hands of worrying about it. There's nothing we can do now except wait for the voters of Connecticut to give him the boot in------2012.
Kick the SOB out of the Democratic caucus and let him try running as a Republican next election.
We CT voters tried to get rid of Lieberman. We are sick of his do-nothing-for-CT tenure. We are sick of his ties to lobbyists. We are sick of his right wing politics. We are sick of being stuck with the Senator from AIPAC. We held a primary and defeated him in a free and fair election. He ran anyway, supported by the conservative Republicans who put him in office in the first place. Nevermind that he started a bogus political party, of which he is not even a member. Nevermind that he had an illegal slush fun in excess of $180,000.00 -- that remains unaccounted for to this day. Was any of that investigated? Nope. Harry Reid welcomed him back and gave him a plum committee chairmanship. Joe used that chair to protect Bush and his illegal activities, refusing to exercise any oversight into anything that the Bush administration has done. Lieberman repaid the Democrats by supporting McCain/Palin and denigrating the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama with untrue and shameful slurs. And once again, Harry Reid welcomes Holy Joe back into the Democratic caucus.
What the Old Boys Club that Harry Reid runs has done, basically, is disenfranchise the Democratic voters of Connecticut, who made it very clear -- and continue to make clear -- that JOE LIEBERMAN DOES NOT REPRESENT US.
If my vote means nothing to Harry Reid and the other leaders of the Democratic party, then they can be sure I won't be contributing any money to the DSCC or any other Democratic party institutions.
Enough is enough.
Someone has to get busy and start looking for some of them skeletons buried in his closet, he's has few I'm sure. Considering the way some of the citizens CT feel about him, I'm sure someone is already on it. He's made many enemies over the last two years. I'd put money down that he doesn't make it through to 2012. Who knows what may happen after President Obama moves into the Oval Office. Plus he's getting up there in years.
I thought the message of this election was "change". And yet Lieberman keeps a chair over which he allowed 18 billion dollars of graft in Homeland Security to go without investigation. I'm guessing some of that money went back to Joe and his cronies in the senate. Perhaps the Dem senate interpreted "change" to mean "more money for honey".
They should have neutered Lieberman when they had the chance. Watch how fast he sides with Republicans...starting with confirmation of Obama's Cabinet Nominees.
Very few senators have any ethics. In my opinion, all senators that voted for either of the bailout packages was either incompetent or completely crooked. I know that includes Obama.
The backstabbing is substituting right now for DeLay style hammering, since that's been taken away with the toybox. Monica Crowley on McLaughlin was guessing that Hillary's cabinet post is revenge on Obama for Carter's interference with Bill Clinton on international affairs. Yeh, what a tangled web for the bitter.
He's proven again and again that he will offer up the people around him for a little bit of lime-light.
He's a nasty little monster, Obama could show better judgment IMO, I hope there are reasons for keeping him around that are beyond my understanding. I think the same about Hillary's presumed appointment. These are spiteful, power-hungry and selfish people.
I agree. Allowing Lieberman and Hillary Clinton to have the power he has granted them is akin to McCain choosing Palin.
Very bad judgment indeed.
It would have been better to leave her in the Senate and allow Lieberman to become a Republican than to enable either of them to continue their own personal agendas unabaited. Something stinks here. Dirty deals made, me thinks.
And regardless of what either of them do they will stay in their powerful positions for the next four years.
Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman are so biased in favor of Israel that I cringe to think of the future with her as Secretary of State and him as Chair of The Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.
And to add insult to injury, here's a continuation of Obama's questionable judgment so far:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/arti...
Not one single Progressive in a leadership position?!
I agree. Allowing Lieberman and Hillary Clinton to have the power he has granted them is akin to McCain choosing Palin.
I think that is exaggerating just a bit.
AS he sought the presidency for the last two years, Barack Obama liked to say that “change doesn’t come from Washington — change comes to Washington.”
Does that mean he was lying because ALL his picks are Washington hacks?
Lieberman is now in a corner that Obama put him in and he's so far up the Republicans butt he never saw it coming and still doesn't. Obama used the old trick with both Lieberman and McCain. Both are locked in and never saw it coming. Lieberman can lose his Senate sit if he moves. McCain will lose his re election as Obama has skillfully invaded Arizona even selecting the States Attorney General to head the Homeland Security Dept. Each move Obama made is like chess and Obama is a very smart lawyer who listen to those who have already mastered the game. All those talks with Hillary and Bill the Media again missed the topic it was teach me the game and how to win.
right on.
which means that her replacement is a right wing wackjob
and how exactly does obama have either holy joe or mccain by the short and curlies?
Well put...gives me much more to think about. I'm have been hoping that Obama is positioning people for bigger reasons then just to give appointments to his party's leaders.
Obama is pretty smart about how he has played the game so far and I have had nothing but high hopes for his presidency. The best part is that if all their plans work for the average people we may never have to suffer the Republican theft like we have of the last 8 years and the 12 years of Reagan/Bush and the...well, you get the picture.
Hope you are right. Because Senator Reid and those who rolled over on ousting Lieberman with Obama pushing them was like having shit rubbed in the progressive activist faces.
If Obama and the rest of the Dems who rolled over for Lieberman will be pissing and moaning when Lieberman stabs them in the back again. This man is not to be trusted.
How many times do they need to be fucked over by Lieberman?
The problem is that he has selected Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano for the Homeland Security post.
The Governor's post will be filled by the corrupt secretary of state Republican Janet Brewer.
Shite.
Napolitano, whom St. O selected as DSH Chief is Arizona Governor.
The person who take over for Napolitano in Az is the Sec of State, a totally clueless, empty-headed GOPuke...
Lieberman cannot "lose" his senate seat until 2012. No matter with which side he caucases, he's in there (absent some 'terrible trajedy') until he either resigns or is replaced at the polls...
Jaffa Joe's playing the spoiler card.
Dithpicable!
I think we ought to see what happens. We are all second guessing a guy who won the election. I know it was the Democrats year to win, but he is still a black man in America, and was running against...well....a stooge...but he beat a lot of people, including the Clinton Machine to get to where he is.
I'm sure I won't like some of his choices. I'm not thrilled with Hillary for Sec of State, but at this point I'm willing to see what happens. What we are waiting for is surely going to better than what we've had.
Obama may not be as progressive as I'd like, but he's got a progressive streak in him that may help with some of our big problems. There are so many at the moment that I'd just be happy to see him instate a New Deal like jobs program for public works. That one thing could go a long way to solving many of our biggest problems. (unemployment, energy, infrastructure..to name a few)
This is not an original thought but history has taught that one of those Roman Caesars proclaimed (about a bunch of rogue Roman Senators) what was done by Mr. Obama. The point was to keep scheming back-stabbing assasins within clear view or head off the extreme right wing plans for 'Change'.
one keeps his enemies close to wack them...not wait to have them stab him in the back
As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton will have to speak the Obama line, rather than go off on her own agenda. Control.
In order to keep his precious Commitee Chairmanship, Lieberman will have to toe the line. The party leadership can take it away at the first failure. Control.
Obama is choosing people with Washington experience as top administrators, because the first job of an administration is to get the job done, and experience matters. We don't need another "Helluva job, Brownie" Presidency.
But his command and control is in the hands of outsiders, and even David Brooks expresses admiration for the intellectual power of Team Obama.
as much as i support and really like the idea of clinton as secretary of state, face it, she was absolutely one of strongest supporters of "good guy" Lieberman. I would really like a dem to just rake him and the party over the coals for his traitorless actions.
I never liked that phrase, I want my friends closer. So when my enemies try anything, they'll deal with me and my friends.
Another way of looking at it is this: If your enemies are stuck between you and your friends, then your enemies have no escape route.
But even the Romans were smart enough to keep their enemies close without putting a shiv in their hands while they're at it.
They would never have been so stupid as to give their enemies a powerful position over them, which could not subsequently be taken away.
Tom Brokaw kept punching Lieberman with the tough questions...great to listen to. The nerves in Lieberman's face were twitching more than I have ever witnessed. Indicates a conscience I guess.
Lieberman kept responding "That's over" "That's over"
We are going to continue to hear this from Dems and Republicans since no one has been held accountable for the catastrophe and the deaths and injuries in Iraq.
Time to "move on , turn the page" yada yada.
Justice is denied.
I could just barely watch this pathetic display of hubris and condescension. I predict herr Lieberman will be a thorn in the side of the Dems and Obama. Keeping him around was a mistake.
can absorb up to a GALLON of GOP-splooge without spilling a drop...
This decision from the DNC is precisely why I didn't support Obama ... the DNC is totally corrupted ... they prove it time and time again. I'm not the least bit surprise they kept Loserman ... the DNC are NOT the friend of the people. They are just as bad as the repukes IMO
Lieberman is the Sixtieth Vote, and I will be surprised if he votes against Obama a single time. I believe his Homeland Security committee chairmanship is being held hostage for his good behavior. The Obama campaign wants to ensure that if Martin and Franken win that they have filibuster-proof majority, and alienating Lieberman would be very costly in that regard. Hopefully the next Senate elections will relegate Liebmeran to the ash-heap of history. Meanwhile we're stuck with him...
doesnt the new congress get to vote on chairmanships? can they boot him then?
the dim half of the gang of 14, which worked out the compromise by which the Dims agreed NOT to filibuster Scalito and Roberts...
The Dems cannot get rid of him once he's appointed. It would take a vote of the senate, which could be filibustered.
Yes, filibustered.
Ironic, isn't it?
If there's one thing you can safely rely upon, it is that a Dim President and Congress will shit all over his/their left-base, and proclaim it is fertilizer...
Barack and Congress put away their swords, and Droopy spits in their faces.
Fuck You, Joe Lieberman. He needs to be kicked out. CT better do the right thing in 2012.
Can't the voters of Connecticut put together a recall vote on Joe Liebeman like California did for Governor Gray Davis? Maybe Senators are different, but it sure would be nice to get rid of that dude. He doesn't represent America well.
Now why didn't I think of that? This is a case that definitely calls for one. Honestly, do some people think Lieberman was a better choice than Lamont?!?
Sadly, we can't recall him.
from what i've read, obama will need every vote he can get to pass health care. maybe they've struck some kind of deal with lieberman.
I don't think Lieberman will favor health care -- or at least health care that is of any value to the people. He's too deep into the health care lobby, with even his wife having had a cushy job lobbying for a pharmaceutical company.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lppodwM4SiE
holy joe is scum
and seriously....isnt there a new vote when the new congress sits in january?
Hopefully we have more Ned Lamont like occurrences in 2010 and beyond. We need to get rid of guys like Lieberman and move in a more progressive direction. We have the potential to do it. Honesty and Integrity just aren't in Ole Joe's playbook. Here's some more that need to be replaced.
Republicans up for re-election in 2010.
* Richard Shelby of Alabama
* Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
* John McCain of Arizona
* Mel Martinez of Florida
* Johnny Isakson of Georgia
* Mike Crapo of Idaho
* Chuck Grassley of Iowa
* Jim Bunning of Kentucky
* David Vitter of Louisiana
* Kit Bond of Missouri
* Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
* Richard Burr of North Carolina
* George Voinovich of Ohio
* Tom Coburn of Oklahoma
* Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania
* Jim DeMint of South Carolina
* John Thune of South Dakota
* Bob Bennett of Utah
Let's put the internets activist and organizing capabilities to work.
Maybe the caucus is giving him enough rope to hang himself with. Given his old habits, and given that you can't teach an old DOG new tricks, he most likely will mess up again, and perhaps this time, it will be one time too many and they will FINALLY throw him to the wolves.
If you want to find out the truth about this a$$hole, just watch his interview during the 2000 recount. I couldn't believe what he said on camera that the rethuglicans jumped on and used against the recount in Florida also, and HE WAS ON THAT TICKET for God's sake!
Watch Recount on HBO near the end of the show.
Hope you are right. Right now just one more example of how different rules apply to these folks. No accountability for ones actions or choices
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081123/ap_on_el_...
I regret ...... Uh.. Uhh... And uhhh. Oh, I almost forgot. Uhhh... and Uhh. ..... uhh,
Ever notice when caught- be it lying, bad behavior, shoddy business practice, or other transgressions, the instinct is to evade responsibility. More often than not, the public apology is taking ownership of a remark or action. Taking ownership for remarks or actions, or unacceptable levels of service may require greater courage, but it is likely to produce greater long-term reward: namely forgiveness.
In my opinion, sincere apologies from some of these people would go a long way for the healing and health of our country.
Maybe the apology won’t change the hurt or harm that they may have already done, but it could go a long way towards restoring dignity and repairing some of the division.
A sincere apology can go a long way…………
Somebody needs to man up.
Or not...........*sigh
I haven't seen anything on this topic, but I believe that Obama has a quid pro quo with McCain vis a vis Lieberman, namely that Holy Joe gets to keep his chair and otherwise avoid too much direct humiliation at the hands of the Obama admin and the Dems in general, in exchange for McCain and Lieberman being on their best behavior for the next few years. They could be useful for Obama in getting conservatives and Repugs on board legislation.
should he decide to stab obama in the back?
holy joe has a pattern...ever since the impeachment of clinton
he is scum
Okay- so now that the Dems control EVERYTHING how can they possibly excuse rolling over for this scumbag?
"Just wait 'till 2006 and we take the House back."
"Just wait 'till after the 2008 elections and we take the presidency."
I am still waiting for these spineless shills to stand up to ANYTHING.
Four more years! Four more years- of waiting, I presume.
I'm with you. 2006 left a bitter taste in my mouth, so to speak. Rahm, Pelosi, Reid, etc...
This man stands for nothing.
*
There are no consequences! NOTHING!
He's gets his cake & he gets to eat it too,... this is why I could never call myself a Democrat, as much as I despise the right wing.
They're going to let Bush & Co. off the hook, too. No justice for all those dead American soldiers.
I hate this shit.
So another misshapen silly-putty excuse for a man is rewarded for being a Benedict Arnold, a Judas Iscariot, while the country simply doesn't have time for this re-run crap. Obama should appoint Ned Lamont to a leadership position for all Joe Lieberman has done so slimily and consistently.
I think I will give Obama the benefit of the doubt in his choices of cabinet/WH staff. He isn't making these decisions all by himself, he isn't drawing names out of a hat. I have confidence that he has made choices that he thinks are the right ones. We might not agree with some because we don't like some of the people he chose but I am confident he has his reasons. However, that said, I do believe he needs to see about getting rid of Reid and Pelosi. They are two of the weakest links in the chain and only came up in the ranks because of their seniority. Not a good enough reason IMHO. If we had two strong people in these chairs things could progress more to our liking and more in sync with Obama's program. Time will take care of Lieberman. He is so disliked by Democrats and some Republicans I hope they make his life hell. I could almost see the contempt in Brokaw's face when he was talking to Lieberman.
When Obama supported lieberman staying in the dem caucus I knew then that it was bush term 3 underway.
did you see how bush took care of his enemies?
this aint bush
obama is attempting to be politically expedient....but i think he needs to tred carefully around the snake that is joe
Sun, 11/23/2008 - 10:34 — Orangutan.
Thanks for the list I'll pass it on and look foward to more success!!!
Harry Reid of the Senate was Queenie,
With no balls and a tiny weenie.
So, Joe stabbed his old pals in the back,
He replied when asked why the attack,
"I regret I couldn't save Mooselini!"
Joe Lieberman... the king of bottom feeding slim buckets.
he'll never win another election in the great state of Connecticut.
Where are the pols whose surrogates labeled anyone not endorsing Sen. Clinton a "Judas?"
Oh yeah, they supported Lieberman outright.
I hope that if the Dems choose not to hold Sen. Quislingman accountable, the electorate finds some way to hold the Democratic Party accountable. I am doing it by withholding any further donations.
---
General Broulard: Colonel Dax! You will apologize at once or I shall have you placed under arrest!
Colonel Dax: I apologize... for not being entirely honest with you. I apologize for not revealing my true feelings. I apologize, sir, for not telling you sooner that you're a degenerate, sadistic old man. And you can go to hell before I apologize to you now or ever again!
Slick move, Democratic caucus. The one chance you had to stick it up Holy Joe's ass and you blow it.
I don't want to see another fundraising letter from any of the Democratic leadership. I did contribute to Obama's campaign and I wish had any other money at all that I could have given to Blue America, but after losing $35,000 in my IRA I'm tapped out. But, I will support Blue America and ANYBODY that runs against Senator Droopy Dawg.
We're stuck with Whiney-Ass Joe until the people of Connecticut decide otherwise. He just isn't worth the effort anymore.
Wasn't Joe defeated by Lamont in the primary and then "undefeated" when he ran again as an "independent?"
Face it, the guy has juice and we're stuck with him.
And he's loving it.
How about LIE-berman part in the ENRON affair, nothing said. Alos he is the JUNIOR SENATOR from CT. For he was not the DEMOCRATIC CANADATE, Ned Lamont was. LIE-berman started his own party. How does LIE-berman get away with all this BULLS---.
I'd like 5 minutes alone with Joe to "explain" my position.
Hmmmph! Let's see how quickly the word "apology" appears in his dictionary when he's defeated for reelection in 2012.
this piece of crap is amazing. He's ready now to make an about face now that he faces the reality of an Obama administration. What is even more disturbing is the vast number of liberals who have rushed to support him and welcome this good guy back to the fold. Don't know which is more gutless and disgusting.
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