Hamsher: Reid will pay a price if he lets Lieberman ’screw him over’

By David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 -- 9:54 am
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liebermanfoldshands Hamsher: Reid will pay a price if he lets Lieberman screw him overThe announcement by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) on Tuesday that he may part company with the Democratic caucus to join with Republicans in filibustering health care reform dismayed advocates of a public option but sent health insurance stocks soaring.

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow noted that this action is unusual even for Lieberman, who in the past has refrained from blocking floor votes on bills that he himself opposed. Maddow was joined by blogger Jane Hamsher, founder of FireDogLake, to discuss the unprecedented nature of Lieberman's decision.

"It's never happened before that one party had -- technically, in the caucus -- a filibuster-proof majority and one of the members went to join over with the opposition party," Hamsher told Maddow. "You have to ask yourself, 'What were they thinking when they let Joe into the caucus and didn't get him to agree to join with them on procedural votes?'"

Hamsher put primary blame for the decision on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who said back in 2008, "I trust Joe," when he was asked if Lieberman could be counted upon not to filibuster.with the Republicans in return for keeping his committee chairmanship.

"Reid's the one who, as majority leader, did not get Lieberman to commit as the price of his gavel to join with the caucus on procedural votes," Hamsher emphasized. "So if Joe wants to screw him over, that's fine. Joe may not pay a price in Connecticut, but Reid will pay a price in Nevada for it."

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Maddow also pointed out that "the most high-profile thing that Joe Liberman has done with his Homeland Security chairmanship is hold a hearing on whether or not President Obama has too many czars, just like Fox News said that he did. What value is he to the Democrats?"

"One has to wonder," Hamsher agreed. "Sixty votes is meaningless if you don't have them. ... His job is basically to be of more value to the Republicans within the Democratic caucus than he would be on the outside of it."

Hamsher concluded by suggesting that Reid and President Obama "are going to have to lean on Joe this time, because otherwise I think there will be a price to pay for allowing him to dictate what the caucus does. ... There are consequences down the line for Joe's lack of loyalty."

This video is from MSNBC' The Rachel Maddow Show, broadcast Oct. 27, 2009.

Download video via RawReplay.com

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Story comments are below...
  • jeffersonperrin
    Joe Liberman is loyal to only the following kinds of people, worms like himself, anyone who will put money in his pockets and Repulsivans. Anyone who still believes he was ever a Democrat has had Joe's sheep's clothing pulled over their eyes.
    This is one of the most vile, self serving kind of human being; the kind who encourages anti-Semitic stereotypes because he both fits them and helps create some people never even considered. He reminds me of a boy named Sokloff in my junior high school who kept challenging me to a fight. He was the kind of ass that ratted on people or treated them like dirt and then complained that he was disliked because he was Jewish. Though I was (still am)one who prefers peace to war, he continued harassing me until I finally agreed to meet in the parking lot after school. He paid a very large guy to do his fighting for him. To top it off, he was too cowardly to even show up with help! (This 'insurance/substitute' just laughed at getting paid for doing nothing because he didn't wasn't a fighter either) The next day Sokloff was 'sick' and didn't even come to school and when he did come back, he denied paying the other guy and said I was the one who didn't show up! Unfortunately, the only thing he got for his money was a witness-and a loud one-to his lies. THIS is Joe Liberman.
  • bigtimepatriot
    Lieberman really is the least of Ried's problems. Reid's biggest problem is that he has yet to force the Republicans to filibuster. The sight of Republicans stalling for time on the floor of the Senate, holding America hostage to support insurance companies, will bring about the election of more Democrats in the future. If Reid refuses to lead, he should step aside.
  • woodgas
    Wolf in (tattered) Sheep's clothing hunting tar & feathers
  • socialismorbust
    The man is an immoral piece of scum!
  • JPMP
    The news here is that Raw Story and Hamsher seem genuinely surprised by this?
  • Satan
    Raw's starting to remind me of the squeeky noises that come from Rachels ass. Can we here more about how Fox is bad and supporting the troops and war wit hRachel Maddow is good?

    Lol!
  • jeffersonperrin
    "Can we here (sic)more...", In the words of a Neo CON idiot, "You betcha!". Fox is nothing more than a mouthpiece for cowards, hypocrites, liars, warmongers and war and tragedy profiteers supported by morons who aren't even smart enough to recognize you are standing in front of and pulling with a rope a boulder of ignorance intended to crush the efforts of decent people to do good for everyone-- including your stupid asses!
  • missskeptic
    A fillibuster could turn around and bite the Repbulicans in the butt. They will be seen as obstructionists, unwilling to actually work on the problems this country is facing. Their base will applaud them, sure, but 80% of the rest of the country will be pissed at the time and energy wasted by yapping on endlessly.

    I say, bring on the fillibuster! Get it out in the open and let them have at it! They think it''s such a good idea, can you really picture Joe Lieberman and those 40 Repubs. yacking on endlessly for days? Do they realize how stupid and pointless they will appear? It will prove to the nation how far into the pockets of the insurance industry they actually are. Not to mention hypocritical - remember how the Repubs. spewed about Democrats talking about fillibustering a few years ago when they were in charge?
  • douvie
    I'm not so sure you are correct. After all, one Republican named Olympia Snowe is worth the entire progressive caucus to Obama. The problem is not with the Republicans-- it's with the Dems. And this is Obama's fault for being publicly spineless. I must admit, however, that we are making progress up the evolutionary chain. We went from having an amoeba for President to having an invertebrate. Hopefully, in 2012, we can elect a biped from a third party and truly bring needed reform at every level to this Country.
  • wokenone
    Gee, what a shock- like it's any surprise that LIEbermann is a backstabbing two-faced weaseling douche-nozzle that can't be trusted. Reid's playing Charlie Brown, and LIEbermann is Lucy. Somehow, Reid just never learns and keeps on trying to kick that ball. Gee, isn't that interesting. Folks, it's all a big show to convince you that you have a say in America. Truth is, the Plutocrats own this country- lock, stock, and barrel. What happens in it is up to THEM, not you. Reid and Holy Joe belong to that club, and we don't- it's as simple as that. Thus, LIEbermann is allowed to do whatever he wants, and there's never any repercussions. Either Reid's the dumbest guy on the planet, or.... well... Reid didn't become a Senator by being that stupid. We, the People, need to realize that the game we're playing is fixed, and we need an entirely NEW game.
  • douvie
    Reid may pay a price in Nevada for not bringing Lieberman into line, but the American public will pay a price all over the Country. I agree with Feingold-- no bill is better than a weak bill that enslaves 50,000,000 more people to the blood sucking insurance industry and doesn't address cost control.
  • nader paul kucinich gravel
    10-4
    GoodBuddy

    Wall Street
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    9/11 snow job
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    Propaganda media
    DNC stealth neocons
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    The chosen the superior
    2-3% of the US population
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    By deception ye shall wage war
    AIPAC's Israel-first dual-nationals
    For profit NotFederal NoReserve scam

    ~ Words are plentiful deeds are precious
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