Lieberman Touts Bipartisanship
by Christine Stuart | Nov 8, 2006 7:11pm
(6) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: CT Elections 2006
One of the many things U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman will be doing when he returns to Washington DC is continuing his attempt to put an end to the genocide in Darfur. “It deeply agitates me,” he said Wednesday, hours after his independent victory over Democratic candidate Ned Lamont and Republican Alan Schlesinger. Lieberman said along with conservative Republican Sam Brownback of Kansas he’s been trying to get the United Nations to be more aggressive in ending the “slaughter of innocence in Darfur.” He said he strongly feels that if the United Nations is not successful in its mission, then it should bring in NATO to help. Click here to read more about the genocide and here to see what Lieberman said about it in the past. Lieberman said ending the genocide in Darfur is a “classic example” of how he’s been able to work across party lines to get things done, which seemed to be the main theme in his post-election briefing.
Lieberman said he took the results of Tuesday’s election to be a “mandate from partisanship.” Lieberman said his campaign staff calculated that he received 38 percent of votes from unaffiliated voters, 37 percent from Republicans, and 25 percent from Democrats. But this mandate from partisanship has helped Lieberman ascend the ranks of the Democratic party’s hierarchy the past 18 years. Lieberman said he spoke with Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid this morning and besides reassuring Lieberman he would maintain his seniority, Reid reassured him “he’s committed to trying to break the partisan gridlock to get things done.”“My mission now is really an independent mission,” he said. He expects to maintain his seniority in the Democratic caucus and even take over the chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee. “My seniority is important in that it gives me the ability to deliver for the people of Connecticut.” He said “you’ve really got to be a member of a caucus to have seniority.” He said while he doesn’t agree with the way the system is currently set up, that’s just the way it is. Overall there’s “too much venom” and “too much hatred” in our politics. When asked if he would abandon the Democrats and caucus with the Republicans or accept a position in President George Bush’s administration, Lieberman said “No.” “It’s not so much which party controls Congress it’s what that party does,” and the challenge is to make it work, he said. Since 37 percent of his votes came from Republicans does he feel he owes them anything? “I don’t feel I owe anybody anything,” Lieberman said. He said Republicans who voted for him did so because he’s not partisan when it comes to issues of national security.
(6) Comments
posted by: bintdeeb | November 9, 2006 1:11am
Too bad he isn’t “agitated” about the Zionists’ genocide of Palestinians. How about ending the slaughter of innocence in Gaza?
posted by: Nojoe | November 9, 2006 1:11pm
Joe Liar-man
a man with no credibility
for sale to the highest bidder
what about the $487,000, Joe?
posted by: Ladyx | November 9, 2006 6:11pm
The middle class has a better shot at survival with Joe in the Senate than with a rookie Lamont. However, let us not forget to hold our leaders responsible and accountable for their actions.
posted by: nolopro | November 9, 2006 8:11pm
I guess he was awake when schlessinger mentioned Darfur during the debates.. he went home and asked his kids to look it up on the ‘internets’?? I thought it was NATOs problem…
he’s all talk. Same old CRAP as the past 18 years!
posted by: thurkov | November 10, 2006 1:11am
The leadership on the Iraq War and solidarity with Israel is well documented. Both of these are policy failures and placed US on a course that is counter-productive to our best interests.
The current US administration is not capable of solving the problem in Darfur. Do it have realiable, verifyable intelligence? It’s up to its eyeballs in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Israel and N. Korea. All of these are disasters. The Departments of State and Defense are over-extended.
Whatever happens in Darfur should be the responsibility of the UN Security Council so direct your energy there not toward US Congress.
posted by: thurkov | November 10, 2006 1:11am
The leadership on the Iraq War and solidarity with Israel is well documented. Both of these are policy failures and placed US on a course that is counter-productive to our best interests.
The current US administration is not capable of solving the problem in Darfur. Does it have realiable, verifyable intelligence? It’s up to its eyeballs in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Israel and N. Korea. All of these are disasters. The Departments of State and Defense are over-extended.
Whatever happens in Darfur should be the responsibility of the UN Security Council so direct your energy there not toward US Congress.