There’s a rumor going around that George W. Bush will nominate Sen. Lieberman as his next Attorney General. As much as I hate the idea, it does have a lot of merit from Bush’s perspective.
The Governor of Connecticut is a Republican and under state law she could appoint a replacement that would serve until nearly the end of Bush’s presidency.
Sec. 9-211. United States senator; vacancy. In case of a vacancy in the office of senator in Congress, the Governor is empowered to fill such vacancy by appointment as herein provided. If such vacancy occurs one hundred fifty or more days prior to a state election, the appointee shall serve until the third day of January following such election, and at such election there shall be elected a senator in Congress to serve for the remaining portion, if any, of the term vacated…
That would throw the Senate back into a 50-50 tie, although it would not necessarily shift control of the committees. That’s because the committee chairs are determined by an organizing resolution that is in effect until it is overturned by a new organizing resolution…and the Dems can filibuster any effort to revise it.
Things could get a little complicated, though, because the Republicans could make mischief if the Dems refuse to reorganize.
Even if the Dems maintain a hold on the Senate, they’ll lose their majority vote.
Add to this the fact that Lieberman could be easily confirmed by his colleagues.
And then add to it the glowing praise the press will shower on such a bipartisan gesture.
It’s a smart move.
Yet, it’s a risky move. Lieberman is horrible on national security and soft on oversight. But he isn’t a total tool. His confirmation hearings would still involve a lot of demands that he cooperate with congressional oversight…something he is not indifferent to. Would Lieberman promise to enforce congressional subpoenas? Would he have the audacity not to promise?
I still think the most likely course for Bush is to nominate somone unacceptable and run out the clock with an interim AG.
Oh god no, tell me this wouldn’t be true. Seriously. As much as Joe and Dubya deserve each other, nothing good for America can possibly come from this.
If the NY Times and the Washington Post and the WSJ start pimping Joey Boom-Boom here for AG, I may vomit.
It got worse. I didn’t put this in the original post because I heard it later, on the Hartmann show.
The next scary thought, after Lieberman’s new AG status, was that Cheney would resign from the VPresidency (health issues, of course) at some point, and Lieberman would be brought in. That would set him up for a run for President.
Yes it’s far-fetched. But I’ve been stunned by every other seemingly impossible scenario that this insane bunch has brought to fruition.
It would be the smartest thing the Republicans could do.
I heard that elsewhere, Cheney is next to depart for reasons – health issues. we’ll see.
Whatever, Bush is a very very lame duck.
Shrub will pick someone evil beyond description, hire him as a “Special Advisor,” send in the nomination the next morning and instruct him to claim that any question the Senators ask is either a threat to national security or covered by executive privilege since he’s a Presidential Advisor.
The Senate will confirm because, hey, unitary executive privilege trumps the Constitution and they have no right to question it, and besides if they don’t give shrubbo what he wants, the MSM will frown at them.
The only thing that stops me thinking this could happen is that this idea is a little too much strategic thinking for bush..he’ll go with someone who is more of a Made Man/Crony than Two-Faced Joey L.
I’m sorry, but are you hitting the crack pipe?! Lieberman isn’t a “total tool?!” You think he’ll allow for proper Congressional oversight? Think again. Lieberman won’t even allow hearings on the Katrina debacle. Lieberman is the person who stands in the way of accountability for FEMA and the Bush administration’s response to Katrina. Lieberman is only a senator, and he’s already covering up the crimes of the Bush administration. What do you think he’ll do as Bush’s AG? It will be more of the same obviously. I’m surprised you still have any faith in Lieberman.
In any case, I still think it’s unlikely Bush will appoint Lieberman. He definitely prefers to pick people with whom he already has a close relationship, so he can expect unconditional loyalty from his appointees.
lieberman as AG…..I don’t believe it for a NY minute.
he thinks he’s in fat city until 2012…and he couldn’t carry AIPAC’s water as AG, nor push the turn. lran. to. glass. meme…and who wants to bet on how fast he decides he’s really a democrat after the 08 elections, if it’s a d rout?
ol Joe “camelback” will stay right where he is, imo, this is just smoke.
gee willikers!… think Terwilliger.
lTMF’sA
I don’t see it happening. Lieberman can stay in the senate until 2012. As AG, he’ll be out in Jan. ’09. He’s more valuable to shrub in the senate, where he can be a fig leaf for the administration.
To get a job for a year,and then be nothing in 2008? When he has a six year job?
Well, it sure would make things interesting. That is, if the Dems suddenly got assertive and made a deal about who Joe’s replacement would be if they confirmed him.
I don’t think a Joe nomination would play well to the base, tho, so it seems like an extreme longshot. I’m assuming Bush will nominate whatisname, he current deputy AG, and Congress will easily confirm.
There is no getting assertive in CT. It is up to Her Excellency Governor Jodi Rell who replaces any Senate slot, something that has had a lot of discussio9n concerning the longshot of her replacing Chris Dodd. Could you imagine her giving it to someone like the recently kicked-to-the-curb GOP Rep. Rob Simmons?
The advantage here? If Joe is gone it does not change who controls the committees, as BooMan pointed out, and it would give us an easy target in ’08 to get someone like Lamont into the Senate.
This really a a bad scenario for Republicans more than it would ever be for the Dems IMHO. Any reason to replace Lieberman in the Senate early would likely be a long-term gain for Dems. Imagine a Senate without Lieberman’s hyper-partisan Republican voice throwing shit at the fan everyday?
recess appointment….