Open Thread

I would write more about that governor from Cal-i-forn-i-a if I knew how to spell his name. Let me know if there is any news on either the appointment or the recount front.

3 Comments

idredit on November 9, 2008 at 12:24 pm

a repost of sorts, if you missed it: We may get to 59 Senate seats, if not 60

looking good for Begich in Alaska – Nate Silver sees a Stevens defeat. see my diary -what happened in Alaska

the courts gave Al Franken a nice ruling. Norm Coleman is upset.

there’s a run-off in GA, McCain and Palin will stump for Chambliss.

Lieberman wants to be forgiven: Lieberman’s rationale why he should not be stripped of his chair at HSGA. ..that would be putting politics ahead of our security…like he keeps us safe

Steve Benen-

On Friday, we talked about the “Governmental Affairs” side of the equation and Lieberman’s intention to scrutinize an Obama administration. But a Lieberman aide told the Hartford Courant that the Connecticut independent should remain chairman, despite his betrayals, for the first half of the committee name.

“Sen. Lieberman prefers to remain in the Democratic caucus,” the aide said. “However, he believes he should remain as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee…. He thinks that political retribution should not go ahead of homeland security.”

Greg Sargent’s take was spot on: “Can the Lieberman camp really be arguing that stripping Lieberman of his committee slot is tantamount to putting politics ahead of our safety, because we’re so defenseless without him there to protect us? … Lieberman’s camp is now sounding a kind of hollow echo of the same silly scare-mongering tactics that he used against Obama on the GOP’s behalf during the campaign, only this time in service of holding onto whatever vestiges of influence he has left. It’s a coda to this whole affair that’s perfect in its desperation and unintentional self-parody.”

Quite right. For one thing, Lieberman, as chairman for the last two years, barely used his committee to actually explore domestic security policy. For another, it’s not as if Lieberman has such a unique expertise that Americans would be at risk if, say, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) chaired the same committee. Or Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) or Thomas Carper (D-Del.) or Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)

It’s one of those rare arguments from Lieberman that combines arrogance, incompetence, and demagoguery, all at the same time. A rare feat, indeed.