The spin out of the Democratic caucus is that he is giving up his seat on the Committee on Environment and Public Works, but as he points out in the interview this morning, because of the additional Democratic Senators Majority Leader Reid has enforced a rule that no Senator can chair more than one Committee. That allows the Chairmanships to be spread around. So the end result is that Joe gets off Scot-free for speaking lies against Obama and for appearing at the Republican National Convention.
Here is the video of the Press conference after the Democratic caucus.
Here is a copy of my letter to Senator Harry Reid.
November 18, 2008
Senator Harry Reid
528 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
Subj: the refusal of Senate Democrats to act against Joe Lieberman
Dear Senator Reid:
The non-action action to strip Joe Lieberman of an irrelevant subcommittee is quite disgusting. Not surprising, from the spineless wimps in the Democratic caucus, but quite disgusting.
Joe has repeatedly demonstrated that he is not a Democrat, any more than Zell Miller was four years ago. Whatever comity you guys might think that you have gained in not publicly removing Lieberman from one of the most important chairmanships in the Senate, you are going to find out wasn’t worth the price. First, Joe simply is not a Democrat. He has turned on you before, and will do it again. It is only a matter of time. Second, you have lost my support and that of many Democrats.
I do not yet know how that loss of support will be shown, but rest assured I will work to see that you understand what you have done. You may think that because you Democratic Senators are much better than the extremists in the other party that you do not have to represent the Democratic base. You and the other 41 Senators who let Joe slide will find that what you want to do is going to be more difficult. Since we don’t know who the 13 sensible Democrats are, they will also be punished somehow.
I am writing to you because as a Texan I am not represented in the Senate. It is now clear that the same would have been true had Texas had a Democratic Senator. It looks like the closest representative I have in the federal government now is Barack Obama, and he had better act better then you Senators have done to keep any support.
Sincerely,
Here is a copy of my letter to Senator Joe Lieberman:
November 18, 2008
Senator Joe Lieberman
706 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Subj: Your disgusting behavior and speech in the Presidential campaign
Dear Senator Lieberman:
Apparently you have bamboozled the Democratic Senate Caucus into thinking that you are worth more inside the tent peeing out than you would be outside the tent peeing in.
I listened with great disgust as your friend Harry Reid sang your praises and bragged about your history as a Freedom Rider in the 60’s. That was something to be proud of, but you have ridden it too far. It was four decades ago.
Now you are no longer a Democrat, having been rejected by the Democrats in your state and having defeated the Democratic candidate to get your current Independent seat. You were needed to build a Democratic majority two years ago and you rode the power that gave you. Then you supported the radical right extremists of the Republican Party as John McCain was courting them to defeat Barack Obama for President. America is much better off that McCain and you lost the Presidential election.
Frankly, Senator Lieberman, you cannot be trusted any more than the radical right-wing crazies in the Republican Party. Perhaps you will recognize that the vote to strip you of your chairmanship was a serious rebuke by your colleagues. I doubt that you recognize that. Your power as a Senator has gone to your head, and the rest of us now have to be protected from you. Apparently the judgment of your peers is similarly flawed.
Trust has to be earned. It can be easily lost and becomes very hard to recover. You have lost whatever trust you had with Democrats, and I doubt the Republicans trust you either.
Remember that.
Sincerely,
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