Lieberman Talks About Iraq Critics
Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman had an interview with The Hill and discussed some of the problems facing this Congress, especially as it pertains to the war in Iraq.
Lieberman is a strong supporter of the war in Iraq and says we should also keep our eyes on Iran.
It seems Independence has set him free to vote his conscience and not a party.
Ever since Connecticut Democrats refused to back him for a fourth term in Congress, Joe Lieberman has been burnishing his independent credentials in the narrowly divided Senate while becoming increasingly critical of the Democratic Party on the war in Iraq.
Lieberman, the Democrats’ 2000 vice presidential nominee, insists he is not actively considering joining the Republican Party. But he is keeping that possibility wide open as his disenchantment grows with Democratic leaders. The main sticking points are their attempts to end the war in Iraq and their hesitation to take a harder line against Iran.
“I think either [Democrats] are, in my opinion, respectfully, naïve in thinking we can somehow defeat this enemy with talk, or they’re simply hesitant to use American power, including military power,” Lieberman said in a wide-ranging interview with The Hill.
“There is a very strong group within the party that I think doesn’t take the threat of Islamist terrorism seriously enough.”
Lieberman says he is annoyed by the mudslinging on Capitol Hill and Democrats’ unwillingness to work with President Bush. But his critics say he has contributed to that polarization by his rhetoric and refusal to compel Bush to find a new way forward in Iraq.
As Lieberman sees it, however, the Democratic Party has slipped away from its “most important and successful times” of the middle of last century, where it was tough on Communism and progressive on domestic policy.
“I fear that some people take this position also because anything President Bush is for, they’ll be against, and that’s wrong,” said Lieberman, a staunch advocate of the war. “There’s a great tradition in our history of partisanship generally receding when it comes to foreign policy. But for the moment we’ve lost that.”
I know many Democrats feel he is a turncoat because he chose to defend his Senate seat from Ned Lamont as an Independent and won the general election.
As one lady in pink put it:
“He used to have a heart and soul, and he used to care about people,” said Leslie Angeline, an activist with the anti-war group Code Pink, who held a 24-day hunger strike until she could meet with Lieberman about his position on Iran.
Angeline is facing an unlawful entry charge after she refused to leave Lieberman’s office during her strike.
To which I would say he’s the same man now he was two years ago. I felt he betrayed his principles when he ran for Vice President, but one has to do what the top of the ticket wants one to do in that situation.
He was once called the “conscience of the Senate” and is no way a flaming conservative, despite the fact the Democratic party actually kicked him out and he didn’t leave voluntarily.
The voters in his state knew they had a good senator and had the good sense to keep him in office.
Written by ~J~
Guss Says:
July 31st, 2007 at 8:59 pmVisit Guss
Love your post.
Sue Says:
July 31st, 2007 at 10:56 pmVisit Sue
This is a man I have great admiration for. I wish he were a candidate for President.
I am not sure he is electable but he would put some honesty in the debate.
Guss Says:
August 1st, 2007 at 3:47 amVisit Guss
I would be willing to bet that if he were singing a little different tune, you wouldn’t have quite the same admiration. The only thing that he agrees with Republicans on is Iraq. Be careful what you wish for.
Sue Says:
August 1st, 2007 at 7:56 amVisit Sue
Guss:
My admiration for Joe Lieberman goes well beyond the Iraq war.
He is a man of conviction and principle and whether I agree or not with his politics on certain issues I find those to be admirable qualities and ones absent from many of those running for office on any level.
Guss Says:
August 1st, 2007 at 8:10 amVisit Guss
Sue,
Good for you and your absolutely right about Mr. Lieberman.