Will Lieberman Sink Health Care?

Joe Lieberman (I-Aetna/Prudential) now threatens to support a Republican filibuster of health care reform if the Democratic bill includes a public option as it currently does. Gail Collins at the New York Times rightly calls him on his bs. The Congressional Budget Office confirms the public option would be financed by premiums:

Connecticut is a state full of insurance companies, and maybe it should come as no surprise that he’s caving in to their concerns. But now he’s running around on the Sunday talk shows announcing that he’ll support a filibuster — keep the whole plan from coming up for a vote unless the public option goes. And he says he’s doing this as a matter of conscience. He wants the world to admire him for stopping the Senate from having an opportunity to vote on a health care plan the president campaigned for and a majority of the chamber supports.

If Lieberman had just said “look, this is bad for a big industry in my state and I’m going to use whatever tools I can get my hands on to stop it in its tracks” I would still be in despair, but not in my current state of door-pounding, head-banging rage. But he wants us to admire him! As if he was risking his career to save puppies or fight unemployment!

TIME also looks at the Lieberman conundrum and notes the Senator from Aetna is "technically not a Democrat anymore" but repeatedly refers to him as such: "Pressuring Lieberman, however, might prompt him to leave the party, a move that would deprive Democrats of their 60th vote, not just on health care but on other issue like global warming and financial regulatory reform."

What is the point in allegedly having 60 votes to prevent a filibuster if the 60th vote has repeatedly threatened to, umm, filibuster? So much for the White House's 11th dimensional strategy to placate Lieberman by letting him keep his committee chairmanship.

Watch Lieberman threaten to filibuster health care reform ON THE FLIP SIDE.

Comments

[Luther]

Excellent summary and analysis of good old negative, hang dog Joe LIE-berman. I am so sick of these lousy, no good, career politicians getting cash form big companies, and those who keep voting them into office I could scream.

[kayman]

In the words and voice of Sarah Palin: "You betcha!"

Lieberman is a joke and Connecticut should have seen this years ago when he lost the Democratic nomination in 2006. Instead they've given this jerk the keys to destruction until 2012 in the Senate. However, it is Harry Reid 'n' them not the White House that allowed him to keep his chairman seat on the committee.

He also plans on campaigning for Republican candidates come next year, so you know where he stands...

[Jim]

Remember: Obama endorsed Lieberman in his Senate primary campaign over Ned Lamont. Obama actually worked for this to happen.

So this could mean one of four things:

1) Obama didn’t know what Lieberman was really like.

2) Obama is self-destructive.

3) Obama disagreed with Lieberman on having a public option, but this just wasn’t as important to him as some other things.

4) Obama is on the same side as Lieberman on this issue. He doesn’t really want a public option either.

Which one makes most sense to you?

[kayman]

I remember, but this was 2006 and Obama wasn't in the White House then.

I can't speak for Obama on which of those 4 it is, but nobody knew the depths of Lieberman's treachery at that time. Also, Lieberman didn't begin his stunts until after his 2006 reelection as an Independent coalescing with the Dems. However, he knows his time is going to be up in 2012, so at this point he has anything to lose...

[Reggieh]

Lieberman (I-Aetna/Prudential) -- ROTFL Rod, and oh so true!