Defense a no-go for Joe
Lieberman aiming to keep Senate seat
PETER URBAN purban@ctpost.com
Surely it can come as no surprise that when a Democrat returns from Iraq and prounounces progress in no uncertain terms, that there will be some hell to pay for falling so far out of step with his comrades.
Thus began the not-so-subtle hints that perhaps Joe had much to gain personally and professionally by praising the Bush "non-plan" that is currently working in the newly created democratic Iraq.
Rumors have been flying around Capitol Hill all week that Lieberman may soon replace Rumsfeld at the Pentagon. The Bush administration and Rumsfeld say it isn't so.
"I have no plans to retire," Rumsfeld told reporters on Capitol Hill.
(snip)
Rumors that Lieberman might be headed to the Pentagon began surfacing after the senator returned from a Thanksgiving visit to Iraq with a glowing report.
"Progress is visible and practical," Lieberman wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion column upon returning from his fourth trip to the war zone.
Former New Republic magazine editor Andrew Sullivan predicted Sunday on NBC's "Chris Matthews Show" that Lieberman would be asked to succeed Rumsfeld before the next congressional elections.
"That's the back story behind Lieberman's amazing defense of the administration this week," Sullivan said.
Robert Schieffer, host of CBS' "Face the Nation," speculated Sunday that Lieberman might get the job and went so far as to ask Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., if he thought the Connecticut senator would do a better job than Rumsfeld.
"I think a lot of people would do a better job than Secretary Rumsfeld," said Kerry, who has called for Rumsfeld to resign.
(snip)
Bush, Vice President Cheney and Rumsfeld helped fan the speculation by praising Lieberman in a series of speeches this week aimed at boosting public support for their war policy in the run-up to Iraq's Dec. 15 elections to pick a permanent government.
Repeating Lieberman's findings in Iraq is fanning speculation? Desperate stretch there....
Why would anyone think that siding with the much maligned Bush WH foreign policy would advance his career? Especially when this President is already being prematurely proclaimed a lame duck by those who hate him? Logic apparently is the first casualty of agenda laden partisans.
And what is the story with Joe?
Lieberman has given every indication he plans to run for re-election. He has amassed a $3.5 million treasury, hired a campaign staff and continues to hold fund-raising events. So far, Lieberman faces no major-party challenge although former Connecticut Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr. said this week that he would consider running as an independent anti-war candidate if no Democratic challenger surfaces.
You go, guy.
1 comment:
Great post Rover! As I said in my own article earlier this week:
There are politicians who place their (relatively) insignificant careers above their national calling, and then there is Joe Lieberman - who spoke his conscience (at grave political risk) through the Wall Street Journal after having just returned from his fourth trip to Iraq.
Blog on! Timmer
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