Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Good question:A commenter in a Marc Ambinder post asks: I do wonder though: has anyone in the WH, most notably the President himself, spoken to Lieberman?
After all, Obama was the one who made sure Lieberman kept his seniority and the chairmanship of his committee. Did Obama call him and say "You owe me one."? Or is the WH's position to sit back and let the weak leadership of the Senate Dems handle one of the most important items on their legislative agenda.
posted by Quiddity at 12/15/2009 03:57:00 PM
3 comments
what is talking going to accomplish? obama hasn't shown a willingness to fight for the public option or the medicare buy in. reports are rahm urged reid to cave into lieberman's demands.
there is this though that indicates close cooperation:
Sen. Joe Lieberman might be persona-non-grata in the health care negotiations, but he's juggling several large initiatives the Obama administration wants to see move forward.
As Democrats grow increasingly infuriated with Lieberman (I-CT) as he throws a wrench into the health care bill, the White House and Senate leadership can't afford to kick sand in his face.
TPMDC checked in on Capitol Hill, and learned that White House officials are regularly meeting with him on climate change (even as White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says he's not sure if aides are talking to him about health care).
Also sizzling on the stove are major pieces of legislation pending in the Homeland Security Committee, which Lieberman chairs.
Most prominent is the investigation into the shootings at Fort Hood this fall, and Lieberman is holding an 11:30 press conference at the Capitol on the issue after meeting with Defense Department officials.
He has been closely coordinating with the Obama administration on documents and witnesses who will testify at the Fort Hood hearings, sources tell us.
Also of note, Lieberman is about to pass out of his committee a major domestic partners bill extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. It goes much further than Obama's executive order was able to, filling in the gaps and offering more benefits to more people.
couldn't care less about the fort hood hearings.
i would feel better about the climate change work -- if i hadn't read earlier a few weeks ago about how lieberman was working to WEAKEN the climate bill.
if he does manage to expand benefits for same sex partners, that wont make up for his petty vindictiveness of blowing up common sense policy of a public option/ medicare buy in out of sheer spite.
instead of obama seeking to discipline lieberman for bad behavior, joe gets rewarded for it instead when you see the white house urging the senate to bow to joe's demands. lieberman and obama are on the same team. they're not with us.
The Obama administration is like a variation on the Talking Heads --
And you may find yourself living in a beautiful White House.
And you may ask yourself, "HOW DO I WORK THIS?"
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