The Lieberman Tragedy

Lieberman's reelection in Connecticut is costing Democrats dearly!
by Charlie Leck

One of the most tragic things to happen to the Democratic Party and to the possibility of implementing the Obama Plan was the election of Joseph Lieberman to the U.S. Senate in 2008. Lieberman had been soundly beaten in his race for the Party’s endorsement, but came back to run in a primary as an Independent and won. He then went on to win the general election in November, winning huge Republican backing, and sent himself back to the Senate.

Ever since, Lieberman has been a thorn in the side of nearly all of Obama’s plans for change. Health care is the best example. I wonder why!

“Mr. Lieberman has taken more than $1 million from the industry over his Senate career. In his 2006 re-election campaign, he ranked second in the Senate in contributions from the industry. He doesn’t seem to have forgotten that.” [NY Times editorial of 16 December 2009]

There may be other reasons. For instance, Hadassah Lieberman, the wife of Senator Joe Lieberman, is a fromer lobbyist for the insurance and pharmaceutical complex and is currently a salaried employee of CURE FOR CANCER. Oh, my!

I find it very surprising that journalists don’t point this out and suggest that it might be a major conflict of interest.

Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake writes the following…

“Hadassah Lieberman's relationship with Susan G. Komen for the Cure is unethical and misleading. Important and often very personal donations made to Susan G. Komen for the Cure to benefit the sick and dying are essentially undermining their intended use.

“Hadassah Lieberman has worked for the insurance-pharmaceutical-lobbying complex, making her role with with Susan G. Komen for the Cure already questionable. And as Hadassah travels the globe under the banner of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, decrying the inadequacies of our health care system and the need to reform it, her husband is at home to kill the reform efforts we so desperately need.

“People who are racing for the cure wouldn't be racing to pay Hadassah Lieberman money, especially if they knew her ties to the same corporations that are blocking women's health reforms currently being debated in Congress.”

With Lieberman in the Senate it will be nearly impossible to get true health care reform. Had the Democrats sent a real party man to fill that seat, many of Obama’s plans for change, including health care reform, would probably have been realized. Connecticut’s Republicans love Joe Lieberman. The state’s real Democrats can’t stand him.

Personally, I have no respect for the man and history will regard him as one of the most destructive obstructionists to ever sit in the U.S. Senate. I do not understand why the Dems don’t strip Lieberman of his ranking positions.