Joementum In The Wrong Direction
At the end of the day, I don’t care much about where someone falls on the arbitrary liberal/conservative spectrum as long as they speak their heart, but Joe Lieberman is that rare breed of politician that’s so inept at governing that he sides with his supposed political opposition at the exact wrong times. It’s quite an accomplishment that in a party as insecure and lost in the woods as the Democrats, Lieberman stands out as the most politically tone-deaf person in Washington D.C. The latest evidence for Joe’s incompetence is this description he gave NPR’s Day to Day of the “lobbying reform” bill he co-sponsored with John McCain :
“This is a full disclosure bill. It requires the kind of disclosure that if Abramoff had been forced to do he might well have been indicted in the court of public opinion before he was indicted in a court of law and pled guilty.”
That’s right. Joementum is so damned stupid that his idea of tough reform is a law that would embarrass Jack Abramoff. Hey Joe, tell me exactly how the “court of public opinion” is supposed to matter to a guy who doesn’t answer to the general public?
Now, the two or three of you left who want to play devil’s advocate might point out that this public shame might have electoral consequences for anyone associated with someone found guilty in the “court of public opinion”, but that overlooks the fact that voters are incapable of connecting dots and have a hard time remembering anything that happened over a month ago. When Dick Cheney is giving exclusive interviews to racist talk show hosts and the President is getting pre-war counseling from the faux-Reverend who blamed 9/11 on gay people, it’s pretty obvious that this court of public opinion has a real problem with repeat offenders.
More importantly, however, is if you want to follow Joementum’s thinking to its logical conclusion, it just emphasizes the fact that this scandal isn’t the fault of lobbyists, but the criminal public servants who are selling their services to the highest bidder. I’m sure John McCain and Joe Lieberman like to pat themselves on the back for being mavericks who are willing to reach across the aisle to do the right thing, but if they can’t see a problem this obvious and have the guts to point the finger at their crooked colleagues, then they’re just as cowardly as the bribe-takers whose crimes they’re helping cover up.
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I don’t dig it. You smell like sour soup.
Comment by Wenger — January 18, 2006 @ 5:27 pm
The cream rises to the top, so does the scum.
Comment by Kamachanda — January 18, 2006 @ 7:24 pm
Lieberman: Most Politically Tone-Deaf in D.C.
At the end of the day, I don’t care much about where someone falls on the arbitrary liberal/conservative spectrum as long as they speak their heart, but Joe Lieberman is that rare breed of politician that’s so inept at governing that he s…
Trackback by The Daily Background — January 19, 2006 @ 10:31 am
I hope the voters in Conn. are successful in their effort to challenge this pseudo/dem by offering another candidate. Lowell Wieker would be a challenge for the turncoat.
Comment by Florence Murphy — January 19, 2006 @ 11:08 am
It’s not just Lieberman. There’s a whole army of spineless “moderates” out there, and this is a goldmine for the neocons. Some people think compromising their values is the same as making progress, but what progress can be made by calling “right” “wrong?” Check out my post on the topic:
http://bigdaddymalcontent.blogspot.com/2006/01/disco-joe-moderates.html
Comment by Big Daddy — January 19, 2006 @ 12:02 pm
Hey Joe, guess what:
Abramoff WAS indicted in the court of public opnion before he was indicted in a court of law!
Comment by Enoch Root — January 19, 2006 @ 12:48 pm
Why can’t a lobbyist walk into someone’s office and advocate a position just like any other sales person? It either has merit or it doesn’t. You don’t have to go to Scotland or a fancy restaurant to do that. If he wants to bring in lunch for the staff from Olive Garden, no problem but that should be it. Let’s make free speech free (of bribery). If a congressman needs to take a “junket” to become informed on a subject like how Iraq is being fucked up it should come out of his/her budget. Business people can deduct part of a “meeting” in Vail and the same rules should apply to congress.
Comment by Becky — January 19, 2006 @ 12:53 pm
Big Daddy is either with us or against us. It just sounds so FUNDAMENTALIST to me: “I’m right, you’re wrong. I’m saved, you’re not.” No subtlety, no nuance, no room to find common ground. That is the death of civic discourse and the death of the republic. I’m no huge fan of Lieberman, but cut the schmuck some slack. He’s doing the best the insurance companies will let him do.
Comment by Graguar — January 19, 2006 @ 1:03 pm