First I shouted a curse word. Then I internalized the situation which prompted my tooth to start to ache. After lunch, I will call the dentist and ask her to fix that--and this--perhaps by using her drill without novocaine to produce a more acceptable pain than the one the Democrats have subjected us to today!

On election night, president-elect Obama said that if change is going to occur, all of us need to effect it. Well, I tried. I've stated to anyone who will listen that Joe is a traitor and deserves to be dumped. I wrote to my former senator and friend, Dick Durbin, and asked him to please, please, please, please not allow Lieberman to stay in that post! IT DID NO GOOD! And now I'm convinced that Obama's comments were merely hollow words designed to make us who worked for, donated to, and supported him feel like we had a stake in the future under a new president.

WE MEAN NOTHING! Our plea to censure Lieberman in a serious way is being ignored for the sake of maintaining the same old same old crap we've been suffering under for 8 years.

There is one thing, however, which could correct this injustice perpetrated upon the citizens who voted for change. President Obama, when he takes office, could eliminate that Dept. of Homeland Security and, thereby, eliminate the Senate committee that oversees it. The consolidation of all of those departments into the DHS was clearly a power grab by Dick Cheney anyhow. It's a fiasco that needs fixing just as much as the economy needs fixing.

If Obama truly wants to change things, there's a good place to make a change---plus save a lot of money in the process. And, also in the process, eliminate the committee so Joe will have nothing to chair except, perhaps, a subcommittee of lesser stature.

So a decision to keep Lieberman in both the Democrat caucus and the chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee was made by people who haven't even been sworn in to the Senate yet, like Senator-elect Tom Udall? The election was just two weeks ago. New Members of Congress don't even take office until January and probably haven't even gone through any briefing on the overall legislative process yet. They don't have offices nor websites where constituents like me can write and object. They don't even know how their new constituents feel about Joe Lieberman. But they're voting on whether or not to censure that traitor. Something stinks here! Does anyone have access to a rollcall yet?

So, now we must accept the idea that Joe Lieberman, despite being a traitor for supporting the opponent to the president-elect, will vote with the Democrats on important legislation to enact Obama's "change" agenda. Well, maybe not on war issues or on excessive military spending, but certainly on key social issues---like health care reform.

Think again.

How many of you know this about Lieberman's wife, Hadassah?

Hadassah has also worked for the lobbying company, APCO Associates, that had many pharmaceutical and healthcare corporations among its clients, as well as for major drug companies such as Pfizer. In March 2005, Hadassah was hired by Hill & Knowlton as "senior counselor" in the firm's "health care and pharmaceuticals practice." Hadassah's close relationship with pharmaceutical and healthcare corporations while her husband introduced legislation benefiting these exact companies has raised questions about improprieties and conflict of interest.

As a senior citizen who, for the second year in a row, is caught in the Medicare prescription drug "donut hole" I obviously am concerned that an Obama administration enacts reform in this area. The law, as it's written now, benefits big time pharmaceutical interests. Will Joe be with us on this? Read the above again, folks. Lieberman is a self-serving, arrogant (look at the photo accompanying the article again!) jerk.

I am furious with the Senate Democrats, and would like to know if anyone has a rollcall so I can write "thank you" notes to those brave 13 who voted against him.

The Illinois governor has such a big ego and sense of self-importance that it wouldn't surprise me at all if he appointed himself to the Senate seat.

As to the others, pardon me if I wretch at the thought of Emil Jones. But I agree with the idea of appointing Tammy Duckworth, and don't have any problem at all with either Jesse Jackson, Jr. or Lisa Madigan. Both are young and experienced. Jackson serves in Congress now, and Madigan is Illinois' Attorney General. Unfortunately, Jesse White's age is a negative factor, although he's more than qualified as well.

I found it disturbing. Decided not to comment to the original article, but now that the question has been asked, I've answered.

By the way, not all African-American women have large derrieres.

Always have been. Always will be. And darned proud of it!!!

My husband wears a shirt that says PROUD LIBERAL and I drive a car with a PROUD LIBERAL bumper sticker. Can't imagine displaying something that says "Proud Progressive."

We can't even conceive of using the term "progessive" to describe how we think and what we've worked a lifetime to accomplish. And we've repeatedly urged others not to use it either because there was never anything to be ashamed of in the title LIBERAL. Some of us stuck to our principles as the DLC tried to change the Democrat party to republican-lite. We were never in the closet. We may have been viewed as stubborn old folks, out of sync with the latest terminology, but we stuck by our pride of liberalism and now we're glad to see the rest of the folks are coming around.

Go get 'em, Sarah! Then you can write a concession speech that Chambliss won't let you deliver either.