Letters to the Editor
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Goldberg Being Suckered into the UN Not a Good Precedent
At the height of the Vietnam War, Lyndon Johnson actually managed to con Arthur Goldberg into resigning a seat on the Supreme Court in order to become ambassador to the UN. Among the sugar plums LBJ set dancing in Goldberg's head was the Presidency itself. Whoever can settle this war, he said, would sit in this seat (the Oval Office) next.
In fact, all Goldberg did was give LBJ the chance to fill a Supreme Court vacancy with his own choice, Abe Fortas.
Even at the time, people were amazed that Goldberg would resign a Supreme Court seat for the UN talking shop. Over the decades, his decision is no less astounding.
Would Lieberman pull a Goldberg? For an apartment in the City for a few months? For promises from McCain (and how would Bush commit McCain) of a place on the GOP 2008 ticket? A nomination McCain may not even get. For big bucks at the Carlisle Group? Joe seems to be pretty well fixed.
Giving up a Senate seat for a less visible job -- to channel Chandler Bing, could Joe be on "Meet the Press" any more often than he already is? -- of short duration looks like stupidity. It is one thing to do do stupid things in Washington; it is quite another to be seen doing them.
It certainly could happen, but would almost certainly end whatever reputation nationally Joe has left. Being played for a chump by a guy at 30 percent in the polls and falling tends to deflate whatever good opinion the DC gasbags may have had of you.
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It's the Subpoenas, Stupid
Denfield: Nothing - NOTHING - matters more in this congress than subpoena power: the majority has it; the minority does not.
With subpoena power, the Democratic Senate has the Usurper, Cheney and the whole neocon gang by the balls. Without it, minority dems could entice republicans to help them pass minimum wage hikes, medicare reform, verified paper ballots - hell, even withdrawal from Iraq - and none of it would make a damn bit of difference as long as the Usurper and his minions are safe from investigation.
Subpoena power. Subpoena power. Subpoena power.
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The republicans are going to Stay the Course
All of Them,
Why
They will listen to the dems, if dems come up with a working idea, they will adopt it and claim it as their own with frosted lies
No problem, their base has Faith, and the swing voters are still scared of Democrats.... because of Obama and Hillary, the Republicans will appease while staying the course….like stone - claim to appease and then - the Dems scream bloody murder
...then the Republicans announce a “ compromise plan “ that is, Syntax variable, and content identical, and you dems will have to pass it , they will claim the Republicans cleared the gridlock.....
blah blah blah, after all that , what did I say?
Democrats be ready for it, and how to defend or spin, or something, because the Republicans are so ruthless they can get away with this Forever - it is simple child psychology, and elections are thought out on a - limited information - still learning what reality is – pace, for all of us voters not working in the political Money machine....
Better find some smart plotting, slick willy, or better Democrats again....cause obamaclintaon ain’t it - unless the republicans have an AIDS orgy and all die of kapsi's sarcoma (sp) which they may…the way it looks. Cut their own hypocritical throats – if we’re lucky –
The however don’t believe in luck –
We better discover reality.
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I just don't see it happening
It's hard for me to envision Joe giving up his cushy, newly starting 6-year Senate term for at most a 2 year term at the UN. He can wield just as much power and influence from a Senate foreign relations committee as he could as UN Ambassador. Joe might like the overture of working for Bush and sounding more "bipartisan" but there's not much in it for him to take the job.
He so wanted that CT Senate seat that he left his party and ignored losing a primary. Why would he bail on that now? If this UN seat was in the offing, Bush surely would have offered it after the primary loss giving Lieberman an option of not running in the general election.
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pointless speculation
We've been hearing the "Joe's going to bolt the Senate" and/or "Joe will run as a Republican" talk for months now. So far it's all been idle speculation, unsupported by any facts or developments on Lieberman's part.
Surely Mr. Conason has something better to do with his time?
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Too clever by half?
Given Bush's preference for polarizing and crony-esqe appointments (Bolton, Scalia, etc.), I can't quite see how appointing Lieberman would work...arranging an 'accident' for some poor Dem would be much easier...
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The Bush Administration must be terrified; they will stop at nothing to keep the Dems from controlling the Senate
If Lieberman takes the post at the UN, he is a traitor to the Democrats and the rest of the USA that is sick and tired of the Bush policies that go NOWHERE. Knowing full-well that the Dems only hang on to a on to slim majority, how can he, in good conscience even consider doing this?
Sincerely,
M. Martin
Houston, Texas
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Refreshing Change?
Joe, why would you assume the President has any interest in change, refreshing or otherwise? Surely he's the most stubborn President we've had in decades, and he clearly relishes partisan rancor or he would have been a true "uniter" from the beginning. Nominating Lieberman is too easy. He'll pick someone almost as contentious as Bolton if he can find such a candidate.
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Another Democratic Senator/Republican Gov. Combo
If W. Bush is as cynical as he appears, he might appoint Senator Johnson (D-SD) to the UN.
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Rumor has it that Bush did not have Senator Johnson Killed by Microwave raditation
but he was overheard saying to Dicky that "if accused, we'll blame it on Bill Clinton, the voters believed it last time'''ah ah ah ah.
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SR's right....
....there has been an invasion by the medication-challenged. Where's socialized medicine when you need it?
That said, I don't get the point of this speculation piece. Lieberman's not going to do this. Bush is not going to do this. What's point here? Trying to give Rove ideas about something?