Is Lieberman really the bad guy or is he doing his fellow Democrats a favor by being their bad guy? [View All]

[David Zephyr]

I've become so jaded, so distrustful of politicians that Joe Lieberman just might be doing the bidding of a lot of Democratic Senators (and possibly even the White House) by willing to be the "bad guy" and take the heat for killing any robust public option or expanding Medicare. He looks publicly like a heel, the corporations all win, and the Democrats get to look angry at it all.

LIEBERMAN IN THE CLOAK ROOM.

LIEBERMAN: "Hey, team. I'm going to help you all save face. I know you are in a pinch. I know you've taken a lot of health-care corporate money yourselves and that you feel beholden to your donors. So, here's the deal. I am going to be the bad guy. You can all look upset and angry and protest to the public how much you wanted a public option, about how you wanted to expand Medicare. You can blame it all on Joe. You know, just mouth off all of your typical bullshit. I'll be the fall guy. You can blame it on me. You'll all owe me later, but yeah...that's how we can kill this thing."

DEMOCRATIC SENATORS: "Joe, baby. We owe you big time. Now we can go out and tell our liberal base that we really, really tried so hard to deliver, but we just couldn't get the votes."

LIEBERMAN: "That's exactly how we do this."

DEMOCRATIC SENATORS: "But, Joe, you know, everyone in the Democratic Party will hate you for this."

LIEBERMAN: "Oh, my!" (prancing around now in front of everyone) Now, that would certainly be a first!" (laughing)

DEMOCRATIC SENATORS: (laughing) "Joe, you are so damned funny. But, in your heart, you know that we all love you, so don't pay any mind to the horrible things we are going to say about you in the next few weeks."

LIEBERMAN: "Oh, my goodness! Just let me guess! Promise me that you won't call me a...Republican (falling over laughing)! Or....a traitor. (loses breath, snorts during his laughing)

DEMOCRATIC SENATORS: "Joe, you are such a devil..." (explosive guffaws)

HARRY REID: "Hey, folks! Quieten down, will ya! I've got Rahm on the phone from the White House. He says everyone over there wants to kiss Joe's ass. Seriously. There are some very grateful people over there. Joe, the phone call is for you. It's on the hot line."