WP: Lieberman a Wild Card in Iraq Policy

[kskiska]

Monday, November 13, 2006; A04

Voters seemed to be speaking loudly and clearly about Iraq last week when they elected war critics such as Bernard Sanders of Vermont, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and James Webb of Virginia to the Senate.

Yet they also gave a fourth term to Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, a staunch supporter of the war, and in the narrowly divided Senate that will convene in January, the veteran Connecticut Democrat is positioning himself to become a key figure in discussions about U.S. policy in Iraq.

Yesterday, Lieberman -- who won as an independent last week -- spelled out his vision for a congressional working group of Democratic committee chairmen and senior Republicans to monitor the course of the war and work with President Bush to bring it to a successful end.

(snip)

In the Senate, Levin and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) are certain to be major players in the war debate, along with the new Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), a likely presidential candidate in 2008. Lieberman, according to Steinberg, is unlikely to be invited into the huddle.

"They're not going to turn the policy over to the guy who's the closest to the administration," he said.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/12/AR2006111200357.html

[IndianaGreen]

1. Lieberman told Tim Russert today that he wanted more troops in Iraq

Lieberman wants to escalate the war, like Nixon did Vietnam.

[NOLADEM]

5. Sign up then, Joe.

And convince more of your young Republican and Independent(haha) friends to sign up with you. IF we get a HUGE surge from these groups. then we'll increase troop levels.

Otherwise, shut the fuck up.

[hughee99]

9. Perhaps I don't remember this correctly...

but if I recall, US troop deployment to Vietnam went DOWN every year under Nixon.

[Lil Red]

15. In Vietnam? Yes. He "redeployed" them to Cambodia. (n/t)

[madfloridian]

2. I saved the Dems for Joe page from his website...now gone.

I am glad I did . These are the guys, mostly or all Dems who backed Joe. I think it was because of Iraq, and I don't think they want to leave. Most of them are Clinton's advisor or former administrators. I will post the CT Dems for Joe, I think I saved it.

I think it is all about Iraq, not leaving, and going ahead to remake the middle east...refusing to admit we have failed.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/562
Former Senator David Boren, OK

Former Senator John Breaux, LA

Former Senator Richard Bryan, NV

Former Senator Dennis DeConcini, AZ

Former Senator J. Bennett Johnston, LA

Former Senator Bob Kerrey, NE

Former Congressman Norman D'Amours, NH

Former Congressman Buddy Darden, GA

Former Congressman Cal Dooley, CA

Former Congressman Ben Erdreich, AL

Former Congressman Mike Espy, MS

Former Congressman Don Fuqua, FLA

Former Congressman Frank Guarini, NJ

Former Congressman Peter Hoagland, NE

Former Congressman Ken Holland, SC

Former Congressman Earl Hutto, FLA

Former Congressman Jay Johnson, WI

Former Congressman and Mayor Ed Koch, NY

Former Congressman John Krebs, CA

Former Congressman Mel Levine, CA

Former Congressman Jim Lloyd, CA

Former Congressman Matt McHugh, NY

Former Congressman Ron Mottl, OH

Former Congressman Tim Penny, MN

Former Congressman Stephen Solarz, NY

Don Baer, Director Of Communications - Clinton Administration

Mark Brzezinski, Former Director of National Security Council – Clinton Administration

Ash Carter, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense - Clinton Administration

Bill Danvers, Senior Director for the National Security Council - Clinton Administration

Lanny Davis, Special Counsel to the President - Clinton Administration

Stuart Eizenstat, Former Deputy Treasury Secretary – Clinton Administration

Steve Elmendorf, Former Chief of Staff to House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt

Al From, Founder of the Democratic Leadership Council

Bill Galston, Deputy Assistant for Domestic Policy - Clinton Administration

Jamie Gorelick, Deputy Attorney General - Clinton Administration

Martin Indyk, Assistant Secretary Of State, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel - Clinton Administration

Max Kampelman, Ambassador to the CSCE - Carter Administration

Jim Kennedy, Former Spokesman for Former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore

Simon Lazarus, Associate Director of the White House Domestic Policy Staff – Carter Administration

Michael Levy, Asst. Sec. of Legislative Affairs for the U.S. Dept. of Treasury – Clinton Administration

Abbe Lowell, Chief Minority Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives

Will Marshall, President and Founder, Progressive Policy Institute

Dana Marshall, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Commerce – Clinton Administration

Mack McLarty, Former White House Chief of Staff - Clinton Adminstration


John Nakahata, Chief of Staff to Chairman of the FCC – Clinton Administration

Tom Nides, Special Counsel for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs - Clinton Administration

Leon Panetta, Former White House Chief of Staff – Clinton Administration

Tony Podesta, Clinton Transition Team, Former Counsel to Sen. Ted Kennedy

Bruce Reed, Domestic Policy Advisor - Clinton Administration

Dennis Ross, Special Middle East Coordinator- Clinton Administration

David Rothkopf, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade - Clinton Administration

Richard Swett, Former Ambassador to Denmark - Clinton Administration

Ben Wattenberg, Aide and Speech Writer to President Lyndon B. Johnson

Jim Woolsey, Former Director of the CIA - Clinton Administration

[madfloridian]

3. And the CT chapter...I believe it is all about Iraq...and not leaving.

Anyone wonder why Lamont lost? Glad I saved the pages.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/458

Jim Amann - Speaker of the House (Co-Chair)

Reggie Beamon - State Representative, Waterbury

Jeff Berger - State Representative, Waterbury

Bert Bosse - Vice Chair Board of Finance, Lebanon

Susan Cable - First Selectwoman, Beacon Falls

Frank Cirillo - Fmr. DTC Chair, Meriden

Tom Conway - Fmr. State Representative, Waterbury

Chuck Coursey, Town Council, West Hartford

Pat Crowley - City Council, Enfield

Kevin Cunningham - First Selectman, Plainfield

Red Edgar - Town Council, Enfield

Mary Fritz - State Representative, Wallingford

Willie Fritz - First Selectman, Clinton

Joan Hartley - State Senator, Waterbury

Mike Jarjura - Mayor, Waterbury (Co-Chair)

Kevin Knowles - Fmr. State Representative Naugatuck

Ben Lathrop - Mayor, Norwich

Pat Lynes - Deputy Majority Leader, City Council, Meriden

Corky Mazurek - State Representative, Wolcott

Tom McCarthy - City Council, Bridgeport

Steve Mikutel - State Representative, Griswold

Jeff Nicholas - Former First Selectman, Bethlehem

Mike Pacowta - DTC Chair, Shelton

Iris Papale - City Council, Wallingford

John Picard - Mayor, West Haven

Rich Roy - State Representative, Milford

Dan Russo - DTC Chair, Middletown

Bill Satti - Former Mayor, New London

Domenique Thornton - Former Mayor, Middletown

Christel Truglia - State Representative, Stamford

Albert Vertefeuille - Former Selectman, Windham & Lebanon

Joe Walkovich - Former State Representative, Danbury

Jim Miron - Mayor, Stratford

Bill Finch - State Senator, Bridgeport

Juan Candelaria - State Representative, New Haven

John Leone - Former Mayor, Bristol

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Gato Moteado]

6. this is why craig thomas' (repuke-WY) seat is so important

i'm still pissed that people here in DU were slamming me for suggesting that WY's dem governor replace thomas (who has reported he has leukemia) with a dem senator should thomas step down. there was an outpouring of insincere grief over thomas' predicament (seemingly just to show freepers we are better than they are) and the war in iraq, the senseless killing and mutilation, was all but forgotten. with lieberman as a pointman on this thing we need every seat we can get.

[Lurking Dem]

7. He has to appoint a Republican

per Wyoming state law.

[Frances]

10. Thanks for that info

It is great to get so much info on DU.

I guess Connecticut law allows the Repub governor to appoint a Repub if Lieberman were to be appointed to some office by Bush.

[leesa]

8. No wild card there. He wants war.

[KansDem]

11. Didn't the WP also tell us last week that Dems will need to work with Bush?

:rofl:

Sorry, WP, but it's the other way around...

[Lurking Dem]

12. I thought they meant that

in a TrainYourDogToSit kind of way.

[KansDem]

16. You know, you could be right! What to use as the "treat?"

That is, the "reward" for leaning something new; something that is held out to entice the Prez to respond positively.

Could it be:
1) A pretzel?
2) The screw-cap off a bottle of Jim Beam?
3) Harriet Myer's unmentionables?

Something that he'll respond to...

[Lurking Dem]

17. Condi's boots?

Maybe a fake warhead?

[lumpy]

13. Lieberman doesn't deserve coddling, he has

shown his true colors. Depending on him for votes is kind of like a blackmail situation. If he wants to play the wild card then let him. Better that than wooing him.

[Stephanie]

14. He's the Joker.

God I can't believe we have to listen to his insipid whine for the next six years.

[David Zephyr]

18. Counterpoint: Senator Hagel (R) a Wild Card on Iraq Policy

n/t