Lieberman actually got the call from"WIMP" McCain to be V.P. only to have the offer yanked

[kpete]

Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Did Lieberman actually get the call from McCain to be V.P. only to have the offer yanked after leading GOPers threatened a revolt?
Joe Sudbay (DC) · 9/03/2008 09:54:00 AM ET ·

Today's NY Times has this blurb recounting how McCain really wanted Lieberman to be his V.P., but was blocked by his party:

Only last month, friends say, Mr. McCain wanted to reach beyond his base and ask Mr. Lieberman to be his running mate; in that instance, though, party influence proved too strong, with many Republican officials and delegates insisting they would reject Mr. Lieberman because of his support for abortion rights and some gay rights laws.

There's more according to my sources in Connecticut (who have never steered me wrong). The word working its way through political circles in Connecticut is that John McCain actually called Joe Lieberman to ask him to be the GOP v.p. candidate. The "ask" was made. However, a revolt ensued, led by Mitt Romney and others, threatening a floor fight. That resulted in a second call a couple hours later to Lieberman from McCain pulling the offer.

There is so much in that little anecdote if my sources are accurate. First, it shows what a tool Lieberman is. Last night, Lieberman spoke at a convention where he's actually vilified, yet he went and flat out lied about Obama. More importantly, it shows what a wimp McCain is. He's supposed to fight al Qaeda, but won't stand up to the religious fanatics in his own party. Instead, McCain made an impulsive choice, Sarah Palin, who wasn't vetted. McCain couldn't have the v.p. he wanted. So, he was forced to pick someone he didn't even know. Says a lot about John McCain's willingness to gamble with America's future.

We need more details.

more at:
http://www.americablog.com/2008/09/did-lieberman-actually-get-call-from.html

[SoonerPride]

1. He wanted to be a maverick. But he is a Prisoner of "W"

He is a puppet and we all know it.

Look who's hand is up his ass moving his mouth, that's the person in charge.

[JBoy]

2. McCain to Lieberman: "sike"

[SpiralHawk]

3. republicon yankers & wankers

pathetic

[cboy4]

4. Wow, you can tell Romney is furious that he wasn't asked.

LOL

[Canuckistanian]

14. Bitter? Party of one?

I heard that Romney was canned for the VP spot because he trashed McCain way too often during the primary race.

And they didn't want Dems to be dragging all those clips out and using them in campaign ads.

He did it to himself.

[CoffeeCat]

5. This really does give major additional insight....

It's obvious that this pick was an impulsive decision made from an unstable
emotional state.

That's totally a given. You can smell the insanity all over the way in which
she was picked.

I originally thought that McCain freaked after seeing how successful the Dem Convention
was, and how unified, organized and effective the speakers were.

That still may have influenced McCain.

However, this new information really explains the background on McCain's freak-out
VP pick behavior.

If he was denied his #1 pick--Lieberman, McCain was pissed. Furthermore, if this
story is accurate, and people like Romney and other social conservatives fought against
McCain and really backed him into a corner--McCain was not only pissed in general--he was
probably pissed at everyone who was on his short list!!! Those people revolted against him.

Wow, this all makes perfect sense now. We thought Rove or others forced this pick on
McCain.

It sounds like this choice was a big, "FUCK YOU!" to the people who were pushing back on
the McCain choice. He went outside the box, and really denigrated Pawlenty and Romney, when
they were passed over for someone with absolutely no experience.

What a political clusterfuck. McCain is so off-the-wall freaky nutso.

[nuxvomica]

6. That's exactly how I imagined it went down

I figured the lack of vetting was due to McCain picking her in a fit of pique because he couldn't have Lieberman. McCain is basically shoving Palin down his party's throat so they can see how it feels to have something shoved down your throat. Is this a presidential campaign or a "reality" show?

[Danascot]

8. That's my impression

McCain told the pukes, if I can't have my way, I pick Palin, so FU.

[NRaleighLiberal]

7. Yep. McCain. His own man. Makes his decisions. Until the Right tells him to jump. "how high"?

[regnaD kciN]

9. OUR NEW MEME: "John McCain lacks courage"

What we should have learned from the swiftboating of 2004 is a key point of Rovian political strategy: instead of hitting your opponent on their weak points, hit them on their strongest one. If you can soften that up, defeating that candidate should be easy.

McCain has an aura of bravery due to his P.O.W. experience. But what has he done lately? Embrace the man who threw some of the worst mud against him in electoral history, and even associate himself with those who did the slinging? Reverse every "maverick" position he used to have in order to assuage those who detested him for not toeing the party line closely enough? Be the first presidential candidate I've ever heard of who had to back down on his own V.P. choice due to party pressure -- and pick someone he barely knew, because only she was acceptable to those to whom he was invested in knuckling-under? And, when it became abundantly clear that said pick came with more baggage than American Tourister and Samsonite combined, hold back from making a change out of fear of alienating the "base" that took him down eight years ago?

Many people simply say that John McCain is an opportunist, that he will say or do anything to win. But I think we should look at it in a different way -- that McCain is someone who is too scared of "the powers that be" in the Republican universe to stand up to them. He is someone who is willing to throw away every principle he ever had to keep them from turning against him. He is someone whose behavior toward those from whom he claims to be different is, in reality, cringing servility.

In short: John McCain has become a coward.

[spanone]

10. the so-called 'christian' fudies own the republican party...it should be clear by now

[invictus]

11. K&R

[yowzayowzayowza]

12. Were McCain truly a maverick...

he woulda made a surprise announcement over their objections just before the Dem convention. By the time their convention rolled around, Joementum woulda taken over.

[Shadoobie]

13. Hmm. Will Palin drop out?

I have been wondering with all the issues coming to light about Sarah Palin if her pick as VP was intentional. This opens the door for her to gracefully decline the nomination so she can "spend time with her family" and be a mother to her daughter.

This would have many benefits for the GOP:

1. GOP comes off as the family-values party which will help solidify the base.
2. The media and Democratic Party will have tipped their had to the methods in which they will go on the attack
3. A new VP pick will provide some excitement to the convention.
4. McSame can now pick up some Joementum (as VP) without giving the GOP insiders a chance to put together a revolt
5. McSame keeps his maverick image

I wonder what the schedule is today for Palin, McSame and Joementum.

I wonder what the source of this "blurb" is. Whether it really happened or not, putting out this information gives some options for the GOP depending on the response. Sounds like something Rove would do.

Greg

[populistdriven]

15. As much we dislike Lieberman - John McSame is that much worse.

it is nauseating just to think of him as president

[calimary]

16. But... but... but... I thought he was his own man!