Lieberman CAN flip the senate...

[bigriver]

Sucks to be held hostage by holy joe.

fuck.

[file83]

1. They are reserving a special place in HELL for joe....

...that son-of-a-bitch.

[longship]

2. Relax. Have some hot tea, or a double martini, if you'd prefer.

Liberman is an asshat, but he's also two things

1. He's a lifelong Dem.

2. He's a power-hungry lifelong Dem.

Dems will likely now get a Senate majority.
Joe won't give up his leadership in the majority party.
If it ties, Joe will still not give up his leadership in the power sharing party.

Relax.

[Jacobin]

3. Let's offer him the ambassadorship to Iraq

Since he thinks things are so lovely over there.

[fujiyama]

11. Actually I'd rather not

Then the republican governor can appoint one to his seat, automatically changing the balance...

[4metta]

4. Do NOT forget that Bernie Sanders will side with DEMS

He just won tonight and he is very liberal. So count him as a Dem vote in the senate.

[Straight Shooter]

5. True, dat.

May the Universe bless Bernie Sanders. He is a gem.

[bigriver]

6. that still adds up to only 51.

[Tommymac]

8. And that's a majority. Duh.

[bigriver]

9. 51 minus Joe isn't

doh.

[fishwax]

10. i think she means 51 including joe and bernie

[progressivebydesign]

17. I've been saying that all night. The "tie" the media cites doesn't include him!

I heard him speak on NPR, there is no question who he will be voting with. He is an independent, but his heart is with ending the Iraq war, getting health care for everyone, and stopping the assault on the middle class.

[BuyingThyme]

7. That's a hugh concern.

[Hippo_Tron]

12. If we win the Senate, Joe would be a moron to caucus with the GOP, 2 reasons

1) If we have 51 and Joe goes GOP then it's 50/50 with Cheney breaking the tie. The GOP has a technical majority but they have to have a power sharing agreement. Joe would be chairman of homeland security committee as a Republican but there would be an equal number of dems as repukes on the committee so he'd have less power as chairman.

2) He would have a tough time being re-elected in 6 years if he caucuses with the GOP, he's basically safe if he remains a Dem/Independent.

Here's what's going to happen (assuming we win the majority). Lieberman is going to milk his potential defection to the GOP for pork for Connecticut and possibly more seniority. Reid will indulge him and that will be the end of it. It sucks, but it's a small price to pay to keep the majority.

[txindy]

13. Gee, would holy joe be stripped of all his committees and power?

Sure would. Joe goes with the power.

[BrightKnight]

14. Bashing Lieberman is not helpful

In many ways he has always been a good Democrat. I believe that the he will continue to share many of our values.

The next election is years away. The time for attacking him is over. Fall in line, hold your nose and act in the best interest of the Party!

[Canuckistanian]

15. I'm not buying that. He's gone over to the Dark Side

All of his previous works have been for naught. His win has been bought and paid for.

Expect nothing progressive from this man.

[BrightKnight]

16. The world and especially the political world is not black & white - n/t

[progressivebydesign]

18. I'm tending to agree that Joe will vote with the Dems...

he knows that the people who put him in power were actual Democrats this time around. I just don't see the Joementum going too far to the right. Perhaps he's so clever that he'll screw over the repubs stupid enuff to spend money to get him in office.

[Sydnie]

19. Damn it ... Russert just said that too!

[ecstatic]

20. Then he would have betrayed the trust of the voters and Al Gore,

who was gracious enough to sacrifice his presidency by making him his running mate.