Joe Lieberman is terrified of the number 61

[Cyrano]

If we can come out of this election with 61 Democratic seats in the senate, we will have a veto-proof majority and we can tell that incredible toad named Joe Lieberman to just go away.

A majority of 60 is all that is necessary to stop a filibuster. In order to keep Lieberman in their caucus so as to maintain "majority" status, the Democrats have had to spend the past two years kissing Lieberman's ass and eating more shit than flies on a dung hill.

I look forward to a Dem majority of 61 so they can humiliate Lieberman by kicking him out of their caucus.

And they don't have to worry about any future retribution from him. He has zero chance of being reelected in Connecticut in 2010.

[meow mix]

1. please mighty god hindu, destroy lieberman

give us our 61!!

[melody]

9. The god Hindu shall not be appeased!

But I think it'll give us 61 anyway. lol

[BrklynLiberal]

2. At least 61!!!!!!!!!!!

[Winterblues]

3. Sixty one is not a veto proof majority..it takes sixty seven

It is however fillibuster proof. It takes sixty votes to move legislation these days anyway..

[Cyrano]

4. No need to worry. President Obama isn't going to veto the bills we want to pass

[madmax]

5. That's right. n/t

[dmallind]

6. Of course on a slightly more realistic level

That's why most of us should be terrified by the number 60 or even 59.

At 60 Lieberman becomes vital again, and regardless of what grudge-bearing partisans like most of us would like, likely gets to keep all his seniority and be given extraordinary and unwarranted influence in return for ths couple of times he may be needed to invoke cloture.

At 59 he stays that way unless we are DAMN sure we can convince at least one moderate Republican (and how many of those are left? Snowe and Collins maybe if we're lucky) to become a paraiah every time we need a cloture vote.

So frankly I'm ecstatic but surprised at 61, resentfull if not depressed at 60 and 59, and reasonably satisfied at 58. Filibusters and shutdowns tend to get seen in the public opinion as wins for the president, there's always a chance on some things not too far in left field that we can pull in a Rep or two, and Joe can go piss up a rope.

[WarbirdForObama]

7. Honestly

When President Obama takes over, what we need to be concerned about is a filibuster proof Senate.

Traitor Joe is a Rethuglican for all intents and purposes, his shriveled ass needs to be assigned to his office digs, the Senate Broom Closet.

Traitor Joe's sound defeat in 2010 needs to be a priority. Is Ned Lamont running for the seat?

[sharp_stick]

8. No, he's terrified of 51

A simple majority allows the Dems to keep their chairmanships even if the traitorous scumbag bolts across the aisle. If the Dems don't need his sad-sack ass for the chairs he's hopefully going to get booted from caucus. I'd love to see that because I don't think the pukes would take him either.

[onenote]

10. Joe's significance ends when the Democrats get to 51 Senators

without him. THen the Democrats set the agenda and control the committee chairs. If the Democrats have 59 seats (including Sanders) without Lieberman, he has no more influence than if the Democrats had 60. That is because, on cloture votes, Lieberman is going to vote as he wants (as will any number of Democrats) not just as the party wants.

[Bake]

11. Here's why 60 is so important: SUPREME COURT

With 60 Senate seats in Dem hands, Obama's nominations are filibuster-proof. Simple as that. The Pukes cannot sideline, derail, or otherwise tamper with a single nomination. Not one.

The same goes for legislation. But SCOTUS is paramount (IMHO).

Bake

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

17. 60 Is Important To Us. Not As It Relates To Joe.

Whether we do or don't reach that threshold, joe is still gonna vote whichever way he would've anyway.

[Bake]

18. If we have more than 51, but less than 61, Joe is irrelevant.

Because he does us no marginal good. We can still kick him out, because it doesn't change the net effect. We still have the majority and control the agenda and committees, but not filibuster-proof.

I agree, Joe's gonna vote however he's gonna vote, period.

Bake

[rateyes]

12. They should have kicked his ass out already. He's gone come January.

[DevonRex]

13. He'll be the man that nobody wants after that. Wonder if it'll make

him rethink what he has done. I doubt it. And even if he did, we could still never trust him again. He certainly has cooked his own goose.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

14. I Say Anything Over 51 Doesn't Matter As It Relates To Him. Not Sure Why Some Think It Does.

All that matters is that we're considered the 'majority' party. That's why Joe was important. He was important because of which side he chose to caucus with. If we have 51 or more, he becomes irrelevant.

The 60 only matters as it relates to votes on cloture. Whether or not Joe caucuses with us or we tell him to go fuck himself, he votes how he's going to vote anyway and always has. Whether we have 56 or 62 he will vote no on half the shit we want to push through anyway, so it really doesn't matter. As long as we have more than 51, he can go fuck himself.

[Truth2Tell]

15. Here's how it's gonna go down...

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Truth2Tell/125

I stand by this.

[Cyrano]

19. From your lips to HER ears

[VP505]

16. I have a feeling that some of the more moderate

Republickers will turn a little more left and vote with the Dem's more often with an Obama Admin and a bigger Dem majority even if we don't get to 61 seats. That's probably going to be more likely should those moderate Republickers see the Dem's policies turning thing for the better. Nothing like success to get them to change their minds.

[Cyrano]

20. I wish I could agree with you

To me, the term "Moderate Republican" is the equivalent of "Moderate Nazi."

I had always hoped that Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins (both Republican Senators from Maine) would vote with the Democrats at critical times over the past eight years. But it never happened on any issue of substance.

It's possible that once the Republican strangle-hold on the senate is overcome, they would vote with the Dems. But I won't hold my breath on this. Every time they cast a vote, they'll wonder what will happen to them if, by some chance, the Gestapo ever regains power.

They've spent the past eight years as "Good Germans." I hold little hope for them becoming "good human beings." Then again, you never know.

[Cyrano]

21. Correction to the OP. I don't think Lieberman is up for reelection until 2012

We're stuck with his sorry ass hanging around the senate for another four years (senate terms are six years long).

Oh well, look at the positive side. After the upcoming Democratic mega-landslide, we're going to need someone to bitch about.