Lieberman: Sure, I'd Filibuster A Health Care Reform Bill With A Public Option

[Harry Monroe]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) told reporters today that he would in fact filibuster any health care bill he doesn't agree with--and right now, he doesn't agree with the public option proposal making its way through the Senate.

"I told Senator Reid that I'm strongly inclined--i haven't totally decided, but I'm strongly inclined--to vote to proceed to the health care debate, even though I don't support the bill that he's bringing together because it's important that we start the debate on health care reform because I want to vote for health care reform this year. But I also told him that if the bill remains what it is now, I will not be able to support a cloture motion before final passage. Therefore I will try to stop the passage of the bill."

There are two procedural issues at play here. Most people think of a filibuster as a minority blocking passage of a bill that's already been debated ad nauseum on the Senate floor. That's the most standard filibuster. But on major legislation, it's become more common for the minority--in this case the Republicans--to object to the majority getting a chance to debate legislation in the first place. If any one of them objects to the so-called motion to proceed, it will take 60 votes just to start the amendment and debate process. That's a less-discussed filibuster, but it's quite plausible that this health care bill will have to contend with it.

Lieberman is saying that he's pretty much OK with letting senators offer amendments--try to change the legislation, move it in any direction they deem necessary. But when that process is all over, and Harry Reid wants to hold an up or down vote on the final product, Lieberman's saying he'll join that filibuster, if he's not happy with the finished product. Point blank.

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/lieberman-sure-id-filibuster-a-health-care-reform-bill.php

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One word that perfectly describes Lieberman: DOUCHEBAG!!!!!!!!!!!

[sfwriter]

1. Make him do it...

I'd like to see him with a catheter shoved up his wang pulling a 20-hour marathon on the Senate floor. He wouldn't do it.

[Walk away]

2. if only.....n/t

[DJ13]

4. I'd like to see him with a catheter shoved up his wang

No one wants to see Joe's wang, not even Mrs. Lieberman.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[eleny]

5. Earlier, on the radio, I heard that his office is saying he'll vote for cloture

This is getting thick.

[laughingliberal]

6. He has said he will vote to let the bill proceed to the floor for debate but not...

to proceed to the floor for an up or down vote if it still contains a public option. Is it wrong to hate this fascist fuck?

[eleny]

11. Not wrong at al!

What is it that Mike Malloy says about hateful people like this? "Some day Satan is going to use his head for soccer ball in hell". Yeah, that's it.

[FiveGoodMen]

19. There is no afterlife

If we want his head used as a soccer ball, then we'll have to do it ourselves.

[Jester Messiah]

7. Wish he'd take a bath with a toaster. [nt]

[Journeyman]

8. This surprises anyone? His wife is a lobbyist for the insurance companies. . .

Hadassah Lieberman has worked for the lobbying company, APCO Associates, that had many pharmaceutical and healthcare corporations among its clients, as well as four major drug companies such as Pfizer. In March 2005, Hadassah was hired by Hill & Knowlton (another healthcare lobbyist) as "senior counselor" in the firm's "health care and pharmaceuticals practice." Hadassah's close relationship with pharmaceutical and healthcare corporations while her husband introduced legislation benefiting these exact companies has raised questions about improprieties and conflict of interest.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060712_conason_lieberman_drug_lobby

It's all the same, follow the money and you'll learn why healthcare reform (to say nothing of public option) is opposed so adamantly by those who "work with the public's interest at heart."

[elmerdem]

9. Call Reid!

202-224-3542

Strip his committee chairmanship if he votes against cloture! It is time for this fucking lieberman game to end! If he wants to be a Repub it is high time the Democrats show him the door! ARGGHH!

[Fumesucker]

10. And the Democratic establishment supported this scrofulous little pustule over Lamont..

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[FiveGoodMen]

20. THAT was beyond belief.

[SpiralHawk]

12. "Because I am a Republicon skankster in disguise." - LIEberman (R)

"As if anyone was fooled. Smirk." - LIEberman (R - Skankster)

[MUAD_DIB]

13. Strip him of anything that he has except for the right to come in and vote.

[The Wizard]

14. If there's anyone deserving

to be ass raped by a rabid Great Dane it's Josef Liebermann.
Now there's an image that will cause nightmares.

[BREMPRO]

15. Lieberman statement translated into English:

"I told Senator Reid that I'm strongly compromised by my state's dominant presence of insurance companies, my wife's job as an insurance company lobbyist (extortionist), and general corporate funding- since the people of the state don't support me anymore--i haven't totally squeezed all the money out of the health insurance industry for my support of them yet so i'm making them think i could change my mind, and am savoring the ego trip of being a powerful swing vote to spite the democrats for not supporting me and trying to take away my chairmanships , but i'm going to drag it on--to vote to proceed to the health care debate that we have already had, even though I'm pretending I don't support the bill that he's bringing together because it's important that we delay the debate we've already had on health care reform because I want to hold my vote for health care reform this year in the hopes that i can squeeze more power and money from my corporate sponsors and and hope for the chance that something more important like a terrorist strike takes over the president's agenda and kills the bill altogether. But I also told him that if the bill remains what it is now, I will use my bitter independent status and irritating monotone voice to squeeze concession from the Democrats to benefit my political career and unless they bow down to my demands, i won't support a cloture motion before final passage. Therefore I will try to stop the passage of the bill because i don't give a fu*k about the American people getting decent health care, only my power base, getting back at the democratic leadership and my constituents for shunning me, and most importantly protecting the insurance industry and my shill wife from any threats to their record profits."

[clear eye]

17. Pretty good read. LOL. n/t

[BREMPRO]

21. it would be funnier if it wasn't mostly true... say it ain't so Joe!

his rambling explanation revealed he was hiding his motives so i just lifted the rock and ran with it lol!

[clear eye]

23. Being true is what MAKES it funny.

If we can't laugh at some of this crap it would tear us up. And no one deserves comic disrobing more than the junior Senator from CT. Thank you for reading his mind out loud.

[droidamus2]

16. Why the hell?

Why do the Democrats keep letting Lieberman caucus with them. They might as well just ask the Republican leadership to sit in on their caucus. Boot Lieberman to the curb. If he wants to vote like a Republican and pull these bs power trips then let him go it alone or caucus with the Republicans. He has about as much in common with the Democrats as Limbaugh.

[LibDemAlways]

18. Why the hell haven't the voters of CT been

"strongly inclined" to give Joe the boot? He's a waste of DNA.

[BREMPRO]

22. it was CT Republicans thats jumped ship to vote for him- that's why he won the last election.

Lamont would have won if the ACTUAL no-name Republican candidate got any votes.

[tazkcmo]

24. From the article:

"Lieberman is saying that he's pretty much OK with letting senators offer amendments--try to change the legislation, move it in any direction they deem necessary. But when that process is all over, and Harry Reid wants to hold an up or down vote on the final product, Lieberman's saying he'll join that filibuster, if he's not happy with the finished product. Point blank."

First, Lieberman is a douche.

Second, I'd want my congress critter to do the same thing. Try to change legislation, move it in a direction they see fit. The key to it all is if the critter is changing or moving legislation so that it benefits the people, which Lieberman and his band of twits clearly is not.\

Third, Medicare E(very one),please. And hurry, we're dying out here!

[TheWebHead]

25. disagree w/ Joe on foreign policy

esp. Iraq, but he's got it right here. I think some people are living in economic fantasy land to add over $800b to upcoming deficits already over $1 trillion paid mostly for an issue that if real - waste and abuse in medicare - shouldn't be stalled 5-6 months to use as a gimmick to pay for another entitlement program... Let alone Reid's strategy of having an opt-out for states to receive the entitlement program while still having to pay for it is an insult to the intelligence of moderates on either side. I suspect there's plenty of other targets to go after in industry that have pre-tax profits higher than the health insurance industry, at under 6%... the vilification of an industry that would be losing money were they simply to freeze premiums for a year is a head scratcher.

[dreamnightwind]

26. Thanks, that was very funny!

I love your dry sense of humor, you should write for the Colbert Show.

[City Lights]

27. Whip him overboard.

Fucking asswipe.

:nuke: