Is Leiberman just a traitor to the Democrats or merely a shill for big pharma and big banking?

lieberman imagesTreasury Department pay czar Kenneth Feinberg last week announced big cuts in total compensation at the finance and auto companies within his control. While he cut total pay by half, he increased regular salaries, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. The move reflects the complexity of regulating something that mixes politics and economics. Base salaries rose 14 percent to $437,896 a year, the paper said, adding that 89 of the 136 employees under the pay czar's review got a raise. Feinberg more than double cash salaries for 13 of 21 Citigroup Inc employees. Household income declined across all groups, but more sharply for middle-income and poor Americans. Median income fell last year from $52,163 to $50,303, wiping out a decade's worth of gains to hit the lowest level since 1997. the median is the midpoint — half of households made more, half less. Poverty jumped sharply to 13.2%, an 11-year high.

On Tuesday, Sen. Joe Lieberman announced that he might join a filibuster against health care reform. It's not the first time he's turned against the Democrats. He Tried To Kill Clinton's Universal Health Care way back in 1993. Lieberman called Bill Clinton's health reform "too governmental, too regulatory and too costly." Now is October 2009 he is opposing a public Option Lieberman and may support a filibuster of health care reform if it contained a public option. Joe Leiberman a traitor to the Democratic party and average Americans or merely a shill for big pharma and big banking? Call his office in Connecticut 860-549-8463 or  800-225-5605 Washington 202-224-4041

Comments

David (not verified) 16 years 42 weeks ago
#1

To mix metaphors, when you have no conscience any road will take you there.

In Joe's case, he will always follow the money.

If he fails to fall in line on the cloture vote, he should be stripped of all Committee assignments and treated as the Junior Independent Senator.

Jody (not verified) 16 years 42 weeks ago
#2

Lieberman's wife, Hadassah, is a lobbyist for Big Pharma:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Hadassah_Lieberman

solsenz (not verified) 16 years 42 weeks ago
#3

It may be conspiratorial, but do you believe Joe Lieberman was EVER a true Democrat? If you watch the movie about the Bush/Gore Election, it shows Joe as very quiet, never really fighting for their cause. He's almost viewed as a shadow in the movie. He's much more passionate now against Democrat issues, which is a bit strange, when you get 1 chance at VP. He's shown over and over he's not a Democrat. My family & I are from CT and cannot believe he remains a part of this process. Could he be a Republican imposter? It might sound crazy, but he's been vital for them.......He needs to go!

Dale Sherbourne (not verified) 16 years 42 weeks ago
#4

His phone mailbox is full

Deborah (not verified) 16 years 42 weeks ago
#5

After saying he'll campaign for the Republicans, he should be thrown out of the caucus and stripped of his chairmanship. Period.

Mary Ann Ford (not verified) 16 years 42 weeks ago
#6

Actually, I believe he is one tool among many that is being used to manipulate us progressives.
To understand where I am coming from, first listen to a web-exclusive interview Bill Moyers did with Glenn Greenwald yesterday. Greenwald recounted how Obama used Joe Lieberman and Lindsay Graham to write an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act! It allows the Defense Secretary to conceal the photos of torture, even though two courts ruled the photos had to be released.
Then read the November 2 Newsweek article, "Hope Springs Eternal," reflecting on the Obama presidency so far. It tells of an interview Henry Paulson did with Todd Purdum of Vanity Fair, in which Paulson said he was shocked by how, during the Bush administration, members of Congress, "would tell him privately that they supported policies that they would oppose, even vigorously trash, in public."
So, why should we believe anything they say or do at this point? It seems the right-wingers aren't the only ones being played.

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