I wonder what Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill (D) thinks of Joe Lieberman (r) maneuvering to retain his committee chairmanship?
Claire McCaskill in Warrensburg on October 28, 2008
From the stenographer, on September 5th:
…For a second, I thought Claire McCaskill was going to explode right before my eyes.
In a Wheeler Downtown Airport conference room Wednesday, I started glancing around for the “break in case of fire” box.
All I had done was ask about Sen. Joe Lieberman’s speech in St. Paul and suddenly her eyes had a glare that could cut steel. “Next question,” she shot back…
On Faux News Sunday, October 5, 2008:
…WALLACE: Senator Lieberman, is all that fair game, an attack on Barack Obama’s character?
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, D-CONN.: Well, it is fair game, and I want to get back to that in a minute….
….WALLACE: Senator McCaskill, is that where this campaign is headed, personal attacks on both sides?
SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL, D-MO.: Well, first of all, I think — let’s talk first about what Sarah Palin said yesterday. I mean, really, how ridiculous. American people deserve so much better.
Do they really think America is going to think that Barack Obama’s palling around with terrorists? What that man did Barack Obama has condemned. And by the way, he did it when Barack Obama was 8 years old. Come on…
The Senate committee chairmanship of Homeland Security? Say it ain’t so, Joe. The American people deserve so much better.
Give Claire McCaskill a call and let her know what you think: 202-224-6154
But as a committee chair who provided ZERO oversight of Bush, he doesn’t deserve the chair.
I told the staffer that if it was up to me they wouldn’t just strip him of his gavel and kick him out of the caucus, I would tie him to a post and set him alight. The staffer who answered the phone laughed out loud.
how can anyone even think of retaining him as chair of, of all things, Homeland Security? (And ask if they can’t change the name of the committee to something less facist than Homeland Security while they’re at it.)
Also ask McCaskil (or her staff person) how she can justify the appointment of such an obstructionist to this important position–particularly when given his blatant efforts to blackmail the Democratic leadership by indicating that he would caucus with the Republicans if he can’t keep his chairmanship. Such behavior simply confirms that he is not to be trusted, either as a reliable committee chair or as a reliable member of the Democratic majority. Allowing him to retain influence is simply a sign of weakness and will be so understood.