Lieberman to Vote with Republicans to Block “Public Option”
(November 18, 2008 - Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images North America)
Independent Senator Joe Lieberman (Connecticut) is planning to abandon Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and the Democrats that he caucuses with, if the “public option” is not removed from the Senate’s healthcare bill according to Fox News. This is a huge development and one that likely has Reid kicking and screaming in an office somewhere on Capitol Hill. Lieberman will give the Republicans enough votes to filibuster the bill unless the Dems cave to his demand. ”Republican” Senator, Olympia Snowe confirmed today that she will not be voting for the bill as long as the Public Option is included, so the move by Lieberman prevents Democrats from getting the 60 votes necessary to move for cloture.
Fox News also outlined other potential defectors who could join Lieberman in opposing the public option.
If Snowe doesn’t come back, the fate of Reid’s public option could rest in the hands of a few key moderate Democrats including Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.
Landrieu said in a statement that she’s still “very skeptical” about a government plan run from Washington but would keep working with Reid to find a “principled compromise.”
Nelson “is not committing how we will vote regarding any proposal Sen. Reid is advancing,” said spokesman Jake Thompson.
Lincoln, who’s up for re-election in 2010, said through a spokesman she intends to study the details and decide how to vote based on the impact on her home state.
Here is Snowe discussing her feelings on the public option being included in the proposed bill released by Harry Reid.
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Good for Liberman. If you cant go it alone as an Independent what the hells the point of being an independent. They screwed him now he is screwing them. Awesome
Lieberman fighting back.. They totally shafted him so he just wanted to be the first to return the favor. More will follow his lead now that he broke the 60.
I am glad to see that Lieberman came around on this one, but I believe it will be perceived on Capitol Hill as merely political retribution.
Only because that is what it is. Lieberman still bears great resentment for a party that abandoned him. He was just giving it back to the Party that ran someone against him. This was written in the script months ago.
I agree with all of you to a certain degree. I firmly believe that there is more at play here than a simple vote, but I honestly could care less. Lieberman is not a defecting Republican. He is a former Dem coming over to the Right side on this issue. I see it as nothing more and nothing less. Am I happy that he is/did? You bet. I want to see this bill die a quick yet agonizing death on the floor of the Senate. Then and only then can we get around to actual healthcare reform.
I think you had Lieberman misspelled last night – I wanted to comment but I see you corrected it. I forwarded the message on five times before I realized it was misspelled too.
Yes there was a bit of a typo. Thankfully I caught it relatively early on. The original title was an attempt at humor and involved a play on the word Lieberman and Liberal. Needless to say it was not funny and I decided to scrap it. Unfortunately my spellcheck thought it was a great joke and allowed me to change Lieberman to LIberman throughout the post. A loyal reader shared it with me in confidence. I do appreciate your forwarding on the post to others. The gesture is much appreciated.
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