Posted on 08/20/2006 11:43:07 AM PDT by Dane
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. Joseph Lieberman, seeking to slip out of a perceived White House embrace, insisted on Sunday he was a loyal Democrat and criticized the Bush administration's post-invasion Iraq war policy.
The 2000 vice-presidential candidate lost the Democratic primary vote in Connecticut to an anti-war rival this month, but is now running for re-election as an independent candidate in a contest that has exposed deep U.S. divisions over the unpopular war.
Some Republican officials have shifted their support to Lieberman, and the White House took the rare step of declining to back the Republican nominee, leading critics to accuse him of becoming the de-facto candidate for President George W. Bush.
Lieberman, who according to a poll released last week now leads the Senate race in the Democrat-leaning state, said in an interview on CBS television that he was "devoted" to his party and would remain in its congressional caucus if elected.
"I am a Democrat. Look at my voting record - I voted 90 percent of the time with the majority of Democrats in the United States' Senate," he said.
However, he said, "I feel I allowed my opponent to distort my position on Iraq," he said. "What I mean is he made me into a cheerleader for George Bush on everything that's happened."
Lieberman reiterated his call for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to resign due to setbacks in Iraq and said that despite his own support for overthrowing Saddam Hussein, he thinks Bush has mishandled Iraq policy after the invasion.
"I've been very critical over the years, particularly in 2003 and 2004 about the failure to send enough American troops to secure the country," he said.
But he said there would be all-out civil war and a "disaster we pay for a generation" if Washington sets a deadline for a troop withdrawal from Iraq, a call that helped his Democrat rival Ned Lamont win the primary vote.
"The position that my opponent and others take to set a deadline by which we will get out is the surest way to get to a civil war, which would be dangerous for our troops, a disaster for Iraq, the Middle East and for the United States of America."
He said the president and Congress may need to consider a troop withdrawal in the event of "all-out" civil war in Iraq.
Leading Democrats said the senator's defeat showed voters' anger at Bush and the war ahead of November mid-term elections, while Republican and administration officials have painted it as an example of Democratic weakness on national security.
Democratic party Chairman Howard Dean has called for Lieberman to drop out after his primary loss.
Lieberman's decision to shrug off the defeat and run as an independent has ensured the war will stay in the election spotlight as Democrats try to wrest control of the House and the Senate from Bush's Republican Party
""I am a Democrat. Look at my voting record - I voted 90 percent of the time with the majority of Democrats in the United States' Senate," he said. "
Sorry Joe, not good enough.
Joe, get a clue. You're a loser and you deserve to lose. LOSER!
There's a good reason why Bush isn't backing the Republican.
The Republican was kicked out of Vegas for counting cards while gambling under an assumed name.
He's got something like 4% of the vote.
When reality sets in it's going to be Lamont or Lieberman - whom would you prefer?
(And why could the grand old party come up w/ a good candidate for us!!!!)
One of the two, Lieberman or Lamont will be the nexy Senator from CT.
Lieberman is the far better choice. Strong against terror, against Lamont the Red Diaper Leftie pacifist.
"There's a good reason why Bush isn't backing the Republican.
The Republican was kicked out of Vegas for counting cards while gambling under an assumed name.
He's got something like 4% of the vote.
When reality sets in it's going to be Lamont or Lieberman - whom would you prefer?
(And why could the grand old party come up w/ a good candidate for us!!!!)"
Close, Schlessinger was kicked out of Indian casinos in Connecticut for counting cards but he snuck back in using an assumed name.
What's with Republican senatorial candidates in Connecticut? The guy who ran against Lieberman in 2000 (Phil Giordano) is serving 37 years in prison for having sex with a 10 year old and 12 year old girl, the daughter and neice of a crack dealing prostitute.
Exactly!! I know there's some good Republican's in the state. Heck, I went to high school w/ a few on the state level & would help send them to DC in an instant if they ran.
And thanks for the clarification, know I was close, but wasn't 100% sure :-)
There is absolutely no reason why the President of the United States, the symbolic head of the Republican Party, should be supporting anyone but Republican. Schlesinger broke no laws, he committed no crime, he is the elected candidate of the party, he should have the President's backing. Anything else is absolutely disgusting.
Joe Lieberwuss is a wimp.Hell,he talks like "Willie"on ALF.If he got into a bitch slap contest with that sawed off puke in Iran,he'd get his ass kicked.
Conservatives won't, but Republicans will.
fyi
"Lieberman insists he is a devoted Democrat." And I believe him. He has voted the socialist line his whole 18 years in Congress.
Lieberman is a "nice guy" who wants to redistribute your money, deprive you of your personal freedoms and liberty, take you possessions and give them to others, raise taxes and then raise them again, socialize America, kill Constitutional rule of law and grow big government even bigger. Yes indeed, Lieberman is a devoted Democrat.
Hey Joe, how's it feel to have your party urinate on your head and tell ya it's raining?
Rhetorical as obviously it feels real good to old Joe.
Yeah, still won't get this guy elected. We in connecticut have had some disgusting choice placed before us.
Unfortunately, Oklahoma is 100 times more conservative than Connecticut.
Of course Joeberman's a "devoted" Democrat---he needs their votes. He will also calculatedly go after RINO Repubs who he will dupe into thinking he has a couple conservative bones in his ultra-liberal body.
As one poster opined above: it would be better to have seated, weak newbie Lamont, at the mercy of a Repub Senate, rather than a seasoned Joeberman.
Lieb will have to alienate himself from GWB to make a decent showing---Joeberman's calling for Rummy's ouster is just the beginning of his distancing from Pres Bush.
If Joeberman gets back in, he will be relabeled an anti-Bush Senator.
"Unfortunately"? I consider it a blessing!
No, but it's better than cutting the feet out from the three Republican congessmen you got, or any other senatorial candidate elsewhere in the country.
Yes, if I were him, I would definitely run like a New England RINO and throw conservatives a bone and try to get independents. With this and saying he wants Rumsfeld canned, hes trying to out-Lamont Lamont, a pitiful strategy since his base in this elections is Republicans/indys/blue dog Democrats
"Yes, if I were him, I would definitely run like a New England RINO and throw conservatives a bone and try to get independents. With this and saying he wants Rumsfeld canned, hes trying to out-Lamont Lamont, a pitiful strategy since his base in this elections is Republicans/indys/blue dog Democrats."
Lieberman can read the polls, his Republican opposition has 4% support. All three Republican congresspersons have endorsed Lieberman. The Republican Governor of Connecticut won't campaign with the Republican Senatorial candidate, the
Chair of the Republican National Committee (Ken Mehlman) has endorsed Lieberman. He doesn't need conservative votes. He believes that he can make it on moderate Democrat, independent and RINO votes.
That's why he's shoring up his base by attacking Bush and Rumsfeld today.
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