No Joementum among Republicans
When Al Gore picked Joe Lieberman as his running mate eight years ago, many Republicans said he was their favorite Democrat. But that doesn't mean they want him to be the Republican vice presidential nominee.
The Politico's report that Lieberman, or fellow pro-choice politician Tom Ridge, was apparently being seriously considered as John McCain's vice presidential pick was not welcomed by conservatives yesterday. "You will not have a unanimous vote at the convention, that much I can tell you," said one unnamed Republican.
And there's more on the McCain-Lieberman front...
- The Washington Times reports that state GOP officials are already plotting how to reject a Lieberman pick.
- Rush Limbaugh offers an emphatic "NO" to the idea.
- The National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez feels similarly.
- Jim Geraghty of the same publication also agrees, adding that Lieberman won't win Connecticut for McCain.
- Jewish conservative John Podhoretz makes the case in Commentary magazine for Lieberman as McCain's pick – foreign policy strength and both could pledge to fight the "corrupt political culture." But he says Lieberman would have to pledge not to seek the presidency in order to mollify political conservatives.
- Byron York of National Review writes that McCain would like to pick a "friend" like Lieberman and the campaign believes it would give him back his "maverick" image – but he's still struggling with the decision.
- And Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard has a similar take, writing that if McCain was making the decision without regard to policy or politics, it would be Joe – but that in the end, he'll pick Pawlenty.
- Liberal blogger Jane Hamsher of The Huffington Post believes McCain will choose Lieberman and announce it next Friday, because the media will love it and it will steal Obama's thunder after his convention speech.
- Time magazine political guru Mark Halperin said a choice of any "pro-choice" VP would be a "disaster" for McCain.
Signs do point this morning to Lieberman being vetted, according to Politico. And he's also now on the Republican convention speaking agenda, although no specifics on when. And the Connecticut senator is following in the footsteps of another rumored VP nominee, Joe Biden, by heading to Georgia this week.
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Lieberman is a lousy do nothing politician and a worst case pick for McCain.
Time and time again Lieberman has shown himself to be anti American.
Lieberman seems to take his orders from somewhere else, he does not have his own opinion but is a form of mocking parrot, just waiting to spew his new words from old places.
For once it appears that the Republicans are smart. They reject- the notion that Senator Joseph Lieberman, the “Independent Democrat” of Connecticut should be John McCain’s running mate. Thank G-d for good sense, for a change.
I think that this would be a good choice for John McCain. It would bring the jewish vote in the swing states of Florida, Ohio, etc who might have gone into the voting booth “holding their nose” to vote for Obama; now they could feel comfortable voting Republican because they see a strong supporter of Israel in both men on the ticket and who have a realistic understanding that the Western world is under attack by radical Islamics.
Lieberman is a sad character at this point in his political life. He is fervently pro-war since he mistakenly sees this as being in the best interests of Israel. However, the Iraq War has been a disaster for all concerned including the families of the more than 4000 dead US soldiers, 100,000 dead Iraqis, the US taxpayer, and for the peace process in the Middle East. It has been great for the Blackwaters and Haliburtons of the world. His dogged adherence to the failed war policies of Bush (and now McCain) placed him at odds with his party. He is now bitter and willing to strike back in any way he can. That he is a mouthpiece for an uninformed, knee-jerk “ all war all the time” McCain who is so confused that Joe has to correct him while on camera marks a pathetic end to Lieberman’s career. As soon as the elections are over, no matter who wins the White House, the Democratic senate will strip him of all committee seniority. Lieberman has become an unwitting tool of the McCain campaign managers which makes him allies with Karl Rove and his band of Big Lie and Smear thugs. Too bad Joe, your clouded vision has cost you a much better place in history.
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Abraham G Gotman MD
08/20/08 03:26 PM
I love Joe Lieberman but believe he should not run for vice president and make the anouncment.
He would make a great secretary of state or defense minister