Lieberman Defiant
The Page by Mark Halperin — scathinglieberman Politico: Connecticut independent says he'll join GOP filibuster against Senate health bill unless the public option is removed. Developing...

Lieberman Will Filibuster Health Care Bill With Public Option
Tennessee Guerilla Women — ... Attention starved Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) says he would support a Republican filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill, reports Politico. ...

Lieberman To Filibuster?
The Agonist - thoughtful, global, timely — New from Politico is that Sen. Lieberman will filibuster the Reid plan if it contains the public option: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he’d back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill. Lieberman, who caucuses with Democrats and is positioning himself as a fiscal hawk on the issue, said he opposes any health care bill that includes a government-run insurance program — even if it includes a provision allowing states to opt out of the program, as Reid’s has said the Senate bill will. ...

Lieberman Threatens to Join GOP Filibuster
The Moderate Voice — Per a breaking news email from Politico: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) says he will join a Republican filibuster against the Senate Democrats’ health care reform bill unless the public option is removed. More here.a>

Lieberman will Filbibuster
Open Left - Quick Hits's RSS Feed — Oh Jesus, here we go.  Why oh why can't we have better Democrats?  This all could have been avoided. http://www.politico.com/news/s...

Harrycare in trouble: Dems bail, Lieberman supports filibuster
Michelle Malkin — ... on Harry Reid’s “public option” plan announced yesterday. Politico’s Manju Ranu reports that Joe Lieberman supports a GOP filibuster: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he’d back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill. Lieberman, who caucuses with Democrats and is positioning himself as a fiscal hawk on the issue, said he opposes any health care bill that includes a government-run insurance program — even if it includes a provision allowing states to opt out of the program, as Reid’s has said the Senate bill will. “We’re ...

Make That 59
True North - Pointing Minnesota in the Right Direction — Sen. Lieberman is going to oppose Obamacare Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he’d back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill.

Lieberman: I'll Vote With Republicans To Filibuster Health Care
Ace of Spades HQ — Lieberman: I'll Vote With Republicans To Filibuster Health Care Nice. Lieberman, who caucuses with Democrats and is positioning himself as a fiscal hawk on the issue, said he opposes any health care bill that includes a government-run insurance program — even if it includes a provision allowing states to opt out of the program, as Reid’s has said the Senate bill will. "We're trying to do too much at once," Lieberman said. “To put this government-created insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the taxpayers, for the premium payers and for the ...

Breaking News
Suburban Guerrilla — Joe Lieberman (CT-Aetna) announces he’ll join Republicans in a filibuster of the healthcare reform bill.

Traitor Joe Lieberman Says He'll Help GOP Filibuster
The Political Carnival — ... Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) said "that he'd back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's health care reform bill," Politico reports. ...

Lieberman says he'll filibuster Reid plan
Democratic Underground Latest Breaking News — ... said the Senate bill will. "We're trying to do too much at once," Lieberman said. “To put this government-created insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the taxpayers, for the premium payers and for the national debt. I don’t think we need it now." Lieberman added that he’d vote against a public option plan “even with an opt-out because it still creates a whole new government entitlement program for which taxpayers will be on the line." Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28788.html

Lieberman Says He’ll Filibuster Health Care Reform If Public Option Remains
Think Progress — ... In remarks to reporters today, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) moved closer to siding with Republicans and actively blocking reform. Lieberman gave a wishy-washy response, stating that while he was “inclined” to vote to allow health care reform legislation to be debated on the Senate floor, he would “vote against cloture” if “the bill stays as it is now.” TPMDC has Lieberman’s ...

Lieberman Threatens To Vote Against Cloture
Open Left - Front Page — He's with us on everything except the war: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he'd back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's health care reform bill.(...) Lieberman did say he's "strongly inclined" to vote to proceed to the debate, but that he'll ultimately vote to block a floor vote on the bill if it isn't changed first. "I've told Sen. Reid that if the bill stays as it is now I will vote against cloture," he said. "I can't see a way in which I could vote for cloture on any bill that contained a creation of a ...

Lieberman to Filibuster Reid's Plan -- By: NRO Staff
The Corner on National Review Online — From Politico:   Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he’d back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill.   Lieberman, who caucuses with Democrats and is positioning himself as a fiscal hawk on the issue, said he opposes any health care bill that includes a government-run insurance program — even if it includes a provision allowing states to opt out of the program, as Reid’s has said the Senate bill will.   "We're trying to do too much at once," Lieberman said. “To put this ...

No More Mister Nice Blog — Is Lieberman In, or Out? Today in Politico: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he’d back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill. Lieberman, who caucuses with Democrats and is positioning himself as a fiscal hawk on the issue, said he opposes any health care bill that includes a government-run insurance program — even if it includes a provision allowing states to opt out of the program, as Reid’s has said the Senate bill will. ...

It Was Lieberman All Along
The New Republic blogs — ... couple weeks that Joe Lieberman is the Democrats' biggest potential problem. The rest of the party has a strong incentive to pass health care reform and avoid a 2010 catastrophe. But Lieberman? He's not a Democrat and won't be running on the Democratic ticket in 2012. Moreover, my read on him is that he's furious with the party, resentful of President Obama (who beat his friend in 2008) and would relish a Democratic catastrophe. Of course, I can't prove this. But look at Lieberman's reason for why he now says he'll vote to sustain a GOP filibuster of health care reform:"We're ...

Lieberman Will Join With Republicans To Filibuster Health Care Bill
Say Anything — Do you think Democrats have maybe come to regret trying to kick Lieberman out of the party in 2006? Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he’d back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill. Lieberman, who caucuses with Democrats and is positioning himself as a fiscal hawk on the issue, said he opposes any health care bill that includes a government-run insurance program — even if it includes a provision allowing states to opt out of the program, as Reid’s has said the Senate bill ...

Lieberman Says He'll Help GOP Filibuster
Taegan Goddard's Political Wire — Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) said "that he'd back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's health care reform bill," Politico reports. ...

So long, Joe.
Upper Left — Senator Lieberman announces he will retire at the end of his current term. Not in so many words, and not necessarily voluntarily, but it sounds like retirement to me. ...

MAKING THE NUMBERS
Midwest Conservative Journal — They had the votes.  They don’t have ‘em now: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he’d back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill. Lieberman, who caucuses with Democrats and is positioning himself as a fiscal hawk on the issue, said he opposes any health care bill that includes a government-run insurance program — even if it includes a provision allowing states to opt out of the program, as Reid has said the Senate bill will. “We’re ...

Reconciliation Here We Come: Lieberman Announces Filibuster Of HCR
TalkLeft — In a way, this is good news: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he’d back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill. [. . .] "I've told Sen. Reid that if the bill stays as it is now I will vote against cloture,” he said.[. . .] “I feel this way about a national, government-created health insurance company – whether it’s a trigger or not,” he said.“ (Emphasis supplied.) Since Lieberman is there, then Lincoln, Landreiu and Ben Nelson will go ...

Insurance Stocks Plunged As Reid Announced Public Option, Spiked After Lieberman Vowed To Filibuster It
Think Progress — ... from 538.com’s Nate Silver shows, voters in every single one of Connecticut’s congressional districts favor the inclusion of a public option in health care legislation by wide margins. The stated reason for Lieberman’s opposition to the public option — that it would increase the debt and create another entitlement — is misplaced. As ThinkProgress has noted before, the public option would ...

Chuck Schumer: "I wouldn't bet against Leader Reid"
Daily Kos — Update: Unfortunately, Schumer hadn't yet talked to Joe Lieberman before we had that interview. "I can’t see a way in which I could vote for cloture on any bill that contained a creation of a government-operated-run insurance company," Lieberman added. "It’s just asking for trouble – in the end, the taxpayers are going to pay and probably all people will have health insurance are going to see their premiums go up because there’s going to be cost shifting as there has been for Medicare and Medicaid." ...

This Is Where Appeasement Gets You
Blue Virginia — Joe Lieberman should have been kicked out of the Democratic caucus when he endorsed and campaigned for McCain/Palin. The fact that he was appeased instead got us absolutely nothing, except what Joe Lieberman always does - betrays Democratic principles and stabs the party in the back. Appeasing Lieberman by letting him keep his committee chair was a huge mistake, and I said so at the time. Inexcusable, get this guy the hell out of here now! ...

Lieberman Threatens to Filibuster Public Option, Even With Opt-Out
Liberal Values — ... was the best Harry Reid could go for at present. This remains far better than the option pushed by moderates for a trigger instead of an immediate public plan. It is far from certain that even this can pass. Former Democrat Joe Lieberman says he will vote to filibuster the public option even with an opt-out provision. The Senator from the insurance capital of the world is doing all he can to protect the insurance industry. It is also likely to be his last term in the Senate. ...

Did Lieberman Kill The Public Option?
Wonk Room — ... Citing concerns that the public option would create “trouble for the taxpayers, for the premium payers and for the national debt,” Lieberman said that he was “inclined” to vote to allow health care reform legislation to be debated on the Senate floor, but would “vote against cloture” if “the bill stays as it is now.” ...

Joementum 2012?
Weekly Standard Blog — ... Is he the greatest senator ever? He fought for victory in Iraq, he's fighting for victory in Afghanistan, and he's fighting to save us all from Obamacare. Who needs Olympia Snowe when you've got Joementum? ...

Somebody Buy Joe Lieberman a Puppy
FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right — The reason this is a little scary for Democrats is because the usual things that serve to motivate a Congressman don't seem to apply here. ...

Lieberman deals sharp blow to health care overhaul effort; vows to join GOP filibuster effort if public option isn't dropped
Capitol Watch — Washington is abuzz over U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman announcement today that he intends to back a Republican-led filibuster of Senate health care legislation. According to POLITICO, Lieberman expressed opposition to any proposal that includes a government-run insurance program. "To put this government-created insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the taxpayers, for the premium payers and for the national debt. I don't think we need it now," he is quoted as saying in the POLITICO story. Lieberman has long expressed ...

Halp! Someone Call Ned Lamont
Riehl World View — ... LMAO Watch the netroot's heads explode.They betrayed Lieberman for Ned Who?, let's not forget that. Now that failed Lefty power grab is coming back to bite them on the azz. There's absolutely no reason for Lieberman to cave on this. They gave him the opportunity to show his strength as an Independent and he proved it. Choke on that, Libs. ...

Lieberman Intends to Filibuster HCR With Public Option
The Moderate Voice — This is what Democrats in Congress get for allowing Lieberman to keep his prestigi0us committee chair assignment. Brian Beutler explains what this means procedurally: There are two procedural issues at play here. Most people think of a filibuster as a minority blocking passage of a bill that’s already been debated ad nauseum on the Senate floor. That’s the most standard filibuster. But on major legislation, it’s become more common for the minority–in ...

Lieberman to Filibuster Public Option
Connecticut Local Politics — ... Sen. Joe Lieberman announced today that he would be a thorn in the side of those trying to pass a health care reform package with a government-sponsored plan: ...

Bill Scher: Lieberman Lies About The Public Option
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com — Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Cigna) announced today he would filibuster the health care bill because it contain a public option compromise. Why does he want to do this? I don't know (*cough* -- Aetna -- *cough* *cough*) exactly. But we do know his stated reasons are lies. Politico reports: "We're trying to do too much at once," Lieberman said. "To put this government-created insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the taxpayers, for the premium payers and for the national debt. I don't think we need it now." ...

Bad news for the public option
Power Line — ... Harry Reid's plan to attempt to push through the Senate health care legislation containing a public option has hit a snag. Republican Olympia Snowe reportedly will oppose such a bill. This means Reid needs the vote of every Democrat. But it appears that he does not have Joe Lieberman's support. ...

Joe Lieberman’s Bogus Public Option Reasoning
Matthew Yglesias — Joe Lieberman proposes: “We’re trying to do too much at once,” Lieberman said. “To put this government-created insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the taxpayers, for the premium payers and for the national debt. I don’t think we need it now.” Lieberman added that he’d vote against a public option plan “even with an opt-out because it still creates a whole new government entitlement program for which taxpayers will be on the line.” ...

An ever-evolving rationale
Political Animal — ... , Lieberman said he opposes a public option because "the public doesn't support it." A wide variety of credible polling proved otherwise. Which brings us to October, and the latest in a series of weak explanations . "We're trying to do too much at once," Lieberman said. "To put this government-created insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the taxpayers, for the premium payers and for the national debt. I don't think we need it now." [...] Lieberman said that he'd vote against a public option plan "even with an opt-out because it still ...

Olbermann Seems To Suggest Lieberman Might Be On The Take
NewsBusters.org - Exposing Liberal Media Bias — ... How enraged is Keith Olbermann with Joe Lieberman for announcing that he would filibuster a health care bill that contains a government-control provision?  Enough that, without presenting any evidence whatsoever, the Countdown host has slyly implied that Lieberman might be on the take from insurance companies in his home state of Connecticut. ...

Nancy Pelosi wants to rename the public option, but who’s paying for it?
rightofcourse.com — ... .  Joe Lieberman is also against Harry Reid’s plan which includes the public option.  There’s also still the problem of those “blue dog” fiscally conservative Democrats. ...

links for 2009-10-27
FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog — ... (tags: Arnold_Schwarzenegger Tom_Ammiano) Obamacare: Joe Lieberman says " I'll block vote on Harry Reid's plan " Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he’d back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader ...

Links for 2009-10-27 [del.icio.us]
FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog — ... percent who self-describe as moderates and 20 percent as liberals. The conservative number is as high as it's been in the two decades that Gallup has been asking the question. What's more, fully 72 percent of Republicans say they're conservative. Thirty-five percent of independents do so as well -- and presumably the percentage of conservatives among independents who might be inclined, where the rules permit it, to vote in GOP primaries would be much higher. Obamacare: Joe Lieberman says " I'll block vote on Harry Reid's plan " Sen. ...

Reid Not Worried About Lieberman
Taylor Marsh — ... While I was J Street yesterday, Sen. Lieberman decided to shoot off a warning shot at Democrats and the majority of the American public. The emails I got on this one were classic. No one is surprised. However, Sen. Reid was nonplussed for reporters. “I don’t have anyone that I have worked harder with, have more respect for in the Senate than Joe Lieberman,” he said Tuesday afternoon. “ As you know, he’s my friend. There are a lot of senators, Democrat and Republicans, who don’t like part of ...

Joe Lieberman Will Filibuster Any Health Care Plan With Public Option
Below The Beltway — The public option vampire refuses to die, but today another nail was put in the coffin: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he’d back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill. Lieberman, who caucuses with Democrats and is positioning himself as a fiscal hawk on the issue, said he opposes any health care bill that includes a government-run insurance program — even if it includes a provision allowing states to opt out of the program, as Reid’s has said the Senate bill will. ...

The Early Morning Public Option Report-- Can You Help?
DownWithTyranny! — ... for consumers that don't leave them to the mercies of avaricious insurance companies. And as support for the public option grows, approval of GOP obstructionism on health care remains steady at just over 20%, while around 65% of Americans disapprove of the way the Republican congressional caucus is handling the health care debate. It's counterintuitive than dozens of weak, frightened Democrats are joining the Republicans in their opposition. Let's leave Lieberman's possibly toothless, attention-grabbing threat to join the filibuster of health care reform ...

Lieberman to support public option filibuster
The Reaction — ... Joe Lieberman, a Democrat in occasional name only when it suits him, has announced that he will likely support an expected Republican filibuster of any health-care reform package that includes a public option: ...

Capital Eye Opener: Wednesday, October 28
Capital Eye — ... 's (D-Nev.) health care reform proposal. Reid's plan includes a government-sponsored health insurance program, but allows states to opt out of it. "We're trying to do too much at once," Lieberman said, according to Politico. “To put this government-created insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the taxpayers, for the premium payers and for the national debt. I don’t think we need it now." Since 1989, ...

10/28: Holy Joe
Blogometer — October 28, 2009 10/28: Holy Joe It feels like the summer of '06 again in the blogosphere. The netroots are blasting Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) following his announcement that he would join a GOP filibuster of Senate Maj. Leader Harry Reid 's health care bill. Several lefty bloggers are ...

On Lieberman… sort of
MNpublius.com — ... There’s not much to say about Joe Lieberman’s statement that he’ll vote to filibuster a health reform bill that has a provision for a public option. First of all, I’m sick of hearing about Joe Lieberman. Second of all, this is really not about Lieberman — it’s more about Harry Reid, the Democrats’ ineffectual majority leader. ...

Specter Would Support Using Reconciliation To Pass Health Care As A ‘Last, Last, Last Resort’
Think Progress — ... of the Senate’s health care reform bill if it contains a public option. “If the bill remains what it is now, I will not be able to support a cloture motion before final passage,” Lieberman said. ...

10/29: Those Rascally Dem Senators...
Blogometer — October 29, 2009 10/29: Those Rascally Dem Senators... After spending most of 10/27 hammering Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) for threatening to join a GOP filibuster of the Dem health care reform bill, the netroots spent 10/28 criticizing Lieberman's home-state colleague, Sen. Chris Dodd (D), after he ...

Lieberman in 1994: Filibuster is ‘unfair’ and it isn’t ‘right’ to use it to obstruct major legislation.
Think Progress — In recent days, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has raised the ire of health care advocates by threatening to filibuster Senate health care legislation unless the public option is removed from it, a move that was a boon to the stock prices of major health insurance companies. Lieberman was singing a different tune in 1994, however. At that time Lieberman, a freshman senator, was working with Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) to introduce legislation that would drastically weaken the power of the filiibuster. HuffPost’s Sam Stein recalls that the Connecticut senator said it was “unfair” to use the filibuster to threaten major ...

Matt Osborne: Reid Doesn't Need Lieberman
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com — ... But they wouldn’t, at least according to the Congressional Budget Office, which estimates that the House bill, in particular, would actually reduce the deficit by $100 billion over the next decade. To be sure, this was too much for CBS's Bob Schieffer to understand in time for Sunday, when Lieberman gave his third conflicting rationale for opposing a public option: First he told Politico it would become a burden on taxpayers; the next morning, he told Faux Noise it would work ...

No More Mister Nice Blog — ... And the poll was conducted November 3-8. Lieberman threatened to filibuster a bill with a public option on October 27. He denounced the public option again on ...