Joe Lieberman on Obama's credibility gap
By scarce Wednesday Apr 02, 2008 9:00am
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Joltin' Joe went on Fox on April Fool's Day and said Barack Obama was not credible on the Iraq War debate. No, he really did. Talk about your pot calling the kettle....uh, nevermind.
LIEBERMAN: Well, I think that - let me say generally that Sen. Obama doesn't come to this debate with a lot of credibility. Basically on the question of Iraq, John McCain has had the guts to stand out on his own arguing for what he thought was right. And it turned out that he was right about the surge working to improve conditions in Iraq.
If we did what Sen. Obama wanted us to do last year, Al-Qaeda in Iran would be in control of Iraq today. The whole Middle East would be in turmoil and American security and credibility would be jeopardized.
On the specific question of the 100 years, I think that's an unfortunate example of the way Sen. Obama has used it, of playing political gotcha with a national security question.
Update: John Amato: OK, we know McCain had to be corrected by Lieberman when he said that Al-Qaeda was being trained in Iran, a major gaffe for the man running on his foreign policy experience, but what's Joe's excuse? Seems like he's planting this one on purpose. In an email exchange with Digby, she said that it worked so well with Saddam and 9/11.
And Jane has a suggestion: "Maybe all the national Democrats busy lobbing grenades at each other could spare a few for Slummy Joe?"
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Of course this was on April Fool's day.
i always lose so much hope when i hear this blog say something like "it appears they're saying these lies on purpose"
NO SHIT!
McCain mooches off his wife.
http://tinyurl.com/298nz3
Come on people do we really want to inflict this on ourselves?
http://tinyurl.com/332bft
What's up with the photoshopping of LIEberman's mouth?
Obama mat not have a huge amount of experience at the federal level, but he has a hellavu lot more credibility than Lieberman. And more than any repug ,for that fact.
Translation: "Israel would have to defend itself."
Credibility?!? What credibility do we have left?
Just askin' Joe.
I wonder what excuse Harry Reid is using for not having booted Lieberquisling out of the chair of his committee.
Anyone ever have the thought Hell might not actually be a place thats somewhere else other then here?
Hey Joe, yeah you, old fool. The crowning achievement of 'playing politics on a national security question' goes to your President, George Bush. When in 2002, to win an election, he used 9/11 as a tool to bludgeon the Democrats as weak and cowardly on national security, when at that point the country had been brought together by the tragedy that was 9/11. but then Rove, followed by his lapdog, Bush, saw that he could exploit it for political gain, successfully in 2002, and again in 2004. they hammered the Dems on national security, and still do, but after the voters overwhelmingly repudiated their fear mongering in 2006, it's not going to work again, Joe. the voters are on to you 'eternal war neo-con listening' hawks. youre wrong now, as you were wrong then. you are an independent in name only. im very glad you dont represent me.
"Al Qaeda in Iran" again?
And no Obama has no credibility on Iraq except for being 100% correct long before the war even started..
Paul @ 8:
He wouldn't have a bud to go drink beer with after the daze work.
galmud @ 11:
Al Qaeda is beginning to sound like a candy bar or something they use it so much.
I think Al Qaeda is in Israel. Now what you got Liberman? Why do you think there's so many bombings inside Israel?
Different Anonymous @ 7:
No credibility whatsoever.
Yeah and with 100-200 nuclear warheads and one of the world strongest armies how could poor defenseless Israel possibly defend themselves?
Paul @ 8:
I think it has to do with maintaining the Democratic majority in the Senate. Giving Lieberman the chairmanship kept him from going to the Republican caucus.
boycott Connecticut for giving the nation this jerk......over Ned Lamont taboot...
i thought we had rubes here in ohio.....but lieberman over lamont is unforgivable.
I'm so tired of the argument that "al Qaeda would be in control" of Iraq. Why does nobody in the MSM objectively look at this ridiculous argument and pick it apart? I guess that is asking too much.
JeffS @ 16:
Face it. He's a wimp.
Austin @ 18:
You have to be a mindless lackey who only knows how to follow orders to work in todays MSM.
Real reporters-journalists are an endangered species.
"Cindy McCain's Fortune Provides Senator With Private Jets, Vacation Homes"
How come the Right Wing Nuts aren't doing a Theresa Heinz Kerry job on McDuke?
Austin @ 18:
It's a brand name. Simple. Easy to remember. Stupid America's collective brain would start to hurt if they were informed that "al Qaeda in Iraq" is merely a ragtag group of Sunni free-lancers.
Let's talk about Holy Joe's credibility gap.
And don't forget that crazy joe is the idiot that wants submarines to fight al-Qaida.
Passenger manifest for the Slow Boat to Haifa.
Start with Joe, the Kagans, the rest of AEI, and the (former) DoD fuckups.
Okay let's get the hell with with it here and move on to a new thread before I vomit looking at Joe.
Hup Hup!!!
Yes, Senator Loserman, McCain "misspoke" just he had all the other times he made the same comment. The simpler explanation, of course, is that McCain has hitched his political fortunes to the warmongering liars club. Fox and Lieberman can cheerlead and spin it any way they want, but those of us in the reality based community see right through their bs.
Austin @ 18:
Its an insult to Iraqis. That they somehow are mindless sheep who without the "protection" of US military will just blindly follow Al Qaedas twisted extreme Islamic worldview.
All Iraqis hate Al Qaeda. They are nothing but murderous foreign terrorists and they are not welcome in Iraq
Lieberman, you dunce, Iran is Shia, al Qaeda is Sunni. Iran and al Qaeda don't like each other, and there is no al Qaeda in Iran. There was no al Qaeda in Iraq either, until after we invaded.
The Middle East is in turmoil. American security and credibility has been jeopardized.
Don't you read the newspapers? 1) the biggest al Qaeda supporters are in Saudi Arabia...our allies. 2) Terrorism attacks have increased since the Iraq invasion 3) Al Qaeda moved to Pakistan and has been operating and recruiting there
MCLame "miss spoke" three times!!! When you say the wrong thing that many times you are the one deceiving the public.
It is obvious they are trying to confuse Americans into thinking otherwise.
LIEberman is an old used tool.
Egad! I've just boiled down the neo-con iraq argument to its most basic form.
If things turned into such a colossal clusterf@#k when we acted so bravely and righteously and did everything right, imagine how badly they would have turned out if we had listened to the misguided cowards with their stuupid suggestions.
Does Obama get a take-it-back for choosing Lieberman as his mentor in the Senate and for campaigning for him?
We need to kick Joe Lieberman out of the Democratic side of the House, since Harry Reid won't do it for us.
"If we did what Sen. Obama wanted us to do last year, Al-Qaeda in Iran would be in control of Iraq today. The whole Middle East would be in turmoil and American security and credibility would be jeopardized."
And the moon would have exploded, and all poodles would have lost the curl in their hair and SUV's wouldn't run and the oceans would have dried up.
I'm telling you if we did what Sen Obama wanted, lot of bad shit would have happened. Joe has this amazing ability to create fictional disasters and stuff.
Joe in SF @ 32:
Get your facts stright. Obama supported Lamont in the general election.
galmud @ 15:
Exactly. And why is it that OUR gov't has tied Israel's hands numerous times when she wanted to conduct military operations? (Pre-Lebanon, that is).
L.A. Confidential @ 21:
More importantly -- why aren't the DEMS doing it to McSame?
How much cred does Lieberman have?
He made the ultimate flip-flop, and they even put an (I) after his name to designate his support for Israel.
As soon as Loserman said the surge is working, he should have been corrected with, "Senator, the surge is over, and our own military leaders have admitted that it had little lasting effect. When do you plan to stop using it as a talking point, or is it now this administrations policy to simply ignore what the generals say."
“If we did what Sen. Obama wanted us to do last year, Al-Qaeda in Iran would be in control of Iraq today."
Maybe he said "Al-Quaeda AND Iran"
Dr. Acula @ 37:
Because we don't have a presumptive nominee yet, and it's preventing the us from getting organized.
Sometimes for fleeting moments I wonder if I am completely wrong about everything and then I see someone like Joe Lieberman and all comes back into focus. Ether he knows that the surge didn't do what the intent was and is lying or is completely uninformed on what the surge was supposed to do in the first place. I am going with he is a lying liar.
Leslie @ 41:
That's great, so now we will have months of partisan bickering and backstabbing between HRC and BHO while McLame has free reign to be a "maverick".
RayC @ 42:
I don't care, just wish he'd put himself out of our misery.
Dr. Acula @ 43:
Pretty much, yup.
RayC @ 42:
"In order to do the devils work you have to believe your doing something right".
Another one of those cool quotes.
Leslie @ 44:
No no no no no don't you see these freaks of nature have NO intention of stopping?
Look at Kissinger who's STILL one of the key henchmen bossing and ordering people around on this planet.
He'll be 99 and still running the NWO while hooked up to an IV drip.
L.A. Confidential @ 21:
they hate katsup more?
Did anyone notice that holy Joe quoted The Sermon on the Mount that is the teachings of Jesus? I thought the Jews did not believe in the New Testament and Jesus. Total hypocrite.
merg @ 40:
Sounds more like "in" but quite possibly he said "and", because later he makes distinction between Iran and al Qaeda.
But still the Iraqis would never let al Qaeda control their country. They are despised by all and have no influence whatsoever in Iraq.
L.A. Confidential @ 46:
I have gone over this over and over. For years I have gone back and forth on if Republicans believe what they say. Sometimes I think it is not possible to believe the crapola that spews from their mouths, then again how can someone keep all the lies straight in their minds. It would drive me crazy.
L.A. Confidential @ 47:
I wish I knew what makes these turdballs so invulnerable.
I mean we are at a point where people are starting to say things like. . . " Just die will you!! Please for everyones sake!!!!! "
You'd think soon or later the farts would get the message and let young people have their shot at things and assembling a world they can be proud of.
it was AND Iran, not in Iran, we wish huh?
Somebody needs to tell this fuck Lieberman that nobody wants to see him on TV anymore.
tricia @ 49:
Joe flip flops on Jesus just like he flip flops on everything else.
The Political Junkie @ 33:
Sometimes Dems remind me of an abused party in a dysfunctional relationship. The Dem base is sticking through thick and thin with a leadership which never gave a shit about them, esp the DLC types. Yet the base longs for the good ol' days, and putting with all the abuse... because "one day he may change."
People never change, if Reid, Pelosi et al want to enable the GOP. So be it... But the Dem base should leave in droves and/or create an alternative. Remember, Reid and his merry bunch of idiots need us more than we need them. Enough of all this pussy footing; facing down and playing dead is not a political strategy.
I think you could cover the fact that Mcsame whooed and courted his current wife, while married to his first wife, who happened to be crippled. So McSame comes home from the war and says wtf this wont work, I got a crippled wife, oh wait a minute here is a blond hottie with money, that'll do.
See, John Amato: I told you they were doing this stupid shit on purpose.
Senior moments my hairy black ass.
It's a setup to get the public to buy into a war/preemptive strike on Iran. They're using Al-Qaeda as the bullseye.
It's like this: let's say the Neo-Cons want a war. But the public doesn't want one.
Here's some 'examples'
(Insert country or area here)________is training and funding Al-Qaeda! We must strike the terrorists before they strike us!
whereas
Bob's Deli in Chicago, Illinois is training and funding Al-Qaeda! We must strike the terrorists before they strike us!
I don't think anyone in politics is more annoying to me than Joe Lieberman. I suppose that is because I see him and remember that I voted for him in 2000.
John F A @ 52:
They can afford to see a physician every time they get a sniffle or a minor pain and have a full body scan done
for what to them is the equivilant cost of a pack of smokes.
The rest of us herds have to settle for asprin or advil or jack daniels, and hope and pray we die a swift sudden and painless death.
Joe Lieberman = putz!
He also always manages to quote the bible.
Mike @ 58:
And what the hell she saw in him is beyond my ability to imagine. I suppose she was yearning to marry her dad or something but that wouldn't quite fly in public so she had to find an equivalent.
I get it now. The republicans have rode the gay rights and abortion horse to the ground so now it is Mexcuns and Bomb bomb Iran! Joe Joe Joe....you truly are a stupid idiot and got news flash for Joe and the Republicans....that dog ain't gonna hunt anymore....the american people...the majority are tired of being frightened of boogie men mexcuns and iran. If you do not offer a solution to the problems this fall GOP...you will return to the status you deserve and had after 64 and 72. The political dustbind...but this time no third time the charm.
John F A @ 52:
Either God is an asshole, and thus he favors these types of people. Or, God is nice and wants to keep these assholes away from the afterlife as long as possible, and thus the longevity of these types. After all, how can you explain that Hitler survived a shit load of assassination attempts, while Ghandi was taken out quite easily...
Lieberman is a good patriot.....just look at the way he sticks his neck out for McCain no matter how much YOU might think it stinks!He gets his nose right to the troubled spots for John.
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~lurid/images/dog-sniff.gif
Mike @ 58:
I don't think she was crippled, the first wife however stuck with him through all his years as a POW. It seems that for McCain (no need to make McLame jokes, Cain by itself is bad enough) loyalty is only a one way street...
If we had done what Obama ACTUALLY thought we should do, we never would have gotten involved in this needless waste of a war in the first place. Poor Joe. In the end he's going to be shunned by Democrats and will shack up with Republicans who will tolerate his presence because he's occassionally useful politically but not worth truly respecting any longer.
The Dude @ 67:
Crippled,short and too chunky for John.
http://www.usvetdsp.com/mcaindiv.htm
I don't understand why the Democrats don't disavow this man and remove him from his chairman position. I think he calls himself an "Independent Democrat" and we need to let this ass know that there is so such thing. If he wants to call himself an Independent or an Independent Republican that's fine but it should be made clear to him that he is, in no way, a Democrat and bar him from using the word Democrat in his made-up positon.
Does anyone think McCrazy will pick Holy Joe as VP and try to sell it as bipartisanship?
I have my problems with Obama but Holy Joe is not the one to point out deficiencies in anyone.
It might be noted that when Lieberman ran for the Senate in 2006 his good buddy Obama came to a fund raiser in CT and urged the Democratic voters to reelect Holy Joe because he was such a great senator.
The Dude @ 65:
You're assuming that God exists and, if he does, that he/she/it cares.
Leslie @ 72:
Yep, if he does exist he/she/it has the sickest sense of humor ever!
Pat J @ 71:
As did Bill Clinton. This was in the primary. After he was defeated they both supported Lamont. And that is why Lieberman is pissed.
Oh, McCains first wife was in an automobile accident while he was a POW. She was a model when he married her, but the accident left her shorter and fater. Not to his liking.
Lieberman is going to be annoying for the rest of the year. Then he gets stripped of his committee and seniority by the dems. He can play martyr until Mossad trades a pack of gum to get him back.
You mean to say the middle east is NOT in turmoil, and that our security and credibility has NOT been jeopardized?
Monica Liebermann?
SassySandy @ 74:
She looked too much like him?
Sam in Austin TX @ 62:
A putz is Yiddish for penis, and is Pennyslvanian Dutch for Christmas creche.
I always want to put a big decorated penis in my front yard on X-mas, but my homeowners association looks askance at that.
Lieberman quotes the bible at the end. The last refuge for a scoundrel.
Dr. Acula @ 36:
yes i say let israel nuke the crap out of everyone! after all whats a nuke for if not to kill everybody!!!!!!!god wars good !!!
As much as I dislike Sen . Lieberman, I think this was a "sphincter said what" moment.
He actually said "Al-Qaeda AND Iran...", but he says it under his breath in such a way that it happens to sound like "Al-Qaeda in Iran"
Didn't Obama stump for this old fool in Ct? If so, he got what he deserves from this two-timing weasel.
I'm really disappointed at the comments here. We all know what joe's gonna say, why is it no one commented on the fact that suzanne summers is allowed to "interview" him?? How can any rational American think there's any merit to this "interview" at all?! As she smirks 'congrats on your comeback'. God help us!!! Where have you gone walter cronkite...
correction: she says 'comeback, would ya', but a biased interview nonetheless.
I've said this before and I will say it again. Sorry if you have read it already.
The thing about McCain, Lieberman and Bush is they will never be able to solve the war because they do not understand it. They do not understand the players. Lieberman says Al Qaeda would be in control of Iraq today? That is just STUPID!!! The Iraqis will kick their sorry butts out (no matter what McCain and his best buddy forever thinks) in a matter of hours after the U.S. leaves. The Iraqis hate Al Qaeda as much as they hate the U.S. for invading. You can bet your bottom $ that no Iraqi will be told what to do by some Al Qaeda nut who all of Iraq hate. McCain (and it looks like Lieberman as well) does not even know who Al Qaeda is. Obviously the same is true with Bush. All you will see of Al Qaeda is the dust they kick up as they run for Afghanistan. Iraq will kick Al Qaeda out just like they will do to the Iranians, "Thanks for the help. Now get the hell out." They don’t get the dynamics of country being invade by foreign powers. What would happen if the U.S. pulled out of Iraq immediately? What would happen next? This is what would happen - The Shia tell Iran "Thanks for the help, now leave. Get out of our country." That is the part the neocon war mongers can't seem to understand. Everybody says that Iran will take over Iraq. Or they will have so much influence that Iraq will essentially become part of Iran. Well that will NOT happen. Iraq is Iraq. They don't want to be told what to do by Iran. Just like they don’t want to be told what to do by the U.S. Remember when Saddam invaded Kuwait, Saudi Arabia let the U.S. stage in their country to throw Saddam out of Kuwait. And Egypt helped the coalition in that war. Both those countries are Sunni. Saddam was Sunni. In fact Egypt harbored an exiled Saddam many years ago but Egypt helped throw Saddam out of Kuwait. Being from the same sect did not help Saddam. Saddam didn't listen to Saudi Arabia when it came to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia is Sunni like Saddam. Saudi Arabia let the coalition stage in Saudi Arabia to attack Saddam, a Sunni. Why would Iraq listen to any other country, i.e. Iran or Syria or anybody else? Why would they let Iran tell them what to do? So you see that just because part of Iraq and Iran are the same sect you cannot assume that Iraqi Shia will let Iranian Shia tell them what to do. The Iraqis are only letting Iran help them because Iraq wants the U.S. out! As far as the Kurds go they have it figured out. They're having BBQ on Saturday nights (probably). And the Sunni? They will have to figure out how to have their own area. Joe Bidden knows how this will work out. Most of them have left the country anyway. It will work out without us. The neocon war profiteers don't get it or they want this war to continue for financial reasons. You know this. I know this. 82% of the U.S. knows this. Getting out is the dilemma. The Republicans think that staying in is the delimma. I'm sure the military can figure out how the hell to leave. They don't have to worry about all the junk they brought with them. Most of it is trash at this time anyway. It's worn out. Used up. Just get on a plane and leave. Remember Iraq was better off with Saddam. I've said it many times. Nobody wanted to say it at the time but it is true. Let's pack it up and leave tomorrow. You are either with me or... um... ah... won't get fooled again.
ysbaddaden @ 79:
Are you communist? Do you live on a commune. You let these putz' tell you what to do?
tricia @ 49:
You're wrong. Jews don't believe in Jesus as the son of God and the Messiah but there is nothing in Judaism that says that the teachings of Jesus are necessarily wrong. There's nothing hypocritical for a Jew to quote Jesus as long as he is not claiming that Jesus' teachings are the word of God.
East shit, Joe.
What's with the blonde Faux-bot's talking about Obama criticizing McSame's call for a "100 troop presence"? Hmmm, I gues SHE misspoke also.
And LIEberman once again hits us with the "he misspoke" (in reference to McLame).
F*ck.Them.All.
Yup! McCain and Lieberman prepping the way for us to invade Iran, either now or iof McCain becomes president.
This really isn't a sarcastic question . . . does ANYONE actually listen to Lieberman . . . aside from the knuckle-draggers that is.
Lieberman is the most disgusting weasel of all. "Let me quote from the bible to win back you ignorant goy."
Lieberman is a foreign agent. Period. He is a traitor.
FYI:
Both Bush 41 AND Israel had a vested interest