WARNING: Do not read this op-ed in The Wall Street Journal by Joe Lieberman if you have a heart condition or blood pressure issues, because I promise you, this will make you sick.
How did the Democratic Party get here? How did the party of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy drift so far from the foreign policy and national security principles and policies that were at the core of its identity and its purpose?
Beginning in the 1940s, the Democratic Party was forced to confront two of the most dangerous enemies our nation has ever faced: Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. In response, Democrats under Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy forged and conducted a foreign policy that was principled, internationalist, strong and successful.
This was the Democratic Party that I grew up in - a party that was unhesitatingly and proudly pro-American, a party that was unafraid to make moral judgments about the world beyond our borders. It was a party that understood that either the American people stood united with free nations and freedom fighters against the forces of totalitarianism, or that we would fall divided.
This was the Democratic Party of Harry Truman, who pledged that “it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.”
And this was the Democratic Party of John F. Kennedy, who promised in his inaugural address that the United States would “pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of freedom.”
This worldview began to come apart in the late 1960s, around the war in Vietnam. In its place, a very different view of the world took root in the Democratic Party. Rather than seeing the Cold War as an ideological contest between the free nations of the West and the repressive regimes of the communist world, this rival political philosophy saw America as the aggressor - a morally bankrupt, imperialist power whose militarism and “inordinate fear of communism” represented the real threat to world peace.
Beat. Head. Repeatedly. Against. Keyboard. But he only disagrees with us on one discrete issue, right, Harry? Glenn Greenwald:
This is what makes the constant, lavish praise heaped on Lieberman by Harry Reid and his anonymous “Senate leadership” comrades so mystifying — and so self-destructive. Democratic leaders like Reid just keep building up the character, credentials and political wisdom of someone who is in the process of mauling their party and their candidate in the most toxic manner possible.
Along those lines, Matt Yglesais makes a very good point about the shock and horror being expressed by some “liberal” pundits towards Lieberman as a result of his “Zellification.” While Lieberman’s attacks on the Democratic Party as weak and inept in national security are becoming more prominent due to his role in the McCain campaign, they’re nothing new — neither for Lieberman nor for many of the Beltway “liberal” pundits pretending to find Lieberman’s attacks so outrageous.
No Trackbacks To “Lieberman: “The Democrats *used* to be pro-America”“
Boot him out of the Door now. Take away his committees, now. Diminish his power now.
Remind me again why Harry Reid thought keeping this fool around in the Democratic Party was a good idea.
He should just go ReThug already and spare us fool writings like this.
CT is for Lieberman. They can keep him.
how did this wonderful party of my father, my mother of roosevelt, truman, kennedy, carter ever count lieberman, the absolute traitor and coward as one of its own? how, how?
can bullshit cause an aneurysm? my head feels funny
A disgrace. This man alone makes me ashamed I voted for Gore in 2000.
What the hell is up with Lieberman? Why doesn’t he just change his party affiliation and be done with it. He’s now a republican in every sense of the word. He and McCain are now joined at the hip so WTF? join McCain’s party.
If someone removed that tumor from Teddy’s head it would look just like a Bush clone, like crazy Joe or Johnny McNapalm.
kasinca @ 6:
Both Lieberman and McCain were different men in 2000, or at least they appeared to be.
Now they have both lost their minds and they are each others port in the storm.
Why doesn’t this piece of shit just go away?
keeping this zionist as chairman of the homeland security committee is a breach of national security.
After the election in November both Lieberman and McCain can just wander off into the sunset. The dems sure as hell aren’t going to want joe, and the repubs will simply ignore McCain. They are both on their last lap around the track. Or maybe they can share one last shopping trip in Baghdad.
well, no wonder i’m confused . . . i grew up in a democratic party that was unhesitatingly and proudly pro-equality, pro-justice, and pro-constitution, a party that was unafraid to aid those who were impovrished or oppressed. a party that understood that either the american people and their institutions respect domestic and international law, or we would fall prey to the forces of totalitarianism and fall divided
Lieberman broke the law of conservation of mass; I can’t believe how much shit comes out of this guy’s mouth.
I wonder if he is including all the Democrats who spent their political capital campaigning for his sorry ass against the real Democrat, Ned Lamont?
hood @ 14:
Holy Joe’s simply gone crazy.
Why should sh*t like this surprise anybody? Hell, we had another prominent Democratic today in Florida compare the DNC and the Democratic party to the regime in Zimbabwe. Democrats need to clean house…from the inside out.
“This worldview began to come apart in the late 1960s, around the war in Vietnam. In its place, a very different view of the world took root in the Democratic Party. Rather than seeing the Cold War as an ideological contest between the free nations of the West and the repressive regimes of the communist world, this rival political philosophy saw America as the aggressor - a morally bankrupt, imperialist power whose militarism and “inordinate fear of communism” represented the real threat to world peace.”
Of course, Lieberman’s right.
What we need to do now is pretend our eyes never opened, that naive patriotism is always preferable to addressing reality, especially when it does such a good job of reducing the populations of those troublesome Arab countries.
The idea of being responsible, informed and empowered adults is disastrous to the notion of unchecked imperial power.
What were we thinking?
Thanks, Joe.
Yeah, why don’t the democrats embrace Iraq? It’s only pulling the GOP into a monster tailspin. Why not jump in after them?
This on the heels of Lieberman’s attempt to get google to censor content (terror videos)? Yeah, because China forcing Google to censor content is really the example to follow here. Can someone please check this mans ID again? I just can’t accept that he knows what country he is in.
Stop picking on Joe Lieberman.
He has a good heart and a keen intellect.
The people of Connecticut had good sense when they sent him back to the Senate in 2006.
Would someone please escort this republican troll out of the party?
Would the good peole of CT please step and recall your Senator. You, nor the country can afford to have this buffoon repesenting your state or have any kind of power in this country.
it’s time to throw LIEberman’s f#ucking ass under a bus.
he’s not a democrat, but he is a fascist repig.
Honestly, does anyone really pay attention to this fool? He seems to be on his last legs and lashing out in anger. He really comes across as an angry child in the throes of a tantrum ever since he lost the Primary. The next time he is up for re-election he will probably be sent packing.
Lieberman and his fellow Republicans are destroying America from the inside out. Al-Queda couldn’t be more pleased with their work.
Joe wants to keep up the drum-beat with Mcinsanity for war with Iran. He want to be the messiah for Israel. He should be forced from the Progressive party. We also should start labeling him as a NeoCon since that is his mantra.
Let us remember which ring in hell is saved for the most treacherous, back stabbing scum of society.
From TFA:
Damn straight. So Joe, when will you support the liberation of the Palestinians from the subjugation of the European Zioninsts who took their land and established an apartheid govt?
Toastal @ 20:
Yes, and Sen Obama campaigned for LIEberman, until he flipped over to Lamont.
Sen LIEberman is a very dangerous and deceitful piece of work.
Toastal @ 20:
I agree. And George Bush is a rocket scientist and Dick Cheney is a good and decent man.
dadams @ 23:
No, no.
Joe has a keen intellect.
The people of Connecticut had good sense when they sent him back to the Senate.
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Attila the Appeaser @ 3:
I still think that Ct. got Diebold scanners to elect Lieberman. Even in Ct. they can’t be that stupid, can they?
By the way, if you haven’t read Greenwalds book “Great American Hypocrites” you should, it’s very good and explains a lot about the how and why of the GOP and their false Cowboy actor chicken-hawk image.
Lieberman has no respect for ordinary Americans. He would drag this country into world war 3 for the benefit of his fanatical Zionist vision for “Greater Israel”. He will play the neocon card in the corporate media hard all year and use Mccain as his main spokesman for an wildly immoral and illegal attack on Iran. It’s time to reveal this deception on the American public, we’ve seen yellow journalism many time before. Lieberman thinks it can work yet one more time even in the Information Age. He is grossly mistaken.
hood @ 27:
once again, i find myself wishing that i believed in an afterlife . . .
In the same Kennedy speech that Leiberman quotes, Kennedy also said “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. ”
He left that out and it totaly negates any point he was trying to make.
Leiberman = Manchurian candidate?????
Lieberman is a sad disturbed old man. Move on. Nothing for you here.
“WARNING: Do not read this op-ed in The Wall Street Journal by Joe Lieberman if you have a heart condition or blood pressure issues, because I promise you, this will make you sick.”
thanks for the warning. I don’t think atenolol is meant for emergencies, and quite frankly, I hate dialing 911. Everyone wants to get in your business when they leave. And my flat is a tip.
Here’s a cool article from the same rag, yesterday:
In Moscow’s Metro, a Stray Dog’s Life Is Pretty Cushy, and Zoologists Notice
I got American Idol on in the background and these numbers are dreadful. 80’s remakes sung badly by the eliminated contestants. Like watching cruise ship karaoke.
Lieberman is going to say these things no matter what. Better to keep the D next to his name than have McConnell running the Senate. Suck it up, people. Not that much longer.
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Ruthless People @ 41:
…oh my god. And now George Michael is singing wearing my Aunt Mabel’s glasses.
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Ruthless People @ 25:
LIEberman and the repugs are the American branch
of al-qaida.
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Why has this turd not been stripped of his Senate seniority?? Why is he allowed to sit in positions of power on Senate committees?? How many more fucking times is this freak going to be allowed to stab his former Democratic Party colleagues in the back?? Huh, Harry?? How many more fucking times, Goddamnit!!!???
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The voters of CT had there chance to get rid of this moron back in 2006 but reelected him instead. I hope they all suffer from buyer’s remorse. Lieberman is a whiny tool, only interested in the interest of Israel. Traitorous.
and john mccain zips up his fly–
Is Joe implying that the Bush/McCain foreign policy that he supports is principled, internationalist, strong, or successful?
If the Democrats were so bad in the ’60’s, then why did Joe even join them and remain one for 40 years? He can’t be old enought to have gone through WW II and the Truman years. What the fuck is this moron bitching about? If the Democratic Party was so bad, why didn’t he just become a Republican in the first place?
Maybe Joe could get a job doing THIS
You people didn’t get the hint from the Site-Monitors ….
Don’t Feed the Trolls !!
[Thank you Bangkok Bob. Apparently they did not-Sitemonitor]
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