Oh no, Joe
Greg Sargent found video of Joe Lieberman recommending Medicare buy-in as an appropriate compromise from the public option. And not in 2000. Or 2006. Three months ago!
"I was very focused on a group that's post-50, or maybe post-55," Lieberman explained to the Connecticut Post. "People who have retired early, or unfortunately, been laid off early, who lose their health insurance or are too young to qualify for Medicare. And what I was proposing is that they have an option to buy into Medicare on the premise that that would be less expensive."
I'm still awaiting an explanation of how it's principled for Lieberman to threaten to derail a bill that will save more than a hundred thousand lives because it includes a policy he supported as recently as three months ago.
By
Ezra Klein
|
December 14, 2009; 3:56 PM ET
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Posted by: adamiani | December 14, 2009 4:06 PM | Report abuse
It isn't principled. Joe has no principles and no morals. All that matters to Joe is Joe. He's a completely egocentric man, and always has been.
It's an continuing embarassment that the media take he and McCain seriously. They're little more than twins who put themselves ahead of the rest of the country.
John
Posted by: toshiaki | December 14, 2009 4:07 PM | Report abuse
You won't get one. There isn't one. Lieberman's just being a ****.
We all know it, just no one wants to say it.
Btw, your colleague Chuck Lane, is being one himself. Sorry, had to say it as well.
Chuck: No need to balance someone calling a spade a spade! Would be better if more people were doing the same. Can't say the same about you. You'll love the comments section, where folks wonder where your "objective" view has been for the past several months (years?) of venomous hyperbole (death panels, etc.) from several outlets.
Cheers!
Posted by: JERiv | December 14, 2009 4:07 PM | Report abuse
Senator Lieberman is probably one of the most shameless people to walk the halls of Congress. The sad part is that his duplicitous behavior is enabled by tools like Charles Lane and David Broder, who place Washington etiquette above truth or fact.
$20 says David Broder writes a glowing column about Lieberman's "centrism" and "dedication to fiscal discipline" in the next in his series of inane columns.
Posted by: crazymoloch | December 14, 2009 4:08 PM | Report abuse
Ezra, your posts today just make me want to gush.
Thanks.
Posted by: KathyF | December 14, 2009 4:09 PM | Report abuse
You know, I hate those typical progressive blog posts that responds to every politician with opposing views with something like: "It doesn't matter what we think. It doesn't matter what the facts are. The check came through, and he's doing exactly what he's supposed to." But you know what? In Lieberman's case? That's exactly the right response.
Posted by: vvf2 | December 14, 2009 4:15 PM | Report abuse
I think Yglesias is right--Lieberman just isn't really all that smart, he simply benefits from stereotypes. He doesn't really understand most of health care and can't articulate clear rationales for his positions. He's just wrong most of the time on the numbers. I'd say there's even evidence that he is starting to lose his memory and reasoning ability (not losing, starting to lose--it took my Mother 12 years to really lose it).
Remember how everyone thought for so long that Cheney was really smart? Well, we know now he isn't, he's just paranoid and very determined and tenacious. Something similar with Lieberman--he's not that smart but people have been giving him the benefit of the doubt for years and years because he's one of a group supposed to be smarter than average.
Posted by: Mimikatz | December 14, 2009 4:17 PM | Report abuse
So, 3 months back he wanted what he now condemns!! Hello, Hello, Mr. Lane, Any Comments Mr. Lane?
Lieberman is what happens when ARROGANCE, RESENTMENT, SPITE and an inordinate desire for the LIMELIGHT take human form. It's as simple as that. Unfortunately this thing is also a Senator.
Posted by: mark_cohen | December 14, 2009 4:18 PM | Report abuse
What are the odds that Chuck cops to being wrong?
John
Posted by: toshiaki | December 14, 2009 4:26 PM | Report abuse
Ezra, I think there IS an explanation for the seeming contradiction between this-week Lieberman and last-week Lieberman: unknown to us, the Hadron collider was successful, either Friday or Saturday, in creating a mini-black hole, which thereby created a new universe, dividing our old universe-1 into universe-1-and-2. The Lieberman in the three month-old video is Lieberman-1. But we are now stuck with Lieberman-2, who by virtue of his higher level of consciousness realized that he is no longer bound by the residual history of universe-1. He is essentially a new Lieberman! We may, in fact, continue getting new Liebermans unless the Hadron people are stopped.
Posted by: dpclark | December 14, 2009 4:26 PM | Report abuse
How horribly venomous you are to point out that Holy Joe is a lying piece of sht!
I await McCain's denunciation of three-month-ago Joe. Disgusting!
Posted by: AZProgressive | December 14, 2009 4:26 PM | Report abuse
Great stuff today Ezra, but you might want to start looking for work elsewhere. You've obviously pss'd off the neocons at HQ in shiking a light on Holy Joe's abject mendacity and all around malign behavior. You're going to get yourself Froomkin'd.
Posted by: john7 | December 14, 2009 4:30 PM | Report abuse
Ezra Klein writes
"I'm still awaiting an explanation of how it's principled for Lieberman to threaten to derail a bill that will save more than a hundred thousand lives because it includes a policy he supported as recently as three months ago."
Don't hold your breath, or you'll risk joining the casualty list.
.
Posted by: bsimon1 | December 14, 2009 4:37 PM | Report abuse
I'm still waiting for an apology from Chuck Lane for the ridiculous bit of fluff that's sitting on top of the WAPO front page.
I'm also waiting for an explanation why all of your opinions are buried and Chuck's "HOW DARE YOU!" gets front page treatment
Posted by: jbanks979 | December 14, 2009 4:44 PM | Report abuse
"I'm still awaiting an explanation of how it's principled for Lieberman to threaten to derail a bill that will save more than a hundred thousand lives because it includes a policy he supported as recently as three months ago."
9/11 changed everything.
Posted by: Rufus_Jones | December 14, 2009 4:45 PM | Report abuse
Does it matter if he's principled or not? So he joins a very large club of politicians who lack principles.....
He's actually covering the *sses of Nelson, Lincoln, Landrieu by taking the heat in HC reform. They should be secretly thanking him.
Posted by: MBP2 | December 14, 2009 4:47 PM | Report abuse
Great work today, Ezra!
Simple, straght-forward, moral arguments. It's a recipe for something...
And, it get's some folks panties in a bunch, huh?
Posted by: rat-raceparent | December 14, 2009 4:51 PM | Report abuse
Keep up the great work, Ezra!
Posted by: toweypat | December 14, 2009 4:51 PM | Report abuse
My first thought was "Ouch!" But in reality Holy Joe is still getting off too easily.
Posted by: JPRS | December 14, 2009 4:54 PM | Report abuse
There's not much else to say after all these comments.
So I'll just throw in a hearty
LUCK FIEBERMAN
Posted by: firenze_italia | December 14, 2009 4:56 PM | Report abuse
Lieberman and his fellow Republicants will try to sink Obama's presidency by any means necessary, and they need to be fought be every means we have.
Posted by: ottoparts | December 14, 2009 5:05 PM | Report abuse
He's disgusting. That is all you can say about this tiny, slow-witted, weak-kneed, insurance-sucking senator.
I am so glad that those Connecticut Democrats voted for this guy, who is right on everything but the war.
Posted by: teoandchive | December 14, 2009 5:06 PM | Report abuse
I'd like to join the chorus of "Great work today Ezra"
Posted by: Quant | December 14, 2009 5:07 PM | Report abuse
At long last, Mr. Klein, have you no decency ?
It doesn't matter what you cleverly dig up on the YouTubes. Lieberman always - ALWAYS - stands on principle...because the principle is "Lieberman."
Posted by: brucds | December 14, 2009 5:18 PM | Report abuse
How shrill!
Ezra, we know that more of your calls and emails get answered now that you're here, but your newspaper is a disgrace.
Posted by: jeffro20 | December 14, 2009 5:37 PM | Report abuse
pnwed! (sorry, that was a bit puerile, but I can't think of a better word).
Great work today Ezra!
Posted by: justin84 | December 14, 2009 7:22 PM | Report abuse
It sounds like he was for it before he was against it, but actually he wasn't for it, he was just lying.
Posted by: Cass_Andra | December 14, 2009 8:01 PM | Report abuse
Lieberman is representing his constituency. Namely, the Republicans of Connecticut who got him elected.
Why the Democratic leadership have not figured out, nearly three years later, that Lieberman is simply a Trojan horse is beyond me.
Posted by: rick_desper | December 15, 2009 12:08 AM | Report abuse
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