Joe Lieberman

A key US Senate committee announced Thursday it had set a January 20 hearing to question top counter-terrorism officials on lapses that led to a deadly November attack and the foiled Christmas bombing. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, and National Counter-Terrorism Center chief Mike Leiter were all to testify before the Senate Homeland Security Committee. The panel said in a statement it would be looking at intelligence reforms made in 2004 in light of the deadly November 5 shooting spree at the Fort Hood US military base in Texas and the thwarted December 25 airliner plot. Independent Senator ... Read Full Story

. This is good news . The new poll of Connecticut by Public Policy Polling (D) finds that independent Sen. Joe Lieberman’s approval rating is absolutely in the dumps after his actions in the health care debate, with him having antagonized every group imaginable by both weakening progressive efforts and then voting for the actual bill. Lieberman’s overall approval rating is only 25%, with 67% disapproval. Democrats disapprove of him by 14%-81%, Republicans by 39%-48%, and independents by 32%-61%. “Joe Lieberman isn’t popular enough with the Democrats or the Republicans to receive their nomination for the Senate in 2012,” said PPP president Dean Debnam, ... Read Full Story

“The Senate passed its healthcare bill in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had to make major compromises to secure the votes of fence-sitters like senators Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman. Reid sacrificed the public option to keep Lieberman on board and tightened the bill’s abortion restrictions to placate Nelson. “Next, representatives from the House and the Senate will merge their respective bills in a conference committee, creating a single piece of legislation that both houses will vote on… “J. Lester Feder of The Nation discusses what’s left to be worked out in conference. Feder says the big ... Read Full Story

The senator Republicans love and liberals love to hate is at it again. Sen. Joe Lieberman, who no longer considers himself a Democrat but is holding tight to a coveted chairmanship, thoroughly rattled the Obama administration and his colleagues in the last 48 hours when he threatened to join Republicans in blocking health care overhaul over government-run insurance and an expansion of Medicare. "Say it ain't so, Joe," Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "I think Joe's judgment is wrong." Don't count me as a "no" vote just yet, Lieberman indicated Tuesday. As long as any government plan or Medicare ... Read Full Story

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) laid the congressional smackdown on Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) yesterday -- cutting off his fellow politician when Liebs rambled on past his ten minute time limit on the Senate floor. Lieberman requested more time to finish his thoughts -- Franken denied him. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) immediately stood up and objected to Franken's decision, saying "I've been around here 27 years ... first time I've ever seen a member denied an extra minute or two ... I don't know what's happening here in this body .. but I think it's wrong." Read Full Story