Sayeth the Bull Moose:
The Moose argues that the Democrats need Lieberman more than Joe needs the donkey.
The Moose is a ticketed rider on the anti-privatization train. If there is one remaining defined benefit in society, it should be a guaranteed safety net for the aged. Moreover, it appears that the American public agrees with this notion.
Having said that, the Moose does not believe the litmus test for remaining a card carrying Democratic elected official is that issue. It is interesting to the Moose that a film maker who suggests that the United States manufactured the war in Afghanistan to further oil interests is a celebrated figure to many in the Democratic party, while a respected Democratic Senator and former Vice Presidential nominee (who generally votes with the liberal mainstream of the party) is a primary target for a purge.
The fight against social security privatization is important but not vital to the future of the Democratic Party. While the President may get something, he most probably will not win passage of his most ambitious privatization scheme. Meanwhile, Democrats must still address the problems in their own house. And those weaknesses involve being perceived as weak on values and national security.
No member of the party can better assist the party in addressing these weaknesses than Joe Lieberman. No, the Moose is not suggesting that he run again for President. Rather, he can provide valuable counsel to the party on how to better connect with those folks who have become estranged from the party in the past years.
Democrats would be wise to listen to the Moose, although no one is safe from the push for centralized control of all things ideological. Even Alan Greenspan:
“I’m not a big Greenspan fan — Alan Greenspan fan,” Reid said when asked about the Fed chairman’s testimony this week urging Congress to deal quickly with the financial problems facing Social Security and Medicare. “I voted against him the last two times. I think he’s one of the biggest political hacks we have in Washington.”
Yglesias notes:
let me add a little background to the effect that Senator Reid has some sort of long-standing beef with Greenspan that, unlike the standard-line critique we’re hearing, seems to actually be grounded in his conduct in doing his actual job — running the Federal Reserve. I don’t have real ideas about how that job should be done, but I am aware that there seems to be a very widespread consensus that Greenspan has done a good job of this. Setting the interests rates and so forth. Insofar as people have complaints about the man, it overwhelmingly concerns his freelancing as a fiscal policy analyst.
I don’t think Greenspan has pressured Republicans enough about the deficit, but he is most certainly not one of the biggest political hacks in Washington. But, the purge must be complete for the dictatorship of the proletariat to succeed.
*** Update ***
Kimmitt
I don’t think Greenspan has pressured Republicans enough about the deficit, but he is most certainly not one of the biggest political hacks in Washington.
You’re entitled to your opinion, but I was screaming that Greenspan was a goddamn hackity-hack-hack-hack since early 2001, when he endorsed the growth projections in the Bush tax cut plan. The man flat-out lied to Congress in order to starve the beats. Hacktacular.
smijer
Holy Joe – should have turned in membership card to the democratic party the same day he voted to endorse torture as a part of US policy.
Bloggerhead
Just this week, John, the Senate Majority Leader had the temerity to opine that, just maybe, social security reform would have to wait, since it’s clear to everyone but the most idealogically pure wingnut that the president’s private accounts don’t solve the funding problem, nor is the American public on board with transforming the system with risk.
Now, we didn’t hear much of an assault on the good doctor from the rightblogs, but only because within 24 hours he was on the floor of the Senate flip-flopping like a mofo, saying that SS reform needed to be tackled NOW. One could almost hear a higher pitch to his voice: undoubtedly the result of the administration’s hand tightly gripping his balls.
Since it’s pretty clear that this administration could give a shit about the working man, how would you characterize these tactics? A purge by the vanguard of the corporatists? Perhaps “putsch” is a better word.
Kimmitt
For the record, I think the equation is more that America needs Social Security more than the Democrats need Senator Lieberman.