Reid: Lieberman did something 'improper'
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/07/art.reid.cnn.jpg caption="Reid is torn over Lieberman."]
(CNN) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made clear Friday he's not happy with Joe Lieberman over the onetime Democrat's avid support of John McCain's White House bid, but told CNN the Connecticut independent has a strong record of voting with the Democrats.
Watch: Reid torn over Lieberman
"Joe Lieberman has done something that I think was improper, wrong, and I'd like if we weren't on television, I'd use a stronger word of describing what he did," Reid told CNN's John King. "But Joe Lieberman votes with me a lot more than a lot of my senators. He didn't support us on military stuff and he didn't support us on Iraq stuff. You look at his record, it's pretty good."
Sources tell CNN Reid wants to strip Lieberman of his Homeland Security Committee chairmanship and offer him the chairmanship of a less high-profile committee. Lieberman reportedly called the proposal "not acceptable."
The full interview with Reid airs on CNN's Late Edition, Sunday at 11 a.m. ET.
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Let's see, Sen. Reid calls legistlative bills "stuff". I guess he was thinking of those earmarks in terms of turkey and what is put inside one - or he was reflecting what he really thinks about a bill - just "stuff", nothing important. Sen Lieberman is an American, first, and a Democratically-leaning Independent second, who, in his own opinion, put country first. He represents the people in his home state and they should decide his future, which they apparently did in the last election in which he defeated his incumbent AND the DNC AND the democratic party's leadership. Why can't Nevada send this un-American, egotistical, self-serving man into retirement?
Repubs have Joe six pack, Joe the plumber, now they have Joe the traitor.
Let by gones be by gones, if he's the best person for the job (which I doubt) let him keep the positon.
I forgot to add that Sen. Reid ought to look in a mirror and consider some of his shady real estate dealings as more "improper" than what Sen. Liebermann did.
How sad that the Senator from Nevada forgets that it was the man
that he wishs to replace, that made him the MAJORITY LEADER.
I'm an Obama man, through and through.
Senator Liberman is an independent, and he should not be forced to support someone he doesn't want to. Last I checked Independent is not Republican or Democrat.
To some it may just seem like petty partisanship but this is how things started with Nazi Germany and Stalin's USSR.
Really is this the "change" people wanted, I doubt it. Kind of ironic that we live in a country where people were encouraged to speak what they believe despite who disagrees. Now it's become a place where if you don't completely agree with someone they'll cut your throat and hang your corpse from the rafters.
How do you deal with a cancer? Get rid of it. Democrats being too generaous to this guy. Please throw him off the bus NOW. This is enemy within the party. Another Zeal miller of Georgia. Remember him.
Harry Reid is a wimp. I love Joe Lieberman for his independence. More politicians should be like him.
Judas Joe Lie-berman is a slug.
The Dems have Al Gore to thank for this traitor, Judas Joe!
Harry Reid has no choice but to de-chair Judas Joe.
There MUST be consequences for Judas Joe's treachery!
No consequence for INCOMPETENT Republi-cons over 911, has emboldened the deceptive and divisive Republicons to even try to make Democrats responsible for their 911, Katrina, Iraq, Recession INCOMPETENCE!
Hello Harry! You continue to have lights on but nobody's at home. You would not support him, so he went INDEPENDENT–and YOU LOST!!!!!!!!. Harry what part of independent is it that you don't understand!
Who cares what "dirty" Harry thinks ?
The Democrats are removing him from Democrat positions. I do not see what the fuss is about, the man is obviously not a Democrat. He's an Independent who supported McCain. He used to be a Democrat but went across the aisel a long time ago. After he supported McCain they were like "ok, time to remove you from your former Democrat duties."
There is nothing partisan, or hateful about it. The guy is not a Democrat, and shouldn't be in their congressional democrat positions. He's free to join the Republicans if he wants. I see nothing at all wrong with what they did.
Joe needs to go period.
Let the Liberal blood letting begin! Hell hath no fury like a Democrat scorned.
I think it's time for maverick McCain and hawk Lieberman to form their own third party and leave the Republican party for Palin and the evangelical conservatives and hatemongers. Lieberman should be stripped of his chairmanship for deserting the Democrats in this most critical election cycle. I, for one, don't believe that the Departnment of Homeland Security should be overseen by someone like Lieberman. We need people in there that respect the Constitution of the United States and don't look at it as something that might get in the way of our support for Israel's wars.
Excuuuuuse me, Mr. Leiberman, but I find your presence in the Senate to be unacceptable, and I won't have to wait but about 2 more years to start working on your removal, and the end of your career.
The people of Connecticutt voted first for a Democrat, then for a so-called Independent. They never voted for a Republican. Do his recent positions really represent the will of the people who voted for him? Can Senators be impeached?
i 'm gonig to call him as he shoud be called he is a rat,a power hungry person he should be stripped out of every chairmanship.i could not stand to see his rat facebehind mccain with an ugly sirk in his face.to tell you the truth i don't trust him he is a traitor who knows what he may do next
Joe Lieberman is a senator who speaks his mind and votes his conscience. He is not swayed by polls. He was abandoned by the Democratic party during a tough primary fight, yet, he agreed to caucus with the Democrats so that they could have a majority. Harry Reid no longer needs his vote so he will punish him for his support of McCain. Harry Reid is a typical partisan hack. I don't know if the Obama Administration will be able to control this power hungry madman and he will stop "change" in its tracks.
It is one thing to endorse John McCain but to spit all the venom Lieberman did, is a REAL big deal! He's obviously very confused going from a Democrat, to a Indepent, then a Republican supporter asking people to cross party lines! He was soooo sure Obama would not get elected! You don't know what his motive was! HE CAN'T BE TRUSTED!!!!!!!!
Lieberman wants to keep his Homeland Security post so he can keep on spying on Americans and feeding it to the Mossad.
It is one thing to endorse John McCain but to spit all the venom Lieberman did, is a REAL big deal! He's obviously very confused going from a Democrat, to a Independent, then a Republican supporter asking people to cross party lines! He was soooo sure Obama would not get elected! You don't know what his motive was! HE CAN'T BE TRUSTED!!!!!!!!
For as long as Harry Reid has been in Washington he should know the meaning of independent. Congress members should represent their districts not the Democratic or Republican parties, and there lies the problem.
Lieberman was sent there by the people he represents - UNDERSTAND THAT!!
Do what you have to do but respect him as an independent.
Interesting to see how Reid is "reaching across the aisle".
I'm sure we'll see more of this wonderful bipartisanship in the months to come. Pelosi's broken promise is now Obama's to break.
Lieberman will get screwed just because he dared speak his mind and act on his beliefs. That's okay – it'll be one step AWAY from the Democrats magic 60 number.