Two Doors Down Coffee House, is a small, quaint coffee house in Corsicana, Texas. This small country community, only has about 30,000 people buzzing around on the streets, but this establishment has added life, hope, and a sense of home to all the artistic, unique, old & young…this place does not discriminate, but it loves & welcomes all. Yesterday, as I checked my email, an older gentleman who I’ve known for a few months, walked in and was glad to see I had come back to town. “If you had not of gone to Florida, my guy would’ve won”, he said as the patrons all broke into laughter. Texans, will be Texans, and lets face it, Obama did not win Texas! No one was upset, no one was offended, at the coffee house, my involvement within this election was appreciated by both sides. At the coffee shop, we got a good laugh and took it all in stride.
Today on the Hill, there was no laughing matter. “To reward Senator Lieberman with a major committee chairmanship would be a slap in the face of millions of Americans who worked tirelessly for Barack Obama and who want to see real change in our country,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said in a statement Friday. When Joe Lieberman dawned the steps of the capital this morning, he new he was going to the Hot Seat.
Before we examine the outcome, lets take a look at the track record of Sen. Leiberman. Sen. Leiberman assumed office January 3, 1989. It is very, very safe to say that Sen. Leiberman had pleased his constiuents back in Connecticut. Lieberman made history by winning the largest landslide ever in a Connecticut Senate race, drawing 67 percent of the vote and beating his opponent by more than 350,000 votes. A “Maverick” in his own right, he was one of the first Democrats on the Hill to address President Clinton’s involvement with Monica Lewinsky. So respected, Lieberman accepted the offer coveted by many but attained by few, the VP Spot on the 2000 Democratic Ticket. After the loss, he became chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, again a key spot of trust and responsibility within the Democratic Party. In 2004 he scored 88 out of 100 by the Human Rights Campaign, but lost 5 out of 5 primaries, and ended his bid for the White house.
Something happened in 2006 that shocked everyone. After loosing the primaries in his state, he ran as an Independent despite advice from Howard Dean, and Hillary’s support for the Party Primary Winner. Joe worked his magic, and won his old seat, pledging to sit as a Democrat in the Senate. And sat he did, he played along just fine with everyone. The dust had just began to settle, more attention was being focused on another hard fought senate seat by a young up and comer, the Democratic Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama. Ten months and seven days after Barack Obama threw his hat in the ring for President, Joe Lieberman decided it was time to endorse. And what was thought to be, another hard fought endorsement between several Democratic Contestors, the endorsement went to another man who had previously fought hard to win a bid for the White House as well…John McCain.
Shocked, bewildered, confused, and frankly astonished at his actions, time could not stop nor did he take it back. The months began to fly by, and as Hillary debated Barack, John McCain sowed up the nomination for the Republican Party with his now “Good Friend”, Joe Lieberman by his side. What was amazing, is the number of people who were just entering the political process for the first time, who would email me confused at why Democrats would be upset with Joe, “he just moved from being a Republican to being an Independent right?”. “Say it Aint So Joe…Lieberman” would be the response from the person realizing that we had a rogue Democrat on our hands, and traveling on the Straight Talk Express, Joe was preaching the Gospel of Reform, and Country First. If you think back hard enough, I think most Americans were more surprised that John McCain did not choose Joe Lieberman for VP pick, rather than why he chose Sarah Palin. To be honest, the shock for both are equal. Nonetheless, Joe made his bed and took a long nap in it.
On November 4th, when the count was in, most constituents surely thought Joe was out, and that was it. But Say It Aint So Joe…Lieberman, he worked that magic once again but it didn’t work. For once, there was nothing he could do to justify the neglect of his faithfulness to his pledge and promise to the Democrats in the party. Blazing away, his seat was awaiting for him this morning, and only the “God’s” could tell what could happen. Friday, one Senator commented that keeping Joe in his seat was not the change we could believe in, and if this was “Business as Usual”, Joe would would probably be taking up plumbing for a trade, and leaving the politicking to more loyal servants.
Something amazing happened today on the Hill, and I believe it speaks volumes over all the rhetoric you hear, and the assumptions we make about the filth in politics. Since November 4th, this country has started practicing a principle that I thought was forgotten…the principle of ONE! One Nation, Indivisible, not divided, no holding grudges, moving on, working together, looking forward not backward. It’s becoming more of an atmosphere of “We” the people, not just the people working independently. Yesterday rivals sat down and met, today Joe Lieberman retained a key spot within the party, and tomorrow the news will report that although not always pleased or happy with each other, United we continue to stand.
Frankly, as a Democrat my self, I am quite astonished that the hot seat didn’t incinerate the Senator: Say It Aint So Joe…Lieberman.
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