C
Clay
Guest
By Robert D. Novak
April 12, 2008
Far-Leftist Democrats Eyeing A Blow To Joe Lieberman
Sen. Joseph Lieberman's friends are certain that if Democrats expand
their one- vote Senate edge in this year's elections, they will kick
him out of the Senate Democratic caucus and, therefore, oust him as
Homeland Security Committee chairman.
Lieberman risked the usual punishment of ejection from the party
caucus when he endorsed Republican Sen. John McCain for president and
actively campaigned for him. But with Democrats in a Senate majority
of only 51 to 49, they would lose control if Lieberman defected to the
Republicans.
After being defeated by an anti-Iraq-war candidate in the 2006
Connecticut Democratic primary, Lieberman kept his Senate seat in the
general election by running as an independent and now calls himself an
"Independent Democrat." He became Homeland Security chairman under the
Democrats' strict seniority rules by remaining in the party caucus.
Despite his participation in McCain's campaign, Lieberman generally
votes the straight Democratic line on issues other than Iraq.
Mitt Romney has pleased McCain with his help since losing the
Republican presidential nomination, but it remains unlikely the former
Massachusetts governor will be selected for vice president.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush is reported by Florida Republican insiders as
favoring a McCain-Romney ticket, added to backing from former White
House political chief Karl Rove and some senior McCain campaign
staffers. Nevertheless, the McCain consensus is that defects that made
Romney a problematic presidential candidate also would hurt him as a
running mate.
A footnote: Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty gets higher marks from the
McCain inner circle than from conservative Republican governors and is
in the running for vice president.
Persistent rumors that Gen. David Petraeus will be transferred from
his Iraq command to NATO are attributed by Pentagon sources to his
critics in the Army officer corps.
These sources consider it unlikely that President Bush, entering his
final months in office, would shift Petraeus from the Army's most
important military command to a relative backwater. Such an assignment
is desired by fellow general officers who resent Petraeus for
outstripping his senior colleagues.
A footnote: One of Petraeus' friends in the officer corps suggests the
best thing Bush could do for him now would be to permit his wife to
move from the United States to Jordan for the remainder of his Iraqi
command.
The national business lobbies that have pushed hard for congressional
approval of the Colombian Free Trade Agreement flinched when asked to
help defeat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's unprecedented pre-emptive
strike.
Pelosi moved to change the rules so the House would not have to vote
on a trade pact that is opposed by organized labor and has been pushed
by President Bush. When asked to join in trying to block Pelosi's
move, Washington's top business lobbyists declined. Without business
opposition, Pelosi prevailed in the House Thursday 224 to 195 on a
largely party-line vote.
The lobbies explained they do not like to get involved in a procedural
vote, as this would be. The real reason, however, may be unwillingness
to confront Pelosi, who will still be around when Bush is gone.
---------
-C-
April 12, 2008
Far-Leftist Democrats Eyeing A Blow To Joe Lieberman
Sen. Joseph Lieberman's friends are certain that if Democrats expand
their one- vote Senate edge in this year's elections, they will kick
him out of the Senate Democratic caucus and, therefore, oust him as
Homeland Security Committee chairman.
Lieberman risked the usual punishment of ejection from the party
caucus when he endorsed Republican Sen. John McCain for president and
actively campaigned for him. But with Democrats in a Senate majority
of only 51 to 49, they would lose control if Lieberman defected to the
Republicans.
After being defeated by an anti-Iraq-war candidate in the 2006
Connecticut Democratic primary, Lieberman kept his Senate seat in the
general election by running as an independent and now calls himself an
"Independent Democrat." He became Homeland Security chairman under the
Democrats' strict seniority rules by remaining in the party caucus.
Despite his participation in McCain's campaign, Lieberman generally
votes the straight Democratic line on issues other than Iraq.
Mitt Romney has pleased McCain with his help since losing the
Republican presidential nomination, but it remains unlikely the former
Massachusetts governor will be selected for vice president.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush is reported by Florida Republican insiders as
favoring a McCain-Romney ticket, added to backing from former White
House political chief Karl Rove and some senior McCain campaign
staffers. Nevertheless, the McCain consensus is that defects that made
Romney a problematic presidential candidate also would hurt him as a
running mate.
A footnote: Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty gets higher marks from the
McCain inner circle than from conservative Republican governors and is
in the running for vice president.
Persistent rumors that Gen. David Petraeus will be transferred from
his Iraq command to NATO are attributed by Pentagon sources to his
critics in the Army officer corps.
These sources consider it unlikely that President Bush, entering his
final months in office, would shift Petraeus from the Army's most
important military command to a relative backwater. Such an assignment
is desired by fellow general officers who resent Petraeus for
outstripping his senior colleagues.
A footnote: One of Petraeus' friends in the officer corps suggests the
best thing Bush could do for him now would be to permit his wife to
move from the United States to Jordan for the remainder of his Iraqi
command.
The national business lobbies that have pushed hard for congressional
approval of the Colombian Free Trade Agreement flinched when asked to
help defeat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's unprecedented pre-emptive
strike.
Pelosi moved to change the rules so the House would not have to vote
on a trade pact that is opposed by organized labor and has been pushed
by President Bush. When asked to join in trying to block Pelosi's
move, Washington's top business lobbyists declined. Without business
opposition, Pelosi prevailed in the House Thursday 224 to 195 on a
largely party-line vote.
The lobbies explained they do not like to get involved in a procedural
vote, as this would be. The real reason, however, may be unwillingness
to confront Pelosi, who will still be around when Bush is gone.
---------
-C-
