On the Censure Lieberman front we have two more victories to celebrate: the Democratic Town Committees of New Britain and Monroe. As I've written on this subject in the past I would like to reiterate that this movement is really gaining steam and we NEED YOUR SUPPORT NOW!That is, if we want to censure Joe Lieberman.(promoted by ctblogger at myleftnutmeg.com)
U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman lost a no-confidence vote in New Britain on Thursday, where his fellow Democrats used words like "betrayal" and "desertion" when they talked about him. The vote came during a meeting of New Britain's Democratic town committee.
John McNamara, chairman of the New Britain DTC said:
"We don't have any power over the guy but we do have the power to say we have no confidence in his representation in Congress
[...]
He [Lieberman] argues that the party has changed on him, but the whole trajectory of his career has been to move away from the things that make us Democrats
Phil Sherwood, New Britain city common council member said Lieberman backtracked from things he said while making pitches for Democrats' support back then. Sherwood said Lieberman had talked about bringing American soldiers home from Iraq and the need for a Democrat as president,
"It's become clear that what he said then he said for self-preservation".
On 12/12 an unanimous resolution from the Monroe DTC was delivered to state Central stating:
JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN RESOLUTION
MONROE DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE
At a regular monthly meeting, held pursuant to due notice, on Tuesday, November 25, 2008, the following text represents a unanimously endorsed statement from the Monroe Democratic Town Committee:
"The Monroe Democratic Party is one that favors inclusion and the airing of different points of view. We respect and value the input of all Monroe residents, regardless of political persuasion, as we seek to develop and implement policies to improve our town.
With that in mind, it is a fact that Sen. Lieberman was defeated in a Democratic primary two years ago and formed his own party in order to secure re-election to the United States Senate. Then, in the most important election of our lifetime, Sen. Lieberman campaigned vigorously for the Republican candidate for President. Sen. Lieberman also financially supported, through his political action committee, other Republican candidates for national office. His divisive statements, including his comments against President-elect Barack Obama at the Republican National Convention, stand in stark contrast to the positions and ideals of the Democratic Party.
To those who say this is a time to follow the example of President-elect Obama and forgive him, we point out that our DTC must consider this issue from a different perspective than that of the President-elect or the Senate Democratic caucus. We hereby register with State Central our explicit disagreement with, and repudiation of Sen. Lieberman's words and actions throughout the 2008 political campaign.
In Monroe, we are proud that our Party truly represents the best in local politics. Our Party epitomizes reasonableness, openness and practicality in its approach to the issues affecting Monroe. Ultimately, any future action regarding Sen. Lieberman will rest with Connecticut's electors in 2012."
Friday Nov. 20 the Greenwich DTC and the Glastonbury DTC voted and passed a measure to censure Joe Liberman(Loser-CT). In Glastonbury Dem. Town Committee took a little longer for the vote to be finalized because more Democrats who either missed the vote or just wanted their name added to the final tally.
The votes were overwhelmingly cast to:
"publicly censure and repudiate the words and actions of of Joe Liberman and to ask that he resign from the Democratic Party of the state of Connecticut."
Also in Greenwich a resolution was overwhelmingly adopted criticizing Senate Democrats for not stripping Lieberman of his committee chairmanship. These votes are all the more significant since they were taken in full view of speaker of the state house of representatives Jim Amman, who sat in the front row.
Credit to blogger thomashooker at MyLeftNutmeg.com, your friendly CT liberal blogsite, for this direct quote and information:
This writer [thomashooker] urged members to remember that it is sometimes up to the grass roots to guide our leaders, rather than the other way around. And I urged the members to remember that it was Greenwich's own Ned Lamont who sparked the Democratic Party's revival in 2006 that culminated in Barack Obama's victory and the booting out of Fairfield County's faux-moderate Republican Chris Shays. And I reminded members that Lieberman not only refused to endorse Greenwich's Jim Himes, but actually praised Shays. Debunking Lieberman's own spin that he was guilty only of making some statements "in the heat of the campaign" that he regretted, some recalled that Lieberman ran for both vice-president and senate in 2000, which, winning the former, would have resulted in the Republican governor's naming a Republican to his seat.
Jim Amman, who supported Lieberman even during the general election, sat quietly in the front row as we raked Lieberman over the coals.
In Glastonbury the Democratic Town Committee Notice voted on was worded as such (credit to BlastFromGlast also at MyLeftNutmeg.com for information and quote:
The Glastonbury Democratic Town Committee
Glastonbury, Connecticut
Notice of Censure for Joseph Lieberman - Independent Senator, Connecticut
-Whereas Joe Lieberman actively campaigned for the Republican candidate for President and impugned the competence of the Democratic candidate for President at the Republican National Convention,
-Whereas Joe Lieberman chose to ignore the will of the Democratic party in the 2006 election for US Senate and chose to run as an independent candidate,
-Whereas Joe Lieberman is a key player in several organizations that promote US hegemony and the use of pre-emptive war including The Foundation for the Defense of Freedom (where he serves as 'Distinguished Advisor') (1) and The Committee on Present Danger (where he serves as Honorary Co-chairman with Jon Kyl, James Schultz, James Woolsey and along with Kyl received their 'Distinguished Statesman' award (2, 3) in June,
-Whereas Joe Lieberman trumpeted the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, then, when the White House proposed to shortchange funding the new department's inaugural budget in 2003, issued 8 press releases decrying the plan and promising to rectify the situation. But when it came time for the U.S. Senate to vote on increasing funding, he was nowhere to be found,
-Whereas Joe Lieberman skipped every single Senate vote that could have increased homeland security funding in the first critical year of the new department's existence.His absence in a debate on legislation to potentially increase security funding to Connecticut's cities meant the difference between the bill passing and losing."(4),
-Whereas Joe Lieberman voted for the original USA Patriot Act and the later reauthorization of expired provisions,
-Whereas Joe Lieberman was one of only 6 Democrats who voted to confirm Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General and the only democratic senator from new England, in spite of Gonzales' support of torture, rendition and eavesdropping on US citizen(5),
-Whereas Joe Lieberman was the only Democrat in New England, one of only 11 in the senate to vote for the Military Commissions Act of 2006 that denies prisoners the right to habeas corpus, sanctions torture and protects members of the administration from prosecution for war crimes(6),
-Whereas Joe Lieberman was the only Democrat in New England to vote for cloture in the bankruptcy bill (7) when it could have made a difference in the outcome, then, when it was too late to make a difference, he voted against it (8),
-Whereas Joe Lieberman was the only New England Democrat to vote for cloture on the Alito nomination then, when there was no chance the vote would fail, he voted against the nomination (10, 11). This vote opens the country up to further erosion of separation of church and state, erosion of civil rights and further expansion of presidential power,
-Whereas Joe Lieberman voted not to censure President Bush for authorizing the NSA to spy on Americans, an illegal act that threatens our liberties, but he voted to censure President Clinton for behavior that is not illegal and posed no threat to the nation,
-Whereas Joe Lieberman was absent for the vote on the Fair Credit Reporting Act 2003 that permanently limits states rights to enact stronger consumer protections and privacy laws (12),
-Whereas Joe Lieberman was the only Democrat to support the president's idea of private accounts. (13) Once it was clear that the issue had no traction, Joe Lieberman joined Democrats in opposing the President's plan,
-Whereas Joe Lieberman voted for NAFTA and was the only Democratic senator in New England to vote for CAFTA (14). Whereas Joe Lieberman opposed Democratic efforts to negotiate side agreements to protect worker rights, human rights and the environment (15),
-Whereas Joe Lieberman voted to table a bill that would have forced drug companies to offer drugs developed at taxpayer expense at fair prices (16),
-Whereas Joe Lieberman was one of only 7 democrats to vote against an amendment to the Class Action Fairness Act that would allow tougher state laws to prevail in class action suits. The Class Action Fairness Act later passed with Lieberman voting in favor of the bill (17),
-Whereas Joe Lieberman was one of only 15 democrats to vote against the Cluster Munitions amendment (18) which would have banned the sale of cluster bombs by the US until the defense department adopted rules preventing their use on citizens. (As many as 50 % of the bomblets in these bombs don't detonate on impact but later explode when civilians collect them as souvenirs or when military return to clear areas of unexploded devices),
-Whereas Joe Lieberman supports the Death Penalty even for minors (19),
-Whereas Joe Lieberman has demonstrated unwavering support of the war, the greatest contributing factor to the growth in the national debt.
We the under-listed members of the Glastonbury Democratic Town Committee, representing a majority of those present, voted to publicly censure and repudiate the words and actions of Senator Joe Lieberman, Connecticut-Independent, on November 20, 2008, at its regularly scheduled meeting:
Allen Freidrich
Karen Klingensmith
Kim McClain
Patricia Saddlemire
Cathy Vacchelli
Michelle Jacklin
Michael Low
Cynthia Merritt
Helen Stern
Denise Weeks
Joan Kemble
Patricia Low
Barbara Nebb
Victoria Usher
Luther Weeks
Winnie Zimberlin
In addition, the under-listed members of the GDTC, who were unable to attend the meeting and vote on the motion of censure and repudiation at the November 20, 2008 meeting, have requested to have their names added to this Notice of Censure:
Jeanie Babineau
John A.Davis, Jr.
Lynn Onderko
Barbara Wagner
Kathleen Collins
Thomas Kehoe
Daniel Schnaidt
Bob Zanlungo
Timothy Coon
Michael Lepore
Amrutur Srinivasan
The under-listed citizens of Glastonbury, who are not members of GDTC, have requested to have their names added to this Notice of Censure:
Daniel Durso
Richard Saddlemire
William Wulftange
NOTES
- http://www.defenddemocracy.org/...
- http://www.fightingterror.org/
- http://www.nedlamont.com/...
- http://www.fightingterror.org/...
5.http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&sess
ion=1&vote=00003
- http://www.senate.gov/...
7.http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&sess
ion=1&vote=00029
8.http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&sess
ion=1&vote=00044
9.http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&sess
ion=1&vote=00213
10.http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&ses
sion=2&vote=00001
11.http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&ses
sion=2&vote=00001
- http://www.govtrack.us/...
- http://www.commondreams.org/...
- http://www.senate.gov/...
- US senate votes 345 & 347, 11/2/99. US senate vote #$(, 11/3/99. US-Oman Federal Trade Agreement SB3569 6/29/06; http://www.senate.gov/...
16.http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=106&ses
sion=2&vote=00168
17.http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&ses
sion=1&vote=00007
- http://www.senate.gov/...
- http://usliberals.about.com/...
20.http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182
21.http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/opd/opdpenny.htm
(Compiled again by BlastFromGlast)
So far here is an unofficial tally of Connecticut Democratic Town Committees that have voted for censure including, five DTC's voting as organizations, nine DTC chairmen who have voted for the censure, and one vice chairman.
The five DTC's that voted for censure are:
Greenwich
Glastonbury
Wilton
Branford
Hebron
Monroe
New Britain
The nine DTC Chairmen were from:
Oxford
Bridgewater
Fairfield
Beacon Falls
Barkhamsted
Canterbury
Woodbury
Sharon
Watertown
Simsbury (Vice-Chairman)
The word on the street is that the Stamford DTC is next to take up the measure and I will be going to my towns Madison DTC next month to see what kind of support I can find.
It's a little known fact that in early June 2007 the "Connecticut For Lieberman" party called for their candidates resignation.
Lieberman asked to resign from his own party
(WTNH) _ The Connecticut for Lieberman Party is calling on Senator Joseph Lieberman to resign from the U.S. Senate following his remarks made Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation regarding military action against Iran. [...]
The Connecticut for Lieberman Chair, Dr. John Orman, called for Lieberman's resignation saying that he "crossed the line" and "no longer represents the views of the citizens of Connecticut."
Orman, a longtime critic of Lieberman, took control of the minority party back in January.
As you know and can probably tell the day of reckoning has been a long time coming for Joe Lieberman. If you would like to get involved there is a petition to sign to censure Joe Lieberman(promoted by ctblogger at myleftnutmeg.com).
Since the door on this subject has been kicked in and the CT debate on censuring Joe Lieberman is here it's more important then ever to DEMAND that your DTC takes a stand on the issue.
I need to repeat what I've said on DailyKos for as long as I've been coming (which isn't long). I believe Connecticut is the U.S.'s most liberal state and I will always defend it as such. I hope you enjoyed my fourth diary! Thanks for reading.