Glenn Greenwald: Things that don't exist in Harry Reid's world

[babylonsister]

Busted, Harry.

Glenn Greenwald
Tuesday May 6, 2008 05:28 EDT
Things that don't exist in Harry Reid's world

(updated below - Update II)

Harry Reid was on The Daily Show last night (to promote his book, ironically entitled The Good Fight) and said that Joe Lieberman "supports us on virtually everything except the war." This is exactly what Reid has said repeatedly about Lieberman ("Joe Lieberman is my friend, and he is a good Democrat, votes with us on everything, except the war. So Joe Lieberman is easy to work with"). Two weeks ago, a NYT article on Lieberman quoted Reid praising him and then immediately added:

A member of the Senate Democratic leadership, who insisted on not being identified, said: "The bloggers want us to get rid of him. It ain't happening." He added: "We need every vote. He's with us on everything but the war."

Leave aside the insulting absurdity of talking about "the war" as though it's just one garden-variety political issue out of many. And also leave aside that Lieberman happens also not to be "voting with the Democrats" on the small matter of the presidential election. Beyond that, this claim that Lieberman votes with Democrats "on everything but the war" -- made repeatedly by Reid -- is a total falsehood, but nonetheless quite revealing about how the Senate Democratic leadership thinks.

Here are some non-war votes from Lieberman since the Democrats took over Congress in 2006:


Bill to ban the CIA from using waterboarding:

Democrats -- 45-1

Republicans - 5-46

Lieberman- NAY


Cloture vote on bill to restore habeas corpus (which Lieberman voted to abolish in 2006):

Democrats - 50-0

Republicans - 5-42

Lieberman - NAY


Vote to strip retroactive amnesty for telecoms out of the FISA bill (h/t Matt Browner-Hamlin):

Democrats -- 31-16

Republicans - 0-48

Lieberman - NAY


Vote to specify that FISA is the "exclusive means" by which the President can spy on telephone and email communications:

Democrats -- 49-1

Republicans - 9-40

Lieberman - NAY


Confirmation of Michael Mukasey as Attorney General:

Democrats -- 6-40

Republicans - 47-0

Lieberman - YEA


Cloture vote to proceed to consideration of No-Confidence Resolution for Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General:

Democrats -- 47-0

Republicans - 6-37

Lieberman - NAY


more...

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/05/06/reid/

[gratuitous]

1. Reid inadvertently told the truth once there

And that is that they're not going to kick Lieberman out of the Democratic caucus. No how, no way. Wouldn't be gentlemanly in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body. So what if Lieberman streaks out of caucus meetings to repeat verbatim what was said and by whom to his pals in the Republican caucus? Aren't we all Americans?

[Solly Mack]

2. I guess by "war", he means the "war" against the American people

being waged by Bush, the "war" against the Constitution being waged by Bush, as well as Bush's "war" on terror.

So...Lieberman votes with "us" except for the (various) "war"(s) being waged by Bush

[Benhurst]

3. Reid's book sounds almost as good as Nancy Pelosi's soon to be

released blockbuster, "Off the Table."

[VP505]

4. Yes, and I would

like to recommend you read the new Progressive book "Useless Leaders Flushed in 09".

[Winterblues]

5. Are these "Democrats" examples of why anyone should bother to vote?

Neither Reid or Lieberman are deserving of being leaders of this country..IMO. Why bother to even vote if this is what we get?

[reprehensor]

6. Thanks for posting this.

Sad.

[MasonJar]

7. Could somebody please send this list to Harry asap?