The Price of Failure? Harry's gotta go.

And so Joe Lieberman, the double-talking, prevaricating Senator representing Aetna and the rest of the insurance cartel has made his stand. Little Joe will achieve some measure of payback against the left, who've rightly seen him as a tool of big-money interests, by gutting from the Health Care bill any chance of a public option or Medicare at 55. I'd like to thank the Senator for showing the world, in the starkest fashion, the pathology of the small man consumed by the excesses of egotism.

He's singularly backed down progressives, liberals, the White House, and the Democratic caucuses of both houses of Congress. He is, indeed, Mighty Joe Dung.

One would think this would be a lesson for the Democrats, but I remain skeptical of the ability of the donks to take away anything of value from such a harsh upbraiding. They never seem to learn. I doubt that Traitor Joe will ever be punished for this series of transgressions, which have gone far beyond anything I've seen in the Senate in the 35 years I've followed politics. Democrats seem to have no stomach for dropping the hammer on their enfant terribles, no matter how egregious their duplicity and treachery. At the end of all this, Joe the Aetna Ho is likely to keep his chairmanship and status in the caucus, and probably looks forward to the next time he can pull Harry Reid's nose and kick his shins.

I think the only way this changes is, because of this failure in this test of his leadership, Reid steps down as Majority Leader and is replaced by Dick Durbin. Durbin should then (and I'm betting the farm he has enough balls to do it) strip Lieberman of his chairmanship, his office space, and, if necessary, kick him out of the caucus. Durbin should then tell Blanche Lincoln not to expect much help from the DSCC in her upcoming election, and he should schedule a couple of "come to Jesus" meetings with Mary Landreux, Evan Bayh, and Ben Nelson, hopefully reinforcing their understanding of what's expected and required from them. I think Durbin understands the concept of tough love, and I believe he'll be more helpful to this president than Reid has been. I believe it's time for Democrats to demand that Harry Reid step down.

"...I Ain't No Band Leader"

These days, when I see Traitor Joe Lieberman, I think of the Jack Woltz character from The Godfather movie. Lieberman has declared there isn't much that scares him as far as what the Democrats can do to him, and he's hellbent on filibustering the Health Care bill. It's time for Harry Reid to have a horse's head delivered to Aetna's Ho Joe.

Like President Obama, his fellow graduate from The Homer Simpson School of Bargaining and Negotiation, Leader Reid has a penchant for starting his negotiations from the worst possible position. Reid long ago took the stick known as reconciliation out of his arsenal, and his reward for attempting to preserve tradition and comity in the Senate is to be bitch slapped around by tools like Lieberman and Ben Nelson. It's time for this to stop. It's time for Reid to put reconciliation back on the table.

Harry Reid has to make an example of Joe Lieberman. His reason for doing so comes down to one simple fact: Joe Lieberman didn't keep his word, and the caucus will not be held hostage to a liar.

Harry Reid and the caucus must strip Lieberman of his chairmanship, they must make him as much of a non-entity as they can, even if that sends him over to the Republicans. How can Reid expect the Blanche Lincolns, Ben Nelsons, and Marie Landreuxs to fall in line if there's no consequence for their willingness to wander off the reservation. Traitor Joe has to become the poster child for party disloyalty.

Progressives, who long ago realized it's all about Joe, have done their part to get Joe out of the Senate, but DINO Joe got saved by his Republican friends. The money we raised and the the volunteering we performed (pay attention Mrs. Lincoln) got Joe beat in his last primary. It's time for Senator Reid to do what only he can, and reconciliation is the first step. What say you, Mr. Majority Leader?

Matt Taibbi - Raking the Proper Muck

Matt Taibbi expected some degree of consternation to follow his reporting on the Obama Administration's favorite nephew treatment of Wall Street, and his prescience was borne out here, here, and here.

Taibbi takes the time to rebut his detectors, proving, on the whole, he is a far better writer, and certainly more intellectually honest than those who disagreed with his Rolling Stone piece, which they tried to pan off, but are unable to factually support, as being highly inaccurate. Felix Salmon of Reuters particularly takes Tim Fernholz to task for trying to spin Taibbi's article as being highly challenged in terms of facts, even as Fernholz does nothing to prove, beyond one inconsequential error, that assertion.

Judging by the reaction from the Washington access whores, Taibbi's reporting is hitting some nerves among this speak-no-evil bunch who seem to believe progressives are better off to stew in silence while Obama continues to over-analyze, abdicate, and avoid the need to brawl on tough legislation, while meekly handing Wall St. everything she wants. They're wrong; Taibbi's right, and we could sure use a few more of him.

Change Is Just the Coins In Your Pocket

Those of us who strongly believe in a single-payer health care system have been willing to give the President the benefit of the doubt after he claimed he would fight for a strong public option that would keep the insurance industry honest. So far, Mr. Obama's fighting skills are about equal to Reggie Jackson's. Full of bluster and big talk, Mr. October had a propensity for getting knocked on his ass by (at least three of) his one-time teammates. In between his rousing speeches, Mr. Obama does little in terms of using the political muscle and leverage that comes with being president, unless it's an opportunity to kick sand in the face of a few 98-pound freshman reps. Meanwhile, he backs away from dickhead drama-queens like Traitor Joe Lieberman so quietly you could hear a mouse pissing on a cotton bale.

President Obama reminds me of other black guys I known who've made it to positions of power and are too meek to use it in fear of upsetting someone. Great leaders don't waste time on failed conciliation; they move forward, and woe to the obstacles in the way. This country didn't vote for baby steps or languid pontifications while the house burns down -- they voted for action, and they voted for change. Major change. Obama is losing his base, and he doesn't seem to care.

Bush was all guts and no brains, Obama's all brains and no guts.

Ted Kennedy - RIP

Other people have their opinions and feelings, but I personally owe Senator Kennedy my gratitude for all he's done throughout his career to make this society one that's more open, more fair, and more educated. All those who believe in an America as a society dedicated to equality, social justice, and basic health care for its citizens lost a fighter and a champion. Goodbye Uncle Teddy. May you rest well.

Is Hawaii Part of the U.S.?

Apparently some of the "birthers" who question President Obama's legitimacy do so because they don't know that Hawaii is a state. This article gives the details.

Scalia - Even If He Didn't Do It, He's Gotta Die

The Troy Davis has gotten quite a bit of press here in Georgia and other parts of the country. The U. S. Supreme Court, in a decision written by Justice Stevens, is allowing a District Court judge to hear evidence in order to determine if Mr. Davis is innocent.

Justice Scalia, in dissent:
“This court has never held,” Justice Scalia wrote, “that the Constitution forbids the execution of a convicted defendant who had a full and fair trial but is later able to convince a habeas court that he is ‘actually’ innocent.”

In other words, fuck innocence; you've been convicted, you should die.

Unsurprisingly, Justice Thomas signed on to Scalia's dissent.

Scalia and Thomas are rank ideologues sitting in two of the most powerful positions in our government. When you think they can do no worse, they prove you wrong.

The New York Times article is here.