Lieberman says Democratic Party Taken Over by the Left

Submitted by jmeasley on Sun, 03/30/2008 - 18:00.

Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) appeared on ABC’s “This Week” program today, and burned any bridges that he might have had remaining with the Democratic Party. Lieberman claims that the Democratic Party is different than in the Clinton years, because it has been taken over by the left. "It's not the Bill Clinton-Al Gore party, which was strong internationalists, strong on defense, pro-trade, pro-reform in our domestic government. It's been effectively taken over by a small group on the left of the party that is protectionist, isolationist and very, very hyperpartisan. So it pains me," the former Democrat said.

Lieberman also continued to shill for his buddy John McCain. He said McCain is, “a reformer, somebody who understands ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country and remembers the other part of the Kennedy inaugural, which said that we will bear any burden, pay any price to assure the survival and sustenance of liberty. That's John McCain."

As if Hillary Clinton didn’t already have enough problems, Lieberman praised her vote in favor of labeling the Iran Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group. “These people are responsible for killing hundreds of American soldiers. Senator Obama voted against that. Now, to me, that was an irresponsible vote. And I give Senator Clinton credit; she voted for it.”

Joe Lieberman is completely delusional. The Democratic Party’s modern history has been as a left leaning party. The problem during Bill Clinton’s presidency was that the Party establishment, continued to move to the right, while rank and file Democrats were shifting left.

This is why the last two Democratic presidential candidates were met with such tepid enthusiasm. As much as the Republicans, people like the Clintons and Lieberman want to tear down the legacy of the Democratic Party. It is the invasion of righties like Lieberman that caused the Democratic Party to go through an almost decade long identity crisis that lasted until George W. Bush solved it for them by invading Iraq.

One of the reasons for Barack Obama’s popularity is that for the first time, Democratic voters have been offered a serious candidate that is in step with where they are ideologically. We all know that Lieberman is looking for a job in a McCain administration, but here is a frightening thought, if you can imagine that Gore/Lieberman won in 2000. Al Gore would be finishing up his second term, and Joe Lieberman would be the likely Democratic nominee.

In a Lieberman led Democratic Party there would be no difference between the Democrats and the Republicans on most important issues. If people need any more reason not to support Hillary Clinton, keep in mind that she is Joe Lieberman’s kind of Democrat on foreign policy. It wasn’t the Democratic Party that left Joe Lieberman. Joe Lieberman was rejected by the Democrats in his home state.

Watch the whole interview:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek