Rove, Bush offer to help Lieberman?

August 9, 2006

ABC News ran an item this morning highlighting a very odd offer of political support for Joe Lieberman. (via Hotline)

According to a close Lieberman adviser, the President’s political guru, [tag]Karl Rove[/tag], has reached out to the [tag]Lieberman[/tag] camp with a message straight from the Oval Office: “The [tag]boss[/tag] wants to [tag]help[/tag]. [tag]Whatever we can do[/tag], we will do.”

This hasn’t been confirmed by the campaign or anyone else, so I’m going to hold off on rushing to judgment, but what struck me as the most interesting part of the ABC report wasn’t the last seven words, but rather, the first six.

Sure, if Rove really did call the Lieberman campaign, on the president’s behalf, offering campaign support, it’s a pretty huge deal, but this leak came to ABC by way of “a close Lieberman advisor.”

In other words, the Lieberman campaign wants to get the word out that the senator is considering accepting help from the [tag]Bush[/tag] [tag]White House[/tag]. Even if it’s not true, the fact that the Lieberman team wants people to believe it speaks volumes.

Lieberman’s outreach to [tag]Connecticut[/tag] [tag]Republicans[/tag] has formally begun.

So his journey to the Dark Side is now all but complete. If this information is correct, then he needs to be stripped of all committee memberships—now. He needs to be denied access to the caucus—now. He needs to be isolated—shunned, even—by the entire Democratic party—now.

Darth Lieberman—Dark Lord of the Reich….

  • If he’s looking to be in cahoots with the republicans, great. He and the republican nominee for Sen can split all the votes from the right while Lamont gets all the votes from the left, and leaves them in Ct while he goes to DC.

    How many times has the green party ended up splitting potential dem voters up so the repub candidate can reap the most votes? If nomentum runs as a pseudo-republican, then maybe for once this dynamic will work in our favor

  • Anyone else feel like the election ripped the mask of LIEberove and then he shouted something about how he would’ve gotten away with it if it weren’t for those darned kids?

    Hopefully all of those who are slow on the uptake will realize he is only concerned with himself and his lust for power.

    I’m not suprised Bush and Rove want to help.

  • I think NAR has it right. This leak really makes no sense as a way to support Lieberman’s independent run, especially if there’s still going to be a Republican in the race.

  • Man! I thought I was being snarky in the last thread. Rove helping Boltin’ Joe is life imitating snark.

  • It’s sort of a perfect rumor– on one hand it sounds too good to be true, on the other it seems totally plausible. I guess we’ll have to wait and see…

  • Yeppers @ Steve…

    Rove and Bush and the Republicans can show their loyalty to Joe by offerring him some of their committee seats.

    Truly, i they want him, they can buy him– and his new political party (“Connecticut for Lieberman”).

    I suspect he will go cheap…
    Just a few pieces of silver…

    For Rove… that’s just chump change.

  • Darth Lieberman—Dark Lord of the Reich….
    Comment by Steve

    nomentum
    Comment by Don B

    the mask of LIEberove
    Comment by doubtful

    life imitating snark.
    Comment by JoeW

    perfect rumor
    Comment by ZoeKentucky

    The wordmeisters are out in force today. 🙂 Cool.

  • Rumor or actual offer, all Joebentum would have to do is come out and strongly reject it, speechify about how last night he argued that politics had become too polarized and Karl Rove was part of the problem, not the solution, and publicly vow to reject assistance, money, etc, directed his way by Rove.

    If he does not, everyone should take note of his true colors.

    There is one plausible explanation for the leak no one has raised: the offer really happened, and an aide happens to still feel loyalty to Joe, but (maybe being an actual Democrat) hates Rove and wanted to make the Rove-Lieberman hook-up fall through.

  • “Dark Lord of the Reich”

    Please no Nazi analogies. Joe is a lot of things but a Nazi he isn’t. His wife is the daughter of Holocaust survivors.

    A little perspective, please.

  • So now Joe can be known as “Karl Rove’s Favorite Republican”, too.

    Wow, talk about a Freudian slip! I mean…

    So now Joe can be known as “Karl Rove’s Favorite Democrat”, too.

  • ShrubCo has always been a great supporter of independent thought and action. K-RO as caped crusader rescuing a floundering Demsel in distress so he can exercise his proven indendence is just an inspiring story. I’m sure the voters of Connecticut will be thrilled to see their formerly Dem senator swept off into the sky by the Man of Steal.

  • aReader says: “now Joe can be known as “Karl Rove’s Favorite Democrat”, too.”

    NOPE.

    He’s not a Democrat anymore. His party is “Connecticut for Lieberman”, which we could shorten to “Con-man”.

    We need to not call him a Democrat, or an “independent Democrat” and rebuke anyone who does so. Here’s his party’s website:

    http://www.connecticutforlieberman.com/

    (ok, that one’s a spoof site, but I TRIED to find Joe’s party’s website, and I came up empty.)

  • Zeitgeist, I think the staffer is one of those guys who is resigning, and he just got his last cut in. Just like NAR said. Rove may have made the offer, but I would have thought he was smart enough to do it quietly.

    Dale, this certainly has been the day for coinage of terms. I especially like burro’s ‘Man of Steal’.

    Joe should publically reject this, but he won’t.

  • “I TRIED to find Joe’s party’s website, and I came up empty.” – racerx

    Of course, it’s still under construction 😉

  • Do you think Joe likes Monty Python? He is like the knight from “The Holy Grail” who continues to fight as king Arthur cuts off all of his limbs one by one. Although given opportunity to stop fighting Joe claims nothing is wrong (Your arm’s off”…”No it isn’t”) and keeps attacking and insulting King Arthur. Eventually the knight is reduced to a torso and can no longer fight.

    The Lamont endorsement is the first arm off.
    Losing support from all of his Dem Senate collegues may be arm number 2.
    Help from Rove (oh, that it may be true) is worth at least a leg.

    This guy….ugh.

  • This guy….ugh.

    You’re right, MBProgressive. I think the only thing that makes him quit is a close Presidential election. Then he folds faster than an origami master.

  • I guess that a lot of Democrats who donated to a Democrat named Lieberman are now, unwillingly, financing an independent name Lieberman’s campaign. Give the campaign cash back, Joe!

  • ***A little perspective, please.***
    —clb72

    Perspective, then….

    (1)The current administration of these United States fits the core definition of a Fascist regime. It is acknowledged by many—myself included—by use of the term “Reich.”

    “Joe” has elected to align himself with numerous items connected to this current Reich. Iraq, immigration, affirmative action, etc.

    “Joe” has forgotten that his “employer,” rather than the United States Government, was in actually John Q. Public—citizen and taxpayer of Connecticut. He has forgotten that it was his job to represent them—AND THEIR VIEWS— in the Senate, rather than supercede THEIR WISHES with HIS WISHES.

    “Joe” sold himself to that Reich.

    “Joe” has remade himself into a symbol of leadership for that Reich, by reinventing himself into something other than an elected representative of Connecticut.

    “Joe” has placed himself on a podium higher than that upon which the will of the People rests—and he has openly told the People “that he will not let this stand” (being the will of the Majority of the People to elect, through a democratic process, that individual who shall represent their wishes in a general election).

    So, I’ll say it again:

    Darth Lieberman…Dark Lord of the Reich. Bush’s Reich, if it’ll make you feel a bit better. The Fourth Reich, if you wish. But Reich, it is.

    P.S.—try watching some of the “Star Wars” movies. Maybe you’ll get a clue, 72….

  • I don’t get why he feels the need to run as an “independent.” Why doesn’t he just become a Republican and officially continues his love affair with Rove, Rumsfeld, etc?

  • That’s an invite to switch parties, and is revealing of what drives Rove and the current Republican party.

    It’s premised on what they believe to be the motive for every politician: the innate desire and drive for power, and once vested with that power, an even higher desire to maintain and/or increase the power accumulated.

    Based on Lieberman’s desire to run as an independent, their anticipating him thinking along the lines they do and wanting to take the easiest route possible to cash in on that desire.

    That means being a firmly nestled in one of the two camps.

  • I almost hope Joe switches parties, and is elected as a Republican. Then the GOP can dump him in their next primary. And they would.

  • #10, Zeitgeist

    “Rumor or actual offer, all Joebentum would have to do is come out and strongly reject it, speechify about how last night he argued that politics had become too polarized and Karl Rove was part of the problem, not the solution, and publicly vow to reject assistance, money, etc, directed his way by Rove.

    If he does not, everyone should take note of his true colors.”

    He has refuted and rejected:
    http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/

    Still… A personal call? He and Rove are such good friends already?

  • So effectively, Lieberman, who said he would stick with the Democratic party come hell or high water, has become the Republican candidate. If the Republicans are going to support Lieberman as an Independant, are they really going to support another GOP candidate against him?

  • Schlesinger (Connecticut’s GOP candidate) has a lot of bad mojo on him; the GOP wants someone who can kiss up to Kid George AND win—that would be….

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