PORTLAND, Maine — The nation’s two independent senators have a message for Maine’s Angus King if he’s elected to replace Olympia Snowe: Choose a side.
Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut enjoy their political freedom, but they say that if the former Maine governor is elected he’ll find the Senate’s run by the two major political parties, and independence has its limits.
King’s said that if elected, he wouldn’t decide which party caucus he’d join before he gets to Washington.
But Sanders and Lieberman tell Maine Today Media that being the most effective senator means getting the best possible committee assignments, and it’s the Democratic and Republican caucuses that divvy up those assignments and decide who chairs committees and subcommittees.
Lieberman and Sanders both caucus with the Democrats.
It is a damn shame that what purports to be the world’s oldest representative democracy is actually ruled by two feudal fiefdoms.
Independent Senators Miss Point of Own Principles would have been a better headline, although I acknowledge that it’s possibly overgenerous in that is presumes Mr. Lieberman has principles.
…miss point of own principles? What does that mean?
It’s “miss the point of their own principles” rendered in the telegraphic style common to newspaper headlines. The habit is a throwback to the days when longer headlines cost the printers more time and hassle (and thus the publisher more money) to typeset.
Banter’s not the same if you say it slower, Squiffy!
Yep, this is our political system at work. IF the people of Maine decide to send an Independent to Congress that person will be “bullied” (a buzz word recently but an appropriate one here) into aligning himself with one party or the other.
Do some people really wonder why many of us are sick and tired of Business As Usual in Washington??
Not bullied. Just impotent.
King is already a closet Democrat, whether it matters or not. There is no questioning whom he will caucus with; whoever promotes him. The question, however, is will Maine voters be so naive to believe he is their for them and not himself? We need to find away to stop professional politicians and return the government to the people!
NOT SO FAST!
Before King gets crowned as “King,” there’s a whole lot of campaigning to be done. I doubt that neither the Democrats or the Republicans have conceded any race yet.
Contrary to one lousy poll taken by PPP, King hasn’t done anything yet, and the Ds and the Rs haven’t even had primaries and selected their nominees.
I wouldn’t bet the farm that King has won the election in March.
Sorry,
There is no one who remotely stands a chance against Angus. The D’s are pulling all of their heavy hitters out of the race, and the R’s have no heavy hitters to enter into the race. I am a bit surprised at Sen Snowe basically sticking it in the R’s eye with the timing of her announcement. I guess the chants of “Snowe removal time” at the R caucuses hit a nerve. Unfortunately that seat will not be R again for a long, long time.
Probably she just couldn’t stand us any more.
Who will Mr. King’s give his loyalties to? You could look at his past or just wait to see who’s is going to put up the most Pac money against him. Hint. That won’t be the Democratic party. Why does he want to wait until he gets to Washington to tell us? Because that will cost him voters who stand to the right of center (i.e. He’s just another politician looking to keep the public ignorant for his own self-interest). Same old, same old.
Finally we agree on something – good post.
Really? Didn’t you read the story a few weeks ago that Angus supports Obama. Given the abject mismanagement by the current administration, I can’t imagine anyone with even slightly conservative values would support Obama. There is no question who this guy will caucus with.
King would have no choice but to caucus with the Democrats. The Republicans are too “Extreme Right”! They are way out of the mainstream at this point. One more step to the “Right” and the entire Republican party risks a fall off the precipice !
He’s a democrat anyways. One more step to the other way, and Democrats will be in Russia.
The American public doesn’t feel that way! Independant, moderate, and unaffiliated voters still rule this country.Better check the current National polling on which way the Independants are moving before you make a foolish statement like that.
Moderate, you mean like Sen. Snowe,not likely moderate is gone to far the wrong way.
You sound exactly like a right wing extemist !!! Go figure !!!
And you think that King is going to be a moderate? I woulld be like Pinigree being a Conservative lol
I would hope that King would be a moderate rather than a right wing extremist !
You mean as compared to being Left Wing Liberal, radical and a Democrat, which are left wing extremist or area they called Moderates today! Maybe Obama can make more appoligies, seems that all he has does.
Did someone murder your brain ?
No, I actually can think for myself. That is why I stay unenrolled.
You are an enenrolled neo-con?
You are kidding? Though the answer to your query is, No.
I am sorry, but if you think that Olympia Snowe’s voting record is too far left….. Whether or not you admit it to yourself, you are a neo-con. I found her to be distinctly center/right !
I did not say it was too far left, but she is far more left than moderate. She is definately mroe to the left, if it had not been for her the health care bill would not have gotten to the floor. Her voting recocrd on abortion issues and those things are definately far left. As far as me being a neo-con, I have never been a liberal so I can hardly be one.
I have always seen her as being more right than moderate. Nobody is accusing you of being a “Liberal” ! “Neo-Con” means “New-Age Conservative” ! As far as Sen. Snowe goes a lot of both women and men respect her for her votes on womens health care issues, As the Father of two daughters…..I know that I do ! If abortion is against your religion, is there anything in the law that says you must have one ? I don’t think so ! Or are you saying that everyone must adhere to your own personal religous beliefs ? If you think that way you may as well move to Iran !
Neo-Con, In most cases means a former Liberal also which has switched. Last time I checked the majority of abortions were because of convenience. Then you respect her for her liberalism on those views. No, I am saying life is sacred. Choice you say, what choice do they give the baby?
From an actual “Right Winger”, Id say you made his day.
If you were insinuating that the Democrats are Socialists you had better pick a different country other than Russia. They are no longer Socialists. Better catch up on current events my friend.
I am well aware of politics, Socialist, Communist sounds like a similar ring.
God Bless You ! But I hate to tell you are not ” Well Aware ” of anything !!! Russia is not Communist or Socialist. Do yourself a favor and stop right now. Take my advice and catch up on the historical events of the past twenty years or so! I don’t mind having a meaningful discussion with anybody……but let’s be real about it !!!
And you do not believe Putin is really in charge, yea they really are a Democracy.
Sorry, I am really not getting your point. Who do you believe is ” in charge” of Russia ? Are you still saying that Russia is either Socialist or Communist ? Which one is it ? What are you trying to say ?
Do you think WE are a democracy? We are not. First of all, we are a Republic. Secondly, since the signing of the NDAA on December 31, 2011 we are most certainly NOT a democracy with constitutional protections. The president – whoever he or she is – can now have any American citizen arrested by the military and indefinitely detained without trial.
That’s not a democracy. It’s just like the Soviet Union in the 1950’s. Since 9/11 our liberties have been incrementally stolen from us. And nobody is raising a peep about it. Sickens me.
Russia at the very least is a Kleptocracy . Certainly you can’t claim that that Democrats aren’t the American version of that?
I would equate the first Bush victory in 2000 to Putin’s victory this year. ( Lots of funny stuff happened in Florida)
Do you know what a “Kleptocracy is?
As for Florida that was Ralphie Naders (I wanna be pres) fault.
No, that would be the Supreme Court’s fault. And then Ohio’s election was fixed in 2004 to give it to Bush again.
I thought it meant ruled by thieves. Am I correct ? Didn’t Bush steal the 2000 election in Florida ?
Kleptocracy, alternatively cleptocracy or kleptarchy, (from Greek: κλέπτης – kleptēs, “thief”[1] and κράτος – kratos, “power, rule”,[2] hence “rule by thieves”) is a form of political and government corruption where the government exists to increase the personal wealth and political power of its officials and the ruling class
at the expense of th
e wider population, often without pretense of
honest service. This type of government corruption is often achieved by
the embezzlement of state funds.Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/kleptocracy#ixzz1pbRGfYehGood example:Russian takeover by allies of Putin of Gazprom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazprom
BINGO ! “Ruled by thieves”! We can agree on something
LOL. Right on. Democrats ought to just change their name to the Socialist Party and be done with it.
Totalitarian governments are on the right of the political spectrum.
You have a limited education, obviously.
Try this on… Nazi Germany as horrific as it was is small potatoes compared to some of the leftist Communist genocides in the twentieth Century.
Here is a list.
http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/dictat.html
That said.. I have yet to accurately find a way to determine the difference between a corpse killed by a leftist from one killed by a rightist.
If the corpse still has a wallet or not
You must be a leftist of course. You only steal from corpses in the name of “the people.”
Washington democrats are just as bad once you take your blinders off. This country has moved so far left since Obama got elected that we are about to fall off the edge. King fits in nicely there.
You Sir are living in another world than the rest of us. Hope you are having fun,wherever you are.
King is not a “closet” Democrat–he switched from Democrat to Independent so he could emerge the winner back when, knowing he would not be a strong candidate in the D party primary.
demoncrats
Why is this even a story? It seems everyone knows the answer except Angus!
Hope king doesn’t become as insignificant as Bernie and Joe ?
Unfortunate. I’ll still vote for him because I honestly believe we need a “middle” to get our government functioning again.
I think that King should declare, in the interest of honesty and transparency, what party he intends to caucus with NOW. Before the election. I think that Maine voters should know this vital piece of information before we make a decision come November.
he has more leverage if he waits until after the election. He could get some great committee assignments if the Dems need him to caucus with them to hold on to control of the senate
Why don’t these independents wake up and caucus together against both the Ds and Rs??? Because it would really upset a political system where corporations only have to contribute millions to two parties to ensure that candidates will be elected who will continue their unwavering support for an economic system where the rich get richer and the poor get screwed.
“If voting changed anything, they’d make it illegal” – Emma “right on the money” Goldman
Why don’t these independents wake up and caucus together against both the Ds and Rs???
There aren’t enough of them. For example, there are only two independent senators; that’s not even enough for a carpool in some states, much less an effective caucus.
On the larger scale, independents banding together for greater political mass would basically just be forming another party, which would either fail and disappear or succeed and become no better than the ones we already have. 144 of one, a gross of the other.