Super Committee

Lieberman: Let A Thousand Super Committees Bloom

Brian Beutler | December 13, 2011, 10:39AM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) speaks during a hearing conducted by the Senate Homeland Security Committee to mark the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on September 13, 2011 in Washington, D.C.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) says the right response to the failure of the Super Committee is to let a thousand ad hoc Super Committees bloom.

When the panel failed, it lost all of its power, which was in essence the power to force Congress to hold up-or-down votes on their recommendations -- no amendments, no filibuster.

Lieberman wants to extend these same powers to any sufficiently large bipartisan "gang" in the House or Senate, if they can come up with at least $1.5 trillion in deficit reducing measures over the course of three months.

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Payroll Tax Cut

Lieberman A 'No' On House Payroll Tax Cut Bill

Brian Beutler | December 13, 2011, 10:15AM

Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

At a breakfast roundtable with reporters hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) said he will not cross the aisle and support GOP legislation to extend the current payroll tax cut, which is expected to pass the House later today.

"I wouldn't accept the House bill," Lieberman said.

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Jobs

Senate Republicans Block Dem Jobs Bill For Teachers, Firefighters

Brian Beutler | October 20, 2011, 10:34PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

Senate Republicans, joined by three conservative members of the Democratic caucus, blocked a floor debate on a key portion of President Obama's jobs bill, which would have provided states $35 billion to hire or retain teachers and emergency responders.

The final tally on the late Thursday vote was 50-50, with Sens. Mark Pryor (D-AR), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and Ben Nelson (D-NE) voting with the entire Republican caucus to support the filibuster. The GOP continues to oppose all economic stimulus proposals that involve spending money on jobs, and take even greater exception to Obama's jobs bills, which pays for that spending with a small surtax on millionaires.

Democrats expected the legislation to fail, but plan to use routine GOP obstruction to strengthen the narrative that the Republican party is unwilling to help improve the economy, or to raise taxes on wealthy people to pay for any of the country's needs.

To wit, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) issued an official statement after the vote denouncing Republicans for "unanimously block[iing] a bill that would have kept 400,000 teachers in the classroom and first responders on the job because they refuse to ask millionaires to pay their fair share."

"By asking millionaires to pay an extra half a penny on the dollar, this bill would have created jobs by keeping our communities safe and ensuring that our children continue to have access to a high-quality education," Reid said. "Unfortunately, protecting millionaires and defeating President Obama are more important to my Republican colleagues than creating jobs and getting our economy back on track."

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Jobs

Reid Tees Up Key Test Vote On Teacher, Firefighter Jobs Bill

Brian Beutler | October 19, 2011, 3:49PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will tee up a Friday test vote on a piece of President Obama's jobs bill that would provide states money to retain or rehire teachers and emergency first responders.

"We are going to make sure there is a vote on our bill this week," Reid told a crowd of fire fighters and teachers at a rally on Capitol Hill Tuesday.

The $35 billion legislation would be paid for with a 0.5 percent surtax on income over $1 million a year -- a tiny new marginal bump that Republicans unanimously oppose. Some analyses suggest the legislation would save or create 400,000 jobs.

"The Republicans who work in the Senate suit up every day and come down and play their game in the Senate by following the lead of their leader -- and that is, whatever they do, to make sure they do everything they can to make Barack Obama [lose]," Reid said.

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Jobs

Reid Casts Doubt On Unanimous Dem Support For Obama Jobs Bill

Brian Beutler | October 5, 2011, 1:27PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)

At a Wednesday Capitol press conference, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) again couldn't confidently predict that President Obama's jobs bill has the support of the entire Democratic caucus -- even after leadership tweaked some of its controversial measures to broaden party support for the plan.

"I don't know what 'unanimity' means," Reid told reporters. "We'll get most all the Democrats."

Unanimity, of course, means all Democrats -- which will be important. If one or two Democrats defect from the bill, Republicans can (and will) say that the opposition to the plan is bipartisan.

There's a chance that he could unite the party, particularly after replacing Obama's proposed tax measures with a simpler five percent surtax on millionaires to pay for the jobs programs.

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Claire McCaskill

McCaskill So 'God-Damn Mad' About Wartime Contracting Abuses

Susan Crabtree | September 21, 2011, 5:08PM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

While channeling President Harry Truman and fuming about wartime contracting waste and abuse, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) dropped a "god-damn" just for emphasis at a Senate hearing Wednesday.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who chaired the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, was thanking McCaskill for her "excellent testimony," noting that he was struck by her reference to Truman who proceeded over a bumpy reconversion from a wartime economy.

"I know you're keeping that spirit alive," he told her. "It struck me that if we could go and interview him about this commission report and then release the transcript, we would have to delete several expletives."

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Barack Obama

Centrists Continue To Parse The President's Tax Plan

Susan Crabtree | September 21, 2011, 2:42PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

Several centrist Democratic Senators have spent the last week wringing their hands a bit over President Obama's deficit reduction plan and its dependence on increasing taxes on the wealthy and closing corporate loopholes.

Some approve of shutting down the corporate subsidies, while others support hiking taxes for the rich, but none reached by TPM embraced the entire package.

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Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck Enraged At Boehner After Hearing Congress Can't Attend His Israel Rally

Jillian Rayfield | August 19, 2011, 1:01PM

Glenn Beck closes out the "Restoring Honor" rally in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 2010

Glenn Beck said that House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) "should be ashamed" of himself, after he heard that the House Ethics Committee put the kibosh on members of Congress attending Beck's "Restoring Courage" rally in Israel next week.

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Medicare

Top Dems Reject Coburn, Lieberman Plan To Raise Medicare Retirement Age

Brian Beutler | June 28, 2011, 5:35PM

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)

Republicans may be suffering politically for voting to phase out Medicare. But they moved the needle on the policy debate way to the right, and, as such, cutting Medicare now is basically a fait accompli.

The latest plan comes from Sens. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT). This is an interesting political coalition for a few reasons. Recall that Coburn left the Gang-of-Six Senate debt talks for proposing dramatic cuts to Medicare, and has now found comfort in the arms of liberals' darkest bete noire.

What they propose doesn't seek to replace Medicare with a private insurance scheme as does the GOP budget. Nonetheless it has already been rejected by the top Democrats on Capitol Hill -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

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Afghanistan

Panetta Sidesteps Barrage Of Questions On Afghan Drawdown

Susan Crabtree | June 9, 2011, 12:06PM

Leon Panetta, tapped by President Obama to succeed Robert Gates as defense secretary, attempted to dodge the most critical question facing the military and the administration right now during his nomination hearing Thursday.

Panetta faced a barrage of questions about the upcoming drawdown of troops in Afghanistan after signaling that he backed the President's call for a "significant" reduction of U.S. troops beginning in July.

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WI-SEN

Russ Feingold, Potential Senate Candidate, Rips Democrats For 'Corruption'

Benjy Sarlin | May 17, 2011, 12:48PM

Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI)

Ousted from the Senate in 2010, Russ Feingold, may have fewer Democratic friends to count on if he chooses to enter the race to replace retiring Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI). The progressive icon eviscerated his former colleagues in an e-mail for his advocacy group Progressive United on Tuesday, accusing two prominent Democrats of enabling "corruption" by opposing new transparency measures on political donations.

"This culture of corporate influence and corruption is precisely what we as Progressives United want to change," he wrote. "So we've decided to take on those legislators who are unwilling to stand up to corporate power, and we're naming names."

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Sherrod Brown

Senate Dems To Cantor: Walking Away From Medicare Plan Is The Right Move

Brian Beutler | May 5, 2011, 3:40PM

Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

Forty-eight Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sent a letter to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) on Thursday, urging him to stick with the conclusion that the GOP's plan to privatize Medicare is a non-starter with Democrats.

"Your conclusion was correct that House Republicans "need to look elsewhere" after President Obama "excoriated" the proposal you and your Republican colleagues adopted to privatize Medicare through a voucher system," the letter reads.

Americans don't want to destroy Medicare in order to give even more tax cuts to millionaires.

While I am sure you are under pressure from your caucus to defend that misguided vote rather than to move away from it, I urge you to maintain the position you took yesterday as reported by The Washington Post. The two parties can and must work together to reduce the deficit, but not if Republicans maintain their demand to end Medicare as we know it. If you need further proof that the House Republican plan is a non-starter, I urge you to review the enclosed letter.

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Osama Bin Laden

Pakistan Under Harsh Scrutiny In Wake Of Raid On Bin Laden Compound

Benjy Sarlin | May 3, 2011, 10:12AM

A successful attack on Osama Bin Laden may mark a satisfying end to one chapter of America's War on Terror, but the circumstances of the operation raise disturbing new questions about the nation's already troubled relationship with Pakistan. On Monday, high-ranking lawmakers and officials openly aired their suspicions that forces within the crucial ally's government deliberately withheld information on the terrorist leader's location.

"They've got a lot of explaining to do," Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters Monday.

TPM SLIDESHOW: Osama Bin Laden: 9/11 Mastermind, Longtime U.S. Enemy Killed In Pakistan

Intelligence officials have long suspected that Pakistan's weak and fractured government may be host to rogue elements either disinterested in catching -- or actively sympathetic to -- anti-Western terrorists. But the presence of Bin Laden's heavily fortified compound in a garrison town near Islamabad magnified concerns that Al Qaeda had help from the inside in concealing its leader's location.

"It's very difficult for me to understand how this huge compound could be built in a city just an hour north of the capital of Pakistan in a city that contained military installations, including the Pakistani military academy, and that it did not arouse tremendous suspicion," Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee, said at a press conference on Monday.

"It was not like a normal house in New Jersey, I can tell you that," Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), who has called for a new review of military and economic aid to Pakistan in light of the Bin Laden raid, told TPM.

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Homeland Security

Joe Lieberman: Be On The Lookout For Homegrown Terrorists -- Even In Your Own Family

Benjy Sarlin | May 2, 2011, 1:47PM

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who chairs the Senate's Homeland Security Committee, warned Americans on Monday to be vigilant against homegrown radicals who may improvise attacks in response to Osama Bin Laden's death.

"My own great concern in the days ahead is that a so-called 'lone wolf,' a single individual who has been radicalized, will now mobilize himself or herself to take action here at home against the American people," he said at a press conference with Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) to discuss the Bin Laden raid.

While the threat level has not been raised as there is no specific evidence of any credible threats, Lieberman said that he was concerned Bin Laden's demise could inspire an attack along the lines of the Ft. Hood massacre, in which a radicalized individual soldier killed 13 people. He urged Americans to be especially vigilant in reporting any leads to authorities in the coming days.

"This is a classic 'If you see something, say something' moment," he said. "If you see suspicious behavior, call the police immediately -- and that includes if you see suspicious behavior by someone who is a friend or family member."

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Libya

Senate Hawks Berate Gates Over Handoff Of Libya To NATO

Susan Crabtree | March 31, 2011, 5:46PM

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

Defense Secretary Robert Gates endured nearly six hours of grilling from Congress Thursday, with the most combative questioning coming from -- surprisingly -- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and a group of Senate hawks on the Armed Services Committee who support military intervention in Libya.

McCain expressed grave disappointment about the decision to have the U.S. military forces step aside and allow NATO to take control before Muammar Qaddafi has been toppled from power.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asked why the U.S. couldn't simply bomb Qaddafi like President Reagan tried to do in 1986 when he sent cruise missiles into the Libyan leader's palace, killing one of his daughters, and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said rebel setbacks over the last two days have been "unsettling."

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'Obama's Wars'

McCain, Graham Lead Effort to Strip Holder of Detainee Authority

Susan Crabtree | March 10, 2011, 3:47PM

Attorney General Eric Holder

Six senators, led by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), are pushing for sweeping changes to the nation's laws governing detainees and the war on terror, including one that would strip Attorney General Eric Holder and the Justice Department as a whole of the power to make decisions about where to try suspected terrorists.

The group of senators, which includes Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Scott Brown (R-MA), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), are working with Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee on a bill that would usher in comprehensive detainee policy changes and would, among other things, affirm the military's right to detain, hold and interrogate detains at its discretion without the involvement of the Department of Justice or Holder.

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Libya

Senate Republicans: Don't Turn Libya Into Iraq!

Benjy Sarlin | March 1, 2011, 8:39AM

Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN)

Some Senate Republicans, less than enthused by saber-rattling from Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and John McCain (R-AZ) on Libya, warned on Monday that sending military aid to anti-Qadaffi rebels could draw the US into all-out war.

"Dependent upon the method of delivery and what we decide to do we could decide to have a war in Libya to join the war in Afghanistan and Iraq," Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) told reporters, saying he opposed arming the Libyan resistance or imposing a no-fly zone. "You know, people need to be very thoughtful about entering wars without a declaration and without much more congressional scrutiny of what's involved."

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Joe Lieberman

Senate Dems Reignite Debate Over Cybersecurity With New Legislation

Greg Wasserstrom | January 27, 2011, 4:54PM

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)

Senate Democrats this week unveiled their latest attempt to clarify and modernize the security of the country's critical information technology infrastructure. An attempt to pass cybersecurity legislation introduced by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) stalled on December 15 when the full Senate failed to act on the measure after it was voted unanimously out of committee.

The currently skeletal legislation, S.21, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and seven committee chairs, is anticipated to include most of the Lieberman-Collins measure. But given its yet-to-be-determined final form, debate about its effects on privacy and executive power have reemerged.

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2012 elections

Lieberman And Hutchison: We Could Have Won If We Weren't Retiring

Eric Kleefeld | January 24, 2011, 2:57PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX)

The three senators who have announced their 2012 retirements thus far appeared Sunday on This Week. Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) both maintained that they think they could have won re-election -- and the other, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), only commented on why his state has turned against the status quo in Washington.

All in all, these reactions seemed to coincide with the chances that these same individual Senators' seats would stay with their current party or caucus.

Following Conrad's retirement, the Cook Report changed the rating of this race from "Likely Democratic" to "Toss Up." Before Lieberman announced his retirement, Cook had the race as only "Leans Democratic," due in part to the possibility that a three-way race could split the Dem vote and throw the seat to the Republicans -- but it is now the much safer "Likely Democratic." And Hutchison's seat has seen no change -- it was "Likely Republican" before she announced her retirement, and it is "Likely Republican" now.

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Sunday Shows

The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | January 21, 2011, 4:15PM

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX).

• CBS, Face The Nation: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

• CNN, State Of The Union: Former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

• Fox News Sunday: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL).

• NBC, Meet The Press: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), Assistant House Minority Leader James Clyburn (D-SC), former George W. Bush adviser Karen Hughes, former Bill Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta.

CT-SEN

CT-SEN Candidate Chris Murphy: 'The Filibuster Is In Dire Need Of Reform'

Eric Kleefeld | January 20, 2011, 4:32PM

Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT)

On a conference call with reporters this afternoon, Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT) laid out some key priorities of his newly-launched campaign for the Senate seat held by retiring independent Sen. Joe Lieberman -- with filibuster reform being one of his top concerns.

Murphy said that during his travels throughout his House district, "I've heard a real frustration with the U.S. Senate, and how it too often stands as an unjustifiable barrier to positive change." He said that his campaign would discuss issues such as the economy, but also reforming the Senate so it is no longer, in Murphy's words, "an old boys' club" that stops progress on key issues.

"Part of the reason that reform can't occur in the Senate is because of the way they do business," Murphy laster said, during the Q&A. "The filibuster is in dire need of reform. Whether or not it needs to go away, we need to reform the way the filibuster is used, so it is not used in the order of everyday policy, but is only used in exceptional circumstances."

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CT-SEN

Rep. Chris Murphy Launches CT-SEN Campaign, Second Dem In The Race (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | January 20, 2011, 11:03AM

Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT)

Democrats now have a primary in the Connecticut Senate race, where incumbent independent Sen. Joe Lieberman is retiring. Rep. Chris Murphy has officially announced his campaign -- and in his announcement video, he clearly pitches himself as a more liberal change from the ex-Dem Lieberman who split with the party over foreign policy.

"Connecticut deserves a new progressive voice in the Senate," Murphy says "who listens to us, who knows that creating jobs requires extending health care to all Americans, and that reducing our deficit means bringing these wars to an end."

Murphy also makes an interesting pledge of openness during the campaign: "So think of this as me knocking on your door. If you send me a question or a comment, I'll respond -- to every single one. Because the only way we do this, is together."

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Joe Lieberman

Lieberman: 'Too Early' To Say Whether I'll Support Obama In 2012 (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | January 20, 2011, 10:35AM

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)

With Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) retiring in 2012, he's already positioning himself to be as independent as he's ever been. In an interview with the right-wing NewsMax site, the former Democrat said that it's "too early" to decide whether he would support President Obama's re-election bid in 2012.

"I haven't agreed with everything he's done, but I think he's building a decent record," said Lieberman, who endorsed and campaigned aggressively for Republican nominee John McCain in 2008. "The reason I said it's too early is because we're only halfway through the Obama administration and we don't know who the Republicans will put up, so I'll watch it with real interest."

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Goodbye, Joe: Lieberman Announces He'll Retire In 2012]

Is it conceivable that he could back a Republican, NewsMax asked? "It's conceivable, but I wouldn't want to overstate that," Lieberman responded, "because I think in many ways President Obama, particularly in the past several months, has heard the voice of the American people in the election last November, and I think he's followed that course."

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CT-SEN

Goodbye, Joe -- Lieberman Announces He'll Retire In 2012

Eric Kleefeld | January 19, 2011, 12:52PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), the man whose rich and varied political career has seen him become a one-time Democratic vice presidential nominee, a party apostate, and then a prodigal son of sorts, has now made it official -- announcing that he will retire from the Senate in 2012, after four terms in office.

Lieberman began the announcement by thanking his wife Hadassah, and telling a joke. "I was thinking about a year into the Senate service, with all the back and forth travel, it's not easy on the spouses. And Hadassah said to me, 'Joey, how long are you gonna stay in the Senate?'

"And I said, 'Sweetie, I want to make a promise to you: I promise that when Regis leaves television, I'll leave the Senate. And here we are."

Lieberman's announcement follows yesterday's news that a high-profile Democrat, former Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, was jumping into the race. The news was a clear sign that even though Lieberman had publicly mulled running again as a Democrat, there were a good number of state Dem politicians who were not willing to give him a free pass. And in addition, the polls showed that he would face a serious uphill climb in trying to win.

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CT-SEN

Reports: Lieberman Expected To Announce Retirement

Eric Kleefeld | January 18, 2011, 5:18PM

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)

An increasing number of reports are indicating that Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who is set to announce tomorrow whether he will run again, will ultimately announce that he is retiring in 2012.

The Hartford Courant reports:

"You can bet the farm" that Lieberman won't seek a fifth term in 2012, said a Democratic insider who is close to the 22-year Senate veteran. But neither Lieberman nor his Senate office would confirm that.

And now The Day in New London reports:

Sen. Joe Lieberman will announce Wednesday that he won't seek re-election in 2012, multiple sources close to the senator said on Tuesday.

...

The Lieberman announcement will come just a day after Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz announced her plans to run for his seat.

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CT-SEN

Lieberman To Announce 2012 Plans On Wednesday

Eric Kleefeld | January 18, 2011, 2:00PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who lost his Democratic primary in 2006 but has remained a (sometimes shaky) member of the Democratic caucus, will announce tomorrow whether he is running again in 2012.

A big development occurred in the race today, when former state Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz threw her hat into the ring.

Lieberman has publicly mulled the idea of running as a Democrat. However, he would probably face a tough fight in a primary.

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CT-SEN

Report: Dem Susan Bysiewicz To Run Against Joe Lieberman

Eric Kleefeld | January 18, 2011, 9:44AM

Former Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz (D)

Former Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz (D) is set to declare that she is running for the Senate seat now held by independent Sen. Joe Lieberman -- who, of course, still sits as a member of the Senate Democratic caucus.

The Connecticut Mirror reports:

A friend briefed on her Senate plans said that Bysiewicz, who won statewide races for secretary of the state in 1998, 2002 and 2006, intends to circulate a pollster's memorandum detailing findings that she remains well-known and popular.

Her announcement is likely to nudge U.S. Reps. Chris Murphy and Joe Courtney, who also are considering a run for the Democratic nomination for Senate, toward a decision.

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Barack Obama

Top 5 Lame Duck Winners For 2010

Brian Beutler | December 24, 2010, 8:25AM

President Barack Obama

Republicans attacked it as a perversion of democracy, and used it as an excuse to continue to vote against Dem priorities. Democrats recognized it as their last chance to accomplish much of anything for the next two years. People in the media mistook it for a Barack Obama renaissance.

Certainly Democrats accomplished more than most people expected they would these last several weeks. But between the victories and the compromises and the defeats, it's hard to keep track of who came out on top.

Here's a list of the lame duck's big winners to help you sort it all out.

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Patty Murray

Lieberman Mulls A Run As A Dem, Will Meet With DSCC Chair Murray

Brian Beutler | December 23, 2010, 8:54AM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) says he will meet with freshly-minted DSCC chair Patty Murray, likely early next year, about his re-election options for 2012.

No discussions have taken place yet, but he said that some Senate Democrats are rooting for him.

"Some of my colleagues in the Democratic caucus have been very gracious and kind saying they hope I run as a Democrat," he told TPM in an interview Wednesday. "Patty and I said we'd talk sometime early in the New Year."

Don't expect any imminent announcements. Lieberman says for now he's just flattered that "people are raising the question."

Barack Obama

Obama Signs DADT Repeal Into Law

Rachel Slajda | December 22, 2010, 9:34AM

President Obama this morning signed into law the bill repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

"I am just overwhelmed," Obama said as he took the stage among chants of "Yes we can!" and whoops from the audience. "This is a very good day."

"No longer will our country be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans who were forced to leave the military, regardless of their skills, no matter their bravery or their zeal, no matter their years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay," he said. "No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie."

Obama was joined on stage by Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen, Sens. Joe Lieberman, Susan Collins and Harry Reid and Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Patrick Murphy, an Iraq War veteran who had pushed for DADT repeal.

"In the coming days, we will begin the process laid out by this law," Obama said, adding that repeal will not go into effect immediately. "It is very important that servicemembers remember that."

He spoke directly to gay soldiers, and said he hoped those discharged under DADT will re-enlist once it is fully repealed.

"There will never be a full accounting of the heroism demonstrated by gay Americans in service to this country," he said. "As the first generation to serve openly in our armed services, you will stand for all those who came before you, and you will serve as role models for all those who will come after you."

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell

President Obama To Sign Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal This Morning

Rachel Slajda | December 22, 2010, 8:30AM

Marines aboard the USS Blue Ridge

President Obama is scheduled to sign a bill repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, at 9:15 a.m. ET today.

The bill, which was passed by the House last Wednesday and the Senate on Saturday, was certified by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday in a ceremony that was attended by hundreds of supporters, including gay servicemembers.

The new law will, eventually, end the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers. The policy will be repealed 60 days after Obama, Defense Secretary Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen all certify that the military is ready for repeal. That won't happen until the military completes its implementation plan, which includes extensive training and education for all branches of the armed forces.

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Lieberman And Collins On DADT Repeal: This Is A Civil Rights Bill

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 18, 2010, 5:28PM

Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who helped shepherd through today's Senate repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, told reporters after the final vote this afternoon that ending the military's ban on openly gay servicemembers is a big step for LGBT rights.

"To me, it is a step forward to a larger societal acceptance [of gay rights,]" Lieberman said. "This is a civil rights piece of legislation in my opinion."

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Senate Repeals Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 18, 2010, 3:30PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

With just a signature from President Obama, a ban on openly gay servicemembers will no longer be the law of the land.

By a vote of 65 to 31 this afternoon, the Senate voted to repeal the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Republican Senators Scott Brown, Richard Burr, Susan Collins, John Ensign, Mark Kirk, Lisa Murkowski, Olympia Snowe and George Voinovich joined Democrats in the final vote to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Burr and Ensign did not vote with the Democrats earlier in the day when the GOP filibuster was broken, but signed on for the final vote.

As with almost everything in the Senate these days, the vote for something is a lot less newsworthy than the vote to consider voting for something. Thus, the real fight was over whether repeal proponents could gather the required 60 votes to break a GOP filibuster, end debate and hold a final vote. They did that -- led by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) -- and repeal moved ahead earlier today.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: It's Over: Senate Repeals Don't Ask, Don't Tell]

What followed was some inside baseball procedural stuff that meant the normal 30 hours of debate provided to a bill was cut off in favor of today's fast-moving action. It's all quite anticlimactic to the drama fans, but for the proponents of DADT repeal, this afternoon's vote is the one that really matters.

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Advances In Senate -- Final Vote Likely This Weekend

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 18, 2010, 11:52AM

The Senate took a big step toward ending the military's ban on openly gay servicemembers today. By a vote of 63 to 33, the Senate voted to end debate on a bill repealing the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, opening the door for a final Senate vote on the standalone repeal bill passed by the House Tuesday. That means a simple majority of 51 Senators can now bring the legislative fight on repealing DADT to an end. That vote is expected to come -- and expected to succeed -- by the end of the weekend.

(UPDATE: The final vote is now scheduled for 3 p.m. today).

Voting with the majority of Democrats were Republicans Scott Brown (MA), Mark Kirk (IL) George Voinovich (OH), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Susan Collins (ME), and Olympia Snowe (ME). Jim Bunning (R-KY), Judd Gregg (R-NH), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) were absent.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: It's Over: Senate Repeals Don't Ask, Don't Tell]

The vote will likely be seen as a major political victory for President Obama, who pushed repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell on the campaign trail and set a year-long timetable for a legislative repeal of the policy in his State Of The Union back in January. It appears he's about to get his wish.

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Lieberman: We're In The Homestretch On DADT Repeal

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 17, 2010, 2:05PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who has emerged as the Senate's pointman on ending the military's ban on openly gay servicemembers, told reporters today that he's "very optimistic" repeal will be voted into law as soon as this weekend.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has scheduled a cloture vote on Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal for tomorrow morning. Lieberman said today he's "confident" he has the 60 votes (and then some) necessary to get cloture on the DADT repeal bill and move it to a final vote.

But Lieberman -- who would only confirm Republican yes votes from Sens. Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Susan Collins (ME) -- is not popping the champagne corks yet.

"We know that it ain't over till it's over," Lieberman said, "and until all the votes are counted."

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Lieberman: DADT Repeal Should Come Before START (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 16, 2010, 1:26PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) says that repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell should get an earlier slot on the Senate calendar than ratifying President Obama's new nuclear arms reduction START treaty. In the past couple days, momentum has formed behind the Lieberman-led effort to end the military's ban on openly gay servicembers, and Lieberman is calling on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to keep the ball rolling.

"It's really up to Sen. Reid now," Lieberman told MSNBC today.

Lieberman recently secured the 60 votes (and then some) he's going to need to bring the freestanding DADT repeal passed by the House to the Senate floor for a vote. Lieberman said that if the Senate brings up DADT this weekend, it can be done in time for other bills to be considered before the lame duck session is over and done with.

Regardless of what happens afterward, Lieberman said, repeal should come before anything else once the Senate debate on the budget bill -- a prerequisite for some of the Republican pro-repeal votes -- is over.

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