More Disappointment from Senator Lieberman

Some months ago, I submitted an article expressing my extreme displeasure and disgust of Senator Joseph Lieberman's turning his back on many core principles that brought him prominence in American politics. The incident that made me most upset was his decision to appear before John Hagee's church and give the keynote speech at the latter's forum.

Last evening I watched Senator Lieberman address the GOP convention and my revulsion increased! I might have understood, sort of, if Senator Lieberman had merely said that he was a friend of John McCain that he was willing to cross party lines to get things done, but he also gratuitously criticized Barack Obama as being unqualified, cheered Sarah Palin's political positions and was a strong GOP advocate.

In so doing, Senator Lieberman reversed many of those core beliefs.

Abortion rights: Supports pro-choice according to NARAL, saying that abortion should be safe, rare and legal.

Affirmative action: Lieberman has said:

"I have supported affirmative action, I do support affirmative action, and I will support affirmative action because history and current reality make it necessary."

And

"I support affirmative action programs, including in appropriate instances consideration of race and gender in government contracting decisions, when the affirmative action program is designed to remedy the effects of past discrimination."

Environment and drilling in Alaska: Senator Lieberman has stated that the US population has to accept responsibility for global warming, and voted "yes" on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Gay rights: Senator Lieberman is against a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, has adopted a non-discriminatory policy in employment decisions, which include sexual orientation and gender and voted in support of President Clinton's proposal to let gays and lesbians serve openly in the military.

Gun control: Based on lifetime voting records on gun issues and the results of a questionnaire sent to all Congressional candidates in 2006, the National Rifle Association assigned Senator Lieberman a grade of F (with grades ranging from a high of A+ to a low of F).

Senator Lieberman, in praising John McCain's apparent willingness to cross party lines, failed to mention that the GOP nominee boasts of being in line with the policies of President Bush 90% of the time! This includes the positions of the far right, exemplified by Governor Palin, such as being against abortions on every account except when the life of the mother is in imminent danger, being against all forms of gun control, supporting exclusively abstinence-only sex education, extensive drilling for oil in the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and so on.

My primary reasons for voting for Barack Obama involve the civil liberties and freedoms that will be lost to all of us if the agenda of the far Right is continued for the next four or eight years. Right now it appears that the next president will nominate one or two Supreme Court Justices who, may well, overrule Roe v Wade, increase the imperial presidency, radically reduce the rights of privacy and freedom from warrantless searches, increase the influence of religious doctrines on our everyday life and otherwise emasculate the Bill of Rights.

Is this what we want?

Shame on Joe Lieberman for supporting these ideas.