http://www.editorandpublisher.com/ea..._id=1003548744

"Ty Lenol" wrote in message
...
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/ea..._id=1003548744



Lieberman doesn't have to change from independent to Republican to tip
the balance in the Senate. As it stands now the Democrats and the
Republicans have equal numbers of votes with the tie broken by the Vice
President Cheney. The Democrats have a member who can't vote because
he's in a hospital somewhere halfway brain dead. What's his name? I
forgot it. Oh yeah, it's Tim Johnson. They say he's improving though.
They measured his IQ again. It went from
45 to 51. If he keeps improving and gets it up to 60 he'll be as
intelligent as the average Democrat.

Gridlock is the best thing that can happen in the Senate.

Wilbur Hubbard

"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message

Gridlock is the best thing that can happen in the Senate.

The second best thing. The first would be for all of them to be replaced
with new blood.

Max

Ty Lenol wrote:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/ea..._id=1003548744

If you want to know what Joe's going to do, look at what's in Joe's own
self interest. If he jumps ship now and the Dems pick up seats in 2008,
he's meat. Given the fact that the Republicans have 21 senate seats at
stake in 2008 and the Democrats have just 12, the odds don't look very
good for old Joe jumping.

But it is in his interest to *threaten* to bolt, cause everytime he does
it he wrings concessions out of the Dem leadership. So expect to see
lots of threats that are never carried out.

BTW, there's a subtle difference between the current hypothetical
situation and when Jeffords switched in 2001 - when Jeffords switched
they re-voted the leadership and re-structured the committee
assignments. Apparently that wouldn't happen if Lieberman switched.
(Why? Ask the senate parliamentarian.) So that's another disincentive
to switch.

//Walt