I think most of us would agree that US senators rarely say much of interest. We don’t hear a lot of Daniel Webster oratory these days, nor much in the way of original or stimulating opinion. Everything seems pre-vetted by focus groups and polls.
Once in a while, Joseph Lieberman is the exception. He spoke out against Clinton’s immoral personal behavior and now, far more importantly ultimately, he is speaking out on Iran in a September 29 address to the Council on Foreign Relations.
The speech begins with a fair amount of unmerited politesse directed toward the Obama administration. (In my view, Obama’s single worst foreign policy moment was ignoring the democracy demonstrators in Iran at the height of their protest, apparently in an absurd attempt to negotiate with Ahmadinejad). But then Lieberman gets down to the heart of the matter:
Our sanctions effort should therefore increasingly aim, I believe, not just to add pressure on the existing regime, but to target the fissures that already seem to exist within the Iranian regime itself and between the regime and Iranian society.
This should include much more robust engagement and support for opposition forces inside Iran, both by the United States and like-minded democratic nations across the world. The Obama administration, I fear, missed an important opportunity in the wake of last year’s election in Iran. But it is certainly not too late to give strong support to the people in Iran who are courageously standing up against their repressive government.
Bravo. Further down…
We have now come to the moment in this long struggle when the Iranian regime must understand that we will not wait indefinitely for sanctions to work. As my colleague in the House of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Chairman Howard Berman, warned last week, we are talking about months, not years. I therefore hope that President Obama will conduct an assessment at the end of this year – just as he did last year – to determine if the current strategy towards Iran is working. If it has not produced meaningful change in Iran’s nuclear weapons policy by then, we will need to begin a national conversation about what steps should come next.
This inevitably will involve consideration of military options. I agree with President Obama that the use of military force is not the “ideal way” to stop the Iranian nuclear program. But nothing is more corrosive to the prospect of resolving this confrontation peacefully than the suspicion – among our friends and enemies in the Middle East – that in the end, the United States we will acquiesce to Iran’s acquisition of a nuclear weapons capability. If a nuclear Iran is as unacceptable as we say it is, we must be prepared to do whatever is necessary to prevent the unacceptable.
There you have it. As the saying goes, read the whole thing.
We need to stop praising Joseph Lieberman. He is causing far more harm than good. At the end of the day, he confuses many voters into thinking there are enough center-left politicians to make a difference. When will Lieberman join the Republican Party? This is the only clear way of informing Americans that the Democratic Party cannot be saved. And yes, I am very well aware that Lieberman is officially an Independent—but for all practical reasons he remains a Democrat.
David, I take your point. But the issue of Iran is far more important now than anybody’s party politics. That Lieberman is pushing hard against the mullahs has to be supported.
Please help change the regime in Iran.
Roger, you say “But the issue of Iran is far more important now than anybody’s party politics”. Unfortunately this is wrong. It is wrong because Iran is nothing BUT an issue in party politics.
The politics within Iran are what Lieberman is speaking of. However, we as a country cannot engage that issue until the party with power here chooses to use that power to so engage. The Democrat party has vociferously and relentlessly pushed for non-intervention, aka acquiesence, with regards to Iran. This is the parties stand, part of their condemn the US and laud the dictators and enemies of the US.
That is the nature of current “party politics”. To address this issue it must be addressed in this context. The parties must make clear their positions and the debate be loud and as honest as can be managed. This is all part of the foreign policy platform that must be made clear to an informed electorate.
Joseph Lieberman should be supported in this instance—but he must also join the Republican Party as soon as possible. This is only way that he can unambiguously inform the unwashed masses that he currently is a marginalized voice within the Democratic Party and liberal circles. The Democrats essentially consider him to be a sideshow that can be ignored. The crazies are in control! They adamantly advocate an “elite” controlled economy, and weaker military presence. Lieberman has virtually no chance of reforming the Democratic Party. He inadvertently provides cover to these destructive folks.
Roger: thanks for bringing this to my attention. I am a CT resident so Lieberman is “my” Senator although mostly I consider him merely less bad than the alternatives. Occasionally, as you say, he stands up for the right thing; and this speech is helpful. Unfortunately it’s just a speech. The chances that enough other members of Congress get behind some concrete and effective and timely action; and that Obama supports or at least doesn’t veto it, are IMHO bupkis. Too little and way way too late. I think future historians (assuming we survive to have any) will judge the Obama administration most harshly for its failures of foreign policy. Eventually we can work our way through the domestic economic mess. But once Tehran has its nukes –almost certainly before Obama leaves office– we will never be able to reverse the geopolitical landslide that it will trigger.
Talk is cheap. He should force the Obama admin to implement it and get it done
Lieberman should actually change his citizenship and join the lukud party in Israel. He is working more for Israeli interest than ours. He talks about “military option” very “lieberally”. He doesn’t have to send his son or daughter to war. WE DO. There are couple of hundred thousand soldiers among them very young kids, someone’s mother,sister or friend; father of a family, uncle,brother etc. They are already in danger zone but for the likes of Lieberman that is not enough. He has no shame in placing them in further harm.
As for sanctions against Iran; they should be lifted! Yes, lifted because the current regime in Iran blames every freaking economic mismanagement on sanctions. If they are lifted that excuse will be taken away from them. the Iranian regime has run the country through crisis management for 30 years and is very capable to continue to do so much longer. But its doubtful they are can manage the Iranian people in a stable environment.
Thanks for spotlighting this and linking to the speech.
I don’t like Lieberman’s domestic politics either, but he has been a rock for several years in the fight to drag U.S. polcy on iran to a more realistic stance.
Winston – How should Lieberman “force the Obama admin to implement it”?
Joesph Lieberman may have accomplished some good in the past regarding Iran. We can have that debate at another time. At this moment, Lieberman needs to join the Republican Party. That is the only way to clearly inform the voters that the Democrats and “Independents” don’t have their act together. G.O.P. legislators may sometime leave much to be desired—but they are the only game in town. The Democratic Party has been captured by the far left and its anti-West philosophy.
Talking about Lieberman talking about Iran is to put the more important matter on the back burner, which should be to educate the public about the necessity of an immediate attack on Iran. Let’s make something clear, the main worry is not more terrorism protected by an Iranian nuclear umbrella, it’s Ahmannutjob having a dream in which the twelve Iman tells him to sail a nuke into New York harbor and then doing it.
Meanwhile US is defenseless until Jan.20, 2013. My guess is that Obama’s legacy will be vast amounts of American blood, spilled in the US. We might as well brace ourselves for the inevitable.
I don’t agree with Joe Lieberman about everything, but he has been steadfast in his opposition to the Iranian mullahs. That is more than can be said for so many others.
I won’t speak for Roger, (but, I think his point is well taken, or should be)
Lieberman is what the Democrats SHOULD BE. David’s point (also well taken, but I’m going to disagree and say why in a moment), is that Sen. Lieberman should simply join the Republicans, making clear that there is nothing worth salvaging of the Democratic Party, which has been pulled so hard to the left, it has blown a rotator cuff.
First, Lieberman is a man of conscience, honor, integrity. That is so rare a commodity in national politics today, it is a marvel that it exists at all.
Secondly, he stood by his convictions…even when they cost him ex-communication from the left, demonization from the unhinged left and near shunning by their Pocket Media….who knows what the secret club of Journolistas were up to at that time, but it certainly didn’t appear that they lifted a finger to help him.
I do NOT believe that we benefit from a one party system. And I abhor hard leftism. It is a vile and despicable disease. If ANYTHING is to remain that is left of center, then let it be a Lieberman classic liberal. We are a center right country it is said, but I think we can withstand principled debate from the center left.
AND…if the left attacks Lieberman (and all classic liberals) every time they adopt a reasoned, rational stance…it makes them look more and more unhinged. Their narrative doesn’t play (“those crazy extreme right wing nutjobs shouldn’t be taken seriously)…it does MUCH more damage to their credibility when they come unglued against a center leftist.
(there is a corollary here for those attacking from the right against the VAST majority of this country’s center-right voters, but we will leave that for another discussion)
Lieberman is the BEST thing going to damage the credibility of the insane hard left. But he does his best work from where he is, if he became a Republican…he would be slammed as a RINO, a weakling, and attacked…weakening him from the right. That’s not a great move, in my opinion.
I think he should be respected and admired for the courage it takes to stand up and be counted, knowing he will incur the wrath of the hard left..and knowing that he could easily make himself a Pocket Media darling, just by going along with the “message”. He doesn’t…and that alone makes him special and worthy of our respect and admiration.
“I do NOT believe that we benefit from a one party system.”
I have been arguing for some time that the Democrats are mostly dead in purple and red state areas. This means, if I am right, that the the party is finished as a national entity. Still, its replacement will be created within the near future. We live in an era of instant communications. The vacuum should be soon filled.