"Traitor Joe" Speaks To Republicans

Well, he did it. Joe Lieberman not only supports a Republican for president, but last night he shamed himself by appearing before the Republican Convention and spoke against the Democratic Party and its nominee (just as Georgia's Zell Miller did a few years ago). The Connecticut senator has been voting with Republicans for years now, and last night he left no doubt that he is no longer a Democrat. Here is some of what he had to say:

Thank you so very much for that warm welcome. You'd have to be me to know how much it appreciate -- I appreciate it. I'm really honored to be here tonight.

What, after all, is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this? Well, I'll tell you what: I'm here to support John McCain because country matters more than party.

I am here tonight for a simple reason. John McCain is the best choice to bring our country together and lead America forward.

I think you know that both of the presidential candidates this year have talked about changing the culture of Washington, about breaking through the partisan gridlock and the special interests that are poisoning our politics, but, my friends, only one of them has actually done it. Only one of them has shown the courage and the capability to rise above the smallness of our politics to get big things done for our country and our people. And that one is John S. McCain.

Now, let me share something with you that I'm in a unique position to do as a Democrat. My Democratic friends know all about John's record of independence and accomplishment. And you see, that's why I think some of them are spending so much time and so much money trying to convince the American people that John McCain is someone else. I am here to tell you what I think you know, but I want to speak to the people out there. Don't be fooled by some of these political statements and advertisements. Trust me: God only made one John McCain, and he is his own man.

In the Senate, during the three-and-a-half years that Senator Obama has been a member, he has not reached across party lines to get accomplish anything significant, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic Party to get something done.

Now, I'm honored to say just a word about the great lady that John McCain has selected as his running mate. Gov. Palin, like John McCain, is a reformer. She's taken on the special interests and the political power-brokers in Alaska and reached across party lines to get things done. The truth is, she is a leader we can count on to help John shake up Washington. That's why -- that's why I sincerely believe that the real ticket for change this year is the McCain-Palin ticket.

We need a president we can count on to fight for what's right for our country, not only when it's easy, but when it's hard.

My -- my friends, I have had the privilege and I'd say the pleasure of traveling the world with John McCain, even with Lindsey Graham it was a pleasure.

My friends, before I conclude, I want to ask the indulgence of all of you here in this hall tonight, because I want to speak directly to my fellow Democrats and independents who are watching or listening tonight. I want to -- I want to speak directly to you out there. I know many of you are angry and frustrated by our government and our politics today, and for good reason. You may be thinking of voting for John McCain, but you're not sure yet. Some of you may never have voted for a Republican before. And, frankly, in an ordinary election, you probably never would.
But I want you to believe with me that this is no ordinary election, because...And it's no ordinary election because these are not ordinary times. And trust me: John McCain is no ordinary candidate.

So, tonight, I want to ask you, whether you are an independent, a Reagan Democrat, a Clinton Democrat, or just a plain-old Democrat, this year, when you vote for president, vote for the person you believe is best for our country, not for the party you happen to belong to.

I appeal to independents, Democrats, and Republicans. Let's come together this November to make a great American patriot, John McCain, our next great president.

Fellow Democrats, is there even an iota of doubt left about the dis-loyalty of this cretin? Can any of you honestly say he deserves the honored title of Democrat? Does he have the right to sit with real Democrats in the Democratic Congressional Caucus?

Can we kick him out now and strip him of his committee assignments?

(Cartoon above is by By Bob Englehart in The Hartford Courant)