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Franken Slaps Down Lieberman on the Senate Floor

By Philip Klein on 12.17.09 @ 4:05PM

Liberal anger toward Sen. Joe Lieberman boiled over to the Senate floor this afternoon when Sen. Al Franken denied the Connecticut independent a routine request to extend his remarks.

Sen. Lieberman was speaking out in favor of an amendment he is offering along with Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Sheldon Whitehouse to strengthen the proposed Medicare advisory commission as a means of reducing health care costs.

After Lieberman spoke for 10 minutes, Franken, who was presiding over the Senate, informed him that his time had expired. Lieberman asked that he be given "an additional moment" to finish up -- a request that requires the consent of all Senators, but something that is typically granted without objection.

But before he could continue, Sen. Franken speaking from the presiding officer's table, snapped, "In my capacity as Senator from Minnesota, I object."

A suprised Lieberman laughed. "Really?" he said incredulously. "Okay, I don't take it personally."

Sen. John McCain then took the floor and came to Lieberman's defense.

"I've been around here 20 some years, it's the first time I've seen a member denied an extra minute or two finish his remarks," McCain lamented. "I don't know what's happening here in this body, but I think it's wrong."

Sen. Carl Levin responded that, "The same thing did occur earlier this afternoon for reasons which have to do with trying to get this bill going."

"Well, I haven't seen it myself, and I don't like it," McCain snapped back. "I think it harms the comity of the Senate not to allow one of our members at least a minute. I'm sure that time is urgent here, but I doubt it would be that urgent."

View all comments (48) | Leave a comment

Kyle Smith| 12.17.09 @ 4:18PM

Sorry Johnny McCain but your beloved Senate comity is a thing of the past. Good riddance. I seem to remember the last time McCain was concerned with Senate Comity and it led to the Gang of 14. I wonder how many judicial seats that Bush was kept from filling, are now being filled with Obama's radical jurists? Senate comity does little good for this nation...get over the good old boy network McCain. If you don't like it, retire and join a few more country clubs.

poweroldglory| 12.17.09 @ 11:36PM

KS it has to with showing respect for a statesman like Lieberman. Oh sorry, I forgot, a thug like Franken is clueless when it comes to showing respect. Especially when it relates to shutting down someone with a voice of reason amongst all the whack jobs on the left. Unbefreakinglievable!!!! No my friend, the old boy network has now become "the loony left" network and is infesting the halls of a once proud Demotratic Party. Kennedy has to be rolling in his grave!!

Nick| 12.18.09 @ 9:37AM

What, exactly, has the democrat party EVER done to be proud of?

And the "Swimmer" probably has more important things to worry about than the democrat party. Like repentance.

JohnR22| 12.18.09 @ 9:31AM

The whole concept of democracy depends on the willingness of both sides to compromise. Without compromise you have gridlock followed by frustration and rage. And apparently, that's what you want. Like so many childish utopian Leftists, if you can't have what you want...right now! Today!...your preference is to burn the whole thing down out of petulance. McCain is a true Centrist who has tried hard to work across the aisle his whole career. Franken is a true hate-mongerer...just like you.

sre| 12.17.09 @ 4:34PM

"Franken, who was presiding over the Senate. . ."

That just about sums it up.

John Read| 12.17.09 @ 7:24PM

Lieberman is a soulless loser who is only interested in himself. At least Franken is funny sometimes. Liebereman is always a pain in the A..

Dixie Pixie| 12.17.09 @ 4:44PM

Senator Franken makes Glen Beck look prescience.
There are maniac clowns beating common sense and decently with giant clown shoes.

Hannah von der Wehl| 12.17.09 @ 7:31PM

Do you mean prescient? Glen Beck makes Franken look like a super genius, you should say.

Dr. Jay| 12.18.09 @ 3:57AM

No, Dixie writes what Dixie means.

"...makes Glen Beck look Pre-Science."

;-)

Salmon| 12.17.09 @ 4:55PM

Is Dixie Pixie an actual English-speaking person, or some kind of bot that wasn't coded correctly? (Or, in Dixie-speak: Is Dixie Pixie an actually English-spoke person, or some kindly of bot that wasn't coding correctable?)

Dixie Pixie| 12.17.09 @ 6:44PM

30 years as a binary coder will warp the mind.
Ask any assembly programmer.

And Yes, I should proof read my quips before posting.
You have my humble apologies.

John Thacker| 12.17.09 @ 6:46PM

"I seem to remember the last time McCain was concerned with Senate Comity and it led to the Gang of 14. I wonder how many judicial seats that Bush was kept from filling, are now being filled with Obama's radical jurists?"

Would you prefer that there be no filibuster of judicial nominations now, and Obama filling seats with even more radical judges?

The Senate rules and comity are weapons for the minority. Always have been. You may have hated them when Republicans had a majority, but they're darn useful now when, say, Coburn objects to Bernie Sanders's amendment.

If Kyle Smith had his way, the Democrats would be completely unstoppable now, and health care reform would already have been passed. What a maroon.

Hannah von der Wehl| 12.17.09 @ 7:37PM

Maroon is a fine color, you MORON.

phil| 12.17.09 @ 8:07PM

1. maroon
A term of derision often uttered by Bugs Bunny when referring to an interaction with a dopey adversary. It is a mispronunciation of the word "Moron"

"What a Maroon!"
"Will ya get a load of this maroon"

2. maroon
A fuckwit, elmore or jackweed. Doesn't rise to the level of moron because that is spelled correctly.

The maroons who ran Enron really elmored the company up.

phil| 12.17.09 @ 8:10PM

quoted from the Urban Dictionary

http://www.urbandictionary.com.....erm=maroon

eeriemoon| 12.17.09 @ 8:08PM

I think he was quoting Bugs Bunny with the "maroon" thing.

Nick| 12.17.09 @ 8:08PM

Yes, I for one, would prefer there be no filibusters of judicial nominees.

The Republicans can't filibuster anything right now. So President Dither IS filling judicial seats with "radical judges."

The "Gang of 14" debacle concerned a very narrow constitutional abuse, i.e. the filibustering of judicial nominees.

It was never about getting rid of all filibusters. Or objecting to waiving the reading of amendments.

I'm not exactly sure what is your point?

DrTomVoter| 12.17.09 @ 7:29PM

Speaking of Franken, without a few hunderd dubious votes in MN, Obamacare would be dead by now. If it passes, we can thank the Sec of State of MN.

Richard Baker| 12.17.09 @ 8:04PM

Franken? You mean the non-funny moron from Saturday Night Live? The whole world recoils from the power of his searing logic.

Danram| 12.17.09 @ 8:09PM

Al Franken is a flaky, obnoxious moonbat who isn't fit to wipe Joe Lieberman's shoes.

Dr. Jay| 12.18.09 @ 4:11AM

Absolutely. - Besides, he'd tie the shoelaces together.

Robert Chandler| 12.17.09 @ 8:13PM

Al Franken is an I'll mannered low life not worthy or fit to serve in the U.S. Senate.

As he so clearly demonstrated today.

Dr. Jay| 12.18.09 @ 4:08AM

I share your high opinion and esteem of our Senate.....certainly, certainly, no politician in such an august body is a self-serving ill-mannered low-life. Nary a one.

Margie| 12.17.09 @ 8:22PM

Look at that.. even "Pingback" knows how to ask the question!

GFR| 12.17.09 @ 8:24PM

I remember Franken and his partner Davis on Saturday Night Live.

Whenever they came on it was the signal to go and take a whizz - because they weren't funny.

Having him in the senate isn't making him any funnier.

Margie| 12.17.09 @ 8:37PM

No, he isn't funny at all. He's part of the Gang of Destruction, that is, the Democrat party. I just hope they really are truly self-destructing. But we'll be helping them along come 2010, we all better plan on voting Republican or else we will get a continuation of this madness for another several years.

Franklin| 12.17.09 @ 8:51PM

Franken doesn't represent those of us from Minnesota. The majority of the citizens from MN did not vote for him. We've been 'acorned'.

Margie| 12.17.09 @ 8:55PM

Don't you know it, Franklin. I believe our whole country was acorned in the case of Obama, too.

JohnR22| 12.18.09 @ 9:35AM

You're right. Franken got elected through a bizarre combination of factors: (1) Phenomenal Dem turnout becaue of Obama...most of them voting a straight party ticket, (2) A third party candidate that siphoned off significant support from the Republican, and (3) the recount fraud where almost all newly discovered ballots were for Franken (just a coincidence I guess). It's as though Ann Coulter had run a joke campaign and been elected to the Senate. Only difference is, Coulter has control of her emotions and Franken does not.

CyKick| 12.18.09 @ 12:11PM

>>
Sorry. Half the "people" of Minnesota DID vote for that jerk. Now the country suffers for your state's ignorance.

Loadmaster| 12.17.09 @ 8:55PM

The left is driving Joe more and more to be really hard core independent. I don't blame him for wanting to sticking a finger in their eye. 75% of the Dem's are clowns and Big Al is the lead clown. Al should sent ACORN a XMAS present. Trust me - when John and Joe are ready for Pay Back...stand back because it will not be pretty, They will not let this stand. You know pay back is hell!!!

Greg| 12.17.09 @ 9:49PM

well well, the right wingers bloviate. the senate is an anti-democratic body by its very nature. california equals tiny delaware. you need 60 votes to pass anything. arcane rules are used to slow the process to a crawl and to indulge personal vendettas and cranks like lieberman and coburn (i.e. Dr. No). if george washington thought the senate was like pouring coffee into a saucer to cool it, the coffee has long since gone cold and rancid. abolish the senate, an antimajoritarian body is there ever was one. and use the "nuclear option" to pass health care reforms. the nuts in the republican party would... if given the chance, but that gets to the need for a third party...another conversation,

Rick| 12.18.09 @ 9:31AM

And no doubt you were one of the clowns saying the exact opposite during the Bush years. Yes, let's rewrite the entire Constitution so that you can socialize 1/6th of the US economy, and doom citizens to a lifetime of high taxes and mediocre (at best) health care. By the way, since you sorely need a course on the founding document, you might want to try and learn why the "nuclear option" isn't an option here. And, the 60 vote threshold was created by Daschle, Reid, et al. to slow down a GOP Senate. If it so upsets you, take it up with them.

JohnR22| 12.18.09 @ 9:38AM

As I said, the childish Left's position is that if they can't have everything they want (right now! Today!), then burn the whole thing down. Abolish the Senate, says Greg! The sad part is, Greg's post indicates he actually has some eduation and understanding of our constitution...and he still wants to destroy it, just because he's having a hissy fit over Obama's inability to turn this nation into Sweden overnight.

Max| 12.18.09 @ 2:32AM

Dear Minnesota,
Couldn't you have just elected him as another goofy Governor instead of inflicting him on the rest of us?

Dr. Jay | 12.18.09 @ 3:46AM

Why, this was certainly entertaining!

But....how can someone not organize and deliver a coherent concept within ten minutes!?

Peter Morgan| 12.18.09 @ 8:26AM

Franken, Dorgan, Conrad, Reid...all the same. I'm tired of them not listening to us. They ignore us. Dorgan doesn't even live in his own state. North Dakota is running a candidate in the vein of Rubio in Florida and that is Paul Sorum. I heard him on the radio and the guy gets it. Fiscal responsibility. Jobs. Seniors. Women. I just like him. Common sense and the best part is he isn't a career politician. I'm voting for Mr. Sorum. It's time this state makes a change.

jaq~| 12.18.09 @ 9:06AM

The composition of the United States Senate may at times be questionable, as now with Mr. Franken sitting in as president pro tempore, but IMO, the institution is what appears to be the last bastion of checks and balances left in this once proud republic.

Lawyers Guns & Money| 12.18.09 @ 9:26AM

When a third rate comic and election fraud artist presides over the senate, you get what you get

JohnR22| 12.18.09 @ 9:27AM

I knew this would happen; it was only a matter of when. Ordinarily the House is the body for childish hotheads...we see plenty of them making fools of themselves. The Senate has always been comprised of "adults" who moderate the emotionalism of the House. Not any more. That's Franken's biggest contribution to our nation...to start to turn the Senate into a smaller version of the House. I knew it would happen given Franken's history of hyper-emotional partisanship and literal hatred of the opposition.

valwayne| 12.18.09 @ 11:23AM

I hope the people of MN are happy with their piece of work. The left is angry with Sen Liberman, the man with the most integrity in the U.S. Senate, but they should remember that he isn't a Democrat anymore because of them, and he doesn't owe them diddly squat. Sen Lieberman shouldn't just oppose the most corrupt parts of Obamacare he should just annouce his opposition to the entire corrupt mess and say and vote NO. If the Democrats don't like it he can caucus with the Republicans. He doesn't have to put up with a disgusting worm like Al Franken.

Timothy L. Pennell| 12.18.09 @ 11:24AM

Does anyone know if Franken was wearing a diaper and a babies bonnet, when he made his mouth move?

Red in Denver| 12.18.09 @ 11:32AM

It's outrageous to me that Franken, being a newcomer with virtually no senate experience would be able to squelch a long-term senator with whom he disagrees. There are LOTS of things wrong with the system, and this is one of them.

The Democratic party (to which I USED TO belong) has been taken over by left-wingers. This may explain why Lieberman switched to being an Independent. I know it explains why I became an Independent, after being a Democrat for many years.

Brian| 12.18.09 @ 11:33AM

The morons in Minnesota who voted for this complete jackass dishonored and betrayed their country.

To vote for a man with no relevant experience, who clearly brings nothing to the table, who is absolutely useless, to put a worthless, corrupt incompetent like Al Franken in the US Senate, no wonder we're in the state we're in.

That they also probably voted for the least qualified, least competent President in US history is also an utter and complete disgrace.

Moranangatang| 12.18.09 @ 11:52AM

I like the idea of less talking by our elected officials and maybe more working. I wish Bugs Bunny was presiding and Elmer Fudd too. Wait, Lieberman looks like Bugs and McCain a bit like Fudd. Franken resembles that dude who was always bring home that baby bumble bee. Jeez!

Tim| 12.18.09 @ 12:16PM

It is easy to tell there is a bunch of liberals on here because as soon as they dont agree with a posters comment they grammar check their entire posting as to make themselves some highly intelligent smug person.

Guess what "hookt on fonicks rilly wurked 4 mee"

You people on the left have it in your head that your the only educated ones and we should not disagree with your words.

Quit whining, get your hands dirty and actually defend an argument!

Lynn| 12.20.09 @ 9:56AM

Good job Tim --you are exactly right! Liberals cannot have a decent argument--it gets very personal when you show them the facts!
Al Franken is an obnoxious jerk who does not
have any experience other than his obnoxious
behavior and big mouth--and that's not personal it's the proven truth!