Lieberman Coaching the New Mouth Puppet

[CrackSmokeRepublican]

Lieberman Says Obama Off to 'Good Start,' Cites Cairo Speech

By Nicholas Johnston

June 13 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Joseph Lieberman said President Barack Obama's administration is off to a "very good start" and praised his address to the Muslim world while criticizing the administration's call to freeze all Israeli settlements as "risky."

Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who caucuses with the Democrats yet backed Republican John McCain in last year's presidential election, said he has been "encouraged" by Obama's first months in office.

"He's been strong, particularly on foreign policy," Lieberman said in an interview on Bloomberg Television's "Political Capital with Al Hunt," airing this weekend. "President Obama is off to a very, very good start in a very difficult time in our nation's history."

Obama's speech in Cairo "opened up some minds in the Muslim world," Lieberman said, even as he disagreed with the president's assertion that the construction of Israeli settlements on the West Bank is a central obstacle to peace.

"The Israelis can freeze settlements altogether today and there wouldn't be peace between Israel and the Palestinians," Lieberman said. "Why? Because half of the Palestinians live under the rule of Hamas, which is a terrorist group that wants to destroy Israel."

Lieberman said Obama's speech went too far in opposing Israel's "natural growth" in housing projects.

"I think that clearly some of those outposts should be brought down, but that within the existing major population centers" in areas that would stay in Israel in any two-state solution, "it's just wrong to expect them not to expand," Lieberman said.

'Pleasantly' Encouraged

Lieberman, 67, who was one of Obama's leading critics during last year's campaign, said he has been "pleasantly, I don't know if I should say surprised, but encouraged" by his performance overall.

"He has the opportunity to be a great president," Lieberman said.

On domestic issues, Lieberman said he opposes the creation of a government-run health-insurance option that would compete with private insurers as a part of a health-care overhaul because it would increase costs for taxpayers.

Lieberman said Congress faces a "unique opportunity" to pass health-care legislation this year as long as advocates of government-run insurance can compromise.

Bipartisanship on Health

"We're in reach in the Senate of a pretty good bipartisan majority in favor of universal health insurance," he said. "The one thing that will stop that is pressure on the so-called public option."

Lieberman said now is "the moment" for the government to overhaul the nation's financial regulations and that Obama's proposals, which will be released next week, should include a consolidation of regulatory agencies.

"Don't just put another layer of regulation on top of the existing regulation," Lieberman said. "I'm worried that the administration is not going to go far enough."

Lieberman, who is chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said he is working with the panel's top Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, to put out a report pushing for more consolidation ahead of Senate consideration of financial legislation.

Lieberman said he supports climate-change legislation that is moving forward in the House of Representatives, and the Senate will probably be able to approve similar legislation.

'Skyrocketing' Costs

He said the key would be reassuring people from states that rely on coal for energy generation that any climate-change measure wouldn't result in "skyrocketing" costs.

Lieberman said he is "satisfied for now" about a deal cut June 11 on a $106 billion war-spending bill that removed a provision he backed barring the release of photos of U.S. troops abusing detainees.

Obama, in a letter to House and Senate members negotiating a final version of the bill, said he would use "every legal and administrative remedy available" to prevent the release of the photos that is being sought by the American Civil Liberties Union.

"I appreciate the president's commitment to do everything within his power, legislatively and administratively, to block these photos from ever seeing the light of day," Lieberman said.

Lieberman said he will continue to work to pass separate legislation "as soon as possible" aimed at ensuring the photos are not released.

Obama's overture to Muslims in the Cairo speech was "a very significant step forward, overall," Lieberman said.

"What this is all about is the hearts and minds of the Muslim world," Lieberman said. "President Obama is uniquely positioned to reach out in that way, and I'm pleased that he did it."

To contact the reporters on this story: Nicholas Johnston in Washington http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... 5htM4suvD8

[Rockclimber]

You can almost hear him ending most of his sentences with "for Israel"... :roll:

[rmstock]

A TELEPHONE CALL TO SENATOR LIEBERMAN'S OFFICE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIZiTSnCNBY

[abduLMaria]

i wish he would retire to cope full-time with a Botox overdose.  or something.

[scorpio]

A TELEPHONE CALL TO SENATOR LIEBERMAN'S OFFICE

RMSTOCK - Great vid! Hilarious, but also important. People are getting pissed off :twisted:  :shock: