The Glastobury Democratic Town Committee took a tough stance on U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s declaration that he won’t approve a health care bill if it contains a government-run public option. The committee authored a letter to U.S. Majority Leader Harry Reid and passed a resolution asking for Lieberman to be removed from his chairmanship if he fails to endorse the government-run public option.
A MESSAGE FROM THE
GLASTONBURY DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE
November 21, 2009
SENATOR HARRY REID, MAJORITY LEADER
UNITED STATES SENATE
522 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
Dear Senator Reid,
As the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, we can appreciate the complexity of the tasks ahead of you. Real leadership among our elected representatives is extremely important to all Democrats and to a majority of unaffiliated voters. We, the grass roots members of the Democratic Party of Glastonbury Connecticut, have been extremely disappointed as a small number of elected Democrats (or Independents) have stalled, bargained, and withheld their support of the agenda of the President of the United States for their own personal gain and with a greater concern for re-election than for the welfare of the American people. Among those Senators is the junior Connecticut Senator, Joseph Lieberman, who has accepted all of the perks of being a loyal Democrat, and offered neither support nor loyalty. This is unacceptable to those of us who work tirelessly for the Democratic agenda.
On behalf of the Glastonbury Democratic Town Committee (Connecticut), I am forwarding a Resolution that our Town Committee developed and approved by unanimous vote on November 19, 2008. We submit this to you in the hope that the American people will be better represented by you than the State of Connecticut has been represented by Senator Lieberman. We extend our best wishes for your success and that of the Democratic Caucus in the difficult days ahead.
Sincerely,
Patricia M. Saddlemire, Chair
Glastonbury Democratic Town Committee
Cc: Senator Christopher Dodd
Senator Joseph Lieberman
RESOLUTION OF THE
GLASTONBURY DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE
WHEREAS, Joseph Lieberman had been a lifelong member of the Democratic Party, serving in the Connecticut State Legislature, as Connecticut Attorney General, as Connecticut’s Junior Senator since 1988 and as the Democratic candidate for Vice President in 2000; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Lieberman in his third Senate term began to take positions on issues that were not supported by the leadership or rank and file of his party, which positions were often more in line with the thinking of the Republican administration then in office; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Lieberman ignored the expressed wishes of Connecticut Democrats who defeated him in a Senatorial Primary in 2006 by running as a third party independent under the banner of Connecticut for Lieberman, gaining reelection at the expense of the elected nominee of the Democratic Party; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Lieberman openly aided the election bid of the Republican nominee for President in 2008 by appearing as a featured speaker at the Republican convention and traveling around the country extolling the virtues of the Republican candidate and denigrating the candidate of the Democratic Party; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Lieberman has recently indicated a willingness to support other Connecticut Republican candidates in upcoming elections to the detriment of the Democratic Party; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Lieberman has threatened to filibuster during the upcoming Senate debate on Healthcare Reform, thus undermining the Senate’s ability to adopt a key piece of the Democratic program supported by President Obama and the Democratic Party; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Lieberman continues to act in ways that are inimical to the programs and policies of the Democratic Party, its President and its leadership, even after the Senate leadership has attempted to work cooperatively with him by allowing him to retain his Senate committee chairmanship over the protests of many in the Party;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the membership of the Glastonbury Democratic Town Committee that we strongly urge Majority Leader Harry Reid to remove Joseph Lieberman from his Chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for his continued duplicitous conduct and his continued efforts to undermine the progressive programs advocated by the Democratic Party; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this Resolution shall be forwarded to all Democratic members of the United States Senate and to all national and Connecticut media outlets as a clear signal of dissatisfaction with the actions and conduct of Joseph Lieberman felt by the members of this body.
Approved and Adopted by Unanimous Vote at its GDTC Meeting on November 19, 2009.