"Charles Freeman Jr.’s withdrawal of his acceptance of a high-level intelligence position in the Obama administration was a national-security drama more riveting than an episode of “24.” The moral was clear: even a president who owes his job to a progressive movement in American politics could not support a longtime public servant who had made the mistake of criticizing Israel. Fierce advocates of the Jewish state, notably Sens. Chuck Schumer and Joe Lieberman and Reps. Eric Cantor and Steve Israel, played important roles in Freeman’s exit, while present and former officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee flitted in and out of the wings.
The message to all office-seekers is obvious. “They want to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys. They want other people to be intimidated,” Freeman told The American Conservative just before he withdrew his name to be chairman of the National Intelligence Council. He went on, “If the administration does not stick with me, then it’s destroying the argument that the Israel lobby is only a mythic entity and does not control the public space. … It will show the world that it is not able to exercise independent thinking on these issues.”" Weiss
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I used to know Senator Joe Lieberman quite well. I met him in the course of my third or fourth career, this one as a fellow who introduced people. He is affable, polite, hospitable, and seemingly open to new ideas.
But there are a number of problems with the idea of making him Director of the FBI:
1. He is too old. The FBI Director works a very hard schedule and Joe Lieberman is 75 years old. His ten year term would end when he would be 85. This is out of the question.
2. He is a politician. His on again, off again love affair with the Democratic Party should, in itself, be a bar to appointment to head yhe US' most important national police force and counter-intelligence group. Would the Republicans other than his pals, McCain and Graham, ever trust this Democrat?
3. He was an ardent supporter of the disastrous Iraq War. He and the other Amigos, McCain the strange, and Graham the oddball South Carolinian, traveled endlessly to Iraq, usually stopping off in Tel Aviv going and/or coming for a "booster shot" in enthusiasm for the project. There surely should be some questioning of his judgment over this.
4. He has no police or investigative experience other than a period as AG of Connecticut a long time ago. He is not a cop. Nor is he a CI spook.
5. He is very close to AIPAC, the un-registered and IMO illegal Zionist lobby.
6. Ambassador Charles (Chas) Freeman is probably the most skilled US diplomat in the last century in regard to matters involving the Middle East and the Arab World. Joe was one of those who led the effort to block Freeman's appointment as head of the National Intelligence Council, a DNI function that writes all national intelligence estimates. Relentless resistance by what Freeman called "The IsraeliLobby" caused Freeman to withdraw from the process.
I URGE THE PESIDENT TO RESIST THOSE URGING HIM TO APPOINT JOE LIEBERMAN TO HEAD THE FBI. pl
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/freemans-fight/
Joe didn't support an investigation of the 911 attacks either. Ponder that.
Posted by: Cee | 19 May 2017 at 10:25 AM
I agree. We do not need a politician as head of the FBI.
Posted by: SRW | 19 May 2017 at 11:19 AM
He's a year older than Charles Freeman. Why don't we make Freeman the head of the FBI.
Posted by: eakens | 19 May 2017 at 11:31 AM
I am shocked Lieberman's name is even under consideration. It can only be intended to ensure that every Zionist has a get-out-of-jail-free card in their pocket no matter what crime they commit. And prosecute Hillary? Forget about it.
Posted by: Tom | 19 May 2017 at 11:36 AM
A lot of Democrats don't trust Lieberman either, he having lost the 2006 Democratic primary election in Connecticut and won as the nominee of the "Connecticut for Lieberman" Party. And of course in 2008, he appeared at the Republican Convention and endorsed McCain.
Posted by: D | 19 May 2017 at 12:02 PM
It should be sufficient that Mr Lieberman has no real law enforcement experience -- the Connecticut Attorney General does not have jurisdiction over criminal investigations.
http://www.ct.gov/ag/lib/ag/about_us/annualreport2015-16.pdf
He is a career politician, having been first elected to office at the age of 28 in 1970 and serving continuously in elected office for the ensuing 42 years, with only a 2-year break when he unexpectedly lost a congressional campaign in 1980. He has no discernible intelligence experience apart from his tenure on the Senate Armed Services Committee. His only administrative experience is his 6-year stint as Connecticut AG, which is a fraction of the size of the FBI.
It's hard to view an appointment like this as anything other than a sop to Republican moderates and whatever is left of the center-right opinion elite, which honors Lieberman's "integrity" as a genuine turncoat Democrat. As a fully paid-up member of the Senate "Club", he is still an insider's insider, but I suspect he is deeply distrusted by both the Right and the Left. I think the Bureau would be somewhat immobilized with Lieberman as its Director, but if the White House thinks he'll get the FBI "under control", it is overestimating Lieberman's skill set and political influence.
Posted by: Henry Tanguy | 19 May 2017 at 12:16 PM
If Lieberman is confirmed as FBI director they should just go ahead and lower the American flag and raise the Israeli flag over the Nations hijacked Capitol building and the White House. The takeover will have been completed.
Posted by: Paloma | 19 May 2017 at 12:18 PM
Joe Lieberman, epitomizes a card carrying member of the Borg. A very dangerous move for Trump to install a viper at the head of the federal criminal investigation arm. He WILL be backstabbed!!
Posted by: Sam Peralta | 19 May 2017 at 12:25 PM
Joementum is back!
Lieberman works at the law firm that’s run by Trump’s personal litigation attorney. I can see why Trump would like that. Apparently they also “bonded” at the interview. Given what Benjamin Wittes has written about Trump’s repeated attempts to bring Comey into his orbit, I can see why Trump would like that as well. This has all the markings of a poisoned chalice. Drink up, Joe.
I think the Republicans would probably welcome this appointment more than the Democrats.
Posted by: Stephanie | 19 May 2017 at 12:40 PM
PL - Are you saying that no democrat should be allowed to head any agency trusted with law enforcement or counter terrorism?
Or no politician, regardless of their political party affiliation?
Posted by: Paul Mooney | 19 May 2017 at 12:55 PM
Spot on....
Posted by: Willybilly | 19 May 2017 at 01:04 PM
Joe Lieberman's primary constituency is the media. They love that prick for some reason.
Posted by: Medicine Man | 19 May 2017 at 01:07 PM
PM
No. I am saying that given his record no Joe Lieberman should be FBI Director. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 19 May 2017 at 01:07 PM
If Trump picks Lieberman for the FBI director then he deserves to be impeached. Its hard to feel sorry for a guy who keeps surrounding himself with venous snakes. Trump is either stupid or a closet Neocon. I am getting close to jumping off the Trump train for good. Its getting tiring watching this shit show.
Posted by: lucopter | 19 May 2017 at 01:33 PM
Trump's appointment should reflect his willingness to fight back against the coup plotters.
For starters: He should appoint Eliot Spitzer as new director of the FBI and turn him loose on Wall Street.
I can almost hear the banksters howling already!
Trump needs to abandon the idea that these people can be appeased or reasoned with. If he wants to keep his job he's going to have to lock horns with these deep state miscreants and show them who's boss.
Spitzer is a good place to start, it'll put the fear of god in them quick. Guaranteed!
Posted by: plantman | 19 May 2017 at 01:42 PM
He seems like a perfect choice for Trump, no experience in the position he will hold.
Posted by: Nancy K | 19 May 2017 at 02:02 PM
D---A WHOLE LOT of Democrats don't trust Lieberman. He is a total opportunist...and, yes, he is too old and he has no ability to "lead" an organization like the FBI. Just another really bad judgement call by Mr. Trump.
Posted by: Laura | 19 May 2017 at 02:21 PM
This is a bizarre choice. Competence and ability appears to not even be a consideration.
Steve
Posted by: steve | 19 May 2017 at 02:25 PM
Joe Lieberman was a registered agent of Libya--no problem!
Mike Flynn was a registered agent of Turkey--treason!
Of course there's nothing wrong with registering as such, just noting the bias.
Posted by: iowa steve | 19 May 2017 at 02:29 PM
I guess they can't find an American for the Job.
Posted by: phodges | 19 May 2017 at 02:36 PM
Tom,
not only ´get out of jail cards´ would be flying around, but a lot of new appointments as moles for AIPAC would be installed, and a lot of people who do not seem to be pro-Israel would be sacked, a soviet style "tshistka" (cleaning) of staff would happen, a calamity for generations to come. Complete control of the internal security by a foreign power.
Posted by: fanto | 19 May 2017 at 03:38 PM
Lieberman, we know is a close body of McCain and office wife, they are known as three amigos, McCain is strongly anti Trump, Trump campaign and possibly himself are under investigation for possible Russian connection. One wonders who's shoving up this president's behind with a body of his enemy as his chief of federal police. Does he understand what is he doing?
Posted by: Kooshy | 19 May 2017 at 04:45 PM
IMO Mr. Lieberman is more loyal to Israel first, APAC second, thirdly he will be loyal to US as long as US will guarantee security for his first two loyalties. Now days many American Jewish politicians have the same preference.
Posted by: Kooshy | 19 May 2017 at 04:53 PM
Joe also didn't support an investigation of the New Orleans flooding at and after Katrina. Ponder that too.
Posted by: different clue | 19 May 2017 at 05:23 PM
Appointing Lieberman to direct the FBI might be intended to destroy the FBI from above and within, just as appointing Pruitt to head the EPA might be intended to destroy the EPA from above and within. It might be in line with Bannon's goal of destroying much of the apparatus of government through appointing saboteurs and arsonists to direct each department which Bannon would like to see destroyed.
Posted by: different clue | 19 May 2017 at 05:27 PM