Joe Lieberman Wins His Millionth Consecutive Worst Person Award!

Seriously, I'm beginning to think the best public option for health care reform may be to kill Joe Lieberman and simply be done with the whole "Wah Wah nobody likes me because I'm a dishonest, deceitful, conniving, backstabbing, boring old fuddyduddy who sucks the oxygen from every room" routine. Because, quite frankly, it's getting a bit stale.

But the will of millions of Americans, and the 59 Democratic senators working hard to get something done other than desperately trying to get that chocolate-hued President tossed out on his behind, means nothing to ol' Joe! Nor does going back on his pledge to support the Medicare buy-in proposal HE insisted replace the so-called "public option" for no reason except the sheer enjoyment he gets from personally destroying other peoples' happiness.

It's just Joe's style.

From Talking Points Memo:

In a move that senior leadership aides say has left them stunned, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) that he will filibuster a tentative public option compromise unless it's stripped of its key component: a measure that would allow people aged 55-64 to buy insurance through Medicare.

The development casts substantial doubt on whether or not a health care reform bill can pass in the Senate, and even more doubt on whether a bill that does pass the Senate will be reconcilable with substantially more progressive House legislation in such a way that a final reform package can once again pass in both chambers of Congress.

Ummm yeah that's usually what happens when the key 60th vote suddenly decides he now absolutely despises and will have nothing to do with the very Medicare buy-in proposal HE SUPPORTED THREE MONTHS AGO simply because, well, it pains him terribly to do anything to help anyone except himself. Ever.

So, now the question becomes how will the White House and an enraged Harry Reid respond to the latest slap-in-the-face by professional turncoat Joe Lieberman? Shall they bring the smackdown and get his wayward ass back in line by threatening to strip him of his beloved chairmanships or continue the whole "Munich" approach since it worked so well with Hitler and all?

The White House is encouraging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to cut a deal with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and eliminate the proposed Medicare expansion in the health reform bill, according to an official close to the negotiations.

But Reid is described as so frustrated with Lieberman that he is not ready to sacrifice a key element of the health care bill, and first wants to see the Congressional Budget Office cost analysis of the Medicare buy-in. The analysis is expected early this week.

“There is a weariness and a lot of frustration that one person is holding up the will of 59 others,” the official said. “There is still too much anger and confusion at one particular senator’s reversal.”

Which is why a really great idea would be to now change the bill, or at least get rid of the latest addition Joe insisted upon but now can't stand in order to appease the old coot until he comes up with the next pretend reason why he must ruin everything. For everyone. Again.

But hey, don't blame Joe. He's just doing what he does best!

After Monday evening's meeting with the White House to discuss how to proceed, Sen. Evan Bayh, a moderate Democrat, said, "To use an old cliche, the general consensus was we shouldn't make the perfect the enemy of the good."

Of course not! We should make the asshole its best friend instead.