Lieberman to Baldwin: 'Make My Day'

Comment may be dig at Minn. freshman, who shut down Lieberman

(NEWSER) - Chris Dodd battled a perceived lack of decorum in the Senate yesterday with some stern language from the floor. The Connecticut Democrat did not name names but rather cryptically chastised the Senate’s “newer members” for failing “to understand how the Senate has worked for more than two centuries” during the course of the health care debate. Most “newer members” are Democrats. More»

Professor analyzes writings, finds lots of name calling

(NEWSER) - This could explain why Congress is having such a hard time agreeing on a budget: Its members are too busy taunting one another. A Harvard professor analyzed the writings of Congress members, and found that about 27% of the time, they're just insulting each other. “It’s jarring and surprising,” he tells the Washington Post . "The entire government may go bankrupt, I guess. This week, right? We probably want our representatives to be listening to each other rather than calling each other names." More»

John McCain hopes he becomes defense secretary

(NEWSER) - Joe Lieberman today confirmed what everybody knew: He's not running for Senate re-election in 2012. Some quotes from the Connecticut independent's news conference, as collected by the Washington Post :

• "Along the way, I have not always fit comfortably into conventional political boxes—maybe you've noticed that—Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative. I have always thought that my first responsibility is not to serve a political party but to serve my constituents, my state, and my country, and then to work across party lines to make sure good things get done for them."
• "The politics of President Kennedy—patriotic service to country, support of civil rights and social justice, pro-growth economic and tax policies, and a strong national defense—are still my politics. So maybe that means that JFK wouldn't fit into any of today's partisan political boxes neatly."

He now seems more comfortable cracking jokes

(NEWSER) - Senate colleagues expecting humor from funnyman and freshman lawmaker Al Franken have gotten just the opposite, though insiders say the Minnesota senator is getting into the groove and loosening up a bit. Since taking office last year, Franken has snapped at administration officials , Joe Lieberman , and Republican legislators. Now, he’s the model of bipartisanship with numerous across-the-aisle bills, and he’s even making jokes. More»

It all starts with a bipartisan lunch

(NEWSER) - Evan Bayh thinks the Senate is so hopelessly mired in partisan muck that the only way out is for Democrats and Republicans to break bread together. "Let’s start with a simple proposal: why not have a monthly lunch of all 100 senators?" he writes in a New York Times op-ed headlined "Why I'm Leaving the Senate." He suggests the parties pick one topic to talk about, "absent the posturing and public talking points," as a way to improve "the personal chemistry" among senators. More»