Lieberman Disagrees With "President" Levin

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) has been running around as though he's now the president after last week's election. He's making demands as to what the president must now do in Iraq, including demanding that Bush tell the Iraqis that a phased pull-out of US forces will begin in 4-6 months.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) is clearly feeling his oats as the most powerful man in the Senate, since he basically has the Dems by the short hairs and can twist them anyway he wants. Lieberman, who was ousted in the Dem primary because of his pro-war stance, hasn't changed his mind and is directly challenging "President" Levin:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Joe Lieberman, may have agreed to caucus with the Democrats in the next congressional term, but the Connecticut independent made it clear Wednesday he would not hold the party line on a call for phased troop withdrawals.

"Both general Abizaid and Ambassador Satterfield were quite clear and to me convincing, that for congress to order the beginning of a phased redeployment, a withdrawal of American troops from Iraq within the next 4 to 6 months would be a very serious mistake and would endanger ultimate the United States," Lieberman told reporters after the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Iraq.

Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, who is to become the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee when Democrats take control of the chamber in January, said Tuesday a phased withdrawal is the only way Iraqi forces will take responsibility for their country.

Lieberman's comments are a sign his defeat in the Connecticut Democratic primary has not weakened his hawkish stance on Iraq. Connecticut Democrats voted Lieberman out of the party in August, opting for vehement antiwar candidate Ned Lamont. Lieberman, running as an independent candidate, defeated Lamont in the general election.

Lieberman's stance immediately puts at risk any legislation that Levin might propose to required a redeployment of troops. Joe must be loving every minute of this.

Meanwhile over in the House, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, he of the "Department of Peace" idea, has called for a complete cutoff of funding for the Iraq war. That won't happen either.