THE SENATOR FROM LIKUD

(h/t Andrew Sullivan)

I'm obviously referring to Sen. Lieberman, who doesn't like public disagreement about foreign policy issues...

KING: And while you gentlemen have been traveling, there have been some reports of tension back here, some political aides at the White House thinking the Pentagon is not getting those troops in process, getting them deployed to Afghanistan as fast as they would like to implement what the president hoped would be an accelerated surge. Senator Lieberman, did the commanders on the ground give you any sense of that? Are they behind schedule in the Afghan surge?

LIEBERMAN: I was extremely impressed with not only our leadership, military leadership, General McChrystal, Rodriguez, Caldwell, but with the men who are -- men and women who are out there on the lines. This is a -- a gifted, talented, resourceful, brave group of Americans, very idealistic, partnering with a -- with a tough group of Afghan soldiers. And they're doing everything they can as quick as they can.

You know, I saw that article in the New York Times today. And I've got to tell you, John, it made me furious. It made me furious because an article like that does not serve the national security interest. It -- it reveals a -- a disagreement on our side to our enemies. It can only weaken us. And it unfairly disparages the U.S. military, who I know are doing everything they can as quickly as they can to get reinforcements the new surge that the president wisely and courageously ordered into Afghanistan.

So I would say this. If the story is wrong, the president should come right out and make that clear. If there are people, on the other hand, in the White House or the administration who are leaking stories of that kind, they ought to be disciplined, because they have undermined our war effort and, in that sense, our national security and our homeland security. It's just an unacceptable form of behavior.

If you've got an argument with the military, argue it during a war in house, quietly, privately. Don't spill it out in the media of our country. That's just un-American; it's bad for our country.
SOURCE CQ TRANSCRIPTS, Sens. McCain, Lieberman on CNN's 'State of the Union'

EXCEPT WHEN HE DISAGREES WITH FOREIGN POLICY...

Government sources said the threat of the US using economic leverage - such as withholding loan guarantees - to place pressure on Israel was not raised in the one-hour conversation. US Middle East envoy George Mitchell, when asked last Wednesday in a television interview what "sticks" the US had in its arsenal against Israel, raised the notion of withholding loan guarantees, although he quickly said this was not the direction the US wanted to go in.

Lieberman, after saying that an administration official had already disavowed Mitchell's statement, said that in his opinion "any attempt to pressure Israel, to force Israel to the negotiating table by denying Israel support, will not pass the Congress of the United States. In fact, the Congress will stop any attempt to do that. I don't think we will come to that point."
SOURCE: Jerusalem Post, 1/10/10, "PM complains about PA security"