Joe Lieberman To Be Stripped Of Committee Chair?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will meet with Joe Lieberman on Thursday to discuss how the disaffected, controversial Connecticut Democrat-Independent fits into the future of the party.

A source with knowledge of the situation says that Reid will likely tell Lieberman that he is being stripped of his committee chairs -- a retributive move for the former vice presidential nominee's anti-Obama, anti-Democrat advocacy on behalf of John McCain.

A second source on the Hill could not definitively confirm that this would happen. But he said that leadership was far from the position it held back in February, when it was assumed that Lieberman's committee chairmanships would be safe.

There are still various outstanding issues that have the potential to prominently change the composition of the Senate. As of now, races in Alaska, Georgia and Minnesota are still undecided. Moreover, it has yet to be determined what will happen with the spots currently occupied by Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden. And on a process level, the Senate's Steering and Outreach Committee also has the opportunity to make recommendations about committee assignments.

"There are," the source says, "a lot of moving parts. There is genuine suspense around what is going to happen to Lieberman."

Lieberman chairs the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection, and the Subcommittee on AirLand Forces. If he is booted from these posts, he very well may leave the Democratic Caucus entirely. What he can be offered by the Republican Party in terms of committee assignments remains to be seen.

Comments

[Thundrsong]

12:18 PM on 11/07/2008

Everything about the senator from CT says - two faced, and he must be treated as such. If I got the slightest feeling that he was simply following his core beliefs, I'd be fine with his support of J. McCain - sadly, his constant shifting stance reminds me of someone standing on a shifting sand dune.

Ultimately it is the people of CT who need to make the final judgement on Joe L. If they choose to keep him as a broken, weakened spokesman in the Senate for their state, so be it. But they need to recognize that his behavior has hurt their power base.

[RoonToon]

11:54 AM on 11/07/2008

There are many sincere and fair Republicans to coordinate with the ObamaPlatform to achieve bipartism. Mr Lieberman, however, now exposed as the shifty snake he is, must go for the good of the Congressional process. Utimately his home state should recall him as he no longer has neither credibility nor political currency.

[asteven]

11:40 AM on 11/07/2008

Hang him!

[RationalDubSteppa]

11:17 AM on 11/07/2008

I hope the dems don't flake on this Lieberman betrayed the leadership of the democratic party. He must be punished. End of story!

[lstl4]

09:34 AM on 11/07/2008

I think it was fine to campaign with his very good friend McCain, but when he gave his speech, he should have talked about what John McCain would do for the country, and not said anything about Obama. He crossed the line when he put down Obama.

[hexenpants]

08:14 AM on 11/07/2008

Lieberman's stupidity was dangerous to the nation and as unforgivable as Palin's race-baiting and McCain's bum-thumbing when he was called out on the carpet for it. Lieberman was silent, complicit, and he ought to be stripped of his committee chairs.

There *are* a few good reasons to turn coat.

"idk my bff john?" is not one of them.

[bmwracer]

11:59 PM on 11/06/2008

Joe Lieberman = Fair Weather Senator

[phoenix2000]

11:15 PM on 11/06/2008

This man has "slept with the enemy" so to speak. When everyone voting for the mccain/palin ticket was calling Obama every dirty word in the book. Lieberman stood by and did nothing! KICK him to the curb I say! He is a blight on my Democratic party.

[didleijoe]

10:51 PM on 11/06/2008

Whatever - we still might need this creep to get electric cars or something cool passed. Forget about it!

[strandwolf]

12:09 PM on 11/07/2008

Nerp! Nuhhuh. Chafee, Sanders and other nonDemos in the Senate can "fit the bill" rather than Lieberman. I know that legislation is like sausage manufacture, but really....

[rnadna]

10:43 PM on 11/06/2008

A Real snake in the grass!

When reason is subverted by blind ambition and mispalced fixation this is what happens!

Fire the Bum!!

[xpressive1515]

08:43 AM on 11/07/2008

I agree!! Harry Reid is ALL those things!! Good call, rnadna

[bdaved]

10:20 PM on 11/06/2008

The political ineptitude that landed Senator Lieberman in this predicament would seem to be a disqualifying disability for such a leadership position.

[Kimeron]

11:30 PM on 11/06/2008

Thank you! He's a completely self-serving human being who does not care about the Democratic Party at all. I sincerely doubt that he would care any more about the Republican Party than he does about the Democrats and I don't think it's because he's really "independent". This man is only an independent because the Democrats in Connecticut selected someone else as the party nominee at the last election cycle besides him.. Rather than respect the will of the Democrats in his own home state, he chose to run an independent campaign to retain power for himself.

Joe is no friend to anyone except himself.

He made his choice, staked his claim with McCain.

He needs to go.

[DaveC19]

10:08 PM on 11/06/2008

Get rid of neo-con "Joe The Traitor"

Flush baby Flush!

[xpressive1515]

08:47 AM on 11/07/2008

Hey, DaveC19, you would have fit in well in Germany, let's say, oh, around 1939!!!

[myturnnow]

09:46 PM on 11/06/2008

Please remove Lieberman. He is a blight to the Democrats. He is toxic and slimy. To keep him as a Chairperson of any committee would be a grave mistake. He is the enemy within. He has no class, no conscience, no integrity. Get rid of him. No one will care for his departure , save himself. Do Connecticut a favor, end their shame. Dump the crap.

[Harlemnite]

09:24 PM on 11/06/2008

There has to be repercussions for what LiebeRat did. Its ok to campaign for your friend but you don't talk about the guy in your own party. Between him and Zell Miller I don't know who is worst. He had to know this was possible but he still went and did it. I saw him campaign more for John McCain then for Al Gore who choosed him as a potential Vice President. He has to know there are limitatations.

[artbcpa]

08:53 PM on 11/06/2008

Obviously from the tone of the comments here, Barack Obama is going to have a difficult time fulfilling his promise of being a President for all the people. You might want to remember that George W Bush was a bipartisan Governor of Texas. Are we out to prove that the problem is Washington and not the person in the White House? Which is more important to you - America or the Democratic Party? Let's try to follow the tone our new President Elect. We have lots of problems to solve.

[Gusto2]

11:25 PM on 11/06/2008

artvcpa, Joe Lieberman did not show bipartisanship in the elections. What he did must be punished. First we had to deal with Joe the plumber, now we going to deal with Joe the Traitor. He should be ashamed to hope to keep his chairmanship. This guys has no sense of decency, he is all about being in power. He ran has Al Gore running mate and then a month later endorsed and fully supported ALL the Bush policies. He goes with the wind. So I hope the wind of defeat take him out. If harry Reid doesn 't kick him out, WE THE PEOPLE will.