Lieberman Meets With Reid, Tries To Cling To Senate Chairmanship

UPDATE at 8:19 PM EST:

The Associated Press is reporting that Reid is looking to remove Lieberman from his post as chairman of a powerful Senate committee:

Reid, in a sternly worded statement after the 45-minute meeting, said no official decisions have been made. But an aide to the Nevada Democrat said Reid was leaning toward removing Lieberman as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were confidential.

Bolstered by a newly expanded majority, Harry Reid met with Joe Lieberman on Thursday to sketch out the conditions by which the Connecticut independent could continue to caucus with Senate Democrats. But Lieberman did not accept Reid's initial offers, leaving his future in the caucus uncertain, and potentially setting off a campaign to pressure the Democratic steering committee to decide Lieberman's fate.

Reid offered Lieberman a deal to step down as chairman of the homeland security committee but take over the reins of another subcommittee, likely overseeing economic or small business issues, officials said.

Immediately after his meeting with Reid, Lieberman told reporters that he had not made a decision about his future in the caucus, and appeared to launch his first public appeal to members of the Democratic steering committee, whose members decide committee chair assignments.

"I completely agree with President-elect Obama that we must now unite to get our economy going again and to keep the American people safe. that is exactly what I intend to do with my colleagues here in the Senate in support of our new president, and those are the standards I will use in considering the options that I have before me," Lieberman told reporters.

Likewise, Reid said in a written statement that negotiations will continue.

"Today Senator Lieberman and I had the first of what I expect to be several conversations. No decisions have been made," he said. "While I understand that Senator Lieberman has voted with Democrats a majority of the time, his comments and actions have raised serious concerns among many in our Caucus. I expect there to be additional discussions in the days to come, and Senator Lieberman and I will speak to our Caucus in two weeks to discuss further steps."

At this point, Lieberman's only shot at retaining his committee chairmanship appears to be lobbying members of the Senate Democratic Leadership besides Reid. One key target would be the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, a group of nearly two dozen Democratic Senators who play a role in deciding committee seats.

Unfortunately for the Connecticut Senator, it is highly unlikely that Democrats would act against the wishes of Majority Leader Reid, who wants Lieberman to give up his chairmanship. Moreover, progressive activists have been anticipating this move for months, and have organized efforts to pressure steering committee members to strip Lieberman of his perks.

Comments

[bellier20]

Seriously, if you were the new majority, and you looked forward to moving forward America's agenda as you were empowered to do by din of your election, what would you do with caucus members who cannot be trusted to vote along your party's lines? Simple; you'd get rid of them as a practical matter. Otherwise what's the point of winning an election?

[peggyleg]

So much for "change", eh? Emanuel is from Bill Clinton's administration, and Pelosi and Reed are 2 Washington hacks as well....oh well. politics, same as usual, and no change in sight...

[JeanPaulSatire]

You really have a talent for missing the obvious, don't you?

I'll lay it out for you since it escaped your eagle eye: it's the person at the top who sets both the agenda and the methods to be used to achieve the agenda. And Obama certainly is no Clinton. (Just like you are no MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant candidate.)

[Brightlight]

Reid, STEP DOWN and give someone with a backbone your seat and take Pelosi with you. ENOUGH.

[navalvet]

Two years, ago, I contributed to Ned Lamont's campaign against Sen. Lieberman, so I am not a supporter of his. Unfortunately, he has four years, yet to serve in the Senate and may regard himself as a lame duck, which might make him rather dangerous. He also has a more liberal record on domestic affairs than some Democratic senators like Landrieu and Nelson. The Democrats have to decide whether he is more dangerous inside their tent or outside. Would he be easier to deal with outside the caucus, where he could be more difficult than Senators Collins and Snowe, Republicans of Maine? Obviously, the Democrats have to extract something from a man whose word cannot be trusted but I do not think that he wants to jump ship and go to the minority caucus.
The haggling has begun.

[who38]

Joe is unbalanced. He knows that he won't be elected again so he is going to do whatever he feels like at the moment. Mostly, he will be an obstructionist and will not care if he reverses previous positions. I think that the Dems should give him up for either Collins or Snowe and let them chair the Homeland Security Committee. Joe should be treated like the two year old tantrum thrower that he is. If AIPAC would repudiate him, it would be over. And they need to because Joe is rapidly becoming the poster boy for skinheads.

[peggyleg]

Tsk, tsk, unbalanced??? Same old liberal name-calling....

[Snwbnny9]

As Yoda said "Do or do not. There is no try"
Don't think about it.

[Jessegirl]

"Joe and Harry".....part of the "old" Dems that were failing losers.

[Nancyok]

I have to say I don't agree with all these Kick-him-out comments. I was as pissed as everyone at Joe jumping on the trash-Obama wagon. BUT, Joe has supported the caucus. But here's my BIG concern...the message it sends to the half of the Americans that supported Dems in this race, but aren't 100% yellow dog Dems. The ones that make reasoned choices based on a variety of issues and the candidates themselves, vs. blindly following party lines. I tend to yellow dog strain myself, but I've pulled a few levers for Repubs.

Kicking Joe out will look petty and vindictive to these VOTERS, because it would be. It will make us look like we're big bullies who have the majority now, so thumb-to-the-nose to any good things you’ve done in past; you pissed us off and aren't invited to our party anymore. It will make us look bitter and gloating and, in short, like Repubs. This is not the Obama way and it shouldn't be anyone's way in the world we have in front of us. Now is not the time for political games. Slap him on the wrist and let the people of CT decide later if they want to keep him around. Here we claim to be reaching across the aisle. It is as much about perception as anything, but in part about the value of every man right now. Invite him back and just watch his back.

[who38]

Oh, puhleeeeze, Dems have been looking forward to kicking Joe out for the last two years. This has nothing to do with the election; this has to do with Joe since he was Gore's VP partner. Even Connecticut kicked him out as a Democractic representative in the primary two years ago. If the Dems in Washington had followed suit, this wouldn't even be an issue.

[peggyleg]

Petty and vindictive, pretty much sums up the liberals....

[helpusa]

Some people call Lieberman, The Senior Senator from Israel. He needs to not be Chairman of the Homeland Security. It isn't petty to realign who would be best for the position, it's called a demotion because you have new bosses.

You peggyleg should be totally ashamed of yourself for accusing liberals of being petty when the party you obviously support has reinvented the meaning of petty and took it to criminal and murderous ends.

[Kantankerous]

Petty and vindictive is what I said about those attorney firings at the DoJ... Took the words right out of my mouth...

[Purcy]

It is time for democrats to stand for something. Stop making deals with the devil. Joe must go! Say goodbye Joe! and if Reid is just leaning to removing him from his positions, let's give Reid a little 'nudge'. Come on Harry. Stop being so indecisive. Tell Joe goodbye!

[peggyleg]

What about "unity"?? How fast the libs forget all of the rhetoric once the election is won..ha!

[helpusa]

Yes, peggyleg, your side needs to come into our train, we don't want to be in yours anymore, there is too much elephant dung on the floor.

[garymc8]

Just another rat trying to jump ship. Go suck up to mccain, With any luck him and mccain will be unemployed in the not so distant future.

[Diplomacy]

Gotta go Joe!!! You betcha! Have a "Six Pack" with "Joe the Plumber".

[Kantankerous]

It says something about a man when a person is willing to jump ship based on SINGLE issue. (War against Iraq) He has sided with the Bush administration on this issue time and time again and the reason? His allegiance to his beloved Israel.

I can't see how a Democrat can align himself to the views of the Republican Party and support a candidate outside his party. Clearly Joe is not a Democrat but an Independent and as such he does not need to be a member of the majority party or their caucus.

Perhaps when he is kicked out of the Senate next election he can have a second career on the floor of the Knesset. Talk about being unpatriotic.

[SurrealPumpkin]

Joey jumped the party after he lost the democratic primary to Ned Lamount. He won the three way election. His new party is "Connecticut for Joe Lieberman" which says it all.

[Kuroneko]

Absolutely, Lieberman gotta go. He has to be where he belongs, that is GOP. Don't belong to a party you don't believe in and act like another.

[SZM]

Reid needs to punt Lieberman to the other side of the Senate floor immediately, he's worthless anyway.

[who38]

Think Reid knows how to punt?

[jollyelle]

C'mon he needs to be taken down a notch, he did not treat the process with respect. He should not be allowed to continue on as if nothing happened. Wrong message to keep him in charge. He needs to leave.

[who38]

He needs to be totally and completely shunned by the Dems. Joe Lieberman? Never heard of him.

[monoxboogie]

I know this is a time to be embracing unity. To bring together what was torn apart these past twenty years. However, get rid of Joe L. He is untrustworthy, and snake and spineless. Three days ago he was saying if Dem's won he would be afraid. What? At the RNC he said Obama could help us in the years to come. What what what? And now he wants to hold onto his precious seat. And to take it away is "unacceptable". He is just trying to back who is in power. He thought the GOP would run roughshod over the Dems. Yet Obama and the rest of us who turned out in record numbers proved him wrong. Toss this spineless git out and bring in someone new. Repub, Dem, Independent I don't care. Anyone but this guy.

[who38]

Joe does not understand unity. Dems need to use their energy on building unity with people like Snowe and Collins.