Reports: Lieberman Likely To Keep His Chair

The entire Democratic Senate caucus will gather tomorrow to vote on whether Joe Lieberman should keep his position as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. Sources tell MSNBC the vote will go his way:

According to sources familiar with negotiations, Democrats are expected to vote in favor of letting the Connecticut senator keep his chairmanship and seniority, but give up the gavel on a subcommittee he chairs. The vote happens tomorrow morning by secret ballot.

The tide turned in Lieberman's favor, sources say, after two events in recent weeks. First, President-elect Obama told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he wanted Lieberman to stay in the Democratic caucus. Later, in a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Lieberman told him it would be "unacceptable" for him to give up his gavel. That was considered by some as a veiled threat that Lieberman would jump to caucus with Republicans if he was forced to give up the gavel.

Obama tipped the scales in Lieberman's favor, one source said. The source essentially explained it like this: If the wrath was directed at Obama and got over it, shouldn't the Democratic caucus do the same?

CQ Politics adds:

Despite campaigning for the Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman has "significant support" from the caucus, ally Ken Salazar said Monday.

"I think he will be a force of good in supporting an Obama administration," said Salazar, D-Colo. He is part of a four-member whip team tasked with talking to other members of the caucus to find out what, if any, punishment Lieberman deserves for supporting Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and campaigning against President-elect Barack Obama.

...

Some senators say they will defer to their party leaders.

Story continues below

"I'll follow the leadership position and President-elect Obama's recommendation," said Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md. "Send a message, but don't pick a big fight within the family."

On the other hand, Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), a close ally of Lieberman's, says the Senator should pay consequences:

"There need to be consequences, and they cannot be insignificant," Carper said in a Monday interview with The Hill.

...

Carper said he and three other Senate Democrats have been making phone calls to "take the temperature of our caucus." He said the purpose of the calls was not to lobby senators for any particular action for or against Lieberman, but "just to see where people's hearts and their minds are."

Carper said that "many of my colleagues ... are very angry with his criticism of Sen. Obama," but he would not say which sanctions he prefers.

Comments

[HoracePManure]

I will no longer donate to the DNC.

I have no faith in Reid.

This man, to campaign for the Republicans and be the chair on National Security during a Democratic Presidency is a conflict of interest.

[Georgiadude]

They did it

[netgui68]

They better not ask me to donate or canvas ever again if they let this traitor keep his chair. If they do not take a stand for justice this time. I personally will quite and change my registration from Democrat of 20 years to Independent. I have had enough of the loose principles and ethics.

[TRichards]

Well, there goes any future hopes of the Dems retaining any pretense of party discipline and, by extrapolation, any serious hopes of their being able to get Obama's intended programs through the Congress. If they can't discipline even Lieberman, then (and I HATE to say this), Rush was right all along: The Democrats don't have enough conviction to deserve being in power; and, by 2010, they will have lost their majorities in the mid-term elections.

How in the hell can they let a senator question the very patriotism of Obama with total impunity?! It's pathetic enough that Connecticut allowed Joe to return after his efforts to besmirch the patriotism of those who dissented from Bush's conduct of the war, but inconceivably stupid for the national Dems to give him yet another pass. How in the hell does that sad sack of piety manage to get away with his behaviors?

[MSB]

If Joe stays then there is even less reason to support Democrats in the future. How could they cater to this cancer in the party?

I think I just want to leave the country.

I don't want to support the healing process with a bunch of scum who will demonize people who think like me (liberal) the very next chance they get. This Obama move to the middle seems to indicate that the country will still not move much to the left. So far, the apparent appointments seem underwhelming to me.

I still feel correct in voting for Obama as there was no choice to vote for McCain whatsoever, but I am prepared to be disappointed.

[JohnWoods]

Joe Lieberman has been on the wrong side of many issues as far as Democrats are concerned. As far as I am concerned, he has blown his right to be a committee chair. Let him go to the Republicans and see how often he agrees with them, and watch how they treat him when he doesn't vote with them. Let him form his own caucus of one, the Joe Lieberman party. This is his last term anyway. Note to Chris Dodd: I know he is your friend, but you know he has blown it--give up supporting him. It doesn't become you.

[SeanGardner]

Too bad he's going to keeop his chair. I was really looking forward to seeing him "walk the plank in choppy waters"..

[falls1105]

for heaven's this about democrats being spineless.He didn't just disagree with the D party he spoke at the gop and agreed with the dumb idea that this party is weak & unpatriotic.PLEASE SPARE ME THE BS AND GET RID OF HIM.

[sueno]

This guy is a modern-day Benedict Arnold!
His chairmanship should be taken away-

[norkas]

Please e- mail your senate representives and tell them not to vote support for Liberman. That is the real way to be effective and i am sure lots of you already have done this. I wrote before about Baraks maturity in this situation and how i feel personally. I still want Liberman out and fast.

Let Lieberamn rin to the Republicans because they will NEVER TRUST him. Republicans know what kind of person Lieberman and even though they are on the other side they see Liberman as a person to stay away from and not get close.

All Republicans know what Lieberman did to Obama they would do to them and Lieberamn is the king of person that politicians of all parties run from. You can never trust a person like Lieberman and he does not behave like any true trusted person i have evern known.

If Lieberman stands up and says he is really sorry for letting and agreeing with the dangerous rehertic that he was supporting of Sara Palin then i believe there may be some compromise.

My problem is not that he supported Mc Cain but the awful baiting he was involved with of the extreme right wing .

[suzonne]

It is unacceptable to leave Leiberman with the gavel when he harnesses no respect and Homeland Security is in dire need of a complete make-over.

I am in favor of abolishing this farce of an agency.

[Omega9111]

Benedict Arnold --- 21st century style.

[njflygirl]

I hope everyone in CT does not vote for this jacka$$ when he is up for re-election...Rewarding bad behavior seems to be an illness in this country

[norkas]

Barak Obama is truly a differnet pres. He does not get caught up in emotions when making very important decision making.

I am very angry over Liberman and know at this time i have big problems forgiving him. It takes a very strong mature person to say lets forget about what Joe Lieberman did for the good of the Democrats. We are very lucky that Barak Obama is not like me in this case and others who would throw him overboard deserving so.

Barak Obama is going to do what is the best for America and is more mature and wise then any pres. i can ever remember. Who would ever select Hillary as SOS after the brutal election they had and what was said.

Barak Obama has been blessed with a calmness with out the political emotions that 99% of all politicians have and is NOT interested is getting back at anyone but to move America forward with the smartest and most effective people he can reach out to.in this horriable economic time that all of us are part of.

May G-D look over you and let your goodness prevail.

[PeterGSW]

The fact that Lieberman has voted with the caucus most times is overshadowed by the cavalier way in which he has handled the Homeland security committee. I think that is the primary concern. Our security and safety as Americans is at stake and should trump all other considerations. There is a time to be colegial and a time to do the right thing for the country. I urge the Democratic Senate Caucus to do the right thing for once.

Obama said that he wants Lieberman to caucus with the Democrats. Fine, that should be Lieberman's choice. He doesn't have to keep his obstructionist role as HSC Chair.

[trucap]

" there need to be consecuencies ". Well , act on it .why the hesitation? strip him from chairmanship and let him go and join the other caucus. I don't thing there is enough room here in dems. caucus for liars and traiters.

[plzchuteme]

Joe Lieberman is a pariah and as much as he deserves to be cast out of the pack, the more important consideration is that we desperately need an upgrade in the position of chairman of Homeland Security. The fer and agin argument would make more sense if Lieberman was doing a good job. What I haven't heard in these discussions is who might be in line as a successor if Lieberman gets bounced. It could be a win, win, win, win, move.

1. Lieberman gets his come-up-ance.

2. A gain of more effective (and honest) leadership in the Homeland Security Committee.

3. The administration would show that "change" is not a hollow word.

4. The Dems show that they are to be taken seriously and mean business and not business as
usual.

Sometimes you have to bust a few eggs to make an omelet.

[Matt7]

I've learned a lot, watching Obama during this campaign. Apparently this is another lesson I need to learn.

I understand (and try hard to practice) the concept of forgiveness. I understand the idea of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. I even understand the idea of "politics" and the kind of horse-trading that, of necessity, must go on.

The thing that concerns me is the fear that the signal is being sent (to whomever is looking), that "it's okay to say, do, perpetuate whatever slimy, unethical, underhanded thing you want to during an election -- because that's the way the "game" is played. All will be forgiven."

Why is that the NORM? And WHY is that acceptable?

I'm not Obama; but identifying with him in many ways, I took some of that garbage PERSONALLY. I guess the bottom line is: if he can get past it, so should I. It's just that it seems that people like LIEberman, Palin, even McCain will seemingly never "learn their lesson" if they never have to (i.e. if there are no consequences).

Apparently, there's a higher lesson to learn here. So, I'll just keep watchin' .