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Lieberman to keep his committtee chairmanship; caucus with Dems
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Despite having endorsed Republican Senator John McCain in his 2008 presidential bid, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman (I - Connecticut) will keep his position as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee and caucus with Democrats in the 111th Congress.
In a closed door meeting this morning Lieberman's colleagues in the Democratic caucus voted 42-13 Tuesday on a resolution condemning statements made by Lieberman during the campaign but allowing him to keep the Homeland Security Committee gavel. He loses an Environment and Public Works panel subcommittee chairmanship, however.
Majority Leader Harry Reid, (D - Nevada) said he was very angry by Lieberman's actions but that ''we're looking forward, we're not looking back.''
Reid added, ''Is this a time when we walk out of here and say, 'Boy, did we get even?'''
Lieberman's grasp on his chairmanship has gotten stronger since President-elect Barack Obama signaled to Democratic leaders that he's not interested in punishing Lieberman for boosting McCain and criticizing Obama during the long campaign.
''This is the beginning of a new chapter, and I know that my colleagues in the Senate Democratic Caucus were moved not only by the kind words that Senator Reid said about my longtime record, but by the appeal from President-elect Obama himself that the nation now unite to confront our very serious problems,'' Lieberman said after the vote.
Anger toward Lieberman seems to have dwindled since Election Day and Democrats didn't want to drive him from the Democratic caucus by taking away his chairmanship, nor send the wrong signals as Obama takes office on a pledge to unite the country. Lieberman had indicated it would be unacceptable for him to lose his chairmanship.
As I reported earlier today, Obama last week said that Lieberman should keep the post.
Still, there were dissenters,
''To reward Senator Lieberman with a major committee chairmanship would be a slap in the face of millions of Americans who worked tirelessly for Barack Obama and who want to see real change in our country,'' Senator Bernie Sanders (I - Vermont), who has consistently caucused with Senate Democrats, said in a statement Friday. ''Appointing someone to a major post who led the opposition to everything we are fighting for is not 'change we can believe in.'''
-With AP
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