Lieberman May Caucus With Senate GOP

Having Angered Democrats, McCain Supporting Connecticut Independent May Lose Top Role On Senate Committee

(AP)  Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is talking to Connecticut independent Sen. Joe Lieberman about the possibility of Lieberman caucusing with the GOP.

Lieberman's affiliation with Democrats is up in the air. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, angered by Lieberman's support of Republican John McCain for president, is considering yanking Lieberman's chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee as punishment.

Lieberman and Reid met Thursday to discuss Lieberman's options, including possible committee and subcommittee posts for him. Those talks are ongoing.

A Lieberman aide, who requested anonymity because the talks are confidential, said Friday that Lieberman and McConnell, R-Ky., have spoken in recent days about the possibility of Lieberman joining the GOP conference. McConnell spokesman Don Stewart would only confirm that the two men have had recent discussions.

Lieberman was Democrat Al Gore's vice presidential running mate eight years ago. He became an independent after he failed to win the Democratic Senate primary in Connecticut in 2006. Lieberman won the general election as an independent but is still registered as a Democrat.

Although he caucuses with Senate Democrats, Lieberman angered Democrats by criticizing Barack Obama during the presidential race.

Since 2006, Democrats had tolerated Lieberman's political straddling because he gave them a 51-49 majority by being part of their caucus. With Democrats tightening their hold on the Senate to at least 55 seats in Tuesday's election, Lieberman no longer plays that role.

Lieberman aligned himself with McCain and President Bush on the war in Iraq but tended to vote with Democrats on most domestic issues.

[briannorwood]

Joe Lieberman is a reeking political corpse. He took a big gamble with McCain because he knew his senate career was finished (no self-respecting Connecticut Democrat would dare vote for him again). And Obama would have been nuts to even give him the time of day.

So, his only hope was a big appointment in a McCain cabinet.

Sorry Joe. You need to be pitched from the Democratic caucus. And I feel not one iota of regret about it. As they say, if you want to run with the big dogs, you can expect to get pissed on the head!

[bienhoa1968]

Joe Lieberman is a draft dodging Republican snake who needs to join the rest of his draft dodging Republican snakes in their right wing whacko nest.

[blackyowe]

I say pitch the traitor overboard. Who needs friends like Joe?! Get a plumbers license and join the workforce you are a disgrace to your country, Joe Lieberman!!!!!!!!

[tlparp]

If Joe Lieberman loses the chairmanship and joins the Republican party, then he was never a true Democrat to begin with. The ideals of the Democratic party don''t change based on who your friends are, or who is in charge of a particular committee. You either believe in those ideals, or you don''t.

[butterflyxo]

MizzerZ,
Yes Joe Liarman did promise his constituents that although he was independant, he would never go the Republican Party.
He also promised the Democratic Party that although he supported McCain, he would not trash Obama. Liarman is not under scrutiny because he supported McCain, it''s that he went around trashing Obama and campaigning for McCain.
When Liarman was up for election in Connecticut, guess who went out campaigning for him??? Barack Obama.
Liarman is one two faced shady cat.
The GOP can have him!

[blackyowe]

I don''t want to see this guys face ever again he is a creep!

[babooph]

Surely he should caucus with the Israeli govt. ?

[flreason]

The Democratic Party supported the candidate who defeated him in the ''06 primary election. I think his stumping for McCain was his revenge. His need to punish Democrats as a whole for his hurt is his undoing. The Republicans have exploited the situation, bolstering his ego as they paraded him as a freak. How sad. Now he is left to either take his Democratic medicine, or permanently change his party alliance. I hope he understands that the moment his votes on the environment or gay rights conflict with their party line, they will turn on him and let loose their attack dogs. That has always been the fate of collaborators.

[pr_boxer]

Good riddance to bad rubbage. I can''t believe those intelligent Democrats in Connecticut re-elected that change-coat.

The GOP deserve and can have him!

[alanrobisch]

The Republicans are just sucking up to him because of his support for their stupid war and his support of McCain. They will chew his face off when he votes against them on choice and g a y rights. He is a man in limbo. That is why I am an independent. Allows me to think (and speak) for myself.


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Posted by kansas1946 at 08:23 PM : Nov 07, 2008
+ report

It would seem to me that by this definition he is true independent just as you are. Plus I find it nauseating how you alleged independents think that because one supports a party they are stepford wives.

Its a bunch of baloney and btw how do independents organize the congress. Do independents help elect people or do they just sit on the sidelines and attack anyone who tries and fails

[mizzerz]

Didn''t lieberman promise his constituents in Connecticut that he would not join the Republicans? And now he is going to go back on his promise to his state. The man has an ego. Did he really think he would not be disciplined by the leadership for him going out on the campaign trail for Mccain? He is full of himself.

I thought reid was magnanimous in allowing Lieberman a subcommittee chairmanship. Lieberman take your medicine

[kansas1946]

The Republicans are just sucking up to him because of his support for their stupid war and his support of McCain. They will chew his face off when he votes against them on choice and g a y rights. He is a man in limbo. That is why I am an independent. Allows me to think (and speak) for myself.

[dburfears]

LOYALTY.

A virtue absent from Joe Lieberman.

He should fit in well with the "win at any cost" Neo-republican Party.

[ixoye_02]

The Turncoat named Joe Lieberman should be kicked out of the Dem caucus. Lieberman has lost any credibility after he campaigned for McCain. Besides, Lieberman has already demonstrated that the priorities of Israel come before those of America and Americans, so why afford Lieberman any trust. Lieberman is not a democrat and should register as a republican. And when election time comes to Connecticut, Lieberman will be toast. And we are working towards that end.

[farouk7]

Joe can please just go. And while he''s at it, he should grab Joe the Plumber and tell him his 15 minutes are up.

[flreason]

TexwLove:

Why are you trotting out those tired old lies? The election is over. Your candidate lost. The scare tactics didn''t work because voters were a lot more scared at the thought of another four years of Bush/Republican policies than they were of a candidate who spent two years in a public school that offered religious classes for Muslim students. CNN and other news sources debunked the "madrassa" story almost as soon as it aired. The other two of the "formative years" he spent in Indonesia, he attended a Catholic school.

Obama is trying to reach across party lines. The current economic situation requires all Americans to work cooperatively. Bigots and whiners have nothing to offer if we''re going to successfully clean up the mess left by Bush and complicit Republicans.

[rmonroe401]

To hell with Lieberman, we don''t need him. Let the resluglicans have him. He isn''t nothing but a traitor.

[cheetah-man7]

Bye bye Joe.... Please leave ALL US government property and head back home to think about your next move as the new Christian Coalition Chairman... Hard to do as a Jewish man, no? Either way, you are a disgrace to those who elected you and your power in Washington is over.

[downtowner97]

Dude picked the wrong horse and turned his back on the people who voted him in. He needs to be recalled and shown the door.

[shingles1]

This is exactly why people think Democrats are weak.
If Lieberman was a Republican and had actively supported the Democratic candidate, the Republican leadership would have stripped him of his chairmanship.

Harry Reid, on the other hand, hems and haws and talks about the "concerns" of his members.

If Democrats want to grow a pair, they should start by dumping Reid, Pelosi, and weenieman Steny Hoyer.