Many Predict that Lieberman Will Keep His Chairmanship

Posted by Matt Corley, Think Progress at 4:03 AM on November 18, 2008.

Roll Call reports that when Senate Democrats meet today to discuss Sen. Joe Lieberman’s (I-CT) future, the Democratic leadership is "expected to propose that he keep his gavel at the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee but lose his Environment and Public Works subcommittee chairmanship." The paper describes the proposal as only a "slap on the wrist" for Lieberman since Lieberman "may not lose much" if his subcommittee chairmanship is stripped:

Taking the subcommittee on global warming away from Lieberman may be seen as a stinging rebuke, given that he used the panel to push himself to the forefront of the climate change debate in the Senate earlier this year. However, Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) plans to deal with climate change legislation at the full committee level next year, which means Lieberman may not lose much even if his colleagues vote to strip him of that plum assignment.

Kos calls the plan "not acceptable," quipping that "given the Senate Democrats' history of capitulations, expect Lieberman to come out of that meeting as majority leader." CNN’s Dana Bash reports that Lieberman "is not happy about" the plan, but will accept it.

Watch it:

Check out ThinkProgress’s report, "Joe Lieberman: The Progressive Who Lost His Way."

Tagged as: democrats, lieberman, caucus, chairmanship, dem leaders