Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee has been in jeopardy since the election, because of his support for John McCain. Fellow Democrat, Sen. Pat Leahy, was the first to speak out against him, saying in an interview with Vermont Public Radio:
Every senator will have to vote the way he or she believes they should. I am one who does not feel that somebody should be rewarded with a major chairmanship after doing what he did. I never ask people, well you must vote for this person or that person. Everybody has make up their mind. But I felt that some of his attacks that he was involved in against Senator Obama — whom I did support… I was one of the very first in the Congress to support him — I thought they went way beyond the pale. I thought they were not fair, I thought that they were not legitimate. I thought that they perpetuated some of these horrible myths that were being run about Senator Obama. I would feel that had I done something similar that I would not be chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee in the next Congress.
Many Democrats have voiced concern over removing Lieberman, and would prefer a compromise that keeps him voting with the party (at least in the Senate). Lieberman has already spoken to the Republican Leadership, and would be welcome in the Republican caucus.
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