By Teh Nutroots | What should Dems do about Lieberman?
“I think most people in his caucus expected Joe’s views on national security, but I think the extent of his embrace of McCain has surprised some people,” said Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, one of Mr. Lieberman’s closest friends in the Senate. “That’s taking an extra step.”...
Mr. Lieberman continued to vote with his party most of the time, while the Democrats, clinging to a 51-to-49 majority, smiled tightly and tried to hold on to their flight-risk. colleague. (NYT)
Hahaha! Fooled you. The answer is 'Nothing.'
But why? Why don't Dems -- as Robert Novak speculated the will -- kick him to the curb? Why don't they 'strip him of his committee chair' and boot him out of the caucus?
BooMan answers here.
Everyone who writes about such things should have learned long ago that Joe Lieberman cannot be stripped of his committee chair and that his leaving the caucus will have no effect on who controls the Senate or the makeup and control of the committees. Simply put, the Democrats have no incentive to kick Lieberman out of the caucus other than to not have a mole sitting in their strategy sessions. And the Republicans would gain nothing from Lieberman's decision to caucus with them other than to lose the narrative that they have bipartisan support. Lieberman will stay right where he is until next January.
At that point, he'll have to convince the Republicans to let him sit in on their caucuses and take one of their slots on committees. And the chances that they'll trust him on domestic affairs are nil.
I did not know that. But since Robert Novak didn't either, I don't feel so bad about it.
Greg Sargent points out two reasons why Democrats want to divorce Lieberman:
The first is that during the 2006 campaign against Ned Lamont, Lieberman and his aides vowed multiple times that he would continue caucusing with the Democrats. The second is that Lieberman also vowed to help elect a Democrat to the White House in 2008.
Sounds to me like he's found his level:
He added that he was having a blast with Mr. McCain on the campaign trail, accompanying him on a trip to Colombia and Mexico this month. He has been a regular on Mr. McCain’s Three Amigos circuit, which includes Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina....(NYT)
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