CALL THEM! Dem Leadership Will Propose That Lieberman Keep Homeland Security Chairmanship

[KittyWampus]

Source: Dem Leadership Will Propose That Lieberman Keep Homeland Security Chairmanship
By Greg Sargent - November 17, 2008, 5:49PM

When Senate Dems caucus tomorrow, the Democratic leadership is likely to propose that he keep his homeland security chairmanship but lose a lesser sub-committee chairmanship instead, according to a source familiar with the situation.

If it happens that way, Senate Dems will be allowing Lieberman to keep his plum spot despite the fact that he has been a disaster at the post, and despite the fact that he endorsed efforts by the GOP to imply that Obama is in league with terrorists, suggested that Obama endangered our troops, and said Obama hasn't always put the country first.

According to the source, the Dem leadership is expected to propose instead that Lieberman be stripped of his chairmanship of the lesser Environment and Public Works subcommittee, a comparatively meaningless punitive action.

The move, which is not un-expected and was reported earlier in Roll Call, comes despite the fact that Lieberman had lost momentum in recent days, with Senators Patrick Leahy, Bernie Sanders and Byron Dorgan all expressing strong opposition to him keeping the chairmanship. Even a Lieberman ally, Senator Tom Carper, said today that Lieberman should face consequences that are not "insignificant."

It remains to be seen whether stripping Lieberman of his environmental committee role will be seen as "significant "by people who think that Lieberman's actions show him to be completely out of sync with the values and ideas of the Democratic Party on some of the most pressing issues facing us.

Many Democrats believe that effort to oust Lieberman from the Homeland Security chairmanship were dealt a death knell last week, when Barack Obama said he held "no grudges" against Lieberman. Though Obama said he wouldn't "referee" the question over the chairmanship, Obama's statement had the practical effect of allowing Lieberman's allies to claim Obama's support and giving cover to those who want to do nothing about Lieberman's transgressions.


The Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee

are the Senators that decide. These are the Senators that need to be called.

Senator Debbie Stabenow, Michigan, Chair
[phone]

Senator Harry Reid, Nevada
[phone]

Senator John Kerry, Massachusetts
[phone]

Senator Daniel Inouye, West Virginia
[phone]

Senator Robert Byrd
[phone]

Senator Edward Kennedy, Massachusetts
[phone]

Senator Joseph Biden, Delaware
[phone]

Senator Patrick Leahy, Vermont
[phone]

Senator Christopher Dodd, Connecticut
[phone]

Senator Tom Harkin, Iowa
[phone]

Senator Max Baucus, Montana
[phone]

Senator Richard Durbin, Illinois
[phone]

Senator Kent Conrad, North Dakota
[phone]

Senator Carl Levin, Michigan
[phone]

Senator Herbert Kohl, Wisconsin
[phone]

Senator Barbara Boxer, California
[phone]

Senator Hillary Clinton, New York
[phone]

Senator Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico
[phone]

Senator Mark Pryor, Arkansas
[phone]

[Gman]

1. We will need his vote

people need to clearly understand that.

[KittyWampus]

2. Lieberman can still vote with Democrats, just not as Chair.

[GrantDem]

3. The Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7881425&mesg_id=7883301

[City Lights]

4. Thanks! nt

[DCBob]

5. Chill out. You don't know the what "deals" have been made.

Politics is never totally clean. There are always compromises to get anything done. If this is true, I suspect Traitor Joe made some serious promises to save his chair and his arse.

[KittyWampus]

7. He has nothing to offer. He already votes with Dems most of the time. And has to as Connecticut

Senator.

[DCBob]

11. I suspect he may have given ground on Iraq to keep his chairmanship.

His vote may be number 60.

[KittyWampus]

12. there is no vote on Iraq. Obama is Commander in Chief

[DCBob]

14. There will still be votes on Iraq on funding, ending the war, etc.

Hard core Repub warmongers could try to filibuster if they don't like the deal.

[City Lights]

6. Dem leadership has made joe very happy.

[Oceansaway]

8. pussy-ass Dems... n/t

[Thrill]

9. Whats the point? Dems in the Senate continue to be pussies

whats new? Bent over for 8 yrs and took it from the Repukes. And they continue to. Same old Same old.

[Motown_Johnny]

10. I called Stabenow and left a message

[Jennicut]

13. Guys, the only way to get rid of Loserman is to help us in CT vote him out in 2012