Joe's Staying

Continuing on the theme of sabotage, this time self-sabotage, Senate Democrats have no stomach to strip Joe Lieberman from his committee chairmanship.

According to sources familiar with negotiations, Democrats are expected to vote in favor of letting the Connecticut senator keep his chairmanship and seniority, but give up the gavel on a subcommittee he chairs. The vote happens tomorrow morning by secret ballot.

The tide turned in Lieberman's favor, sources say, after two events in recent weeks. First, President-elect Obama told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he wanted Lieberman to stay in the Democratic caucus. Later, in a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Lieberman told him it would be "unacceptable" for him to give up his gavel. That was considered by some as a veiled threat that Lieberman would jump to caucus with Republicans if he was forced to give up the gavel.

Obama tipped the scales in Lieberman's favor, one source said. The source essentially explained it like this: If the wrath was directed at Obama and got over it, shouldn't the Democratic caucus do the same?

So bipartisan hope and unity has put a rival in charge of the committee that can seek to subpoena anyone in the Obama Administration. That's really his problem, which is why I viewed this with not much more than contempt. Too many Senate Dems are basically spineless and their little club is very exclusive, so I wouldn't have ever expected them to do something so partisan. They're going to have to deal with the consequences, too. What Markos said:

If this is the "starting point", and given the Senate Democrats' history of capitulations, expect Lieberman to come out of that meeting as majority leader.

Hehindeedy.