Remember this from The Hill back on August 16th?
A group of Senate Democrats is growing increasingly angry about Sen. Joe Lieberman’s (D-Conn.) campaign tactics since he lost the Democratic primary last week.
If he continues to alienate his colleagues, Lieberman could be stripped of his seniority within the Democratic caucus should he defeat Democrat Ned Lamont in the general election this November, according to some senior Democratic aides.
A week ago there were rumblings that Lieberman “could be” stripped of his seniority if he beats Lamont and returns to the Senate in January. That sounded like a bit of an empty threat, as the GOP could quickly offer Lieberman his seniority back and possibly flip the Senate back in their favor.
But, if Lieberman was annoying some of his fellow Democrats last week, how much more is he annoying them today?
Because nobody could have predicted it
— Joe Lieberman will be campaigning with GOP candidates Jodi Rell and
Rob Simmons today at the Groton sub base (the one that Holy Joe claims to have singlehandedly saved).
Simmons, you’ll remember, is the GOP candidate running against Democrat
Joe Courtney for one of those hotly contested Connecticut House seats.
You know, the ones where the Democrat is supposed to be helped by
Lieberman’s indy bid, right?
I wonder if Rahm Emanuel is still feeling sanguine (Times Select)?
Republicans said a general election matchup in which Mr. Lieberman ran as an independent against Ned Lamont, the winner of the primary, could hinder Democrats in their efforts to unseat three incumbent representatives who are top Democratic targets.
Democrats disputed that and said the high-intensity Senate fight could help the Democratic challengers for the House seats by drawing Democratic voters to the polls…
…”All signs are pointing to an anti-status-quo election,” said Amy Walter, an analyst of House races for the nonpartisan Cook Political report. ”Can Democrats win the House is no longer the valid question. The question is whether Republicans can do anything about it.”
Nearly any scenario for Democrats to gain the 15 seats necessary to take control of the House foresees them capturing at least one and perhaps two of three Connecticut seats now held by Republicans, Nancy L. Johnson, Christopher Shays and Rob Simmons.
Republican officials and Ms. Walter said Wednesday that the Lieberman-Lamont contest could muddle the Democratic message in the state, distract from the House races and draw out more centrist Democrats who could support Mr. Lieberman and a House Republican.
”Anyone who is going to vote for Lieberman, my guys can get,” said Carl Forti, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. ”The Republicans have continued to be re-elected because they are seen in Connecticut as independent and working for their districts.”
Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, took the opposite view, saying the turnout in the primary showed that Democrats were highly motivated and intended to punish politicians seen as too closely allied with President Bush.
Here is how Chris Bowers puts it:
Joe Lieberman is now actively supporting Republicans for important
seats in Congress. He is now actively opposing the Democratic nominee
for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, Governor in Connecticut, and the second
congressional district of Connecticut. Joe Lieberman wants Republicans
to hold Congress. Joe Lieberman is actively trying to make sure that
Republicans maintain Congress. It does not matter what he says
anymore–he is clearly working with Republican candidates. This serves
as grounds for removing his seniority, and as grounds for stripping him of his party affiliation.
Chris’s point should go without saying, and I am not talking about stripping his seniority in January. He needs to be stripped of his seniority right now. What would that mean?
Well, for starters it would mean that the new heirarchy in the Homeland Security Committee would be Carl Levin, Daniel Akaka, followed by Tom Carper of Delaware. Since Levin and Akaka already serve as ranking members on, respectively, Armed Services and Veteran’s Affairs, Carper would probably take over the Homeland Security Committee. Good for him. Although it would be ironic since Carper has endorsed Lieberman. Stripping Joe of his seniority would also move Hillary up from the lowest member on the Armed Services Committee, and bump Barbara Boxer to the second spot on the Environment and Public Works Committee. Works for me.
There is no longer any excuse for allowing Joe Lieberman to be a leader within the Democratic Caucus. By campaiging with the Republican Governor and with a Republican representative, he has forfeited any good will he may have earned over eigtheen years in the Senate. Call your Senator and tell them to tell Harry Reid to strip Lieberman of his seniority now!!
