No Matter How Many Senate Seats Democrats Gain, Lieberman Likely to be Demoted, Aides Say

By Catharine Richert
CQ Staff

There’s a good chance Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman will lose his only committee chairmanship next year, according to Democratic aides.

Members of the majority party’s leadership have discussed taking away Lieberman’s gavel on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, perhaps replacing it with a subcommittee gavel, aides said Wednesday.

Such a move would require the assent of the caucus, which won’t get together until after the election.

“No decisions have been made,” said Jim Manley, spokesman for Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev.

The Connecticut senator switched his official party designation from Democratic to Independent two years ago but cast the internal votes to give Democrats control of the chamber. But Lieberman’s colleagues in the Democratic caucus have been irked at his campaign attacks against Sen. Barack Obama , their party’s presidential nominee.

Aides privy to the leadership discussions say that their bosses view ending Lieberman’s chairmanship of a large committee with broad oversight authority as more appropriate retribution than kicking him out of the caucus.

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