The Offer to Lieberman

Harry Reid has given Joe Lieberman an offer that he shouldn't refuse but probably will. Reid seems to have told Lieberman that he wants to strip the Connecticut senator of his seat as chair of the Homeland Security Committee and give him a sub-committee to chair instead.

That's fairly generous.

Lieberman campaigned enthusiastically for John McCain, vociferously complains about being abandoned by the Democratic Party, and talks all the time about switching to the Republicans. As a result, there's a good argument for booting Lieberman out of the Democratic Senate caucus altogether.

Instead, Reid is indicating that Lieberman can no longer have a prominent function as a member of the Democratic caucus without going out of his way to be punitive.

That seems about right.

Committee chairmanships are determined by party in the U. S. Senate and Joe Lieberman is far from being a Democrat in good standing. He can't be chair of something as important as the Homeland Security Committee.

But Lieberman can be chair of something and Senate sub-committees still do a lot of important work.

But Lieberman probably won't accept. He's been bitter about the Democratic Party ever since he got nowhere with his 2004 presidential run. McCain's loss just increases the bitterness.

Maybe Reid and Lieberman will work out some sort of deal, but it's likely that Lieberman will bolt to the Republicans before the Senate starts its new session in January.

I can't say I'll miss him.