By Daniel Stone
Payback, the saying goes, can be, well, tough. And it could be Joe Lieberman's turn to be on the receiving end. Throughout the campaign, the Connecticut Senator prided himself on being a "Democrat for McCain," desperately trying to win over support from the left and the middle for the GOP candidate.
Now, Lieberman's support for McCain is pretty much irrelevant. But it's Lieberman's Democrat label that could also become a thing of the past. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid summonsed Lieberman to his Capitol Hill office early this afternoon to have, according to a senior Hill staffer, a "frank chat" with the senator. If the meeting goes as planned, this aide confirms to NEWSWEEK, Reid will only give Lieberman the equivalent of a legislative talking-to, demanding that he rally behind Obama, or at the very least, release a statement of support for the president-elect. But if it turns tense or combative, Reid could deny admission to the Democratic caucus, even strip away Lieberman's valuable chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee. "I doubt that will happen," this aide says, "unless the meeting goes really bad."
Lieberman was part of the Democrats hope for the future once upon a time when he ran with Al Gore against Bush-Cheney in 2000. But it was the near-loss of his senate seat in 2004 that almost spelled the ultimate political defeat for Lieberman. He lost the primary to fellow Democrat Ned Lamont, but squeaked out a win by running as an independent.
As one of two senate independents (the other is Bernie Sanders of Vermont), Lieberman chose to still caucus with the Democrats. And the party needed him. With just 50 seats, the Democrats clamored over the Lieberman's affection for a prized 51 seat majority. The Republicans did too, to ensure that the Democrats didn't get it.
But when John McCain threw his hat into the ring for the White House in 2006, Lieberman swung right. He didn't only endorse McCain, he traveled with the GOP hopeful on his campaign plane and spoke at the candidate's rallies and stump speeches--often with harsh criticisms of Obama.
So as the Democrats take firm control of both houses of congress (54 seats in the senate, at last count), Lieberman might be the first to go. Must be tough to realize how few friends a guy's got in Washington.