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Lieberman's Time May Be Almost Up
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Published: April 14, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Joseph Lieberman's friends are certain that if Democrats expand their one-vote Senate edge in this year's elections, they will kick him out of the Senate Democratic caucus and, therefore, oust him as Homeland Security Committee chairman.
Lieberman risked the usual punishment of ejection from the party caucus when he endorsed Republican Sen. John McCain for president and actively campaigned for him. But with Democrats in a majority of only 51 to 49, they would lose control if he defected to the Republicans.
After being defeated by an anti-Iraq war candidate in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic primary, Lieberman kept his Senate seat in the general election by running as an independent and now calls himself an "Independent Democrat." He became Homeland Security chairman under the Democrats' strict seniority rules by remaining in the party caucus. Despite his participation in McCain's campaign, Lieberman generally votes the straight Democratic line on issues other than Iraq.
Romney For VP
Mitt Romney has pleased McCain with his help since losing the presidential nomination, but it remains unlikely the former Massachusetts governor will be selected for vice president.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush is reported by Florida Republican insiders as favoring a McCain-Romney ticket, added to backing from former White House political chief Karl Rove and some senior McCain campaign staffers. Nevertheless, the McCain consensus is that defects that made Romney a problematic presidential candidate also would hurt him as a running mate.
Business Flinches
The national business lobbies that have pushed hard for congressional approval of the Colombian Free Trade Agreement flinched when asked to help defeat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's unprecedented pre-emptive strike.
Pelosi moved to change the rules so the House would not have to vote on a trade pact that is opposed by organized labor and has been pushed by President Bush. When asked to join in trying to block Pelosi's move, Washington's top business lobbyists declined. Without business opposition, Pelosi prevailed in the House Thursday 224 to 195 on a largely party-line vote.
The lobbies explained they do not like to get involved in a procedural vote, as this would be. The real reason, however, may be unwillingness to confront Pelosi, who will still be around when Bush is gone.
Robert D. Novak's column is distributed by Creators Syndicate Inc.
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