Lieberman to Keep His Senate Chairmanship

Susan Davis reports on Congress. Despite some lingering hard feelings for his support of Republican presidential candidate John McCain , Joe Lieberman received the overwhelming support of his Senate Democratic colleagues today, allowing him to hold on to his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee. Senate Democrats voted 42-13 today to let Lieberman keep his gavel, although he was stripped of a lesser assignment on the Environment and Public Works Committee. The Connecticut senator’s addressed his colleagues, and afterwards, Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor characterized the remarks as “contrite, from the heart, and very articulate.” Pryor said President-elect Barack Obama ’s comment last week that he held no grudges against Lieberman helped to sway his Senate colleagues. “It’s just time to move on,” Pryor said. Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson described the two-plus hour meeting as an “open discussion” where grievances were aired. Speaking on behalf of Lieberman were Sens.  ... (link)