Leahy Opposes Lieberman Chairmanship

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said he doesn’t want Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) to remain as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

“I’m one who does not feel somebody should be rewarded with a major chairmanship after doing what he did,” Leahy said on Vermont Public Radio on Friday.

Daily Kos’s terjeanderson was the first to spot Leahy’s quotes.

Leahy criticized Lieberman, a supporter of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) during the presidential campaign, for attacks on Barack Obama while he was the Democratic presidential nominee.

“I thought they went way beyond the pale, that they were not fair, that they were not legitimate, that they perpetuated some of these horrible myths that were run about Sen. Obama,” Leahy said.

Leahy also said that he didn’t think he would keep his chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee if he had acted as Lieberman had.

The interview of Leahy can be downloaded here.