Pressure on Lieberman intensifies from left

Liberal groups plan to deliver a petition to Capitol Hill next week calling on Democrats to oust Sen. Joe Lieberman from his committee chairmanship in the 111th Congress.

The Independent from Connecticut, who was the Democrats’ 2000 vice presidential nominee, has become a lightning rod on the left for his hawkish stances on the Iraq war and his staunch support for Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz) presidential bid. Senate Democrats have been alarmed as Lieberman has left open the possibility of speaking at the Republican Convention in September and has launched attacks at Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

{mosads}The liberal Los Angeles-based production company Brave New Films is trying to capitalize on those concerns. Last week, the company released a Web video carrying controversial statements made by Lieberman and launched a petition drive to request Democratic leaders to strip Lieberman of his position as chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. So far the petition drive, which has been highlighted on prominent liberal blogs Huffington Post and Open Left, has amassed more than 41,000 signatures, according to the website LiebermanMustGo.com.

“We CANNOT tolerate a leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus who supports George Bush and McCain’s War in Iraq,” the petition reads.

Next week, Democratic activists and liberal bloggers plan to deliver the petition to members of the Senate Democratic Steering Committee, which will make recommendations on committee assignments next Congress to Nevada Democrat Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader. They also plan to keep the grassroots pressure on the Democrats until those decisions are made after the November elections.

Leaders of this effort hope to mirror the success bloggers had in fueling the candidacy of businessman Ned Lamont, who beat Lieberman on an anti-war platform in the Connecticut 2006 Senate Democratic primary. Running as an Independent, Lieberman later defeated Lamont in the midterm elections.

“Certainly, we want to rely on the same folks who fueled the Lamont campaign — the folks who have been paying attention to Lieberman’s betrayal to Democratic principles,” said Leighton Woodhouse, communications director for Brave New Films, which has created left-leaning films like “Outfoxed,” a criticism of Fox News.

Woodhouse added that the decision to remove Lieberman from his chairmanship is an “easy ask” given the senator’s biting criticism of Obama and the Democratic Party on national security and foreign policy.

Marshall Wittmann, a spokesman for Lieberman, dismissed the effort.

“Americans are tired of this type of old, petty partisan politics,” Wittmann said. “Sen. Lieberman will continue to put the country’s interests before partisan interests.”

Lieberman has repeatedly said he is not weighing what his advocacy of McCain might mean for his position with the Democratic Conference next year.

In this Congress, Lieberman’s position is safe. His decision to caucus with the Democrats gives them their 51-49 majority in the Senate, and angering him might prompt a party switch and give the GOP majority control of the Senate. Reid has signaled that he would protect Lieberman’s seniority next Congress.

“I think everybody should understand that Joe Lieberman had made a decision on issues relating to the war, and he’s decided to back John McCain,” Reid said recently. “But Joe Lieberman is an important vote for this caucus.”

In a May interview with MSNBC, Reid seemed to suggest that Lieberman’s position might not be completely secure, saying “Yes, of course” in answering a question about whether there was anything he could do to remove the Independent from his chairmanship.

Next Congress, Democrats may be more willing to strip him of his chairmanship because they are expected to gain more seats in the Senate and may have less to lose by prompting a Lieberman party switch.

But that could be moot if McCain wins the White House. Many expect that Lieberman would be on the short list for a Cabinet position.