Senators to take tough votes on Lieberman, Stevens cases

Senate leaders return to Washington next week amid growing pressure across the political spectrum to reprimand two senior members of the usually collegial upper chamber.

From the right, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) plans to offer a motion to kick Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska out of the Republican Conference, even though Stevens has served longer in it than any other senator in history.

{mosads}On the left, Senate Democrats and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are under enormous pressure to punish Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) for campaigning against President-elect Barack Obama. They could take away his chairmanship of a powerful committee, even though he was the party’s 2000 vice presidential nominee and has served in the caucus for 20 years.

How everything ends up remains far from clear, with the two men’s fates likely resting on secret Nov. 18 votes during each conference’s internal meetings. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has not yet taken a position on removing Stevens, who was convicted last month of seven felony counts for failing to report gifts from an oil contractor.

“Is that something that we as a party want to be known for — that we’re welcoming a convicted felon back into the ranks?” a GOP aide said.

But some senior aides were angered by DeMint’s move, questioning his motivation and saying Stevens would ultimately resign or get expelled from the Senate if he wins his reelection race for a seventh full term. Some senators have expressed support for Stevens in the interim as he appeals his conviction.

Stevens, who is leading narrowly as votes are still being counted in his Senate race, would still be able to serve if he’s kicked out of the GOP conference, but he would not be allowed to vote on his party’s leaders or help set internal policies.

Reid is employing a similar balancing act with Lieberman, criticizing him for his campaign attacks but also praising the Connecticut Independent for voting overwhelmingly with Democrats and giving them a 51-49 majority in the 110th Congress.

Obama also has sent mixed messages. Obama aides say the president-elect wants Lieberman, who supported Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) during the campaign, to remain a Democrat. Obama harbors “no grudges” for Lieberman’s repeated attacks during a keynote address at the Republican National Convention and on the campaign trail, the aides say.

But they won’t take a position on whether he should retain his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which would give him subpoena authority and power to influence elements of Obama’s agenda.

“We aren’t going to referee decisions about who should or should not be a committee chair,” said Stephanie Cutter, a spokeswoman for the Obama transition team.

Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.), one of the most conservative Democrats in the upper chamber, said in an interview that he would defer to Reid but that he wanted Lieberman to continue caucusing with his party.

“I know there are going to be people who have different views and want to see him removed from that position,” Nelson said. “Quite honestly, I think it’s time to get back together.”