Evan Bayh: Lieberman Should Apologize



(image via turner)

Senator Evan Bayh was the perfect person to deliver the message on how Senator Lieberman could remain in caucus with the Democrat Party. Bayh played hard in the Democrat primary, campaigning wicked-hard for Senator Hillary Clinton. He was instrumental in Hillary's victory margin in Indiana, which borders President-elect Obama's home state of Illinois. But no one would fault Bayh's harball game. It wasn't personal, it was politics.

The same cannot be said for Senator Joeseph Lieberman. Lieberman turned against Obama, who campaigned for the Connecticut Senator in his critical primary challenge when many deserted Lieberman. The Senator crossed party lines to support John McCain -- which is his prerogative -- but the acrid tone of his remarks, which went beyond the pale and attacked Obama's principles, were acutely personal. Those are the sorts of remarks which can hurt a Presidency, lasting beyond the general election process.

Thus Senator Bayh, who has been on the opposite side of the fence from President-elect Obama is the perfect messenger (and MSNBC is the perfect forum for an intra-party chastening). From TheHill:

"Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) called on Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) to apologize for his attacks on Barack Obama, saying doing so would temporarily let him retain a key chairmanship position next Congress.

"Bayh warned that stripping Lieberman of his chairmanship position on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee could prompt the Democrats’ 2000 vice presidential nominee to side with the GOP on close votes next Congress or resign his Senate seat. If he resigns, Connecticut’s Republican Gov. Jodi Rell would replace Lieberman with a temporary two-year appointment, likely a GOP senator.

"'We can take away his chairmanship, that’s something we have the right to do,' Bayh said on MSNBC. 'What you will have at that point is someone who may very well resign, or someone is embittered ... who might not be with us on some of these key votes.'

"Bayh said that Lieberman must first issue a 'sincere apology' for campaign attacks warning of the perils of an Obama presidency and a large Democratic majority in Congress. He said Democrats should allow him to keep his chairmanship on the condition that he would not use his subpoena power and influence as chairman to undermine Obama’s presidency. Otherwise, Democrats would take away his gavel at any point next Congress, Bayh warned."

Senator Chris Dodd who is the senior senator from Connecticut and a candidate in the 2008 primary process, has voiced his aversion to punishment for Lieberman, saying it may hurt his state. And CBSNews is reporting that Majority Whip Dick Durbin, President-elect Obama and former President Bill Clinton -- although Clinton denies making calls on the Junior Senator's behalf on HuffPo -- are all for Lieberman to continue caucusing with the Democrats.