WASHINGTON – Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Lieberman may have lined up with Republicans at their convention in Minnesota to support John McCain, but he's still writing six-figure checks to help Democratic Senate candidates.
The Connecticut senator gave $100,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee last month, a sign that he may be trying to hedge his bets this election season and hang onto his Senate committee chairmanship. Lieberman also wrote a $15,000 check to the DSSC in March.
Lieberman, 66, is an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, which provides them a 51-49 majority and control of the Senate.
The four-term senator, who nearly became vice president in 2000 as Al Gore's running mate, has angered many Democrats with his strong support for the Iraq war and his longtime pal, McCain. There's plenty of speculation that if Democrats bolster their Senate majority this fall, they could seek payback by stripping Lieberman of his Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chairmanship, a powerful perch.
“Sen. Lieberman supports both Democrats and Republicans, and he gave to the committee as a senior member of the caucus,” said Marshall Wittmann, Lieberman's spokesman.
So far, Senate Democrats have tolerated Lieberman's political straddling because he holds their slim political majority in his hands. But Lieberman's high-profile speech at the GOP convention and his critique of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama have intensified Democratic calls for political retribution.
Four years ago, Lieberman mounted an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
After a surprising loss to Ned Lamont, an anti-war political newcomer, in Connecticut's 2006 Senate primary, Lieberman bucked Democratic leaders and ran as an independent in the general election. Top Democrats backed Lamont. Lieberman won support from the GOP, including support from McCain, praise from the White House and fundraising help from prominent Republicans such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
