Lieberman is learning there will be consequences

UPDATE: Huff Post has more:

Bolstered by a newly expanded majority, Harry Reid met with Joe Lieberman on Thursday to sketch out the conditions by which the Connecticut independent could continue to caucus with Senate Democrats. But Lieberman did not accept Reid's initial offers, leaving his future in the caucus uncertain, and potentially setting off a campaign to pressure the Democratic steering committee to decide Lieberman's fate.

Reid offered Lieberman a deal to step down as chairman of the homeland security committee but take over the reins of another subcommittee, likely overseeing economic or small business issues officials said.

One of the biggest questions remaining from the election results is what happens to Joe Lieberman. A lot of us want to know. I saw Lieberman on CNN today doing a statement about how he intends to work with Obama. What an ass.

The Senate works in its own way, but it looks like the wheels are starting to turn on this one. Harry Reid met with Joe Lieberman today and issued a statement:

Today Senator Lieberman and I had the first of what I expect to be several conversations. No decisions have been made. While I understand that Senator Lieberman has voted with Democrats a majority of the time, his comments and actions have raised serious concerns among many in our caucus. I expect there to be additional discussions in the days to come, and Senator Lieberman and I will speak to our caucus in two weeks to discuss further steps.

According to Josh Orton, who used to work in Reid's office and knows how to decipher these things:

where Reid's statements about Lieberman used to imply no coming consequences, i.e. 'Joe's gone off the reservations sometimes, but...' - today's statement runs in the opposite direction: 'Joe's with us on some things, but....' Reid is obviously implying that Lieberman will be punished; just because the details weren't announced today doesn't mean nothing will happen. Rather, Reid is likely working through the Senate mechanisms behind-the-scenes: walking through the complex process of Chairmanship 'musical chairs' that Ari describes here, estimating how many Dems we'll actually have in our caucus, and speaking with all of Lieberman's allies in the Dem caucus so no one goes off the reservation when a decision is announced.

So don't misread the reality - Lieberman has very little leverage in this situation and nowhere to go. He angered Obama and Reid during the campaign, and his presidential candidate lost. So Reid is taking his time, but that shouldn't be misread as indecisiveness or inaction. It just proves how little power Lieberman now has.

The National Review read the statement from Harry Reid and crazy K Lo thinks Reid is being mean to Lieberman:

Translation: I am a bully and will make Joe feel pain.

Reid is a boxer. Sounds like he, like so many of us, is pissed at Lieberman. The worst pain for a Senator is to lose a chairmanship with all its perks. Markos has a list of the Democratic Steering Committee, which makes committee leadership decisions. Those people may need to hear from us soon.