CT delegates seek to punish Lieberman.

Lieberman got in bed with the Repubs and that will be his own demise..

DENVER — Connecticut delegates are demanding that party leaders punish Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democrat-turned-Independent, because of his support of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the Republican nominee.

For many of them, Lieberman’s plan to speak at next week’s Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn., is the latest offense from the man who represented their state as a Democrat in Washington for 18 years.

“There has to be some kind of penalty for this sort of thing,” said Martha Aasen, a delegate from Westport, Conn.

“He’s a traitor to his party,” said Jennifer Just, a delegate from Woodbridge.
But Democratic senators’ anger toward Lieberman has been tempered by the tens of thousands of dollars he has given to their fundraising committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC).

Democrats have been leery of punishing Lieberman because it is only his informal allegiance that gives them a majority in the Senate by one vote. If he caucused with the Republicans, there would be a 50-50 split in the chamber and Vice President Dick Cheney as Senate president would tip the balance of power to Republicans through his tie-breaking votes.

But because Democrats expect to pick up five seats or more in the November election — in which case they would not need Lieberman so much — many think the time has come to dispense with him. Rank-and-file Democrats expect their leaders in Washington to dish out retribution once the majority is secured.

“I can’t wait until we expand our majority in the Senate so he can be stripped of his committee,” said Just, the Woodbridge delegate.
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