It looks like Joe Lieberman is going to manage to stay as the chair of the Homeland Security Committee under a plan being floated by Senators Chris Dodd and Ken Salazar. Dodd and Salazar will propose a milder sanction against Lieberman, such as the stripping of a sub-committee chairmanship that is less important to all. From the Washington Post:

A pair of Senate Democrats will offer a compromise plan today to sanction Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) for his support of the Republican presidential ticket but allow him to keep a key committee chairmanship and remain in the party caucus.

Senators and aides said yesterday that Sens. Christopher J. Dodd (Conn.) and Ken Salazar (Colo.) will present a plan at a caucus meeting that would strip Lieberman of a low-profile subcommittee chairmanship, possibly one on global warming. But Lieberman would retain the gavel of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The actions of President-elect Obama in endorsing Lieberman’s continued tenure appear to have helped Joe to dodge the proverbial bullet here. It does send a pretty poor message about consequences to keep Lieberman in the Chair of that Committee, and will be pointed to by future “apostates” who will seek absolution for outrageous actions against the Party. The vote by the Democratic Steering Committee that will formally deal with this issue occurs today.