If Dems ditch Lieberman, Murray could move up

U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) sees the writing on the wall and is already trying to mend fences with Democrats after going off the Democratic reservation and supporting U.S. Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign.

It's not yet clear what kind of revenge (if any) Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will exact on Lieberman after Democrats expand their Senate margin and no longer need him for a majority, but there are potential consequences for one of the state's senators.

If Democrats take away the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs chairmanship from Lieberman and U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) becomes its 8th chairman, then U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Shoreline) would be in line to chair the Veterans Affairs committee. If she got the promotion, she would be the first woman to chair the committee and only the second non-veteran to hold the post (U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) was the first).