from Media Matters:
Media ignore Lieberman's pledge not to switch parties
Several media outlets, including The Politico, ABCNews.com, Fox News' Special Report and The Washington Times, reported on Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman's (CT) statement in the March 5 issue of Time magazine that there is a "very remote possibility" he will stop caucusing with Senate Democrats, but failed to note Lieberman's repeated pre-election promises to the voters of Connecticut that he would caucus with Democrats. Additionally, The Politico and Special Report inaccurately reported that Lieberman's decision to caucus with the other party would "give control of the
back to the Republicans." In fact, in order to change the makeup of committees and their chairmen, as well as the president pro tempore, the Republicans would have to pass new organizing rules, which could be filibustered by the Democrats.
In a February 22 article, Editor & Publisher reported that Lieberman is quoted in the March 5 issue of Time acknowledging "a remote possibility" that he will "jump[] to the Republican side." But as blogger Greg Sargent noted, on October 3, 2006, The Empire Zone, The New York Times' weblog about politics in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, quoted Lieberman promising: "I've given my word that's what I intend to do. I am going to caucus with the Democrats." Prior to his August 2006 loss in the Democratic primary but while collecting signatures for his independent bid, Lieberman told New York Magazine: "I've been a Democrat for 40 years, I'll die a Democrat, I'll probably be a Democrat after my death, I may still be voting Democrat in some cities in Connecticut postmortem." Sargent compiled additional examples of Lieberman or his communications staff promising that he would caucus with the Democrats. Further, in October 2006, blogger spazeboy posted a video in which Lieberman is asked the question: "Would you unequivocally ... caucus with the Democrats?" Lieberman responded: "I've said that 1,200 times." When asked to clarify with a "yes or no" answer, Lieberman responded: "Yes. Yes."
As The Washington Post reported on January 5, Republicans would not be able to automatically reorganize the Senate if Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) were replaced with a Republican, effectively the same scenario as Lieberman caucusing with the Republicans:
Republican leaders decided not to seek special language spelling out the terms of a transition in case of a power shift -- say, if Johnson vacates his post and his state's GOP governor appoints a Republican to replace him. Under that scenario, power would effectively shift to Republicans, because Cheney would provide the tiebreaking 51st vote. But for Republicans to take parliamentary control, the Senate would have to vote for new organizational rules, a move Democrats could filibuster.
A similar scenario unfolded in January 2001, when a 50-50 Senate convened. In 2001, Democrats demanded a "kick-out clause" in organizing negotiations that would automatically scrap agreements on committee ratios and funding levels and force new organizational rules. But Republicans decided this month against a confrontation that would come from demanding a similar clause.
"Nobody over here talked about that at all," said Don Stewart, spokesman for McConnell. ......(more)
The complete piece is at: http://mediamatters.org/items/200702240001