Sorry to get all partisan and national-news on you, but seriously, I’m not sure what kind of mandate Senate Democrats want. A military coup?
Here’s how you can tell things are busted generally: keep an eye on how many news articles you read, regarding Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and his committee chairmanship, that mention how he campaigned against Barack Obama, which you and much of the reading public are probably well aware of. Here’s a hint: all of them will.
Then compare that to how many mention that Lieberman was a total waste of space as chair of the Committee for Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, most dramatically reneging on a campaign promise to continue investigating FEMA’s response to Katrina.
I wonder if Obama remembers that.
Update: It’s official, Lieberman keeps his chairmanship. As usual, Atrios puts it best.
Update II: The strategic argument, I guess, is that Lieberman will jump when Obama says jump. Even if that’s true, and there’s reason to believe it is, I don’t see the benefit in having a feckless, politically compromised senator in charge of some of the government’s most important oversight functions. (At least not for me, you, and America. For the senators who stuck with him, the benefit goes without saying.)
Update III: TPM quotes a source as saying that Dick Durbin defended Lieberman, but his office declines comment.