HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Sen. Joe Lieberman, who defied Democrats and ran as an independent to hang onto his seat, said Wednesday there is nothing Republicans could do to convince him to switch to the GOP.
“See, there’s a little playfulness in me that wants me to make a joke about that, but it’s too serious,” Lieberman said one day after winning election to a fourth term.
With Democrats and Republicans jockeying for control of the closely divided Senate, both parties will need Lieberman’s vote.
Democrats were assured of 51 votes with the defeat of GOP Sen. Conrad Burns in Montana and GOP Sen. George Allen. The county includes two Democrat-voting independents, Lieberman and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Lieberman reiterated his pledge to remain with the Democrats, saying a prime consideration was maintaining his 18 years of seniority on Capitol Hill in order to help Connecticut.
“When I give my word, I stick to it, and I’m definitely going to organize with the Senate Democratic caucus,” Lieberman said.
If Democrats control the Senate, he would be in line to become chairman of the Homeland Security panel.
Lieberman said he spoke by phone Wednesday with Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, who called to congratulate him. Reid assured him he will keep his seniority, Lieberman said.
He missed other post-election phone calls from GOP Senate colleague including Sen. Orin Hatch of Utah, he said.
Lieberman also said he has no interest in serving in the Bush administration.
Republicans are expected to court Lieberman in hopes of convincing him to switch parties, and possibly shifting the balance of power in the Senate. But he insisted he would remain an independent-minded Democrat.
Lieberman won decisively Tuesday with roughly 50 percent of the vote to anti-war Democrat Lamont’s 40 percent. Republican Alan Schlesinger trailed far behind with 10 percent.
Half of Lieberman’s support came from voters who said they opposed the war and want the U.S. to withdraw some or all of its troops, according to Associated Press exit polls.
The polls also showed that three-fifths of Connecticut voters weren’t bothered by Lieberman’s decision to run as an independent candidate after losing the Democratic primary.
and that Lamont struggled to overcome questions about his experience.
Lieberman, who just six years ago was the Democratic vice presidential nominee, said he was “tested like never before” in the acrimonious campaign where both sides spent heavily on TV attack ads.
Lamont, a wealthy businessman and political unknown who put $16 million of his own money into the race, including a $2 million loan, upset Lieberman in August’s primary in a contest widely seen as a referendum on Iraq and a sharp rebuke of Lieberman’s pro-war views.
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Associated Press Writer Stephanie Reitz in Hartford contributed to this report.
AP-ES-11-08-06 1726EST
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