Courtesy of TPM via RealClearPolitics.com, here’s an update on the ongoing saga with Joe Lieberman, the prodigal son no one wants to wecome home:

The full Democratic caucus will vote on whether Joe Lieberman is allowed to keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee at its caucus meeting next week, a leadership aide confirms to us.

Previously, Reid’s office had held this possibility out but hadn’t made a final decision on whether to throw Lieberman’s fate to the full Dem caucus for a vote.

Ah. A vote.

The medical term for this phenomenon is passingthebuckitis: “Well, Joe, I’d really like for you to keep your chairmanship, but you see, these senators here ...“

It was surprising to me that Reid has set the vote for next week—well before the runoff of the Georgia Senate race and way ahead of any resolution in the Minnesota grudge match between Norm Coleman and Al Franken. I did notice, though, that Reid did not signal either that A) the vote would be binding, or B) when the result, if it was binding, would take effect.

So he’s leaving his options open.

Also, Blake Dvorak tells us that the president-elect has basically washed his hands of the matter:

Somewhat complicating matters are comments from Obama spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter who told TPM that Obama doesn’t “hold any grudges” and that the president-elect would be “happy to have Sen. Lieberman caucus with the Democrats.“ Well, the issue is Lieberman’s committee chairmanship, not his caucusing preferences.