From CNN.com:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Sunday he’s still trying to keep Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman within the Democratic caucus despite anger over Lieberman’s support of Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

While he has opposed Democratic efforts to end the war in Iraq, “Joe Lieberman votes with me a lot more than a lot of my senators,“ Reid told CNN’s “Late Edition.“

“Joe Lieberman is not some right-wing nutcase,“ he said.

SIDEBAR: Reid-speak translation: Everyone in the Senate GOP is a right-wing nutcase. END SIDEBAR

“Joe Lieberman is one of the most progressive people ever to come from the state of Connecticut.“

Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-independent, broke with the party over the war in Iraq and ran as an independent after losing the party’s nomination in 2006. Since then, he has been the 51st vote that kept the Senate in Democratic hands.

... Reid said it was up to the Democratic caucus to make any decision about Lieberman’s future, noting that, “Quite frankly, I don’t like what he did.“ But he pointed out that Lieberman has supported Democrats on most issues, including an important budget vote earlier this year.

“For those people beating up on Joe Lieberman, I’ve done my share,“ he said. “Recognize the glass being half full, not half empty.“

See Harry Reid.

See Harry Reid make nice.

See Harry Reid make nice with Joe Lieberman after threatening him last week.

Might Harry Reid have seen poll results from outstanding Senate races?

Also, everyone’s been waiting to see whether the president-elect himself would intervene to help Lieberman. Chief-of-staff-in-waiting Rahm Emanuel has weighed in. He was asked about the situation and given the chance to throw the former Democratic vice presidential nominee a lifeline:

The president-elect’s designated chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, told ABC’s “This Week” that Lieberman’s fate was up to his fellow senators.

“The business of what we have to do when we get sworn in is focusing on what the American people care about,“ Emanuel said. “Priority one is the economy.“

That’s the political equivalent of getting the thumbs-up—NOT down—in the gladiator arena.

Ah, the sweet sound of the new tone of bipartisanship riding in to the White House on Obama’s wave of change.

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