House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasted Sen. Joe Lieberman on Wednesday for making what she called "totally irresponsible" remarks about Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and warned that the Senate might retaliate by revoking Lieberman's committee chairmanship.

Pelosi also chastised some of Hillary Rodham Clinton's supporters for being "less than gracious" toward Obama, although she praised the New York senator for rallying behind the party's nominee after a bitter primary fight.

Pelosi's remark in an interview with KGO Radio talk show host Ronn Owens in San Francisco is certain to anger Clinton backers, including some who are pushing to have Clinton's name placed into nomination at the party's convention in Denver later this month. But the House speaker's rebuke of Lieberman, the Connecticut Democrat-turned-independent, is likely to please Democratic activists, who are irate at Lieberman's sharp jabs at Obama.

Campaigning for Republican John McCain in York, Pa., on Tuesday, Lieberman appeared to question Obama's patriotism when he called the election a choice "between one candidate, John McCain, who has always put his country first, worked across party lines to get things done, and one candidate that has not."

Pelosi was asked by a caller on Owens' show what could be done about the attacks from Lieberman, the Democrats' 2000 vice presidential nominee who, though an independent, still caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate.

"You're right," Pelosi said. "Joe Lieberman has said things that are totally irresponsible when it comes to Barack Obama. Here we have a leader for the future, really a great leader for the future and one that comes along only every now and then, and they know it so they have to undermine him. And one of their best weapons, of course, is someone who is considered by some to be a Democrat."

Pelosi explained that Senate Democrats are leery of challenging Lieberman over his comments because his vote is crucial to preserving the Democrats' 51-49 majority in the Senate. But she warned that Lieberman's top spot on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee could be in jeopardy if Democrats gain seats in the Senate in November.

"The Democrats in the Senate are in a tough spot. They have 51 votes. Joe Lieberman organizes with them," she said. "In 85 days or something, they will have five more Democrats. They won't need him to make the majority. And it will be interesting to see what the leadership in the Senate, the Democratic leadership in the Senate, does at that point in terms of Joe Lieberman's chairmanship of his committee."

Lieberman's Senate spokesman could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.

Pelosi, who was on the show promoting her new book, "Know Your Power," was also pressed about why former President Bill Clinton declined in a recent ABC News interview to say whether he thought Obama was ready to be president.

"I can't answer for Bill Clinton," Pelosi said. "It's hard when you're in a primary election. Losing is very, very difficult."

Pressed about whether Hillary Clinton could have been more gracious to Obama, the San Francisco Democrat responded, "I think Hillary Clinton has been very gracious. I think some of her supporters have been less than gracious."

Pelosi also offered new clues about how she might handle the touchy issue of domestic oil drilling when Congress returns in September. After months of opposing a vote on new drilling, Pelosi seemed to reverse her stance on CNN's Larry King show Monday night. She said she would be open to a vote on new drilling in protected areas as part of a much broader energy package.

Pelosi told Owens the package could pair some new offshore drilling with Democratic energy proposals that Republicans have opposed, including expanding subsidies for renewable energy, revoking tax breaks to oil companies and forcing the Bush administration to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

"We can have a piece of offshore drilling, but we have to renegotiate the terms," she said. "Here we have Big Oil drilling, getting the profits, not paying the royalties. We want to say, in a very protected way, you may be able to drill here in the context of a fuller package of renewables, and when you do, the taxpayers should benefit from that."