Lieberman struggled to break out of the crowded field

Thanks to his run for the vice presidency alongside Al Gore in 2000, many Americans at least had a vague idea of who he was.

And in the crowded field of nine candidates vying for the Democratic party nomination, name recognition is no mean thing.

But it was not enough to launch him ahead in any of the early primaries or caucuses, and he pulled out of the race after failing to make any impact in the Super Seven votes on 3 February.

Religious questions

He sold himself as the least left-wing of all the Democrat candidates. He liked to joke he was from the electable wing of the Democratic party.

He campaigned as a centrist who he said will appeal not only to the base of his party but also to independent voters and even some Republicans.

JOE LIEBERMAN FACTS 1942: Born in Stamford, Connecticut 1970: Elected to Connecticut State Senate 1983: Elected as Connecticut attorney general 1989: Wins bid for US Senate 2000: First Jewish candidate for vice president

Better known than his politics though is his religion: Senator Lieberman is an Orthodox Jew.

In this most religiously tolerant of countries his Jewishness raises few eyebrows, though it does lead to the odd question about how he would handle the Middle East.

At a campaign stop at a cafe in New Hampshire, one voter asked Mr Lieberman: "How are we going to stop the Muslim countries from looking at you as an Orthodox Jew and not as a president?"

The senator says that when he travels to the Middle East, "I'm greeted as an American senator who happens to be Jewish."

Household name'

Despite his strong showing in national polls based on his name recognition, Senator Lieberman was stuck in the middle tier of candidates.

Voters were unenthused by Lieberman's campaign

"He's got enough money to survive. He's got the respect to survive," says journalist David Lightman. But, he adds, his moderate views are not necessarily what play well with Democrat voters.

And that is certainly true when it comes to the issue of Iraq, a war many grassroots Democrats opposed but which Senator Lieberman strongly supported.

When he launched his campaign in January 2003, the senator said he was grateful to President Bush for focusing on Iraq and Saddam Hussein.