ST. PAUL -- Speaking at the RNC eight years after being on the Democratic presidential ticket as Al Gore's running mate, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman called himself a Democrat, not a word often used to describe him since he publicly backed McCain.

"What after all is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this?" Lieberman said. "I'll tell you why. I'm here to support John McCain because country matters more than party."

Lieberman does still caucus with Democrats and holds a Senate committee chairmanship. That could change when the new Congress begins in January.