The Democrats’ 2000 vice-presidential nominee and three-term Connecticut senator had been dumped unceremoniously by voters in the party’s primary election, losing to the anti-war Ned Lamont because of his staunch support for President Bush over Iraq.

The party’s establishment shunned him, rallying behind Mr Lamont as the Democrat candidate for Tuesday’s Connecticut Senate race.

But suddenly, Democrats are being awfully nice to Mr Lieberman again.

After his primary defeat, Mr Lieberman rejected Democrat calls to quit the race, and instead has run as an independent.

Polls indicate that he will soundly defeat Mr Lamont on Tuesday, with most independents in the state — and the majority of Republicans — backing his candidacy. Should Democrats gain six seats in the Senate this week, that would give them a total of 50 — but they would need Mr Lieberman on board if they are to actually have a majority, albeit the narrowest of one.

Although Mr Lieberman has promised that he will caucus with Democrats after the election, Republicans still harbour outside hopes of persuading him to defect, because his hawkish stance on the war isolates him on the issue of Iraq from his own party.

Many of his Senate colleagues openly backed Mr Lamont after the primary race. But the thought of a Lieberman defection, and the Democrat need for his support if they win six seats this week, means that Mr Lieberman is suddenly one of the most powerful figures on Capitol Hill again.

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