HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Two Connecticut Democrats circulating a petition to censure U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman say the effort is gaining support from rank-and-file party members.

Lieberman, the independent Connecticut senator and one-time Democratic Party leader, now backs Republican U.S. presidential nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona. He angered state party members by speaking at last week's Republican National Convention in support of McCain, prompting a petition to censure him and seek is ouster as a registered Democrat, the Hartford Courant reported Wednesday.


Audrey Blondin of Litchfield, Conn., one of the petition's authors, told the newspaper it's drawing support from Democrats who viewed Lieberman's RNC speech as the last straw in a series of perceived betrayals starting with his staunch support of the Iraq War.

"All of us have spent the past year really bending over backward to be tolerant of Joe, to give him the benefit of the doubt, to understand his dilemma," Blondin told the Courant. "But the RNC speech was just way, way out of line, and we realized that we had to exercise some leadership here and make it clear that he no longer represents Democratic values."