In a political party that has gone off the rails, and puts the acquisition of power above the interests of their own country, Joe Lieberman is a marked man: Lieberman’s pro-war views concern Dems. (Hat tip: Vinay.)

WASHINGTON - Sen. Joe Lieberman’s staunch stay-the-course defense of President Bush’s Iraq policies isn’t winning him any friends among fellow Democrats.

Lieberman’s pro-war views may be winning him praise from a grateful White House, but some Democratic colleagues see him as undercutting their party’s efforts to wrest control of Congress from the GOP next fall.

“He’s doing damage to the ability of Democrats to wage a national campaign,” said Ken Dautrich, a University of Connecticut public policy professor. “It’s Lieberman being Lieberman. And it’s frustrating for people trying to put a Democratic strategy together.”

Sensing political vulnerability in Bush’s handling of Iraq, Democrats are anxious to craft a compelling anti-war theme uniting the party for the pivotal midterm congressional elections.

Democrats hope a surging anti-war tide in 2006 can help them shatter the GOP’s 12-year lock on the House and win back the Senate for the first time since 2001.

“It’s not a tidal wave now, but the ingredients are starting to fall into place,” said veteran Democratic strategist Tad Devine.

Lieberman, who seems to relish his role as a maverick, is veering far from the Democratic script. His vocal support for the war, a stark and frequent reminder of the deep divisions among Democrats on how to end the war, makes him something of a marked man.