The three-term Senator from Texas is a Southern conservative who works well at building consensus.

Joe Lieberman (I), the incumbent three-term senator, was running for his fourth term.

The Democratic Party cannot afford a litmus test to prevent a three-term senator to be renominated.

When he ran against a three-term Democratic senator, Jim Sasser, in 1994, even his own brother said he could not win.

Mr. Burns, a three-term senator who was considered one of the Senate's most vulnerable incumbents, lost by about 3,000 votes.

The three-term senator was criticized by some Democrats for supporting the Iraq war and defending President Bush.

Mr. Weicker, a former three-term Senator, is a liberal Republican who ran as an independent.

The three-term Senator left no doubt that he was looking to Mr. Pataki to help him survive what could be a difficult challenge.

"I think he's a very truthful person," the three-term senator told the jurors, all of whom come from here, Mr. Janklow's home county.

But Mr. Lieberman, a three-term senator and vice presidential candidate in 2000, has support from a handful of Democratic colleagues.