"'There's a danger there will be a misimpression sent about the historic Democratic Party record of being strong on security,' Lieberman said, 'going back to Wilson, and Roosevelt and Truman and Kennedy and Clinton.'

Asked whether he was losing the debate within the party about the war, reflected in the recent rise in popularity of anti-war candidate Howard Dean, Lieberman responded: 'The battle has just begun,' he said. 'It won't officially begin until next year when the primaries begin, that's why I'm speaking out now.' "