FACTBOX: Former Democrat, now independent, Joe Lieberman

(Reuters) - Joe Lieberman, who eight years ago was the defeated Democratic vice presidential nominee in one of the closest U.S. presidential elections, has thrown his support this year to Republican White House candidate John McCain. Both men are senators and support the war in Iraq.

Here are some facts about Lieberman:

* In 2000, Lieberman became the first person of the Jewish faith to run on a major party political ticket when Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore picked the Connecticut senator as his running mate.

* Shortly after the contested November 2000 election, a divided U.S. Supreme Court let stand George W. Bush's razor-close win in Florida, handing the White House to Bush and defeat to Gore and Lieberman.

* Lieberman made a bid for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, but dropped out after a string of defeats and Gore's endorsement of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean.

* Lieberman's support for Bush's Iraq war angered many Democrats and caused him to lose the party's nomination for re-election to the Senate in 2006 to antiwar millionaire Ned Lamont. Lieberman left the party, ran as an independent and won a fourth Senate term.

* Although Lieberman is now an independent, he still sides with Democrats in Senate organizing matters, allowing his former party to control the Senate, 51-49. Other than the Iraq war, Lieberman votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.

* On December 17, 2007, Lieberman backed McCain, saying: "I know that it is unusual for someone who is not a Republican to endorse a Republican candidate for president. And if this were an ordinary time and an ordinary election, I probably would not be here today. But this is no ordinary time -- and this is no ordinary election -- and John McCain is no ordinary candidate."

(Reporting by Thomas Ferraro; Editing by Peter Cooney)