(AP) HARTFORD, Conn. - Some Connecticut Democrats believe Sen. Joe Lieberman’s colleagues in Washington let him off the hook for backing John McCain, and say it’s time for them to consider a possible censure by the state party.

The U.S. Senate’s Democratic caucus voted 42-13 Tuesday to condemn statements Lieberman made while supporting McCain in the presidential race, but let him keep the chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee. He will lose a post on the Environment and Public Works panel.

Two members of Connecticut’s Democratic state central committee, Audrey Blondin and Myrna Watanabe, said they’ll still ask Connecticut’s top Democrats to consider a resolution repudiating Lieberman for publicly backing McCain. It also would ask him to resign from the party.

"Ultimately, there were no consequences to his actions," Blondin said.

A meeting of state Democrats is scheduled for Dec. 17.

Watanabe said the Democratic caucus in the U.S. Senate had political reasons for not punishing Lieberman more severely.

"They need to keep Joe happy," she said. "Our problems are different from the U.S. Senate’s problems. Our problems with Joe stem from all of these people who supported him all of these years, who supported him from the beginning of his career."

Besides publicly backing McCain and criticizing President-elect Barack Obama during the campaign, Watanabe said Lieberman has hurt state Democrats by not helping party candidates further down the ticket.

"We need help from senators. Our candidates may actually not win because we’re not getting that kind of help," she said.

Lieberman was re-elected to the Senate as an independent after losing the Democratic primary in 2006 to businessman Ned Lamont. While Lieberman calls himself an "independent Democrat" in the Senate, he remains a registered Democrat and has said he has no plans to change his party affiliation.

When asked about the state Democrats’ plans, Lieberman spokesman Marshall Wittmann said the senator "agrees with President-elect Obama that this is the time to unite as Americans and address the real problems facing our country rather than engage in partisan retribution."

The resolution circulated by Watanabe and Blondin says Lieberman’s actions exhibited "extraordinary disloyalty to countless Connecticut Democrats without whom his career as an elected official would never have been possible."

It calls on the 72-member state central committee to "publicly censure and repudiate the words and actions" of Lieberman and asks him to leave the party.

Nancy DiNardo, chairwoman of the state Democrats, said other committee members may offer alternative resolutions next month and the wording may be milder.

"I do think that there will probably be some resolution, certainly sending a message to Senator Lieberman that they aren’t pleased with his support of Senator McCain," DiNardo said.

DiNardo said she doesn’t believe the state party should ask Lieberman to leave the party given the U.S. Senate Democratic caucus’ decision on Tuesday. They made it clear, she said, "they want to keep Joe Lieberman in the party."

Blondin said she’s not sure if the resolution will pass next month. But no matter what happens, she said many Democrats will remain angry with Lieberman.

"We have no problem with whatever Joe does, but don’t do it as a Democrat," she said. "If you want to be independent, I can totally respect that and understand that. But be an independent."