"If Howard Dean had his way, Saddam Hussein would be in power today, not in prison, and the world would be a much more dangerous place," Mr. Lieberman said. "The American people would have a lot more to fear."
Dr. Dean, taking a break from fund-raising in Florida on Sunday morning, offered rare words of praise for this White House in what aides described as a concerted effort to appear above the fray.
"This is a great day of pride in the American military, a great day for the Iraqis, a great day for the American people and, frankly, a great day for the administration," Dr. Dean said.
Mr. Lieberman proclaimed himself "energized" by the capture of Mr. Hussein, and he went so far as to call for the execution of the former Iraqi leader after a trial.
Aides to Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri and Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, both of whom supported the war, said they hoped that Mr. Hussein's capture would take some of the steam out of Dr. Dean's engine.
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