GOP victories have potential to marginalize Republican moderates (Sen Chafee may switch to Dems)

AP ^ | 11/3/2004 | AP

[SauronOfMordor]

"Regrettably, we have seen an erosion in the Senate of centrists on both sides of the aisle," said Sen. Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, a Republican moderate whose leverage may drop substantially in the next Congress. She said she hoped Bush will push for cooperation between the two parties.

Another GOP moderate, Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee (R.I.), expressed even deeper disappointment, telling the Providence Journal he would not rule out switching to the Democratic Party.
[snip]

[hawkiye]

Death to RINO's! Take Spector and McCain with you and don't let the door hit ya where the lord split ya!

[paul51]

We don't keep any prisoners. Quit your whining and leave if you want. Your votes don't help anyhow. The fact is they are just worried about getting reelected in a blue state.

[JediForce]

You are correct sir.

[TexasGreg]

"Chaffee and Snowne are upset that the GOP picked up Senate seats?"

My question exactly. From the way they sound it almost seems as if they would have preferred Kerry winning. SCREW them ... and their little Specter too.

[tellw]

Chafee has only been in the Senate since 1999, which means he's not in line to get a committee chairmanship anytime soon. Also if he goes Dem, he is assured of winning in 2006 in a walk.

[LachlanMinnesota]

Jumpin' Jim...meet Cha Cha Chafee..

[putupjob]

Bye bye Lincoln. Looking forward to running a real Republican to get rid of you, you scum ball.

[jwalsh07]

Chafee did NOT vote for W, he wrote in GHW Bush's name. He's done in the Rep party in RI. The likelihood is that he jumps to independent because he can't win the primary next time. Mayor Laffee(sp) will run and kick his arse.

He burned all his bridges, he isn't one tenth the man his father was and never will be. In fact between him and Patrick Kennedy, RI has two of the looniest tunes in Congress.

[OldFriend]

Chaffee, an example of a brain on coke.

[OldFriend]

They can keep LIEberman but I'd be happy to see Nelson of Nebraska come over to our side.

[Huck]

I love it. Who replaced Breaux? Did we get a conservative in there? If we can break this center coalition before the first judicial nomination, oh baby that'd help, no?

[Dog Gone]

They're disappointed that the RINO contingent was not strengthened. It, in fact, was weakened. Their power was diminished.

Bummer for them.

[samantha]

Don't even mention Bill Nelson ,he is a lib and a Michael Moore suck up. Ben Nelson from Nebraska is more like it. Forget Lieberman because his conservative rating is 19.

[IronJack]

I was on another thread earlier when these same names came up, along with Arlen Specter, Chuck Hagel, and John McCain. Letting these tepid RINOs go would be a small price to pay for the victory we've just seen. They're not to be trusted anyway.

[Rome2000]

Elitist snobs who hate southerners and cowboys.

Chafee isn't a "moderate" Republican, he is a godamned radical socialist who is too dishonest to go where he belongs.

Kick him the hell out of the party and let him join the socialists already.

[WideGlide]

Chafee's portrait morphed into the image of the other Benedict Arnold when nobody was paying attention.

[timydnuc]

Let me cypher this out. We got 55-44-1. Chaffee cowards out, we got 54-44-2, or 54-45-1. I think I got it so far. Now Snow goes too, we got 53-45-2, or 53-46-1. We still have the majority, they look like the weasels that they really are, and we make points for 2006. It's a win-win for us.

So, who really gives a flying F at a rolling donut? Let these liberals make cornmeal out of their political careers, I could care less.

[NeoCaveman]

Let me get this straight. Chaffee and Snowne are upset that the GOP picked up Senate seats?

Of course. They are no longer as important. Being one of 50 or 51 wields a lot of power that being one of 55 does not, especailly when you are not like most of the 55.

[NeoCaveman]

When is he up for re-election? One lesson of Tuesday was that the entire Northeast is solidly Democratic.

Chaffee is up in 2006 and potentially faces a primary fight already.

[JediForce]

I am sorry...I got my Nelsons' mixed up...full nelson/half nelson.

he he he