Chafee is not Republican at all really, only in name. He's certainly one of the most liberal senators and I think it's obvious he is a problem to have in the GOP. He can go now and we'll pick up more seats in '06 due to this insanity. This is a campaign issue. I hope that if his name is on this the GOP officially severs its ties to the traitor.
Nope. I understand your disgust, but you play with the hand your dealt. Chafee is needed on key votes and, in the absence of any other Republican in Rhode Island worth their salt, then he's what we have. Cutting ties to him, as was done with Jeffords, would be stupid - as stupid and as politically naive as it was with Jeffords.
I don't believe this RINO thing. Makes no sense. If someone were truly a RINO, then they might as well be a Democrat and yet their not. There has to be something which keeps them tied to the party - possibility of power, Senate chairmanship or more nobly, some Republican ideal. Our goal is to capitalize on that as long as we have to deal with them - i.e. Specter and Chafee. It's a game of give and take.
Look, Chafee, is going to be a problem for Bush whether he's in the GOP or not - so, it's to our advantage to keep him here, because, minimally, it's the only way we get to leverage for something in return. If we say "see ya," then what do we get - nothing. He is what he is - we just have to deal with it.