GOP Likes Chafee As Best Chance in R.I.

AP ^ | 11/15/5 | M.L. JOHNSON

[SmithL]

Warwick, R.I. -- Liberal Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee refused to support President Bush in the last election, opposed the GOP tax cuts and was the only Republican to vote against the use of military force in Iraq, a war he has likened to Vietnam.

So why, a year before the election, is the GOP embracing Chafee and spending close to $200,000 on television ads aimed at undercutting his conservative rival in the Republican primary, Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey?

Like him or not, Republicans consider Chafee their best chance to win in heavily Democratic Rhode Island.

[isrul]

Thanks to people like Chafee, the Dems are still pretty much in control. Even though they are a minority, RINOS in both houses enable them.

[MplsSteve]

Excellent point.

The GOP needs to concentrate on the seats where it can elect conservatives.

You're right. Take a look at the Dakotas. Logically, all four of those seats should be held by GOP senators. Only one is.

In the primary, I'd vote for Laffey - but in the general election, I'd grit my teeth and vote for Chaffee.

[MplsSteve]

Well put.

A RINO who gives us only 35-40% is still better than a fa-left liberal who'd be lucky to give us 5% of what we want.

[Revolting cat!]

GOPs strategery: Bettah have our scumbag who will occasionally vote with us, than their scumbag who will occasionally vote with us!

[MplsSteve]

As I understand it, the NRSC's rule is that in a primary, they always support the incumbent.

I believe the only exception they ever made was in '02 was when they backed John Sununu over Bob Smith.

[nopardons]

Oh pleeeeeeeeeease. You want the likes of Hillary and Reid and Teddy, the swimmer, Kennedy, and F'in Kerry running the committees? And don't tell me that they are anyway.

[LibertarianInExile]

As I recall Bob Smith had left the GOP, too, so that made sense--he wasn't Republican. But what is their rule when there IS no incumbent?

[fieldmarshaldj]

"The state is DemocRATic and liberal, insuring that a conservative will not win."

News to Don Carcieri.

[MplsSteve]

Before the primary, Bob Smith had re-joined the GOP. But nonetheless, the NRSC sat it out - which was quite unusual for them.

Regarding an open seat, the NRSC usually doesn't pick sides. There have been a few exceptions over the years - but usually they leave it up to the voters to decide.

[Spiff]

A RINO who gives us only 35-40% is still better than a fa-left liberal who'd be lucky to give us 5% of what we want.

If we elected a monkey, he'd vote with us roughly 50% of the time as his votes would be random. That's better than what we get from the RINOs. Maybe the NSRC should be backing monkeys in the primaries as their voting records would be an improvement on the stinking RINOs.

[BillyBoy]

>> Chairmanships, committees and business of the Senate is determined by who is in Majority. Is it worth turning the Senate back to the Dems to get rid of Chaffee and those like him? <<

Yeah, yeah, yeah, same folks defending Chaffee proclaimed that we "had to" support Arlen Specter last year or "the Democrats" would take control of the Senate.

Even IF Pat Toomey had overtaken Specter and then LOST the general election (or if Snarlin' Arlen had been ousted by DemocRAT Joe Heffel), here's what would happened:

1) The new Senate would convinene with a solid 54-45-1 GOP majority.
2) Reliable Conservative Jon Kyl would be chairing the Judiary committee right now.
3) Pennsyvania would have a split 1-1 delegation, consisting of Rick Santorum in the leadership to cancel out the votes of Heffel, a 1st term Senator from the minority party with absolutely no clout or worthwhile committee assignments.

The truth is, scumbag RINOs like Specter and Chaffee are expendible. And if we want to increase the GOP majority, we're better off defeating RATS in Bush states. THEY run hardcore liberals and don't subscribe to the "only DINOs can WIN!" school of thought.

[BillyBoy]

>> What do we "win" if Chafee wins? According to the ACU, Chafee votes conservative about 40% of the time <<

Gee, we must be "winners" by having RAT Ben Nelson serve the people of Nebraska. He votes conservative 40% of the time. Let's endorse him for re-election to thank him.

< /sarcasm>

[BillyBoy]

>> And NO Conservative Republican can get elected in R.I.; not even a moderate one can. << <<

Meet the conservative, pro-life, pro-family, pro-smaller government, pro-freedom, "unelectable" GOVERNOR of Rhode Island

Gov. Don Carcieri (R-RI)

This "unelectable conservative" is expected to CRUISE to RE-ELECTION next year, FYI.

[duckln]

You used DemocRAT 3 times in one bashing paragraph.

Very cheap my friend, and I shutter when I read you taking on 'liberals' in public.

Shape up!

[FreeReign]

I wasn't endorsing Chaffee. Why don't you take your sarcasm and post it to somebody else.

[BillyBoy]

You said conservatives never win in Rhode Island. Just correcting your error. Rhode Island is about 2/3rds RAT but alot of them are to the RIGHT of ultra-liberal "Republican" Chaffee (lots of pro-life Dems winning in RI, for instance)

Stephen Laffey is further right than Chaffee and I expect he can win in Rhode Island.

[dalereed]

We would be better off with a democrap than that democrap incognito!

[FreeReign]

...but alot of them are to the RIGHT of ultra-liberal "Republican" Chaffee (lots of pro-life Dems winning in RI, for instance) Stephen Laffey is further right than Chaffee and I expect he can win in Rhode Island.

I hope you are right about that. I not optimistic about it. I would love to see RI turn around.

[goldstategop]

Yep. They'll support a liberal RINO over a proven conservative. Every one knows no conservative has a snowball's chance in hell in New England. Chaffee's a RINO but's he preferable to a Democrat.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")