Posted on 04/14/2006 2:45:29 PM PDT by youthgonewild
EXETER, R.I. -- Lincoln Chafee was cleaning a horse stall on his well-manicured farm one recent early morning, describing his latest encounter with hostile home-state Republicans.
The GOP senator had appeared the previous night before the Scituate Republican Town Committee to seek the endorsement of the small but influential group. In his halting, soft-spoken way, Chafee defended his opposition to the war in Iraq, domestic wiretapping and the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. as the principled positions of an old-school conservative.
Chafee, 53, once could count on voters in Rhode Island to tolerate his maverick ways, but this time the response was blank stares. "Nobody listened to my reasoning," Chafee recounted as he piled hay into a wheelbarrow. "They support the president on everything."
Few paths to victory are more convoluted than the one Chafee must travel to win election to a second term this year in this strongly Democratic state. Chafee will face Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey, a conservative, in the Sept. 12 GOP primary, and he must convince voters that he is "Republican enough," despite his numerous defections from the party and President Bush. If he survives the primary, Chafee then must hope that he can hold the Republican vote while wooing moderate Democrats and independents to stave off what is sure to be a strong Democratic challenge.
"I'm running for opposite constituencies," Chafee said. "It's impossible."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Mind you, this was at a Republican meeting! I previously thought that it was foolish to knock off a Republican, but I have decided to support Laffey in the primary.
I'm sure the Republican Senatorial Committee and other various GOP affiliations will give Chafee all the help he needs.
Lincoln played the game according to RHINO rules and now must reap the bads seeds he sowed amongst the liberal thistles.
That's the perfect job for him, not US Senator!
No, they listened and they heard. They just rejected your bs.
maverick=liberal. the dinosaur media just can't be honest.
We have Mules in Texas that would listen to his "reasoning" and then put a hoof through his empty gourd.
What a maroon!
TT
So do us all a favor and quit the race now so that a real pubbie can run full bore over the summer and defeat the dumbo scum in November.
Good thing he had a wheelbarrow handy into which he could shovel his "reasoning."
Wish I was able to also vote for Laffy. Alas it's a long ole drive from Texas.
Stick to mucking out stalls Linc....it's all you deserve in life.
Where'e the mandatory MEGA BARF ALERT!!?
Just for that oversight, it's the one month honeymoon from hell cruise with Cindy Sheehan, for whover posted this.
Justice cannot be tempered with mercy. Bailiff!
Two RINO mavericks. Chaffed and McNumb.
ERRR.. aaah Laffy = Laffey.
Lets hope that rat Chaffee goes where all RINOs should go.
Somewhere very hot and with no chance of a re-count.
Nice post. ;)
"I previously thought that it was foolish to knock off a Republican.."
You were previously correct. Holding the majority yields Committee Chairmanship and the Majority Leader.
They in turn control what gets taken up in legislation, to a large measure.
So what you previously thought is still correct, compared to turning the majority over to the opposition party.
So I suggest you support the conservative Republican in the primary. But should Chaffee win the primary, support him in the general election.
Good luck to all of you in RI. Don't be afraid to vote your conscience. We brought Toomey to within 2 points of Spector in the last primary, and that was with Spector getting all the official support possible (including the president). A few more votes of conscience would have left Spector out in the cold.
From a purely political perspective, replacing Chafee could force the Dems to spend ALOT of money that they don't really have to try and gain a seat in RI, while Hillary will be spending alot of hers in NY.
You can do it, have faith, friends!
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