Alan Schlesinger
Posted on 08/15/2006 2:12:26 PM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
The White House on Monday refused — for now — to endorse the Republican candidate in Connecticut's hotly contested Senate race. White House Press Secretary Tony Snow would not commit President Bush's support of Republican candidate Alan R. Schlesinger, saying there are unique characteristics in play.
Asked directly if the president supports Schlesinger, Snow danced around the question.
"The president supports the democratic process in the state of CT and wishes them a successful election in November," he said.
Asked why he would not commit, Snow said: "I think there's some peculiar characteristics going on in the Republican Party with the present candidate, and why don't you wait and see what happens?"
Schlesinger said Monday he would remain in the race against Democrat nominee Ned Lamont and Sen. Joe Lieberman, who is running as an independent. Schlesinger cautioned against reading too much into the White House nonendorsement of his campaign.
"They've used Joe Lieberman's primary loss as a poster child for what is wrong with the Democratic Party," Schlesinger said. "They don't want to take an active role in attacking him now. That is what I surmise by this."
Schlesinger said national party leaders have consistently told him that he must "earn his stripes" to gain their support by raising campaign cash, increasing his poll numbers and proving he has a chance of winning in November.
"I'm not going to let Washington hijack this election out of the hands of the people of Connecticut," he said. "This election is not a Democrat primary. "Moderate and conservative voters will get to vote, and I believe that my message is their message. Moderate and conservative voters will find a very comfortable home with my campaign."
Darien businessman Jack Orchulli, however, said Monday Schlesinger is "DEAD in the water" and should move aside and let him run instead.
Orchulli, a Republican who ran against Democrat Sen. Chris Dodd in 2004, said he is prepared to spend more than $1.5 million of his own wealth on his candidacy should Schlesinger drop out.
"Given the lack of support by the Republican leadership, the negatives that Alan has and also that he has raised no money, he is dead in the water and should step aside," Orchulli said.
"If I were able to get into the race, it would change the whole scenario."
Orchulli did not throw his hat into the ring earlier because he thought Lieberman could not be beaten "one on one" if he won the Democratic primary. He believes now that he could win a three-way race, but cannot run unless Schlesinger drops out.
"If Alan doesn't step aside, I am on the bench and that is it," he said.
Schlesinger is NOT expected to win the Senate seat in November's general election. Six percent of voters supported him in a Rasmussen poll taken after Tuesday's Democratic primary, down from 13 percent a month ago. Lieberman led the three-way matchup with 46 percent to Lamont's 41 percent.
Schlesinger discounted the poll as simply a reflection of "the tidal wave" of publicity Lamont and Lieberman generated with their primary.
His campaign stumbled in July after it was revealed that Schlesinger used a fake name to gamble at a Connecticut casino and had been sued over gambling debts at two N.J. casinos.
He claims to have used the false name "Alan Gold" at the Connecticut casinos when he served as a state representative in the early 1990s so that constituents would not accuse him of having a conflict of interest on casino and Indian-related votes.
Republican Gov. M Jodi Rell initially urged him to drop out of the Senate race, but Schlesinger called his gambling a "nonissue" and she is no longer pressing the issue.
Rich Harris, a spokesman for Rell's gubernatorial campaign, said Monday that unless other problems emerge, she is satisfied with Schlesinger remaining on the ticket. Rell, however, has not scheduled any campaign events with him.
CT Republican Party Chairman George Gallo could not be reached for comment Monday.
Hannity just said on the radio he would vote for Lieberman if he lived in CT.
Alan Schlesinger
Bush should endorse Lamont in CT, that Machiavellian tactic ought to send the looney left votes over to Lieberman.
As liberal as Lieberman is, he's the lesser of the two democrat evils.
Exactly. You won't see any GOP support for this gentleman (just being PC here cha-no).
Pres Bush endorsed Arlen Specter in PA who was running against conservative Pat Toomey.
Yeah, lamont might win.
So predictable...
Democrats and RINO's are running numbers and see leiberman does strong with Indy's, retains some Dems, and take practically all Republicans. Meaning Leiberman wins. So what are they trying to do? Run stories on how Lieberman is an arch liberal...after months of saying he was G.W.B.'s clone to get conservatives to drop support (not happenin'-we know he's a liberal) and get a RINO into the election that "Republicans" will vote for at least in moderate enough numbers to elect Lamont.
So damn predictable. If the current Rep nominee really wants to do the right thing, he'll stay in the race, spend little money, preventing the second option and helping elect an America hater (yet another) into the Senate.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend! ;-)
Ann's gotten into enough trouble voting in the wrong district. I suggest she stays out of this one.
Yes, but is the enemy of your enemy more your friend than your friend is?
That is to say, is a moderate Democrat better than your average Republican?
Schlesinger is a loser and should withdraw from the race.
Lieberman votes at least 90% leftist. I could never support him under ANY circumstance. I guess I just refuse to play the game.
Yup, Schlesinger should quit. An embarassment or worse.
Don't bet on it. (heheh)
He's pro-choice, and I will never vote to support that. I left the Presbyterian Church USA over that issue.
If we are to prevent that the Republicans must hold as many pro Iraq seats in the Senate as possible.
One seat we can hold is Connecticut. Connecticut is a liberal state. We can spit the vote between the Schlesinger and Lieberman and elect Lamont. Or we can support Lieberman and elect Lieberman. There is no way a Republican can win.
It all depends on do you want to fight the Islamic killers over here or over there. The scary thing is even some Freepers want to fight them over here. Perhaps they well get their wish.
For the good of the party...
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