Posted on 08/23/2006 7:53:09 PM PDT by jdm
Sen. Lincoln Chafee and Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey sparred over how to handle the war in Iraq, the benefits of embryonic stem cell research and the confirmation of a Supreme Court justice in their first televised debate Wednesday night.
Supporters gave both candidates a standing ovation and chanted their names as they emerged from their dressing rooms before the debate. Polls have shown them running neck-and-neck in a Senate race that has gained national attention, and both are looking for an edge as the Sept. 12 primary approaches.
The candidates and their parties are putting millions of dollars into the Rhode Island race, which they see as key to gaining or keeping control of the Senate. Republicans now have a five-seat majority.
Chafee, who voted against the war, said the U.S. must work with the six nations bordering Iraq to create peace. If diplomacy fails, he said he would support a timetable for withdrawing American troops.
Laffey has supported the war but been critical of its execution. He renewed his call for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation and suggested the U.S. consider training Iraqi troops in Europe if that would prepare them to take over.
"We have to train those troops so we can get them to stand up, so eventually we can stand down," Laffey said.
The candidates met Wednesday night at Toll Gate High School, where "Keep Chafee" signs lined the road in support of Chafee, a former Warwick mayor. Laffey, who has campaigned regularly in the state's second largest city, parked his shrink-wrapped recreational vehicle nicknamed "The Rhody Reformer" outside to urge the public to "Elect Laffey."
The winner of their primary will likely face Democratic former Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse in the November election.
Laffey has won a strong following among regular Republicans who take offense at Chafee's write-in vote for the current president's father during the 2004 election. Party members also are angered by Chafee's opposition to the war in Iraq, Bush's tax cuts and anti-abortion nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court.
But party leaders say Chafee is their best bet to hold the seat in Rhode Island, where Democrats outnumber Republicans three-to-one. On Tuesday, the National Republican Senatorial Committee launched an ad attacking Laffey for accepting foreign identification cards that it says present national security risks.
Laffey's major backer, the anti-tax Club for Growth, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars this year on television ads attacking Chafee as a tax-and-spend liberal.
Chafee took exception to that during the debate, criticizing Laffey for accepting help from what he described as "one of the most nefarious" special interest groups in Washington. Laffey responded that he supports the club's goal of lowering taxes and fostering economic growth.
The former investment banker criticized Chafee in turn for voting against Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's confirmation. Chafee described himself as a pro-choice senator.
"Well, I'll just be a Rhode Island Senator," Laffey responded. He told the audience that Chafee "has litmus tests for a supreme court justice. I ask everyone out there: How would you like to get before a judge and already have a case decided?"
Somehow I just can't seem to read "Lincoln Chaffee" and "sparred" in the same sentence without smirking.
And the NRSC isn't?
I hate Chafee, and the NRSC for supporting this scumbag. Another reasony why my donations go directly to the conservative Republican candidate. Why the GOP wants to help this liberal, after he urinated all over Bush's agenda is beyond me. He's the ultimate New England RINO, the worst Republican in the Senate. Screw him, I hope the Dim wins.
The Republican leadership are out of their minds supporting a scum like Chaffee. His very presence in the Senate costs them good will all over the country. And he is completely useless to them, because he can be counted on to vote against his party on every important bill.
Don't be so dense. The gop will support INCUMBENTS. If chafee was the challenger and laffey was the incumbent, they would be supporting laffey.
The gop went balls to the wall for specter and they are doing the same for santorum. IT IS THE INCUMBENCY.
Which is why the GOP is no longer "my party."
For ever more, I will vote for the person, not the party.
Not that it matters...
You are right, it won't matter because if you vote for the better man in the general election, you will be voting a straight gop ticket 99 percent of the time. It is not that the gop is great, the democrats really are that horrific.
This is one race I couldn't give a tinker's damn about. Not going to shed any tears for a RINO who's helped drag the GOP-controlled senate further to the left.
True but foolish. The RNC as usual is putting party over principal. They'd support Nancy Pelosi is she was a Repub.
Chaffee is poisenous and deserves early retirement.
Wrong.
Correct is
True AND SMART. The RNC as usual is putting WINNING over LOSING. They'd support Nancy Pelosi is she was THE MORE CONSERVATIVE OF ELECTABLE CANDIDATES IN THAT DISTRICT.
Partially true. However to ascribe that motive as the sole factor is foolish. The GOP is attmepting a more "moderate" pose and RINO's such as Specter and Chaffee fit the bill. Thus the the support for the RINO's and active tearing down of the conservative candidates.
Wrong. The GOP is attmepting a more "moderate" pose where they think moderates will win and also a more "conservative" pose where that wins, and RINO's such as Specter and Chaffee fit the bill, as does Kyl, Tancredo, etc where that fits the bill. Thus the the support for the RINO's IS NOT active tearing down of the conservative candidates AND SUPPORT FOR THE CONSERVATIVE INCUMBENTS IS NOT ACTIVE TEARING DOWN OF THE "MODERATES"
One more thing, can you name a single conservative incumbent that the GOP did not support (exclusive of scandal like delay).
I say: neither.
The NRSC should just stay the hell out of primaries. Its job is to support the Republican against the Democrat. It has no business taking sides in intra-party disputes.
Catherine Harris is an incumbent {congress critter, not senator} and the pubbies are running away from her.
I'd expect that from the RNC. What I don't expect is all of the self-styled conservatives who do the exact same thing.
I'd love to see whiner Chafee booted.
NRSC should not $upport a cndidate until after the Primary.
This is the main reason I do not give to RNC or NRSC.
---holes like Chafee,spctre and the ditzes from Maine do not deserve my hard earned $$.
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