Add to that the fact that Chaffee has promised to "pull a Jeffords" [....] If Chaffee is threatening to switch parties, then the GOP should call his bluff and find out where his loyalties really are.
Otherwise, they will constantly have to worry about whether he will bolt to the other side. Personally, I have no use for that kind of "fair-weather friend".
If they hold more than a One seat Majority, They should strip him of every single comittee that he belongs to, and make it impossible for him to do anything substantial for his state.maybe even toss him out of the caucus and be done with it.
The way to counter a Chaffee jump is to win three--IF we can take away Missouri from Carnahan, Minnesota from Wellstone, and somehow, win SD from Johnson WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY holding on to Arkansas, Colorado, Texas, and New Hampshire, then a jump from Chaffee won't matter and we'd still be in control.
It's alot of if's--but miracles have been known to happen......and maybe with an uptrend in these states, it's more "probable" than "possible".