To Hold Senate, G.O.P. Bolsters Its Most Liberal
WARWICK, R.I., Sept. 9 — With a barrage of television advertisements and the mobilization of its get-out-the-vote machine, the national Republican Party has lined up in Rhode Island to beat back a conservative primary challenge to the most liberal Republican in the Senate, Lincoln Chafee. The outcome on Tuesday could help determine whether Democrats have a shot at taking back the Senate. In an extraordinary pre-emptive announcement, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has said it will concede Rhode Island to the Democrats should Stephen Laffey, the mayor of Cranston, defeat Mr. Chafee in the primary. Citing poll data, Republican leaders said they saw no way someone as conservative as Mr. Laffey could win in a state as Democratic as this; as it is, they are increasingly worried about Mr. Chafee’s hopes in a general election. The result has been the striking sight of the national Republican Party, dominated by conservatives, using resources to save the seat of a Republican who said he voted against Mr. Bush in 2004. He chose instead to write in the name of the first President Bush.
How desperate is this? Is this the first sign that Republicans are grasping at straws or what?? Things are so bad for God’s Own Party that they’re willing to back (and here’s an oxymoron if ever there was one) a Liberal Republican. Lincoln Chaffee, and Republican Senator from Rhode Island who didn’t even vote for Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader in 2004, is arguably the GOP’s one, best, and only hope to keep Rhode Island in the red column. If Chaffee doesn’t survive today’s primary, the GOP will simply walk away from Rhode Island and cede the seat to the Democrats.
Man, politics really DOES make for strange bedfellows, don’t it??
The GOP is expected to spend something like $1.2 million to defeat the CONSERVATIVE Republican in today’s primary field, because party leaders figure that Rhode Island is far too Liberal to elect a Conservative Republican. This means that we’re going to be treated to Republicans spending campaign money to defeat…a Republican. Man, just when I’d begun to think that things couldn’t possibly become any wierder or more detached from reality….
Republicans are spending money to defeat a fellow Republican? Man, Republicans really do eat their young, don’t they??
Here’s what I want to know, though: what in the HELL is a Liberal Republican??
