Posted on 10/25/2006 10:28:25 AM PDT by Anita1
Yes, actually there is... even if the guy only carries and R in name only (which I have issues when people throught hat label around, because it shows in general some ignorance, but that's another topic for another time) and that reason has to due with control.
An R who is a "RINO" as some so delightfully call it, is still an R.. and if your. 51st R is a Chaffee or a Helms doesn't matter in terms of whether or not you control the floor agenda and committees or not.
There are 2-3 liberal (and mostly activist) Supreme court judges that are only staying in their seats hoping they can outlive the Republican Legislature and Bush administrations.. Now, which party do you wish to have control of congress when they are up from replacement?
Stop advocating cutting off your nose to spite your face. If a stronger conservative can get elected in RI then by all means let him take out the sitting one in the next primary.. that's how its meant to be done.
Those that think, well this guy isn't conservative enough, or that guy isn't conservative enough (or on the left make the same but opposite claims (not liberal enough)) and say, bah! Let the other guy win, can't be any worse.. .are indeed dead wrong.
Chaffee has dug himself a hole in a lot of areas, which is evident by his polling numbers, but he is a senator from a very liberal state, to expect him to have ever acted as a Helms et al is a preposterous expectation. If the people of RI have decided they won't support an R no matter how leftist he may act, then so be it.. but you don't just make insane statements that an net R loss is somehow a good thing, even if you don't care much for the R that's losing. When you have a huge majority, sure you can think that way, but a few seats is not a majority where you can do that and expect to remain effective.
All I really care about is advancing a conservative agenda. That will not happen if Republicans are kow-towing to a liberal senator constantly. He is not worth it. The money the RNC has spent trying to save him would have been better spent helping another vulnerable Republican, or better yet, picking off a vulnerable Dem seat (such as Maryland or even New Jersey).
As for the term "RINO", I have no problem using it for characters such as Chaffee, but I cringe when it's used for people like Lindsay Graham (who has a liftime ACU rating 91) and others like him.
Yeah, his idea of building bridges is blocking conservative policies in support of his Liberal allies across the aisle. Using his position as a "Republican" party to provide "bi-partisan" cover to the Dems.
To hell with him, I want him to lose.
Agreed.
If we are going to pick up a Rep in a blue state, let it be Steele or Bouchard.
Kean and Chafee are exactly what the party does NOT need more of.
As long as we have 50 Republican Senators on Nov. 8th, we'll never miss him.
Dane knows where his bread is buttered.
If you care about advancing the conservative agenda, then you can't say "kick out the ones who aren't conservative enough for me".. because ones that are the kinds of conservatives you want won't win enough elections to ever have power.
If you want to advance the agenda, you have to have control, and 25-35 senators will NEVER give you an opportunity to advance anything conservative.
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