Posted on 03/23/2006 8:48:23 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
Republican Senate candidate Stephen Laffey once told a newspaper columnist that God wanted him to run for mayor of Cranston.
He spent $2,000 to soundproof his mayoral office because of fears people were eavesdropping.
And when journalists noticed he had digitally erased a former friend from photographs on his campaign Web site, he suggested aliens were to blame.
Jokes and funny stories about Laffey abound among Rhode Island's political insiders. But now he is mounting what could be a serious primary challenge to Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee.
Many Republican leaders, trying to protect their five-seat majority in the Senate, are supporting the politically moderate Chafee. They worry that the more conservative Laffey could win the primary, only to lose the general election in this heavily Democratic state. But other Republicans are angry with Chafee for refusing to back President Bush on the war in Iraq, tax cuts and the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. And they have begun lining up behind Laffey.
The pro-business Club for Growth endorsed the former investment banker and has spent tens of thousands of dollars in recent months on TV ads supporting him. The National Review Online, a conservative publication, recently endorsed Laffey, saying he is a palatable alternative to Chafee, who is serving his first full term.
Local Republican groups dissatisfied with Chafee are starting to back Laffey.
The Republican Town Committee in Exeter, Chafee's hometown, endorsed Laffey last month. Then-chairman William Devanney said he was impressed by what he called Laffey's conservative Republican approach.
Chafee "hasn't been a real voice for the Republican party," Devanney said. "I think he's taken the Democratic view more often."
Laffey, 44, has criticized Chafee's pork-barrel spending and has been highly supportive of the military and the war in Iraq.
Chafee, 52, was the only Republican to vote in 2002 against the resolution authorizing the president to use force against Iraq. Chafee also said earlier this month that he would not rule out a vote censuring Bush for his warrantless wiretapping. (Chafee did not even vote for Bush in 2004, instead writing in his father, George H.W. Bush.)
No independent polls have been released recently on a Laffey-Chafee matchup, and the GOP primary is a long way off, on Sept. 12.
Nationwide, a few senators face primary challenges, but Laffey seems to present the greatest threat of an upset, said Dan Ronayne, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Republican candidates in Rhode Island must walk a fine line. The state has more than three times as many registered Democrats as Republicans.
The winner of the GOP primary will face either Secretary of State Matt Brown or former Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse in November, and several statewide polls predict either Democrat would defeat Laffey.
That adds up to a tough choice for Republican voters.
"Do you go with your heart, and your heart might be with Steve Laffey, or do you go with your intellect, your mind and say, 'We need at all costs to hold on to our majority in the Senate and Lincoln Chafee can do that?"' said Peter Ubertaccio, a political science professor at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
He's flirted with switching parties-and I can gaurantee you that he will if control of the Senate is in dispute when the next Congress convenes-he voted against the confirmation of Justice Alito, voted against George W. Bush in the last presidential election, and has single digit approval ratings from several conservative and Republican interest groups.
He supports partial-birth abortion, the Kyoto treaty, confiscatory tax rates, gun control measures, is virulently anti-Israel, and has a worse record as a U.S. Senator than Democrat Ben Nelson.
Not to mention the fact that the man is a complete dolt, who's trading off the name and legacy of his father.
If I lived in the state of Rhode Island, I'd vote for Laffey.
I just don't understand the North East.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Chafee is more liberal than senate democrats Ben Nelson, Tim Johnson, Robert Byrd, Kent Conrad, Max Baucus, Mary Landrieu and Mark Pryor.
It's not even a question that he's more liberal than Byrd, Nelson, and-most likely-Pryor.
I'm not sure about the others, although I think all of them voted for the PBA ban, so you might be on to something.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
“We need Lincoln Chafee’s sensible, moderate Republican voice.” -NARAL
It's on Chafee's own website too, click here. That hat creeps me out too.
ping
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Thanks for the link (no pun intended!)
How can this galah claim to be a Republican?
Anyone who belongs to the GOP and gets their endorsement is not worthy of election, or at the very least, should be denied our votes.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
http://www.uschamber.com
Senator Chafee has been a powerful advocate for legislation that encourages economic growth,” said Geoffrey O’Hara, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director for the Eastern Region. “From his Brownfields law which has been instrumental in putting contaminated lands back on the tax rolls to his staunch support for lifting inequitable tariffs that hinder real economic development, Senator Chafee has been one of the strongest voices for keeping this economy moving. We are fully committed to helping him win re-election.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
The CFG is amazing.
But can someone please tell those delusional Kos Kiddies that their fruitless "net roots" campaign is not as successful as-hasn't even begun to approach the success of-the campaign by the Club For Growth to elect pro-growth, free market conservatives?
They have an 0-19 record, and while it's true that the CFG hasn't knocked off any incumbent RINOs, even in that respect they've done much better than the flailing moonbats over at DK.
Honestly I don't either. Best I can tell the best way to even try to understand it would be to think of it as Little Europe or maybe Canada.
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