Reply #14: i'm not partial to idle speculation... [View All]

[theanarch]

...but here goes: What do we know? Ken Mehlman, RNC Chair, recently refused to endorse the offical GOP nominee (Schlesinger), which strongly suggests the WH (e.g. Rove) is cooking up one of his famously bone-headed mechanations. We also know that, despite the denials, it's pretty certain Rove and Leiberman are communicating. We also know that Schlesinger is under increasing pressure by Republicans to drop out; and Leiberman will undoubtedly be under increasing pressure by Democrats to drop out. From the Rovian point of view, the obvious solution is to have Schlesinger drop out, and be replaced by Leiberman (who obviously has no greater loyalty than to himself), in the calculation that Leiberman can pull enough right-wing/pro-Israel/pro-occupation Democrats and Independents, plus enough Republicans to hang on to his seat. Also, as an endorsed (Republican) Party candidate with a credible chance to win, Leiberman can continue to tap the corporate PAC's that have bankrolled his entire career--doesn't matter to them which Party he belongs to, as long as he remains in the Senate to do their bidding. There are still too many variables to say this is probable, but it does remain something of a distinct possibility.