Conservative Group Sets Sights on Chafee

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060811/D8JEEJP00.html

Conservative Group Sets Sights on Chafee
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Aug 11, 4:34 PM (ET)

By M.L. JOHNSON

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Fresh off their first victory over a Republican incumbent, GOP conservatives seeking party purity on taxes and spending are focused on ousting moderate Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island.

The Club for Growth and its 36,000 members spent around $1 million to help challenger Tim Walberg unseat first-term Rep. Joe Schwarz in Michigan's Republican primary on Tuesday. The win came despite Schwarz's support from President Bush and the National Rifle Association.


Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., right, and challenger Stephen Laffey, mayor of Cranston, R.I., pause Thursday, Aug. 10, 2006, in Providence, R.I., during the second of two breaks in their first of four hourlong Republican primary debates before the Sept. 12 election. They are running neck-and-neck in one of the most closely watched races this election season. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)


Since its inception in 1999, the group has spent millions to help dozens of conservative Republicans win seats in Congress - often at the expense of more moderate party members. The Club's president, former Rep. Pat Toomey, nearly defeated Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter in 2004.

This year, the group's top priority is defeating Chafee, who angered many Republicans by voting against President Bush's tax cuts and then casting a write-in vote for the president's father in the last election. The Club has helped Cranston, R.I., Mayor Stephen Laffey raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to unseat Chafee, and polls show the two Republicans running even a month before the Sept. 12 primary.

[Renew Deal]

1. The best thing pukes can do is vote for a wingnut in RI.

The Democrat will win the election that day.

Chafee should clear his conscience and join the Democratic party outright. At least he won't look so worn out all the time.

[liberalnurse]

2. I agree.....

Fighting an Incumbent is always a ruthless battle....but if the repugs eat their own because he is a repug lite.....then the Democrat indeed has the best chance to win against a non-incumbent.

[Vidar]

17. You're right, though I wish Lincoln Chafee, one of the very few

decent Republicans, no ill will.

[gaspee]

3. Laffey Sucks Ass

Hehehehehehe, I loved that sign... anyway he can be put in the same category as Hannity and O'Liely. I cannot stand the man. I don't know anyone except trogladytes who support that asshole. He's one of those talk tough, swaggering meathead assholes who would probably piss himself at the first sign of danger. He's a former hedge fund guy and as a former hedge fund trader, I have grave concern over his ethics.

Projo.com has an article today about the debate and Laffey's bragging how he fired all the school crossing guards because they had good benefits. Ever single one of the crossing guards was a woman over 58. Nice thing to brag about, huh? Making grandma eat cat food. Taking crossing guards who do actually protect the little kids from the asshole drivers off the streets.

At the same time, he berates Chafee for making sure his city workers got good bennies that the city could afford. Laffey won't sign a contract with the city firemen until they take up the cost of their own healthcare. He's a dickhead and a rat bastard.

Chafee is a good guy. Seriously. He was mayor of my city. He really is a good guy. I wish he would go dem, but I think he stays repug for two reasons -- family tradition and not wanting to completely turn the party over to the crazies.

Let those asshols at club for growth back dickhead laffey. All they're doing is making sure a Dem gets the seat.

People like me, who would rather vote chafee than whitehouse (but I am voting for the dem nominee, even though I prefer chafee) will run away from laffey like the pustule on humanity's ass that he is.

[Renew Deal]

4. So Democrats should do GOTV for Laffey?

:evilgrin:

[splat]

11. Don't cry later if wingnut Laffey wins it all. Stop him now.

The law of unintended consequences:

Club for Growth and Dems both target Chafee, Laffey wins.
Laffey vs. Whitehouse is class war.
Chafee vs. Whitehouse is a fair fight, and we could live with either of them.

[w4rma]

14. Probably shouldn't get too involved.

So definitely don't take the advice of anyone who says "stop him now".

[bluestateguy]

5. I sincerely wish them the best of luck and I hope they succeed

because a Bush-loving Republican has about as much chance of being elected in Rhode Island as Stonewall Jackson.

[nealmhughes]

6. Lincoln Chaffee, Snowe and Collins make some of the Blue Dog

Democrats look like Phil Gingrey for their liberality and old-fashioned New England common sense.

[Judi Lynn]

16. The only decent Republicans in the country!

I keep expecting to see them wake up and walk away from that pack of mad dogs.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

7. Chafee needs to wise up and leave the theocratic neocon party

He's obviously not welcome in that so called "big tent"...it's too full of elephant shit.

[msongs]

8. why no stink over this like lamont/lieberman? the extremist vs the

moderate is OK to bad mouth when its dems but not when its repubs? where is the repub outrage over this?

or is there any?


Msongs
www.msongs.com/2007politicalcalendars.htm

[Renew Deal]

9. Laffey needs to win.

Then the dems can have some fun with it.

[Nickster]

10. You beat me to it. I wonder when all the MSM outrage will start to spout

about the Republican party losing its soul. Will they wring their hands and wail at the death of bipartisanship when Chaffee loses?

[Strelnikov_]

12. Beat Me To It Also

I guess eliminating Social Security, Medicare, etc. is mainstream.

[ShockediSay]

13. Could Chafee then run as an independent? nt

[w4rma]

15. I hope not. (nt)

[CTLawGuy]

25. he won't

he's not a selfish, attention-whoring prick.

[paulk]

18. there's no down side to this

:+

[Tellurian]

19. The downside is, if Chafee survives the primary

He will go head to head with another good man..

Not a Good thing for RI...A real waste!!!

Whitehouse should never have cast his hat in the ring for Senator..
It was bad advise for him from the get go..

If he had tried once more to oust the incumbent Gov., Carcieri, he
could have pulled it off without breaking a sweat! People in R.I.
are sick of Carcieri's ineptitude and his constant reliance on
GOP think to run our state. It was more important to replace the
governorship of our state rather than see 2 good men duel it out
to the death...where we end up with one winner rather than 2!

Poor strategic planning, imho!

[mcscajun]

20. It's a bit of a mirror image...

The Club's Web site says that's fine: "It wouldn't be much of a loss if a new Democrat senator were elected, as he would vote much the same as Chafee does now."

(snip)

"They're not about getting more Republicans elected, they're about getting real Republicans elected," said Jerry Stacy, spokesman for Sharron Angle, a Club-endorsed House candidate in Nevada.

But Chafee is a Republican who votes with his party most of the time. His father, the late John Chafee, is revered in Rhode Island as a World War II hero who served three terms as governor and more than 20 years in the Senate. Like his father, the younger Chafee is a fiscal conservative and environmentalist.

Moderate Republicans criticize the Club for targeting incumbents like Chafee instead of going after Democrats.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Republican-Infighting.html

[Tellurian]

21. All Well and Good- but Chafee VOTED AGAINST the IRAQ WAR!!

Which is a very BIG issue in this state!

and a primary plank in his re-election platform-

[mcscajun]

22. And that will probably be where the stories diverge.

He'll get to keep his seat, and by all accounts, rightly so. I was more focused on the party reaction here than Chafee's candidacy.

[cyr330]

23. Two birds with one stone

Lincoln Chafee receives all kinds of accolades, because he's seen as a "moderate Republican." He can call himself whatever he likes, but he's been nothing but an enabler for the far right. He ALWAYS votes with the repukes when it's a close vote, and they need his help, and he votes the other way, when his vote doesn't matter, because the repukes are going to win anyway. This is how he manages to uphold the myth that he's a decent person. In reality, he's nothing but a fucking asswipe whore.

If the crazy wing (they're ALL crazy in my book) of the repuke party manages to defeat that pussy in their primaries, we'll have the opportunity to see him fall, as he well deserves, and we'll also know, in advance, that we will win his seat, as no right wing crazy can win in RI.

As I said before, what a great opportunity to see Chafee get what he deserves, and how wonderful it will be to stuff Laffey back down the repukes' throats!

[depakid]

24. Yep- let's hope they dump the guy

I wish Mainers would get a clue about their Senators.

[brentspeak]

26. Lincoln should have declared himself an Independent after 2002 midterms

Now he's chained himself to the GOP. As a result, he's apparently felt obligated to vote along with the GOP whenever his vote meant something.

[Tellurian]

27. Chafee isn't anyones pratt boy-

He's threatened to leave the Republican Party when pressured by GOP colleagues for a unity vote.
His family is well respected and well liked in R.I. because they have proven themselves over and over
again they seek election to stand by their values: Helping People!

Oh, fyi, Sen Chafee is a huge proponent of Stem Cell research..

Steve Laffey is a maniac !!

I wouldn't let him bag my groceries in the supermarket!

IMNSHO!!!!