If Chafee was threatened with losing Repug Funds, should we help him out?

[KoKo]

NPR reported Repugs threatened to run a RW Conservative against Chafee in RI if he didn't vote for Bolton.

Could we have raised enough money to give them some pause? Do we Dems need a "rapid response team" to give donations to people that will do "us" favors...like the Repugs have?

If this is true...then I think we could have come up with some great funds for Chafee and embarassed the Repugs big time. Plus he's a Moderate Repug...so it would have been good PR for us. :shrug:

[paineinthearse]

1. If he came over from the dark side, yes.

Only if he enrolled as a dem.

[skylarmae]

7. that's right - although I'm disgusted with him...

the repukes are so vile, how can he stand to be there anyway???

[autorank]

21. He needs to change parties to get our support.

[KoKo]

8. Would "instant internet donations" be considered "bribery?"

If we Dems need to "bribe" or throw the DeLay/Frist hypocracy in their face isn't NOW the time to do it? :shrug:

[Dr Ron]

10. Indpendent would be ok

as long as he votes with the Democrats for control of the Senate.

[smoogatz]

2. Only if he changes parties. nt

[Inland]

3. Nope. Too late.

If he had done the right thing and paid a price, maybe.

But he decided to hang with the repubs.

[Mojambo]

4. Here's an idea

How about we let the Republicans have a bloody primary and then run a strong Democrat against the winner?

[freedom_to_read]

5. agreed

and I don't think a conservative republican would win in RI.

[saltpoint]

6. I thought Chafee announced just before the vote --

-- that he would support Bolton.

What happened with him on this one?

[KoKo]

9. NPR says he was threatened they'd run a RW Repug against him....

Remember he replaced his father in the Senate. He might not know how to deal with what's going on. :shrug:

Maybe he never listened to his father and just decided he would replace him to honor his memory and didn't really care about politics.

I'm not a Rhode Islander, so I don't know the background, though, as to what might have played out there in the family "legacy" situation. :shrug:

[Dr Ron]

11. This is not his father's Republican party

Someone should explain this to him.

Same goes for lots of other people still voting for the neocon/religious right controlled GOP.

[safi0]

13. Let them run a loony

against him and beat him. Then whoever wins our primary, whether it be Whitehouse or Brown will wipe the floor with that loony

[KoKo]

14. I don't think he get's it yet. He has looked "overwhelmed" in all the

Senate Hearing confirmations. Like his aides prepare the questions and he asks but he mostly looks kind of intimidated or, frankly, he seems like a professor to me. Nuanced and worried about seeming too agressive.

He just doesn't fit in the Repug Party as it stands now. Maybe he could be approached and "inticed" to switch like Jeffords. NPR also said he'd been consulting with Jeffords.

As I said, I don't know RI Politics but could he be inticed to switch?

:shrug:

[safi0]

15. If we would've done

Better in the 04 Senate he would've switched. If we had won 5 or more seats in that election he would've switched. He didn't want to give up being part of the majority and the perks that accompany that.

Before the 04 elections he wanted to have his cake and eat it too, he wanted to remain part of the majority but also cruise to re-election and Democrats getting the majority would've done that. Since the results of that election didn't make that possible, he had a choice to make, either switch and avoid a tough re-election bid, or remain part of the majority and be prepared to fight for your life in the 06 Mid-terms. Its quite clear he chose the latter.

[Rowdyboy]

12. Chafee's "moderation" has been greatly overplayed....Any pennies

I might give in this race will go to the Democrat, Sheldon Whitehouse.

I thought Chafee looked really bad today, announcing his support for Bolton just moments before Voinovich pulled the rug out from under him!

[KoKo]

16. Then he should go down.....what good is he?

:shrug: Can we find someone better, though?

[Rowdyboy]

20. Sheldon Whitehouse, a former Atty General, is apparently a "real"

Democrat. Rep Kennedy and Rep Langevin both endorsed him...I wish someone from RI would weigh in.

[KoKo]

23. It's good to have a Dem "name" here..I wish a RI, DU'er would weigh in,

too, though. I feel like I'm talking about people "behind their back" since I'm not from RI. :shrug;

[Hippo_Tron]

29. Wouldn't it be funny if he ran for President

Whitehouse for President!

[DaveinMD]

17. how about

electing a Democrat in that seat. YOu know a person who will vote with us more than half the time at best. A person who will vote for Democratic leadership in the Senate.

[ClarkUSA]

18. Let's get smart -I am not donating a dime to a Republican EVER

Besides, Patrick Kennedy will be running for his seat, according to some recent buzz from The Hill. Chafee is a top target for the DSCC to replace with a Democrat in a state that has 90% Democratic voters.

[KoKo]

24. In "former times" I would have agreed with you...but we need to "outfox"

then (Repugs)at this point or get sick and die of disappointment. Not "you" but those who are "flagging of spirit" at this point.

We Dems have always been very creative. We have many creatives here on DU and we need to start thinking "out of the box." Maybe my idea was bad...but I'm desperately trying to think of things to re-energize us that are "out of the box."

I only threw this out as an idea.

[DaveinMD]

30. we need to elect Democrats period

Do not help enablers such as Chaffee.

[gratuitous]

19. Sure I'll help -- what size anchor should I toss him?

Chafee wanted to make the "safe" play, and went out in public with the excuse of the mealy-mouthed: The president is entitled to choose his people. The flip side of that coin, which is never mentioned, is "and I don't mind abrogating my duty under the Constitution to make sure the nominees are fit to serve."

Instead, he got hung out to dry when Voinovich stalled Bolton's nomination, and now Chafee is about to find out that all his posturing lost him whatever support the Democrats might consider giving him, and his own party doesn't trust him because the Democrats thought he could be turned.

Buh-bye, Lincoln. At least you got the estate tax repealed.

[KoKo]

26. Deal "behind the scenes" with Voinovich, though? It's all Politics....

:shrug: Voinovich is safe so Chafee takes the "yes vote?"

[Doctor_J]

22. yeah, help him out of office next year

make sure the RI Dem candidate gets lots of help

[The Blue Knight]

25. Let the R's eat their own.

No Bushita will ever be elected in RI. I don't think the R leadership is that stupid though, IMO.

[KoKo]

27. My "angry half" agrees with you...but my "calculating" side says..What If?

:shrug: Gotta think of some new tactics here. I'm sick of watching C-Span and waiting for a vote against the Chimp. How do we know that
after the week's delay our Dems aren't going to whine and say Chimp wouldn't release State Department Info so they will have to go ahead and vote as they promised Lugar...even if they couldn't get more info.

I'd go after Biden who wouldn't let the last witness against Clarence Thomas who supported Anita Hill's testimony, appear when he held "judiciary hearings" way back. I'll never forgive Biden and Dodd has blood of our "mutual funds" on his hands...So, frankly I trust them to do nothing after their grandstanding today...even though it appeared they "tried" to make an effort.

We've got to hope that CIA Leakers get on the ball and go after Bolton..if we wait for Biden and Dodd....well...I wouldn't count on them.

[Hippo_Tron]

28. Fuck no, support his RW nutball opponent and pick up a seat

Chafee is an enabler and one that the GOP was more than happy to have when they had a slim majority.