February 4, 2006

RI Senate '06

NRSC Delete's Anti-Chafee Comments

Marc Comtois

I recently posted about the angry comments being expressed by conservative Republicans in the "comments" section of an anti-Laffey story that was promoted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee on behalf of Sen. Chafee. Apparently, rather than deal head-on with discontent being expressed by their conservative base, the NRSC has instead "bravely" decided to remove the original story and the 100+ anti-Chafee comments associated with it. (Thanks to commenter "ballottra" for the heads up).

The original story was released around Dec. 19 (if memory serves) and now it is gone from the list of news releases. It seems it is the only such story removed. Thankfully, I have preserved a few of the comments in post I mentioned before.

However, the NRSCs attempt to CENSOR the legitimate grievences of GOP members concerned with the NRSCs actions in the Laffey/Chafee race were poorly implemented. Though the story and old comments are gone, new comments can still be be made here. I respectfully request that conservatives do so. I wouldn't be surprised if the NRSC eventually figures it out and takes even this meager avenue of protest away. If so, we will have to come up with another way to convey our displeasure.

Finally, a question: Does the NRSC actually believe it willl be able to issue pro-Chafee press releases with an open comments section without getting anti-Chafee comments?

For what it's worth, here are a couple stories being promoted on the NRSC website concerning the RI Senate race that seem appropriate venues for commentary...

R.I. mayor defies GOP in Senate bid

GOP Leaders Rally Around Chafee

10:45 AM
Comments, although monitored, are not necessarily representative of the views Anchor Rising's contributors or approved by them. We reserve the right to delete or modify comments for any reason.

I had noticed this myself, having visited the NRSC website. Yeah, we can't be letting the grassroots "rabble" get away with posting their own opinions, can we?

The NRSC is in pretty big trouble when they are forced to censor, instead of confronting the actual basis for the opinions in the first place. So much about the "marketplace of ideas." They don't seem to understand the reality behind their problems, do they? Oh, well!

PS Just for fun, I am enclosing some old Soviet rubles with my reply to the NRSC's latest solicitation for cash -- which I hear they are having a big problem raising.

Posted by: Will at February 4, 2006 2:24 PM

Like the RIRP the NRSC has lost its way.

What they need to do is repent, adjust their financial and idealogical support efforts to the only true republican in the race (Steve Laffey), and be more concerned with the health of the nation than their own existance.

By the way, what ever happened to that $500K for party building?

J Mahn

Posted by: Joe Mahn at February 4, 2006 10:58 PM

I cannot state this enough or in enough places -

Show me hard data not taken out of context indicating that there are more than two Senate seats curently held by Republicans in which there is a democrat leading by more than five points. PA clearly, Montana possibly (being very charitable)

They need a net pick-up of six (charitably counting Jeffords as a dem).

A fair percentage of the eighteen democratic seats are vulnerable. They would have to keep ALL of these plus gaining six. Odds of this -- less than 10%, in my opinion, and falling.

Posted by: bountyhunter at February 5, 2006 9:33 AM