My deep respect for Rudy simply will never transfer to Linc.

Liked Rudy for the handling of 9/11 -- actually met him once -- but he isn't exactly known as "Mr. Conservative," nor even "Mr. Republican" for that matter. He's what I'd call a "palatable RINO." Chafee is not palatable -- I don't care how much ketchup and mustard you smear on termite, it's still not going to taste like a juicy hamburger.

Here is the note I sent back to Rudy after I received his email:
"Rudy,
I lost a lot of respect for you when I saw that you are supporting Lincoln Chafee in RI. Part of your group's mission statement claims that you seek to "keep America safe while winning the war on terror." When you look at Chafee's record as it pertains to this statement, you have to be an idiot to support the guy. Do you even know Chafee's record? He did not support the President going into Iraq. He did not support sanctions against the terrorists of Syria. He see no problem with Chavez in Venezuela. He didn't initially support going into Afganistan.
Rudy, how the hell can you support Chafee in view of all of this? You have seriously damaged your own credibility."

Jim, I couldn't agree more. I think I'll give Rudy a piece of my mind too.

I'm going to make sure I remind as many people as I can how McCain and Guiliani supported the RINO traitor and what hypocrites they are.

While we're on it, here's what I sent:

Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 2:44 PM
To: 'info@solutionsamerica.org'
Subject: RE: Join My Team and Visit My New Web Site

"As long as you support the RINO Lincoln Chafee, I will NEVER contribute a dime to your cause."

So that's about 100 of the countries leading Republicans for Chafee and 1 Republican who didn't even win a primary for Laffey. Poll numbers and dissafiliations can be excused away, but when it comes down to it Chafee is a very repected man in the Republican party. You can call Chafee a RINO all you want, but isn't it Laffey who harpoons fellow Republicans on his web site all the time in his tax payer rip-off section? It is no wonder Laffey's support is slipping.

All you need to do is look at the press releases issued by both camps to see how things are going. Laffey's releases all criticize Chafee while Chafee's talk about support from McCain, etc.

A good indication of momentum.

Don't know what rock you just crawled out from under over at the RNC ... Chafee might be a respected man in his own mind, and perhaps to a majority of his office staff, but you'll never get such an admission from most real Republicans. Chafee is the laughing-stock of the Republican Party, and is probably the primary cause of our own state party's lack of a coherent message.

Laffey at least has enough courage to call something wrong, like wasteful pork barrel spending, regardless of the political affiliation of the offender. There's a lot more to being a "Republican" than going to the Board of Canvassars, and putting an "R" next to your name. First among them, is adherence to Republican principles. Confiscating and spending other people's money like there's no tomorrow isn't "Republican."

Anthony,
I was just reflecting back to the beginning of the campaign and you and others were calling Chafee "more Senatorial" and other "nice" terms. I guess it didn't take long for that little lie to surface. The Chafee campaign was the first to start throwing mud with the negative attack ads. Chafee is so incompetent the RNC won't even let Chafee run his own campaign. It is being run by the RNC in Washington.

Chafee votes with his party on most issues; no Senator is perfect. Chafee will certainly be more supportive than Whitehouse of the Republican agenda. Giuliani's endorsement, I think, reflects not only his own feelings but also the clear reality that the GOP isn't ideologically pure and any attempt to make it so will end our Majority.

Nice try Ed.

Chafee's voting record is the worst among Republicans. Those bills and resolutions where he "votes with his party" are trivial, "naming a bridge" type issues. He is a true blue Democrat on issues that are important to Republicans. If we can't straighten out the whole team, lets at least cut the guy with the poorest stats. That would be a good start.

Chafee also has the distinction of consistently being in the bottom tenth of the Senate in terms of the number of bills he sponsors. Like the majority of votes, co-sponsorship is a poor measure of engagement. Most are about commemorating an event, congratulating a team or naming a Post Office.

He rarely, if ever, speaks on the Senate floor. What are we paying him for! What were we thinking when we voted him in in 2000! Lets not make that mistake again! I can see why his staff would discourage him from speaking though. He can't!

I saw a C-Span segment on the RI Race with the Providence Journal's John Mulligan. In one clip, he was talking to people at a Coventry event and he looked like Richard Simmons trying to work the cafeteria tables at the ACI. He was so uncomfortable, then he did this big air quotes gesture and looked like a complete fool. (I'm sure the wire from D.C. to Warwick the next morning read - Memo: Tell Senator, no air quotes).

We need someone in the Senate who knows how to work hard: Laffey!

As RI Republicans, we need to try to get a REPUBLICAN in our delegation: Laffey!

We need someone in the Senate with a proved record of reform: Laffey!

We need someone who has a plan (http://www.electlaffey.com/site/thelaffeyplan.php) to address the major issues that impact Rhode Islanders: Laffey!

Where votes matter to Republicans, you will find a consistent pattern of Chafee voting with the Democrats. Lets bolster the team with someone who will fight for us and our families: Laffey!

I can't believe Giuliani wants to keep the Republican Senate majority! How dare he support Linc Chafee!

Yet ANOTHER poll-RIC-shows Laffey getting whooped 2:1 by Whitehouse in the general election.

Yes, Jim the RNC is running Chafee's campaign. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. The Chafee campaign appears to have the same people who have been involved for the past half-century. On the other hand, Laffey's team is the Club for Growth team: the same consultants, contributors, etc. If you're going to post a comment, at least make it somewhat plausible.

Anthony,

Perhaps some people think of this as a gigantic chess game, and we get stuck with a messily pawn. Sadly, I'm not that willing the use "strategery." I'd love to keep the Republican majority, too, but if I have to sell my [Republican] soul to do it, that's too high a price to pay. I think we'll have a much better chance for the longer term of retaining a real majority, if people are convinced we actually stand behind the principles of the party to which we belong, instead of paying poor lip-service to them.

Chafee got elected in 2000, largely based on a lie. The lie I suppose was one of omission -- it was that he would basically be just like his father (frankly, some of the voters probably though they were actually voting for his father). I was one of the people who voted for him, against my own better judgement. I regret it. I'm not making the same mistake twice.

"The Chafee campaign appears to have the same people who have been involved for the past half-century."

Yeah, the same one's who want to throw our nation's borders wide open, subject us to international control, and who are spending this country into oblivion. Great.

Anthony -

So let's see - Mehlman/Libby Dole et. al. call Laffey to DC to discourage him from running against the weak link. Not being the typical party kowtower, Laffey stands behind his Republican principles and launches his own campaign. Libby-led NRSC launches a series of negative ads almost immediately.

Linc is petrified of going head to head publicly against Laffey and his DC handlers surely know why. I will eat some crow if Linc ever truly decides to debate Laffey in an open forum pre-primary.

And you still think Linc is in control of his own campaign? In your own words, if you are going to post something, you could at least make it plausible.

Will,
I can't argue with the "it's better to have a Democrat in the Senate than Chafee" line. If you honestly believe that, then vote for Laffey knowing that we may once again have liberals appointed to the Supreme Court, that Harry Reid will be driving the Senate's agenda and that taxes will increase.

But I do have a question for you. If you are willing to accept these consequences rather than vote for Chafee, isn't it possible that you have already lost your [Republican] soul?

As for the comparison with John Chafee, don't forget that he always was criticized for being too liberal. That's why Tom Post primaried him despite Chafee being an incumbent.

We won't have liberals apppointed to the Supreme Court, as long as Bush is President. Chafee probably wouldn't vote for them anyway -- he was the only NO vote on the "Republican" side on Alito after all. If Harry Reid would be "driving" the agenda, he'll have a GOP minority filibustering everything, just the way they do things to us now, plus a President who can veto things, if he goes overboard. Taxes will increase? Do I even have to mention Chafee's record on higher taxes? He's never met a tax increase he didn't hike. None of this will frighten me into voting for Chafee, which is exactly what you are suggesting as the primary reason to do: FEAR.