The fact that they are sending Clinton in here at the end means that the Dems believe the recent "too close to call" polls.

Laffey voters who are thinking of blanking the Senate race should remember that they could be helping elect Pat Leahy as Chair of Judiciary and Joe Biden as Chair of Foreign Relations, etc., etc.

As a Republican, I cannot in good conscience do anything that will aid or assist Lincoln Chafee.

However, inspired by Chafee’s inspired example, on Tuesday’s U.S. Senate race I’m going to demonstrate my Party loyalty by writing in “George H.W. Bush.” Here’s why …

While I do not expect “perfection” in a Republican candidate or officeholder, I do expect ideological and functional compatibility with Republican Party principles and ideals – at least “on average.” Lincoln Chafee has not only proven to be a reliable vote for the Democrats, he openly and notoriously repudiates Republican principles and ideals.

Is Lincoln Chafee the “lesser of two evils” as compared to Sheldon Whitehouse? Absolutely. But their ideological and political difference(s) are matters of degree, not of kind.

Worst of all, Lincoln Chafee’s solicitation of Democrat voters to NULLIFY the votes of Republican voters in a Republican primary is simply unforgivable. Because of this, while Senator Chafee may be the “legal” Republican candidate, I do not consider him to be a “legitimate” Republican candidate.

That the Republican National Committee, the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee and the RIGOP aided in this hijacking of the Republican primary signifies that when faced with a choice between: a) upholding Republican principles (or, at a minimum, the sanctity of process in selecting Republican candidates), or b) the retention of power, collectively they whored themselves in pursuit of the latter.

Lincoln Chafee’s embrace of the Democratic Party’s platform of envy and resentment and entitlement and fear – albeit with a more “moderate” flavor of same – is and should be a recipe for minority status. And it is, as proven by the chronic minority status of the “moderate” RIGOP.

If we’re going to have representatives who vote like Democrats, then we might as well have the real thing – at least then the blame will go to the Party where it belongs, without needlessly separating the Republican Party from Republican principles.

Tom W -

I understand your sentiments completely. However, there is one facet of this campaign that you, and those who supported Mayor Laffey need to come to grips with in these waning 24 hours; if Lincoln Chafee loses tomorrow, the Democrats most likely take over the Senate.

I know the majority on this board (save Anthony) don't care for Senator Chafee in the slightest. But you do care that Bill Frist is the Majority Leader, and you don't want Harry Reid to take over that role. By casting a vote for Lincoln Chafee tomorrow, you will be ensuring that Bill Frist's successor will have an R after his or her name.

I know you would prefer a more conservative Republican to be in this race against Whitehouse. But that more conservative candidate would be down by 10 or more points right now. That's simply the way Rhode Island politics work, as we all know.

I know you believe in Mayor Laffey, and believe that he is a good man who works hard for Rhode Islanders. I agree with your sentiments, and hope that he succeeds Governor Carcieri four years from now, as he has demonstrated that he works very well in an executive position. I've always argued that Mayor Laffey doesn't get along well with others and a legislative body isn't the right fit for him. However, I do think he would be a very effective check on our corrupt General Assembly.

I implore everyone on this board to vote for who Mayor Laffey said he will be voting for on September 12th: Lincoln Chafee.

"By casting a vote for Lincoln Chafee tomorrow, you will be ensuring that Bill Frist's successor will have an R after his or her name."

Unless the Senate gets really really close and Linc bolts the party like he's discussed in the past.

Of course, if he does that, Cheney will invite him to go hunting. And this time it won't be birdshot in the gun.

Hayden:

Though I voted for Laffey in the primary, I wasn't the Laffey supporter you assume. I didn't contribute money to his campaign and didn't volunteer any efforts to his campaign. In fact, I had real reservations concerning Laffey. So Laffey's loss is not my motivation.

I feel that if I vote for Chafee now I'll just be enabling the anti-Republican wing of the Republican Party, as they can keep doing what they've done here, and did in Pennsylvania the Specter - Toomey race.

They need to know that if they hijack Republican primaries to protect "Republican In Name Only" incumbents they risk losing the base, and cannot assume that they can frighten the base into coming back out of fear that the House - Senate will flip over to Democrat hands.

And besides, if Republican control of the Senate comes down to this one race, you can bet that Lincoln Chafee will pull a Jeffords and go Independent or go Democrat. CHAFEE HAS REFUSED TO PROMISE THAT HE WON'T DO THIS, SO WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU?

I can understand that some will hold their nose and vote for Chafee thinking that they are doing it "for the team."

Were I to do so, I would not be able to reconcile the feeling of having been used and played for a sucker. I'm just not willing to vote on their terms and in response to their scare tactics, and in doing so violate my political principles in order to assist a candidate who DISDAINS and OPPOSES my political principles.

Better to rid the Republican Party of its "weakest Linc."

Better a minority of real Republicans than the mess we have now, afraid to do anything out of fear of offending the "moderates" (Chafee - Snow - Collins - Specter).

"... former President Bill Clinton has been directed to Rhode Island for an unscheduled-as-of-last-week visit back to RI ..."

Hello, President Clinton.

North Korea successfully detonated a nuclear device last month with the technology that you, as President, gave the Chinese. How does it feel to have facilitated this watershed event for a government that poses a serious threat to its neighbors and its own citizens and is the antithesis of everything in the American Constitution?

Okay, it did take my aback to hear Clinton's voice come out of my answering machine (that was before half the politicians in the country called me up).

I just looked over the ballot -- can somebody explain to me that third constitutional amendment? The one about the rainy day fund? It's Monday morning, and I just couldn't turn it from politicalese into English for myself.

I took my Mom out to lunch last week and she expressed that she wasn't sure how to approach the Senate race. I told her the story of Linc write-in voting George HW Bush, and suggested she write-in John Chafee. She laughed and declared it a splendid idea that would make her day. Thanks to AR commenters for coming up with that.

Bill Clinton called me today, too (yes, me!). Guess they aren't being very selective with the phone calls. It seems desperate bringing him back. Sorry, won't work.

From a political ideology perspective, I agree with Tom wholeheartly. I think the Republicans need to loose something, in order to get their priorities back in order. However, if we "need" to loose something, I'd rather it be the House. Bush can always veto crummy legislation -- it might help put the brakes on out of control spending. I'm also convinced that Pelosi would make a fool of herself, so it would be a short-lived loss of control. However, I would like us to hold on to the Senate, mainly for the prospect of getting 1 or 2 more Supreme Court justices up there (John Paul Stevens isn't a spring chicken, and Ginsburg isn't the epitome of health).

I sincerely don't think our control of the Senate hinges on this one race alone, which makes it a lot easier for me to vote my conscience -- which means, not voting for Lincoln Chafee. I also do not want to validate the strategy used by national Republicans -- meddling locally in our primary contest. The only way I would even consider voting "for" Lincoln Chafee, is if someone else in my household says they're going to vote "for" Whitehouse, therefore allowing the two votes to cancel each other out. In the absence of that, I'm still planning a write-in vote.

All you Laffey Kool-aid drinkers listen up. At some point your boy is going to run for another office. Remember that when you vote tomorrow. What goes around comes around. Be a real b!tch to have Chafee and Carcieri supporters working for Laffey's opponents in 2010.
Grow up kids!!

>>All you Laffey Kool-aid drinkers listen up. At some point your boy is going to run for another office. Remember that when you vote tomorrow. What goes around comes around. Be a real b!tch to have Chafee and Carcieri supporters working for Laffey's opponents in 2010.
Grow up kids!!

It's not about Laffey.

It's about purging the Republican Party of its #1 RINO.

I saw Laffey as a means of dumping Chafee, nothing more, nothing less.

We need six more years of Lincoln Chafee flipping off the Republican Party, and conservatives in particular, about as much as we need a tax increase.

And so, having nothing to do with Laffey, tomorrow I am writing in "George H.W. Bush."

Guess who gave me THAT idea?

"Remember that when you vote tomorrow. What goes around comes around."

I wouldn't mind seeing Whitehouse learn that lesson tomorrow.
Vengeance is mine, sayeth Myrth York.

If Chafee is the 50th Republican in the Senate (which he won't be, since the GOP will win in Tennessee, Missouri, Montana, Virginia and maybe Maryland), he would almost certainly switch to the Democrats rather than be the 50th vote and allow Dick Cheney to cast tie-breakers. Chafee would merely need to get an offer of the Foreign Relations Chairmanship by the Democrats (who would have no qualms with such a liberal extremist at the helm of that important committee); ironically, that's the same chairmanship that the Democrats gave Jumpin' Jim Jeffords when they convinced him to the jump to the Democrats (to Chafee's chagrin, since he wanted to be the one to jump and get the goodies), and which Jeffords is vacating with his retirement.

Lincoln Chafee gives the GOP *nothing*, he merely takes up GOP spots from Senate committees, giving the Democrats de facto control. I think he should be cast overboard, and a write-in vote for Steve Laffey would be a fitting way of doing so.