AP: Schlesinger Urged to Reconsider Senate Run (R - Conn.)

[Eugene]

Schlesinger Urged to Reconsider Senate Run

HARTFORD, Conn. Jul 13, 2006 (AP)— State GOP leaders have asked the Republican seeking
to unseat U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman to reconsider his campaign because he used a fake name
to gamble at a casino in the 1990s, a newspaper reported.

Alan Schlesinger acknowledged that he had used a bogus name to obtain a card that Foxwoods
Resort Casino patrons can use to win rewards. Gov. M. Jodi Rell and Republican State
Chairman George Gallo asked him to reconsider running, The Hartford Courant reported.

"I am not going to let this bother me," Schlesinger said. "I am going to continue in the
race."

Rell was told by a former state police officer Wednesday that Schlesinger used the name
Alan Gold to gamble and avoid detection as a card counter, someone who keeps track of cards
as they are played to improve their odds of winning. Although card counting is not considered
cheating, counters are often banned from casinos.

<snip>

Full article: http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2186389

Related: Antiwar Republican enters U.S. Senate race

[NewJeffCT]

1. This is what I feared

I had said that Schlesinger would be convinced to drop out for "health reasons" and the Republicans would appoint a nominee like Chris Shays or Nancy Johnson in his place to come to the rescue. The Republicans might be willing to sacrifice a House seat to potentially gain one in the Senate.

If Lamont wins the primary & Lieberman runs as an independent, don't be surprised if Schlesinger is finally convinced to drop out in late August.

[neoblues]

2. Of course, they could probably get Lieberman to run for them...

Senate Candidate Joe Lieberman (R-Connecticut). Little practical difference.

But yeah, I see your point. They could select a more competitive formally Republican candidate and further complicate any three-way race.

It strikes me as a shame any Democrat in Connecticut would even consider still supporting Joe after his show of disrespect for the Democratic Primary (and therefore Connecticut Democrats; not to mention how he undermines the national Democratic Party).

[NewJeffCT]

3. While I'm not a big fan of Lieberman

There is a huge difference between Lieberman (as a Democrat) & a semi-moderate Republican like Chris Shays or a conservative Republican like Nancy Johnson in that Lieberman would be 1 more person that votes for Harry Reid as majority leader.

[Ian David]

4. There's no law saying LIEberman HAS to vote for a Democrat...

is there?

[Zhade]

10. THANK you. That's where the "vote for the committees" argument fails.

Just because conservative Dems CAN vote for people like Conyers, etc, it doesn't mean they WILL.

I mean, look at how Biden 'helped' during the Clarence Thomas hearings - or at how Lieberman led the charge to censure Clinton!

[skipos]

5. That maybe true but

if Lieberman isn't loyal enough to Democrats to respect their vote in this primary, why should Democrats be loyal to him?

[Zhade]

11. Especially considering he gets more R votes than D votes every time!

NT!

[CTyankee]

6. I guess Schlesinger is better than what the repubs ran last time

for Senate, that creep Giordano.

But Schlesinger sounds pretty cheesy, doesn't he? You might have a true scenario, Jeff, and if so that would be a strange turn of events.

I'm having dinner tonight with some political friends of mine from Planned Parenthood of CT. Hope I'll get some really good information to share...

[monarch]

7. Keep us posted.

My CT friends who are active in Planned Parenthood (and HRC and NARAL) are royally pissed about the national organizations' supporting Joe. Be interesting to see how much their CT donations drop over this issue.

[CTyankee]

9. Well, PPC's contributions dropped 2 years ago when they

endorsed Diane Farrell over Chris Shays. Once burned, twice shy.
But interestingly, did you know that Ned and Annie Lamont are both strong supporters of PPC and have been for years?

[TheVirginian]

8. Diana Urban's entry isn't related to Schlesinger's problems...

She's running independent of her party and against the wishes of the state GOP. There's heavy speculation, though, that Rell and Gallo want Schlesinger out to clear the way for a self-funding Republican to make a four-way race with two viable candidates into a four-way race with three viable candidates.