Lamont-Lieberman race produced a loser and a

[ProSense]

bigger loser. How would you like to be this guy?

White House vague about Bush support for GOP Senate candidate

By ANDREW MIGA
Associated Press Writer

August 14, 2006, 5:18 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- President Bush isn't exactly eager to lend his support to the Republican nominee in Connecticut's tumultuous Senate race.

The White House was circumspect on Monday when asked whether Bush would support Republican Alan Schlesinger in the three-way fall contest that includes Democratic nominee Ned Lamont and three-term incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Snip...

"I think that there are some peculiar characteristics going on in the Republican Party with the Republican candidate," Snow said. "And why don't you wait and see what happens?"

Snip...

Schlesinger said he was confident he could move up in the polls once some of the attention shifted away from the Lieberman-Lamont primary fight.

more...

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--senate-schlesinge0814aug14,0,4581865.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut

[Sparkly]

1. I think it's a "split the vote" effort.

Making a formerly "safe" seat unsafe. (While simultaneously propping up their positions on Iraq, etc.)

[LA lady]

2. crap

I read on MSNBC that bi-partisan donations are pouring in to Lieberman. I think if they can't elect Schlesinger, they are determined to elect Joementum.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Can't help, when I see that name, thinking about James Bond

on the golf course with Goldfinger , "I thought you played a Scccchlesingaaa numba sccheven!"

[Jack Rabbit]

4. Maybe Schlesinger will drop out

It's really clear that the Bushies are banking on Lieberman.

[ProSense]

5. Is it possible to drive a few wedges between the Repubs

and Lieberman?

Republicans for Lieberman?

Snip...

Republicans aren't going to vote Lamont, but they will vote for Lieberman. So every vote that a Republican candidate receives comes straight out of Joe's tally.

On the other hand, Joe has said he'd vote for Harry Reid as majority leader...

So Republicans have to be looking carefully at their internal polls and judging whether or not Lieberman and Lamont will split the vote sufficiently to give a Republican a chance, or if it is best to swing as much support behind Lieberman as possible, while starving Schlesinger, in order to get someone in who supports many of their most important talking points on the "war of terror", social security and so forth, and who can be expected to support them on a number of votes.

The key question then is whether Schlesinger bows out. If he doesn't, expect Republican support to swing hard behind Lieberman, while Joe continues to deny it to retain credibility with the Democratic voters he will still need to win.

http://agonist.org/ian_welsh/20060814/republicans_for_lieberman

Split Joe on the issues: Iraq vs. pro choice and civil unions.



Lamont on the issues

[ProSense]

6. Bush and the GOP are backing the NARAL candidate.

Lieberman could be the poster boy for what's wrong with the Republican Party.