They have Lieberman, We have Chafee

Senator Lincoln Chafee, Republican Senator from Rhode Island and Senator Joseph Lieberman, Democrat from Connecticut are facing tough challenges to win their respective primaries to win their Party's nomination. Both candidates are facing this tough opposition due to their perception that they are more supportive of the opposition than their own team.

Senator Chafee is being targeted because he is not supportive of any part of the Republican Agenda except to vote for the Republican Caucus to remain in the majority. After that he is a reliable vote for the Democrat Caucus in the U.S. Senate. Senator Lieberman is a unreliable vote with the Democrat Caucus on only one issue - the war in Iraq. However he, like Senator Chafee can be trusted allies in the protection of issues important to Democrats. Senator Lieberman is now being targeted by activists in the Democratic Party for expulsion.

Democrat activists have it correct. They hate President Bush and they want to use Democratic opposition to the War on Terrorism in Iraq to gain a majority in the U.S. Senate. Senator Lieberman agrees with the president on the War on Terrorism in Iraq and he may lose the primary for his one position. Even the Democratic National Committee is taking an "arms-length" stance away from Lieberman.

by contrast, Senator Chafee is receiving lots of Senate Republican Leadership and Republican National Committee support in his primary bid against Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey. Republican activists want Mayor Laffey because we believe that he will support the Republican Party platform. Senator Chafee does not support the Republican Platform. Republican leadership in the Senate has is not listening to its base unlike the Democrats thereby causing that fear of the U.S. Senate Leadership going Democrat. Nothing similar is happening in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Republican Senators and the Republican National Committee are supporting Liberal (aka Moderate) Republicans to the detriment of their continued support by their base. Democrats have it correct in this instance. It is very important to represent your base. Abandoning the base in favor of capitulating will result in the base abandoning you on election day.

Democrats are pushing out Senator Lieberman based on the insistence of their base. Republicans are trying to save Senator Chafee despite the insistence of their base. Democrats are punishing Senator Lieberman for not representing the Democrats sentiments on the Iraq war - notwithstanding what Senator Lieberman's History in the Democrat Party. Republicans are wanting to punish Senator Chafee for having a voting record that ranks with the most liberal Democrats in the U.S. Senate. Democrats are empowered and determined to be the opposition party and they do not suffer the foolishness of ignoring the base in favor of legislative movement. Republicans have become senile in this respect.

Republicans would not be concerned about the possibility of losing the Senate majority if they would do as Democrats are doing and purge those who refuse to advance the Republican platform and support those who are in favor of advancing the Republican platform. I have heard grassroots Republicans say clearly that if Senator Chafee wins the primary that they would send money to his Democrat challenger to win. We Republicans and Democrats are more comfortable with the loyal opposition be elected to the opposition party and not be in the loyal opposition in the Caucus.