Any good Democratic candidates in Rhode Island to replace Chafee?

Is his term up in '06?

But I hope we go after him hard, whenever he's up. Chafee, Snowe, Collins, and any other "moderate" repub in ANY blue state, but especially the NE.

There's no point in him switching sides while he has power.

Sen Jeffords was "courted" more when he went Independent.

Chafee's switch will not change power.

when I heard he was staying republican - he's so full of shit, and the dems need to put up a viable candidate to get his ass out.

Please don't use Republican terminology.

'course it'd be better to have congress stacked blue, but he's pretty moderate...

that gives the repubs the majority which entitles them to the committee chairs, the leadership positions, etc. ANY repub, no matter how "moderate", will need to be challenged if we are to take back the Senate.

that Chaffee decided to stay with his party. He certainly is a more natural fit with the Democrats.

But I'd rather see Chaffee, a moderate-to-liberal Republican, returned to his seat than take the risk of a Republican taking that seat. Not likely in RI, I know, but I don't put anything out of reach of Republicans. Ultimately, he may do more good for our country by hanging in there with the GOP and giving them as least one voice of santiy in their party.

I don't want to be like the GOP and seek to destroy anyone that doesn't toe our line. If a Democrat can unseat Chaffee, fine. But I'll choose in 2006 to focus my time, money, and venom on the likes of Tom Delay and Rick Santorum.

Neither we nor Lincoln Chaffee know what Bush and the GOP will pull in the next couple of years. If we don't shred Chaffee now, he may yet leave the Dark Side and come join us. Let's not burn the short bridge between him and our party.

if he becomes a Democrat. As long as he votes with Democrats as he has in the past, I don't care what letter is next to his name.

And, if the Bush administration pulls the crap I think they will in the near future and they put too much pressure on Chaffee as they did Jeffords, he may yet change parties.

I'm just saying, let's make it an easier change for him if (when) he gets fed up with the right-wingers. I would hope RI Dems would be encouraging him as we don't know what the GOP might be doing behind the scenes to force him to stay on their side.

Hell, he's a Republican and couldn't even bring himself to vote for Bush, saying so publicly. He's still ripe. Let's not bruise him.

I really doubt he can be defeated especially if he continues to vote with the Dems, is anti-war, and far more moderate than 90% of the GOP. He is really quite beloved here for refusing to vote for W, and because of his dad. He's a thoughtful quirky guy, and spent a good deal of his 20's shoeing horses out west. R.I. loves eccentrics for the most part.

Flame me if you will but I really think there are far bigger fish to fry.

but he will not be replaced. as blue as RI is, chafee won't be replaced by a Dem. WE like him and his stands against the administration.

I am unhappy he didn't bolt the republican party, but I didn't really expect him to; he wants his party back, he doesnt want to walk away from that fight.

The ony Dem's in the state capable of taking him on would be the reps (langevin or kennedy), and although they're fine representatives, they will not beat him. Senators in RI are almost always senators for as long as they like no matter what they're party affiliation. Unless they are complete morons (we usually keep them in the state assembly though).

the reason he isn't switching is because it wont make any difference in who is majority leader. if his switch could turn control over he would do it.

but for now it's better to have him there as a republican so when he opposes bush the uninformed will see it as one of their own going after bush rather than blow it off as typical partisan fighting.

Let the "moderates" placate their blue state voters.....this helps maintain the majority which is what they really care about.

Moderate Republicans will probably be challenged in future primaries and they will be marginalized out of the process anyway.

I live n Maine and, as much as Olympia and Sue are nice people, they are Republicans and they are contributing to the Republican's maintaining control of the Legislative branches. If they don't want to join us across the aisle and help stop the fascist agenda, they have got to go.