Seems like elections favor people running away from Bush

[BaliBabyDoc]

Time (excerpts . . . it's a good article and an easy read)

Perhaps most importantly, the Chafee victory shows that moderates, despite what many pundits are saying these days, aren't dead yet.

Independents could vote in RI but the truth is that Chafee basically ran as a RINO. He didn't support Bush tax cuts and he opposed the Iraq War. If the Democrats controlled the House and he's definitely good for the Senate.

Tuesday's other primary races provided a couple of other clear implications. First, Lieberman's loss last month didn't signal the death of the death of the pro-war Democrat. In New York Hillary Clinton won overwhelmingly over her anti-war challenger, Jonathan Tasini, in a race that was never competitive. The anti-war left did little to oppose her in the race, suggesting Lieberman?s content was a special case. Keith Ellison, who won in a crowded Democratic primary in a liberal district around the Twin Cities in Minnesota, is in position to become the first Muslim to be elected to the Congress.

I wonder if Dick Cheney will give a press conference to talk about how vital it is to have people like Hilary Clinton in the Senate?

 

[Thump553]

The national GOP leaders supported Chafee hard in the last few days (over his right wing opponent). Apparently the reasoning was the GOP candidate is going to be facing a very tough battle against the Democratic candidate in November, and the right winger wouldn't have a ghost of a chance in that race.

Rhode Island has an open primary law-Dems and independents could vote in this race yesterday-for what effect that may have had.

Heck, even Chris Shays (GOP representative from CT, very involved in Iraq and who last week changed position and called for US to adopt a timetable to get out of Iraq) had Barbara Bush here yesterday stumping hard for him in a very close race.

I think you will see many GOP candidates loudly touting their independence from the party line in the run up to the November elections. Afterwards I expect nearly all of them will step back into the party line if re-elected, for then the leadership can take retaliation on them.

Only Hollywood surpasses Washington in superficial loyalties.