CT-SEN: Bush Refusing To Endorse GOP Candidate Schlesinger?
Is President Bush refusing to endorse GOP Senate candidate Alan Schlesinger in the Connecticut Senate race, thus making it less likely that he'll take from Joe Lieberman the GOP votes he nees to prevail over Dem nominee Ned Lamont?
Political Wire says that White House press secretary Tony Snow just said as much at today's press briefing. More to come.
UPDATE: Lamont campaign manager Tom Swan responds: "It is not surprising that Joe remains Bush’s favorite Senator, he is looking to run the exact same campaign that Bush did in 2004. Fortunately, the voters of Connecticut were smart enough to reject it then and we are confident they will again. It is alarming to see how far Joe will go, undermining every candidate across the country from his former party, to cling to his spot in Washington."
Now that we've congratulated ourselves on
deposing Joe , it's time to get used to the idea he'll probably be coming back next January .
That was always likely given his share of the primary vote which is presumably more
pro Lamont then the balance of the democrats
who will vote in the general. The only question was whether the republicans intended to run a serious candidate. Bush's hesitancy indicates either that that's what they intend- in which case that candidate will win - or that he'll endorse Joe in which case Joe will win.
The best we can hope for is that Harry Reid can handle Joe as well as Dachle handled Jeffords.
August 14, 2006 11:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
I do think we are reading a little too much into this lack of endorsement thing. After all, from what I can tell the guy is a real whackjob. If the Dems in Nebraska (at their convention, not in a primary) nominated some fairly crazy card-counting gambler with a shady record to oppose Hagel, I would not expect the national dems to stand up and support him. Schlesinger was nominated long before anyone thought Lamont had a shot at winning, so nobody payed attention.
Having said that though I do not think Joe's chances are as good as flavius seems to think. First, if Bush endorsed him that would be the kiss of death, Bush's approval is abysmal in CT. Second, one reason Joe lost is his totally inept campaign, and that doesn't seem to be changing. Aping GOP talking points about Lamont's victory bing a win for the terrorists is likely to offend many Dems, even those who voted for him. He will have to appeal to Republicans while convincing the Dems he is still one of them, it is a fine line and his recent behavior does not suggest to me he has the skills or temprament to walk it.
August 14, 2006 12:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
How is that any different from Lamont using Rove's tactics of lying and smearing his opponent?
August 14, 2006 1:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hope you're right.
In fact given Joe's record- which Progressive Punch shows as being 39th out of 44 dems , but still well more liberal than Chaffee's- I think W won't endorse Joe but were, say Nancy Johnson , to replace Schlesinger I think we'll have blown what
should have been a safe seat.
August 14, 2006 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink