The most fascinating thing about last night's debate between Lincoln Chafee and Stephen Laffey was that it turned into a debate between two Republicans about how best to oppose the Bush administration.

Chafee tried to show-off his anti-Bush credentials by pointing to his vote against the Iraq War in 2002 and his refusal to support Bush's re-election in 2004. "Certainly my record voting with the administation is spotty at best. I try to support the team when I can, but I vote my conscience."

Laffey's efforts to distance himself from Bush and the GOP were no less aggressive. In his opening remarks, he said: "We need to tell the special interests" -- that would be the special interests allied with the Republican leadership in D.C. -- "to take a hike, and cut the outrageous, wasteful spending of your tax dollars." He made sure to underscore that Chafee is backed by the White House, and even went so far as to call for the firing of Don Rumsfeld.

Chafee, who's made a strategy of appealing to Independents, and has taken a beating from Laffey on traditional Republican issues like illegal immigration, abortion and taxes, tried to paint Laffey's conservatism as born of opportunism, not genuine ideology. He accused Laffey of having previously been more liberal in his previous incarnation as mayor of a majority Democratic city.

But overall, Laffey's delivery was far more eloquent, with Chafee coming across as uncertain and wooden at times. At this point, the only argument that Chafee has left that Rhode Island conservatives are likely to listen to is the notion that he is the only candidate who can win the general election and keep the Dems from capturing his seat.