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September 6, 2006

The “Republican Main Street Partnership” Clinic on How to Make Yourself Irrelevant

Carroll Andrew Morse

Two clinics for the price of one!

This is how the Republican Main Street Partnership describes their mission on their website…

Addressing a broad spectrum of issues, the Partnership reaches out to disenfranchised Republicans-- people who are distressed by the stridency too-often associated with the Party, and to others attracted by a thoughtful, centrist approach to Republican politics. The Partnership demonstrates inclusion, respect, reason and compassion.
Questions for the Partnership: If you are against stridency and in favor of a thoughtful approach to politics, then why have you put up an anonymous website attacking a candidate that you oppose but delivering no substantive message whatsoever? Aren’t anonymous negative attacks about as “strident” as you can get?

You’ve gone to the trouble of launching a Rhode Island-oriented website, so why not use it to promote the kinds of thoughtful debate you claim to support, instead of using it for insincere negative attacks? (I say “insincere” because you say the candidate you oppose is not really a conservative, but if that were true, you’d actually like him!) Do you really not believe in the positions you’ve taken, or do you just believe that voters are not smart enough to comprehend your brilliance?

Moderates are not going to be a force in the Republican party until the leadership of groups like the Republican Main Street Partnership overcomes the hypocrisy with which they approach politics.

Whois data on the “StopLaffeyNow” website…
Domain Name.......... stoplaffeynow.com
Creation Date........ 2005-12-07
Registration Date.... 2005-12-07
Expiry Date.......... 2006-12-07
Organisation Name.... Republican Main Street Patrnership
Organisation Address. 1350 I Street N.W. - Suite 560
Organisation Address.
Organisation Address. Washington
Organisation Address. 20005
Organisation Address. DC
Organisation Address. UNITED STATES

Comments

I am looking forward to the end of this primary on Tuesday. I can't take another commercial! I'm raising my Rino white flag.

Rinny

Posted by: Rino Cooke at September 6, 2006 5:25 PM

As a Republican who resides on Main Street myself, I find that I DISAGREE with nearly everything this group claims to be for.

Posted by: Chuck at September 6, 2006 7:53 PM

Laffey tooks proprietary information from his job and needed to be sued by his employer before giving it back.

Somehow this is the fault of "RINO's"? Wow.

Posted by: Anthony at September 6, 2006 8:37 PM

I received a pathetic fund raising letter from Christie Todd Whitman today. Her group is "Its Our Pary Too".

No Christie, No Linc, yours is the Democrat party.

Posted by: Stretch Cunningham at September 6, 2006 8:41 PM

Anthony:

You seem to be the kind of person that likes a good lynchin... the kind of person who shoots first and asks questions later... the kind of person who throws the first stone... the kind of person whose credo is guilty til proven innocent.

Digging this deep into Laffey’s past for the sole purpose of attempting to slander his good name in a hotly contested race like this is un-American. This isn’t revelation. This is condemnation.

From what I've read about this in the source materials (which you have obviously not read or don't care to read) all actions by the allegedly offended party were dropped not because of any wrongdoing by Mr. Laffey but because of a misunderstanding on the part of the allegedly offended party.

They thought Laffey had something he did not have and when they discovered they were wrong they withdrew their complaint. End of story.

These ads are the actions of low lives and rabble designed to destroy the character of an honest man, not well-meaning citizens seeking to promote a better candidate.

If you agree with them then you are like them.

J Mahn

Posted by: Joe Mahn at September 6, 2006 10:51 PM

Why are conservatives declaring jihad on mdoerate Republicans? Moderate Republicans are the reason the GOP has a Senate majority right now, and the only thing keeping you from Ted Kennedy as a committee chairman.

Posted by: Rhpdy at September 6, 2006 10:52 PM

Why are conservatives declaring jihad on moderate Republicans? Moderate Republicans are the reason the GOP has a Senate majority right now, and the only thing keeping you from Ted Kennedy as a committee chairman.

Posted by: Rhpdy at September 6, 2006 10:52 PM

Three reasons: First, they aren't "moderates," they are liberals. Secondly, they dilute the Republican brand. We don't need Democrats disguised as Republicans -- it hurts our party in the long-run, even if occassionally being convenient in the short-run. Lastly, we want to make an example out of soon to be Senator Chafee, in order to prevent similar fake Republicans from infultrating the Republican ranks in the future.

Posted by: Will at September 7, 2006 12:26 AM

That should read "soon to be former Senator Chafee"...

Posted by: Will at September 7, 2006 12:27 AM

Little history lesson on what happens when a party decides to eat itself. Let's go to Vermont, where the Republicans lost control of their legislature in stupid fashion:
Howard Dean got civil unions passed with the support of some Republicans. Well, the lower elements of the Vermont GOP got their knickers twisted and decided they had to take out those infidels who reached across party lines to back civil unions. They successfully took out practically all the GOP civil unions supporters in the primaries...only to have the Democrats claim all those seats come November and give Dean his party majority.
Know what? The GOP would have cloture on anything it wanted if the Democrats had similarly purged Zell Miller, John Breaux, Fritz Hollings, etc. Taking down Chafee will come back to haunt the GOP - I guaran-damn-tee it.

Posted by: Rhody at September 7, 2006 1:51 AM

Interesting word choice: "the lower elements" -- that would be THE BASE. You don't build up anything without building it on something. You can't build something on nothing. You cannot build a party that is successful in the long run, when you are willing to sacrifice all of your principles, solely for the sake of expediency.

You know what? In this one race, it's worth the risk!

Posted by: Will at September 7, 2006 2:02 AM

Three reasons: First, they aren't "moderates," they are liberals. Secondly, they dilute the Republican brand. We don't need Democrats disguised as Republicans -- it hurts our party in the long-run, even if occassionally being convenient in the short-run. Lastly, we want to make an example out of soon to be Senator Chafee, in order to prevent similar fake Republicans from infultrating the Republican ranks in the future.

Posted by Will at September 7, 2006 12:26 AM

Will,

You sound like you would be in favor of ethinic cleansing too. You use the Hitler, OBL, Iran, North Korea argument. Seek help! You may be a nice guy but this comment paints you as a sick facist. Maybe the the 9/11 victims asked for it too? If Chafee loses in the primary Laffey loses huge in the general election. National Republicans are laughing and crying over this primary embarrasment. Never count on any help to get a national Republican elected here again. The electorate is too unstable!

Rinny

Posted by: Rino Cooke at September 7, 2006 7:51 AM

The question was asked why are conservatives declaring jihad on moderate Republicans?

This led me to a different question: why are Democrats (en masse) declaring jihad on moderate Democrats?

It's interesting that the conservative attack on more moderate conservatives stems from grassroots efforts while the GOP continues to back aforementioned moderate Republicans. On the flipside, the Democrats are seemingly trying to remake their party more to the left with those outside (unless they are politically immune a la Jim Langevin) left to do battle with new and more liberal primary opponents.

This is a cursory opinion and I might be wrong about it, but it seems that conservatives are trying to bring the party back to its idealistic roots - without as much regard to electability - whereas both the GOP and Dems are mostly concerned with 'winning'.

Posted by: don roach at September 7, 2006 8:11 AM

Hey, Rhode Island Dems are dealing with a similar issue in the SofS race. Only we're not talking just about a matter of personal style or issues - we're talking about a thug. A well-politically-connected thug.
If Mollis wins the primary, many new offices are officially in play for the GOP.
If we're not wandering too far off topic, let's hear the Republican take on Don Mollis.

Posted by: Rhody at September 7, 2006 11:23 AM

I don't see the relevance of dragging in Hitler or fascism. I'm not advocating that Chafee or other RINOs like youself, be sent to concentration camps. Perhaps a one way ticket to Syria... What I am suggesting that Chafee go back to horseshoeing -- he's not fit to continue playing senator. He's embarassing us all.

Secondly, I don't count on the national Republican Party to do anything, that the state Republican Party should be doing on its own. We've seen what "good" the national party's "help" has been recently. If we lose the seat, it will be because we deserve it.

If only the state party could focus on standing for something, and quit being solely Chafee family apologists to the exclusion of the rest of the party, it might be able to come up with a strategy for becoming a real force in Rhode Island. Being an empty husk of a party with no principles to speak of, is hardly a winning strategy.

Posted by: Will at September 7, 2006 2:42 PM

from the actual lawsuit against Laffey, broought by Dunlevy & Co.

John E. Gorman
Sec-Treasurer Dunlevy & Co.

"I believe Laffey took with him a substantial amount of proprietary and confidential information and documents belonging to Dunlevy & Co. upon his resignation from Dunlevy & Co.

"Laffey will soon begin employment with Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc...I am concerned that Laffey converted the documents and information with the intention of sharing them with Morgan Keegan...

"By letter dated May 20, 1992 Laffey stated that he is not in
possession of any proprietary and confidential information belonging to Dunlevy & Co. I believe that letter to be false. But even if the letter is true, Laffey does not deny in the
letter that he removed the proprietary and confidential information from Dunlevy & Co.'s offices -- only that he is no longer in possession of it."

He was parsing like Clinton!

Posted by: Red at September 7, 2006 11:03 PM

Go back to DC, you pseudo-Republican hack!

Posted by: Will at September 8, 2006 3:55 AM