And yet in the Connecticut Senate race, the Bush White House is refusing to even endorse Republican candidate Alan Schlesinger. According to the Yahoo News story:
WASHINGTON - President Bush isn't exactly eager to lend his support to the Republican nominee in Connecticut's tumultuous Senate race.
The White House was circumspect on Monday when asked whether Bush would support Republican Alan Schlesinger in the three-way fall contest that includes Democratic nominee Ned Lamont and three-term incumbent Sen.
Joe Lieberman.
"The president supports the democratic process in the state of Connecticut and wishes them a successful election in November," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.
Bush routinely backs Republican candidates in races all across the country.
I will say that it is rather interesting that the Bush White House is remaining mum on the Connecticut Senate race. The fact is that the Bush White House is tacitly supports Joe Lieberman's independent run for the Senate. The Bush White House hopes that the Lieberman campaign will split the Democratic vote between Liebermand and Democratic candidate Ned Lamont, thereby allowing Schlesinger to squeak by with a Republican win. And even if Schlesinger cannot win, the Bush administration would still like to see pro-Iraq war, pro-Bush supporter Joe Lieberman in the Senate, rather than Democrat Lamont, who has criticized Bush on Iraq. That is the political play in this race. To have the Bush administration actively support Schlesinger would destroy whatever is left of Lieberman's independent campaign to court the independent and moderate voters (if there are such voters left in Connecticut). So, the Bush White House is trying to avoid answering any questions regarding the Connecticut race. Continuing with the Yahoo story:
Snow was asked whether Bush was balking at supporting Schlesinger because he liked Lieberman — or wanted to stay out of the contest because Schlesinger was trailing badly in the polls.
"There may be a whole host of reasons the president — I'm just not going to play," Snow replied.
He suggested the Connecticut race was unique.
"I think that there are some peculiar characteristics going on in the Republican Party with the Republican candidate," Snow said. "And why don't you wait and see what happens?"
Schlesinger said he wasn't surprised by the White House's hesitancy. Republican leaders have been praising Lieberman and now they can't suddenly abandon him, he said.
"I don't think the Republican Party can turn around and say, 'Don't vote for Joe,'" Schlesinger said in a telephone interview. "We've got to let this thing die down a little."
Yes, Mr. Snow--the Connecticut race is a unique situation. The Bush administration and the Republican Party are supporting the independent candidate Joe Lieberman over their own Republican candidate Schlesinger. And they all know it. The Bush administration knows that if they show any preference in the Connecticut Senate race, they will branded as hypocrites--hence the avoidance on Connecticut. And there is an incredible stench of hypocrisy in the Connecticut Senate race. Just two days after Lamont's victory against Lieberman in the Connecticut primary, the attention is shifted away from the election consequences of Lamont's beating a pro-Bush Democrat Lieberman, towards the London airline terror plot. And the Bush administration knew of this terror plot in Britain before the Connecticut primary. There is this Reuters story reporting that White House political guru Karl Rove called Joe Lieberman after the election. You just have to wonder what did Karl Rove say to Lieberman regarding political strategy, or even offering help to the Lieberman campaign? You have to wonder what help is the Republicans willing to give to Lieberman?
How far is the Republican Party willing to go in order to keep control of Congress?
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