Well,
this sure is interesting...
[former state police commander on gambling issues Bradley] Beecher, who was familiar with Schlesinger, says the Republican nominee told him he is, in gambling parlance, a card counter who has been thrown out of the Mohegan Sun casino. Schlesinger told Beecher and others he plays under an assumed name, Alan Gold. Beecher shared details of his startling conversation with Schlesinger in an email to Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell and others around the state.
more...
Republican state chairman George Gallo has conferred with Schlesinger and is concerned about the implications of the brewing gambling scandal. Schlesinger confirmed to Gallo that he gambled under the name Alan Gold because he wanted to accrue points on his "Wampum card" at the Foxwoods casino operated by the Mahantucket Pequots.
According to Gallo, who sounds like he is ready to force Schlesinger from the ticket and find a replacement, "Our mistake is that we only vetted candidates using their real names, not aliases."
Wow, talk about a rapidly changing dynamic! We've gone from a bottom-tier race to a fierce Dem primary to a crazy three way race to a crazy FOUR way race...and now it may change again to include a legitimate GOP candidate.
How does this shake out for the Democrats? The article suggests that it hurts Lieberman in a general by stripping him of potential GOP voters who didn't consider their candidate a serious one. But what's bad for Lieberman (CT-Lieberman) in that scenario, may also be bad for the party's chances of keeping the seat. If Lieberman's crossover votes suddenly shift to the GOP--as do some independent votes--the splitting of the Dem side(s) of the ticket becomes a vulnerability to the Republicans sneaking their guy through.
Or? What do you think? Is this just more trouble for Joe, or does it threaten Lamont in a hypothetical general race?
--
Loaded Orygun--Oregon Politics and Culture
http://loadedorygun.blogspot.com