Something very Rovian is going on in Connecticut, and Kossacks should be paying close attention.
As the chorus to scapegoat Rumsfeld swells (now including new endangered GOP candidates every day), we should remember that all decisions in the Bush White House are political. The betting here in the Nutmeg State is that the senatorial candidate of the Liebertarian Party has the best shot at getting the nod.
Win or lose in November--but especially win--Joe Lieberman is looking to be the new SecDef.
If Joe wins, Republican Gov. Rell (up 26 points in recent polling) gets to pick his replacement. That clearly looks like Chris Shays. Although he looks competitive, his over-the-top attacks on challenger Diane Farrell (including a really ugly Chappaquiddick reference)points to internal polling telling Shays that he's heading for a slapdown in his House race. Chris is making
a lot of strikingly obsequious noises--Joe's race is more important than mine, he's a national treasure--and Shays is liberal enough to placate at least some Dems disgruntled at losing a safe senate seat and perhaps control of the body. No wonder Rove was the first person to call Joe after his primary defeat!
With control of the Senate within our reach, it would be an outrage to have it snatched away by a turncoat like Lieberman. Connecticut voters need to know about this possibility!