John C. "Jack" Orchulli, the former fashion company executive from Darien who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd in 2004, is a "possible" replacement for the Republicans' 2006 Senate nominee, Alan R. Schlesinger, Republican State Chairman George Gallo said Thursday.
Gallo's comment came shortly before Schlesinger told reporters at the Capitol that he wouldn't quit the Senate race despite allegations that he is a blackjack addict who used a phony name to gamble at the state's Indian-owned casinos, including one that banned him for card-counting. (Michak)
Orchulli was invisible in 2004, and probably wouldn't fare much better than Schlesinger would in the general election. So why favor him over Schlesinger?
Apparently, the fact that he isn't Alan Schlesinger helps. Jodi Rell and George Gallo have done everything they could to derail Schlesinger's campaign. They are not going to let up in their attacks until he steps aside for someone else, like Orchulli. Schlesinger has two options: step aside gracefully now, or continue on and have to face the ire of his own party's leadership during the months ahead.
The odds are not in his favor.
Source
Michak, Don. "Orchulli in the wings for Republicans? But Schlesinger insists he won't fold." Journal-Inquirer 14 July, 2006.
23 comments:
No, neither do I.
The commander of the Mohegan tribe had files on folks ( the famous, etc) who ran afoul of some Mohegan policy...he must have left with a copy of the files...He would have dealt with the Mohegan lobbyist ( lew Rome-Rell supporter and friend of Lieberman also)..Rome's then law partner Atty Austin McQuigan represented the Mohegan's against Beecher in a lawsuit...Someone in politics must have got Beecher to send those emails, who had an interest in derailing AS.The only one's interested enough to derail AS are Rell( in today's courant it states she tried to derail him months before the convention) and Lieberman( he is friendly with Rell and knew AS had a chance to win)
My guess is...Rell and Lieberman do alot of business together already...Orchulli to be put in by Rell ( as an empty suit) to help Lieberman in November !!!!!!!
Man, the Republicans have a weak field if Jack Orchulli is the best that they can do. Although this is a marked improvement from Giordano, so we're trending in the right direction. If we continue on this trend, then I'd look for a Republican to win in 2060! Maybe 2048 if things really go right.
Oh I just saw the headline "Schlesinger says he won't fold." Journalists are going to have fun with the gambling references if Schlesinger stays in.
How many times we'll we see, "He's holding his cards close to his chest", "hedging his bets", "showing a poker face", "rolled the dice", or "anted up"? Think he'll ever shuffle his campaign staff? Will his campaign come tumbling down like a house of cards? Will he have some cards up his sleeve? Does he have an ace in the hole? Does anyone think I should continue? Since he's for the war, will he use that deck of cards with the most wanted people on it?
At least he's not in the dairy business, because editorials about milk subsidies always use the same udderly ridiculous puns.
Another Millionaire from Fairfield County.Personally I don't think Jack Orchulli could beat Senator Lieberman.I think this talk is just that Because I think Alan Schlesinger isnt going to quit just Because Rowland Hack and GOP State Chairman George Gallo wants him too.
Calling all popular Rs....
What about that woman that was mayor in Enfield for several years and involved in CCM... Mary Strom. She seemed to be well respected up north.
What is she up to, DisGrunt?
In this particular Senate race, the Republican candidate has to give voters a pretty compelling reason to choose him or her, rather than the incumbent or the flashy new Democratic challenger. A shady gambling history is not on my list (or most voters lists) of qualities we're looking for in a United States Senator. Whether or not what he actually did was illegal is not the important political question--it's perception that matters.
Both the Governor and George Gallo are astute enough to know that and are intelligent enough to withhold their support for Schlesinger's candidacy. Now we can just wait to see if he's smart enough to realize it himself...since he won't go terribly far in the CT GOP by burning bridges.
AS needs to go, but Orchulli ain't the answer. If the explanation for your indisgression takes more than 10 seconds, you are doomed. To try and explain that card counting isn't a crime, that he didn't give a fals ID to get his fake Wampum card, that he's afraid of identity theft, that the perception of favoritism toward Indian matters might appear, that he wanted to avoid the marketing, etc. It's all too much. Even if nothing illegal happened, there is too much to explain away.
But Orchulli is a punch line at best. This is the chance for the R's to get the seat (or at least it was until Israel went medieval in the middle east, making Joe and the US presence in Iraq seem more palatable). They need a candidate who can take this - O'Connor, McKinney, Guglielmo. It can happen.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I was excited to vote for Lieberman, but Mertens and a non-Schlesinger Republican aren't look too bad to me right now. I don't know if I'm in the group that could swing an election, but McKinney will get my vote over the field.
They were of the mind that Lieberman would win in a walk. Things have changed since the conventions, and Joe is now vulnerable.
Lieberman is going to WIN Ned Left Wing Millionaire is going to LOSE and whoever the GOP puts up will lose unless Jodi Rell decided to give up her Governor's seat and run for US Senate that is the only way the GOP wins so let them run Orchulli another Millionaire What we dont need.
Did anyone ever stop to think that Orchulli is one of the few statewide candidate's the GOP has put up that actually lasted the entire election and didn't have a skeleton come slinking out? that has to count for something!
I am not sure why Lieberman will still win; people do seem to be interested in this race and looking at the candidiates fairly closely; that's not true of the Governor race quite yet; at least from what I am hearing at the arcade.
Anonymous said... "
and GOP State Chairman George Gallo ..
You underestimate Gallo terribly.
He's brilliant; takes diverse points of view and perspectives and gets them on the same page fast and converts the whole thing into a team before you can say "How did you do that George?"
You should see him action just once - the guy's incredible.
another anonymous saysBoth the Governor and George Gallo are astute enough to know that and are intelligent enough to withhold their support for Schlesinger's candidacy. Now we can just wait to see if he's smart enough to realize it himself...since he won't go terribly far in the CT GOP by burning bridges. Huh, 1500 delegates chose Schlesinger who granted was a sacrificial lamb but he did get up on the altar; if anyone is trying to burn a bridge it's Gallo and Rell listening to rumor and innuendo....these are the same people who don't want to hear about Lisa Moody's documented indiscretions.
For me, the most telling thing about how the State Republican Party valued Alan Schlesinger was how they bumped his nomination to the final event at the State Convention.
Only 800 of the 1,500 delegates were left to nominate him.
As I pointed out last month, notice how Governor Rell was quiet on endorsing Schlesinger's candidacy.
Keep underestimating Schlesinger, his numbers continue to go up as we speak, he will be next to Rell on the machine,and can even win by trailing her by 15-20 points with a 40% share.
Yeah, if Schlesinger gets 40% in a three way race, he'll have a good shot.
Just how in the world does he get 40%? Orchulli got 32% in 2004. Furthermore, if it's a three way race, you'll have few Democrats who aren't going to support Lamont or Lieberman for Schlesinger. But you'll have more than a few Republicans voting for Lieberman.
Just how do you see Schlesinger outpolling Orchulli from last time, when Orchulli basically got the hard-core Republican base. Even that's not a guarantee against Lieberman for Schlesinger.
I love this Brubenstein/Weicker Liker: Orchullu=empty suit. That is democrat-speak for "we don't have any real criticisms of that person, so we'll call them an empty suit because at one point we think they may have work a suit." How about this...Ned Lamont=Empty Suit.
I think Neddy's got about as much claim to that seat as Orchulli, or any other person. Come on, blogmasters...I expect better from you witty, ivy educated liberals.
GMR, at least Orchulli can say that he got the REpublicans. Schlesinger, at 8%, is getting almost no traction among R's.
For the record, I am a Republican.
Jack Orchulli's campaign against Chris Dodd had no traction among anyone.
I dont remember hearing a buzz about Orchulli out in public.
Read Kevin Rennie's column about him from 2004. Was very unflattering.
Thats what the Republicans need. A candidate that can create a buzz among the voters.
An "Unflattering" article is the equivalent of high praise from Rennie...he usually goes for the jugular. When exactly is the last time Kevin said something 'flattering' about anyone?
DRAFT JACK!
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