Orchulli told us late yesterday that he's already been approached by state Republicans about replacing the hapless Alan Schlesinger as the G.O.P. nominee in the Connecticut Senate Race -- and that he'd "make himself available" to do it.
"Should the party decide that they want me, and should Mr. Schlesinger decide that he wants to step aside, I would make myself available to them," said Mr.Orchulli. "If I was in it, it would undercut the perception that Mr. Lieberman has the Republicans, and it would change the dynamic of this whole race."
Orchulli would be a much more viable candidate than Schlesinger, although just how much better remains to be seen. His entry into the race could spell doom for Joe Lieberman, though.
Hat tip to Ken Krayeske.
18 comments:
disgruntled - thank you for being one of the few reasonable people left. Anyone who knows Orchulli is aware that he desparately wants to run for the Senate, and he regrets not jumping in earlier. My sources tell me that he has been the one initiating the calls to the party chairman, not the other way around. Jack is a nice guy, but he can't win, and that's the bottom line.
jack, jack, jack...don't even try it,
and take the call from Washington.
ORCHULLI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If they put up Jack Orchulli it will guarentee a Lieberman victory.
Orchulli is an empty suit. Will be portrayed as another millionaire who wants to buy a senate seat.
He still is owed $1.2 Million by his Candidate Committee from his run against Chris Dodd in 2004.
Two millionaires vs. Lieberman....
No way
Thanks DG... I concur.
Jack - please resist the urge.
And CT-GOP - You encouraged Alan to step up. The Convention backed him. And you then you publicly hung him out to dry.
Regardless of what the Dems think of Lamont in the quiet of their homes, they're standing with him on stage with smiles on their faces.
If Alan had a chance in hell to win to start with, its shot-- but the manner in which he was betrayed has sufficiently creamed the chances of any Republican to make up the ground.
Perhaps we should hope Bush puts Lieberman on the Supreme Court , or names him VP to replace Cheney and Rell either names herself to the post, or we find an virtous elephant that walks on water and passes our holier than thou litmus tests.
makes no sense--2012 Joe will be old, he may retire. Better to raise profile before 2012. Orchulli would hand this thing Lamont.
Jack--forget about it.
I think Jack Orchulli should not run this time Because people will view it as he just wants a quick way in and a lot of people would think he is pushing Schlesinger under a bus.
In 2010(maybe sooner if Dodd were elected President)Dodd will be up for re-election and I bet he will retire by then.
Imagine Orchulli for the GOP and The Dems Blumenthal, Bysiewicz or DeLauro as possible Dem Candidates.
I have a question that maybe can be discussed at some point who will be the Major Players in 2010 for Governor,Constitutional Officers, US Senate and Congress I truly believe there are a lot of varying and differing views on this topic and I believe it would be interesting to hear everyone's thoughts.
Dodd isn't going to be elected President in 2008.
GMR... just used that as an example odds are The Presidential Nominee is from The South this time around.
True Gent....After Ned's surprise this year maybe it lights a fire under someone to challenge Dodd in 2010. Only time will tell Yeah your right my excuse is I work overnights so my thought process isnt always together at this time in the day.
disgruntled: back to your original comment, my bet is that both O'Connor and McKinney run for higher office in 2010. One will definitely run for Gov., assuming Rell only runs one term, and the other could run for the Senate against Dodd or Congress. McKinney would be the frontrunner to run in the 4th CD. That's not as a bad a bench as some people are saying.
bluecoat: how many people predicted Joe would lose? who knew he would run a terrible campaign and that Lamont would run a great media campaign and spend $4 million of his own? I don't think a lot of people saw that coming. So, any Republican was looking at a one-on-one with an incumbent Senator, well liked statewide who had $10 million in the bank, and in an off year which is generally bad for the party of the President.
Hindsight is 20/20 my friend.
Look, if Lamont wins, the odds are that he will be re-elected in 6 years. That's just a fact - 80% of incumbent US Senators win re-election.
If Lieberman wins, it will be his last term, in all likelihood.
Regardless of who the D candidate is in 6 years, it is easier to win an open seat then it is to beat an incumbent.
For anyone to say that Rs want Lamont to win b/c he will be easier to beat down the road simply flies in the face of fact and logic.
By the way, that's what the right wing Rs said in 1988 - let's get rid of Weicker, who we hate, and we'll beat the other guy (Lieberman) in 6 years. Look how good that turned out!
D_R is correct.
McKinney or O'Connor would make an excellent candidate and I hope they enter the race as they would make Lieberman all the more irrelevent.
Orchulli is better than Alan Card-Schlesinger and I agree with D_R analysis of him grabbbing 15-20 percent of the vote but McKinney and O'Connor are true Republicans and would grab a higher percentage of the vote and a vote for either of them is a vote taken away from Lieberman.
The Rove script would play out like this:
Keep Schlesinger in till the last minute therfore securing Republican votes for Lieberman as he goes around the state acting more hawkish than ever before.
O'Connor's resume: ran for congress as a favor to rowland and lost 60-40 in a district that is 60-40.
McKinney's resume: state senator from a solidly republican district and hasn't ever approached anyone on moving on up.
Since when are those qualifications for being dubbed "A-list" candidates?
Orchulli takes more GOP votes away from Lieberman and gives the election to Lamont. Orchulli will receive the same cold-shoulder from the GOP establishment in Hartford and Washington. Everyone sees what is happening to Schlesinger (and rightfully so--the guy's an awful candidate) with the white house, rnc, and ctgop all doing no harm to lieberman, so why would a supposedly smart CEO-type want to step into that beartrap?
Holy cow folks. For those of us who actually work when they should be working (i.e., real Republicans), this little string of posts is incredible to read.
Gronk's on the right track. When the only race that can bring out the "A" R candidates is a two and a half month, three-way with an extreme one-issue zealot and a Democrat with an established conservative electoral base, who has received campaign contributions from elected Republicans and recent press releases from Simmons encouraging his independent run, then the conclusion to draw is that there is NO REPUBLICAN PARTY IN CT.
There are handful of popular Republicans who find ways to win (predominantly in the few remaining safe seats---look at the state Senate). But a handful of proven losers appointed to office and folks who have never even visited a swing district, let alone have the courage to risk their safe seat...does not a party make.
The underlying silliness of the string, however, has to do with the absence of a crucial fact: AS's departure from the race. Stop blogging these hypotheticals and (what's worse) this hilarious belief that because some blogger (Bruce) "called" this race "weeks ago" that a better candidate should have emerged.
AS probably won't get out because he hasn't been accused of doing anything that should force him out.
The guy gambled with prostitutes under a false name. While that might certainly offend the more delicate sensibilities of certain gossip columnist, he's running for a seat in a chamber where fellows who plagiarize, urinate in public and kill young women are all considered "leaders" with legitimate presidential aspirations. So, c'mon already.
They nominated him, if they now regret it...too bad. If you had a real party with real ideas...you'd have a real candidate. They don't, they don't and therefore...they don't.
Good night.
On the theme of what a real party is, consider this:
A real party has leaders who campaign hard for a person and, when that person loses the nomination, stand behind the winner. (Dodd on Lieberman).
This is the exact opposite of a party whose leaders nominate a person and then throw him under the bus. (Rell, Gallo, Simmons, Shays and Johnson on Schlesinger).
But then again, the founding act of the current state Republican Party is the fratricide committed upon John Rowland. This is not a group that values loyalty or cares about party.
(Stop hyperventilating...I am not excusing what Rowland did, I am making a different point).
They are, oddly enough, only in it for themselves. Not surprisingly, most of them think Lieberman's act of party disloyalty is some kind of badge of honor. They understand that Joe is for Joe, just like they are for themselves.
You gotta walk party, not just talk party.
Anonymous said...
the exact opposite of a party whose leaders nominate a person and then throw him under the bus.
Alan has climbed under the bus.
Hires Foley against the wishes of Rell.
Says: "28000 is not a lot of money to me.."
A remark that's sure to play well with Joe Lunchbox.
Wait till you see what he was using his state phone card for ages ago.
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