The Rhode Island RINO

The GOP is backing the reelection bid of Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, a guy who must be a Republican because his famous father was, because he certainly doesn't share many GOP beliefs. There are a couple of items about him in the news today that are worth repeating. First, from Hugh Hewitt:

Senator Lincoln D. Chafee hopped out of the driver's seat of his beige Toyota Prius -- a car with a dent on the side and ''I Am Electric" emblazoned across the back window -- and dashed through the rain. He'd forgotten his umbrella at the office, so he was soaked before he made it inside Meadowbrook Farms Elementary School.

Then, for the better part of an hour, he talked with a classroom of third-graders about the importance of saving the rain forests.

Okay. And this from The Corner:

For now, ["Republican" Lincoln] Chafee is trying to be diplomatic. Asked if he would have preferred that Senator John F. Kerry, a Democrat, won the election, Chafee deflected the question by saying Kerry ''ran a horrible campaign." Asked if that means he prefers Bush to Kerry, he was equally circumspect. ''I didn't say that," Chafee said with a smile.

Both items came from this Boston Globe puff piece. The question now becomes is it better to elect a guy because he has an "R" next to his name on the ballot, or throw the dice and back a genuine conservative in the primary who may not be able to win the general election. Many, including Hugh, are promoting plan B.

The only advantage to supporting Chafee is the fact that it might be his seat that maintains the Republican majority. Otherwise, he's a complete loss.