Sen. Chafee Facing Conservative Backlash In 2006 Re-Election Bid

Sen. Lincoln Chafee (RI), the moderate Republican who represents a crucial swing vote on the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, is facing a grass-roots rebellion from some Rhode Island conservatives seeking to derail his bid to win another term in the chamber. The conservatives are trying to recruit Stephen Laffey, the Republican mayor of the Rhode Island city of Cranston, to challenge Chafee in the GOP primary next year, in what could be the only Senate race in the...