The NYT reports:
In an extraordinary pre-emptive announcement, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has said it will concede Rhode Island to the Democrats should Stephen Laffey, the mayor of Cranston, defeat Mr. Chafee in the primary.
Moreover:
Republicans said they expected to spend over $1.2 million on advertisements attacking Mr. Laffey, saturating the television stations of this state, the nation’s smallest.
Hmmm. What if the NRSC had spent $1.2 million helping Laffey? Or what if it had spent $1.2 million on Santorum of Pennsylvania or Talent of Missouri? Why does it value Chafee above these guys?