GOP paving the way for Lieberman?

My God! Jack Orchulli for senate?

Didn't Dodd beat the crap out of him in 2004?

Are the Republicans trying to sway their voters to Liebermam by urging this proven loser to get into the senate race.

Something is fishy here.

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.

The candidate said at his subsequent news conference that Gallo had asked him before the Republican state convention in May not to run, saying Gov. M. Jodi Rell had another candidate in mind to challenge U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman this fall.

Gallo, who like Rell this week publicly urged Schlesinger to reconsider his candidacy after the allegations raised by a former Connecticut State Police officer, Bradley Beecher, acknowledged that the state Republican Party couldn't just dump Schlesinger and anoint someone like Orchulli.

The endorsed candidate first would have to quit, he said, and then the party's central committee could move to fill the vacancy, an action that still could be done in time to have the replacement listed as the Republican candidate on the general election ballot.

Gallo said after Schlesinger's news conference that it was now "up to the public forum" whether the six-term state representative would stay in the race, the Associated Press reported.

Now only did the GOP party leaders torpedoed Schlesinger's, campaign, they're urging a person who doesn't have a shot in hell beating Lieberman or Lamont to jump into the race.

You can just see the writing on the wall. Did the Lieberman camp and the GOP strike some type of deal? I wouldn't be surprised.