Of all the senators about to vote on Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court, Sen. Lincoln Chafee's (R-RI) vote may have the biggest personal consequences.
The Fix explains: "Chafee faces a primary challenge from Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey (R). Should he get through that race, he will face off against either former state Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse (D) or Secretary of State Matt Brown (D) in a state that went for the Democratic presidential candidate by 20 points in 2004.
"A Chafee vote for Alito will make for considerable fodder for either Brown or Whitehouse. But a vote against Alito could give Laffey the GOP nomination."
Said Chafee's campaign manager: "From a purely political standpoint this is a lose-lose situation."