WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday refused — for now — to endorse the Republican candidate in Connecticut's hotly contested Senate race.

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow would not commit President Bush's support of Republican candidate Alan R. Schlesinger, saying there are unique characteristics in play.

Asked directly if the president supports Schlesinger, Snow danced around the question.

"The president supports the democratic process in the state of Connecticut, and wishes them a successful election in November," he said.

Asked why he would not commit, Snow said: "I think there's some peculiar characteristics going on in the Republican Party with the present candidate, and why don't you wait and see what happens?"

Schlesinger said Monday he would remain in the race against Democratic nominee Ned Lamont and Sen. Joe Lieberman, who is running as an independent. Schlesinger cautioned against reading too much into the White House nonendorsement of his campaign.

"They've used Joe Lieberman's primary loss as a poster child for what is wrong with the Democratic Party," Schlesinger said. "They don't want to take an active role in attacking him now. That is what I surmise by this."

Schlesinger said national party leaders have consistently told him that he must "earn his stripes" to gain their support by raising campaign cash, increasing his poll numbers and proving he has a chance of winning in November.

"I'm

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not going to let Washington hijack this election out of the hands of the people of Connecticut," he said. "This election is not a Democrat primary. "Moderate and conservative voters will get to vote, and I believe that my message is their message. Moderate and conservative voters will find a very comfortable home with my campaign."

Darien businessman Jack Orchulli, however, said Monday Schlesinger is "dead in the water" and should move aside and let him run instead.

Orchulli, a Republican who ran against Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd in 2004, said he is prepared to spend more than $1.5 million of his own wealth on his candidacy should Schlesinger drop out.

"Given the lack of support by the Republican leadership, the negatives that Alan has and also that he has raised no money, he is dead in the water and should step aside," Orchulli said. "If I were able to get into the race, it would change the whole scenario."

Orchulli did not throw his hat into the ring earlier because he thought Lieberman could not be beaten "one on one" if he won the Democratic primary. He believes now that he could win a three-way race, but cannot run unless Schlesinger drops out.

"If Alan doesn't step aside, I am on the bench and that is it," he said.

Schlesinger is not expected to win the Senate seat in November's general election. Six percent of voters supported him in a Rasmussen poll taken after Tuesday's Democratic primary, down from 13 percent a month ago. Lieberman led the three-way matchup with 46 percent to Lamont's 41 percent.

Schlesinger discounted the poll as simply a reflection of "the tidal wave" of publicity Lamont and Lieberman generated with their primary.

His campaign stumbled in July after it was revealed that Schlesinger used a fake name to gamble at a Connecticut casino and had been sued over gambling debts at two New Jersey casinos.

He claims to have used the false name "Alan Gold" at the Connecticut casinos when he served as a state representative in the early 1990s so that constituents would not accuse him of having a conflict of interest on casino and Indian-related votes.

Republican Gov. M Jodi Rell initially urged him to drop out of the Senate race, but Schlesinger called his gambling a "nonissue" and she is no longer pressing the issue.

Rich Harris, a spokesman for Rell's gubernatorial campaign, said Monday that unless other problems emerge, she is satisfied with Schlesinger remaining on the ticket. Rell, however, has not scheduled any campaign events with him.

Connecticut Republican Party Chairman George Gallo could not be reached for comment Monday.