Lincoln Chafee endorses Obama

good for you!

You see, Chafee, the ditzy offspring of a true Rhode Island moderate Republican senator (his father John), is facing a primary challenge from a conservative Republican. But the White House knows that Chafee always votes with them when they need his vote. He casts "moderate" votes now and then when Rove doesn't need him to put a White House bill over the top, so that Chafee can "appear" moderate, while actually being a Bush loyalist on close votes.

The Republicans are much, much better at this game than the Democrats. It's called maintaining power. And to maintain power, they need a majority of Republican seats in the senate. Lincoln Chafee can vote anyway he wants on bills that the GOP is going to pass easily, as long as he is there when they need him -- and he is.

Furthermore -- and this is the most important strategic point -- Chafee gives them one more seat to guarantee a majority, which means the GOP controls the Senate, including all its committees. Among other things, this means that people like Bush Boy Toy #1, Kansas State Senator Pat Roberts (Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee), can continue to cover up administration illegalities, betrayal and incompetence.

So, in the shell game that the GOP plays so well, they don't give a hoot if Chafee gives off the "appearance" of being moderate. He's their made man and is a more likely fall election winner in an uber blue state than a conservative candidate running against him in the primary. Besides which, when it comes to control of the Senate and voting with them when they need him, the White House knows Chafee isn't a moderate, he's just another Bush foot soldier. This is because rhetoric doesn't count; it's only control of the Senate and must-win votes.

http://www.buzzflash.com/analysis/06/05/ana06033.html

a Rhode Island Republican--slightly right of center at best. I never considered him a Republican. And he is smart enough to endorse Obama, so that's good enough for me!

He was always more of a Democrat- not uncommon in New England.

. . . explaining that he would choose a write-in candidate, perhaps George Bush the elder, as a symbolic act of protest. Asked if he wanted Senator John Kerry to be president, Mr. Chafee shook his head sadly, as if to say he could not entertain the question. "I've been disloyal enough," he said.

>>>>But Mr. Chafee says he does care. In heavily Democratic Rhode Island, he has been a Republican since birth; his parents named him Lincoln after the first Republican president. He says he is waiting for the moderate wing of the party to rise again; in the meantime, he was asked if he went to bed at night wondering how he could remain a Republican.

"Yes," he said, "I don't deny that."

>>>>That seems to be the prevailing sentiment among Republicans in the Senate, who are treating the gentleman from Rhode Island gingerly these days. At a recent lunch with colleagues, Mr. Chafee said, he offered them an apology and found himself comforted by a conservative, Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.


"I said, 'I'm a pro-choice, antiwar, antideficit Republican,' " he recalled. "And Judd Gregg said, 'The key word there is: Republican.'"


http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70E17FA3A5C0C778CDDA90994DC404482

and his party identity.

alongside your minute parsing of the record of Hillary Clinton

a (former) Republican Senator than for a Democratic Senator who is running for President. And he had the foresight and guts to vote against the IWR. Hillary did not. Going against the GOP is a very, very difficult place to be in terms of war and national security--I should know, look at my Repub Senator, Hagel, and the "Lieberman" treatment he got from his party when he turned against the war, despite the fact that he has always been far, far more conservative and more reliable a Repub vote compared to Chafee.

. . . and some call Clinton and her supporters centrist

He is a decent, quiet, respectable man with the courage of his convictions (and with probably a somewhat misplaced sense of loyalty to his family and party, which I assume is the reason he stayed a republican for so long). The moment we will care less about labels and more about what a person actually does + the character, integrity, and basic human decency of that person, we will all be much better off. I was really sorry Chaffee had to lose for the democrats to gain control of the Senate (that was definitely one instance when the R or D label DID matter). And I also remember reading a comment of his not long after the 06 election basically saying that his loss was all for the better. And soon afterward he dropped his republican affiliation. SO yes, I have much more respect for people like Chaffee or Hagel that stand by what they think is right, even if I do not always agree with their positions, than for manipulators that SAY things I agree with.

the bush tax cuts.

Hell, at least he had the balls to defy the party and call Bush out on this bullshit war.

chafee voted against the war
he is pro life
he quit the republican party
He is not even in the senate.

Chafee came around when he felt his challenger, Sheldon, on his tail

His anti-party votes and positions had nothing to do with the election, they were much earlier. Best example: being the lonely republican to vote against the IWR. Was he feeling WHitehouse hot on his trail in 2002?

and he left the party. You should get your facts straight.
The truth is, this is a great and welcome endorsement, and
it will only help Obama in Rhode Island. I'm sure the Clinton
camp is very unhappy with this news.

I refuse to accept this republican as some legitimate soulmate for our party. It unbelievable to find so many voices here defending his record when there's so much nitpicking of the records of our own party members.

And, he left his party with Sheldon Whitehouse breathing down his neck. The majority of voters in his state apparently had enough of his straddling, and wanted a real Democrat to represent them.

"soulmate for our party". He's an independent who voted against the war.
He's now endorsing an anti-war candidate. Get over it already.

. . . when will Obama and his supporters get over these republicans?

He's a former republican former senator.

He left the party last year.

:rofl:

And I'm pretty sure he was asked.

I guess he won't now. Respect for one's father and ancestors is admirable; but I think he should have switched. The Republican party of his ancestors was closer to what we have become than that Gingrichian monster now stalking the land.

He's an indy now.

save his political career.

No need to downplay this endorsement. It's great news
for Obama. Chafee is a popular guy in Rhode Island.

:rofl:

Other than that nothing

It also shows that Obama will get support from many
directions in the general election, where Hillary won't.
The independent vote is going to be key. This endorsement
is significant.

As a Roe Dylin'er I can say it will have no impact whatsoever.

And I love Chafee. He's a great guy, well-read, earnest, votes with his convictions. If anyone endorsing were going to have an effect on my vote, it would have been Linc.

In the middle of the only televised debate between he and Whitehouse, the moderator asked - Do you support the right of gays and lesbians to marry - Chafee without even one moment's hesitation looked right in the camera and gave an unequivocal YES.

Whitehouse had no choice but to respond with a resounding YES as well.

I've always liked Linc. Would have voted for him if he got rid of that R before the 2006 election. Got slammed here a few times for saying I wish I could vote Chafee in the election but knowing I had to vote for Sheldon. I met Obama at a Whitehouse fundraiser -- which is one of the reasons I am not voting for Obama.

Chafee's support will have ZERO effect in RI. The very, very, very few RI repubs (who can vote in the D primary) hate Chafee.

It's we dems who love him. Though Dems and I's make up about 80% of the electorate.

and your answer says why it will. The dems and independents like him.
The repugs? Who cares. His endorsement wasn't to draw them in.

The Chaffee family is respected by people from both sides of the aisle in Rhode Island.

An honorable man and one who knew better :patriot:

well I guess he has seen the light now, glad he's leaning Democratic.

is no longer what he thought it was.

A striking contrast to Obama's opponent in the primaries.

He lost because RI wanted to get rid of the Repub controlled Senate and Sheldon was a great candidate.

Chafee is still very much admired here.

He lost his seat because the R next to his name. RI had the lowest approval rate in the country before BUshie started his little misadventure.

Linc almost kept his seat in RI because he voted against the war.

You have no clue what you are talking about.

63% approval rating. Did you read the article?

Run for your lives!


CULT CULT CULT CULT CULT



DESPERATION!!!

FLEE!!!

:kick:

. . .which makes him a good choice to lead the Democrats in a General Election.

For what it's worth. But at the time it was kind of a deal, since the Chafee family has been for many many many years associated with the Republican Party in R.I. (His father was a senator, too).

....Then I'm an evangelical.

But, just between you and me, I'm not waiting for the you-know-what.

although you've been corrected.

I cried when he lost the election. Chaffee was a good man and my senator when I lived in RI. He is the only republican on a national level that I ever voted for.

Yawn.......:shrug:

Helps in Rhode Island, obviously, but also gives heft to a major theme of the Obama campaign, the ability to reach across the aisle and work with like-minded Republicans.

it surprised me a little.

He is an independent.

and improving the mood in Washington.

The lone Republican to take a stand. He voted for the Levin Amendment too.

generalizations are not always your friend...

http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/newsblog/archives/2008/02/hold_52.html

We also have a primary coming up on March 4th, but again little RI is overshadowed by Ohio and Texas.

We love you Rhode Island!!

:rofl:

...became an Independent and now supports Obama.

This is a powerful message to other Republicans disillusioned with the Republican party.


(FYI that "disgraced" is from a Republican's point of view, I've always found them disgraceful ;))

Chafee had a 30% progressive voting record in the Senate during the 109th, which made him more of a Democrat than these "Democrats"


Salazar (Colorado) DLC 24.13793103
Pryor (Arkansas) DLC 22.4137931
Nelson (Florida) DLC 20.68965517
Landrieu (Louisianna) DLC 17.24137931
Nelson (Nebraska) DLC 3.448275862


This is why I reject the "our worst Dem is better than ANY Republican" argument. Such a facile argument does not hold up to scrutiny by those who study votes rather than engage in identity politics.

Learn why it's vital to have the Democrats in the MAJORITY.

Measure him against where the majority of our party has stood during his tenure. That's the fairest measure.

look at all of the ignored people responding to my post.

If I put you there, you clearly are not interested in intelligent discussion, so I will resist the temptation to look at your posts now. Should have been a nicer person before.

I would have voted for Linc if only he would quit the R's - and most people in the state would have.

On the eve of the election, I went to a rally where Bill Clinton was the speaker. Even he had really nice things to say about Linc.

He stressed that we weren't voting against Linc, but were voting against Bush and the R led Senate. It was close, but Sheldon won.

I wanted to vote for Linc - he even voted against the Bush tax cuts fer chissakes!

His endorsement still won't matter.

then good! we need to win this election.

Senator Whitehouse was the dem that unseated Chafee in Ri. Plus, Whitehouse has endorsed Senator Clinton.

Maybe he'll do for BO in RI as Ted and John did for him in MA.

He knows of what he speaks, and I am thrilled Barack has his endorsement.

chaffee is respected for his views and lost a tough battle for his seat.

one of the few anti-war senators, a man of principle.

cheers!