Posted on 08/12/2008 7:33:19 AM PDT by Alter Kaker
One of the challenges of the week for Chicago is finding a way to control the news cycle without the candidate. Today's answer: "Republicans for Obama."
The most surprising name out there so far is probably that of former Iowa Rep. Jim Leach, a prominent figure in a battleground state.
Also, former Sen. Linc Chafee, and Douglas Kmiec.
There's still room for some higher-profile, more current figures -- an apostate of the profile of Joe Lieberman. The leading candidate for that slot still seems to be Chuck Hagel.
According to a source in the Obama campaign, former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach -- a Republican -- will be endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama this morning. Leach, as you may recall, lost his bid for re-election in 2006 after three decades representing portions of eastern Iowa in congress. Leach was considered a "moderate" Republican and was a backer of campaign finance reform. Leach did not accept campaign contributions from political action committees.
Leach became a professor at his alma mater -- Princeton -- and then was asked to be the interim director of the Kennedy School of Politics at Harvard when its director left to run for the U.S. Senate. Leach's wife has contributed the maximum amount allowed to Obama's campaign.
Of additional note: Leach shared an office with Dick Cheney when Cheney -- and Leach -- worked for Donald Rumsfeld in D.C. decades ago. Cheney spoke at a campaign fundraiser for Leach in Cedar Rapids in 2003. Here's the pertinent part: "I appreciate your warm welcome. But I am especially pleased to be here today with Jim, because Jim and I have been friends for many, many years. Lynne and I have known Jim and Deba longer than we can count. Jim and I first got to know each other more than 30 years ago -- I guess it was 1969 -- when we both went to work for a young, up and comer then, a budding politician. Jim had already worked for him when he was in the House of Representatives. He was in his mid-30s. His name was Don Rumsfeld. And he was no longer a congressman from Illinois; he was running the Office of Economic Opportunity. And Jim and I went to work for him in the executive branch some 34, almost 35 years ago.
"Subsequent to that, of course, Jim had important assignments at the State Department, the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. I went to work for President Ford. Eventually, in 1976, Jim got elected to the House of Representatives. In 1978, I got elected to the House of Representatives. My state of Wyoming was a little bit different than Iowa in the sense that we only had one congressman for the entire state. It was a small delegation. (Laughter.) But it was quality. (Laughter.)
"But, so I followed Jim by two years in the House, but one of the great privileges in the House are the friendships and the relationships that deepen as a result of your time there, and I had the great privilege of serving for ten years with Jim. And it has subsequently, obviously, been a great pleasure now to return to government, and one of the nice things about going back after I thought I'd finished my career in politics and planned to enjoy private life, to return back to Washington with the President and become part of his administration has been the privilege of renewing a lot of those old friendships and relationships with men and women that I had worked with previously, and now we've gotten back together again. And I think of people like Jim that I worked with in the Congress, and Don Rumsfeld is back at Defense. He hasn't made any progress at all in about 30 years -- same old job. (Laughter.) Colin Powell at the State Department, et cetera."
Rep. Jim Leach, Lincoln Chafee and Douglas Kmiec.
I thought they said the name of the organization was REPUBLICANS for Obama.
These people are, at BEST, Republicrats.
I’d tie a red ribbon on Hagel and deliver him to them.
Leach has been a pain in the butt for Iowa many years. He was just another RINO we cannot seem to get rid of.
The word “former” figures prominently in the story. I mean please Chafee was a disgrace.
Even though Leach is a RINO through and through I always thought of him as intelligent. Was I ever wrong! You have to be as dumb as a stump to support Obama.
“Yawn... this happens in every election, some no-name “Republican” media whore goes and endorses the Democrat.”
Yup...while this goes unreported:
http://mccaindemocrats.blogspot.com/
http://www.stoptheaclu.com/archives/2008/06/04/democrats-for-mccain/
http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/newsweek-blogitics/17194/why-democrats-should-support-mccain/
etc....
Chafee and Leach were two of a kind, ultra-RINOs with matching ACU scores.
LOL! Lincoln Chafee for Obama. Now THERE is a shocker. Not.
It’s like finding out Liberace was gay.
Ah, Jim Leach, probably never a republican and always an idiot. Many years ago he and Marci Kaptur were on the Larry King show discussing NAFTA. He was ALL for it. Kaptur read a very disconcerting passage and Leach asked what she was reading from. It was the NAFTA bill, which they would vote on the next day.
(I understand voting for McCain as the lesser of two evils.)
No, these folks are not Republicans in name only; they reflect the very core of the GOP— which is mush.
He works at Hahrvard. Probly the only way to get a raise and date co-eds.
Leach is a Princeton prof, for heaven sakes. How much more lib can you get?
vaudine
In the past few days, I’ve heard that “Conservative” and/or Republican J.C. Watts, John McWhorter and Condi Rice have either stated or indicated they leaning toward voting for Obama. They are also Black. So now who can be criticized for voting on the basis of race??
Unfortunately it's a necessary add-on to remain unbruised by the "McMaverick is better than" bunch.
Anybody who would even considers voting for Obama is not and never was a Republican or a conservative.
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