Posted on 09/20/2004 9:12:02 PM PDT by yonif
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, a Republican moderate from Rhode Island, said on Monday he might not vote for President Bush in the Nov. 2 election.
Chafee stressed, however, that he has no plans to bolt his party, and that if he does not back Bush he will write in the name of another Republican.
His spokesman Stephen Hourahan said afterward that if Chafee does write in a name it would be that of Bush's father, former President Bush.
"I'll look at my options," Chafee said in a brief interview on Capitol Hill after discussing his indecision about the current president earlier in the day with reporters in his home state.
Asked if he might not vote for the president, Chafee said: "That's accurate." His office said this has been his position for months, though it has gotten little, if any, attention in Washington.
"There is no secret that on some very important issues I have difference with the current administration," Chafee said, listing abortion rights, the environment and war in Iraq.
"Like all Americans we are looking for some answers to key questions in the weeks ahead," Chafee said. "You wait until November 2 and make your choices."
On the other side of the aisle in the Senate, Democratic Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia has long backed Bush over his own party's nominee, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.
Chafee's comments on Monday drew mixed reaction from fellow senators.
"It's unfortunate," said Sen. Kit Bond, a Missouri Republican.
"He is a gutsy and principled guy," said Sen. Thomas Carper, a Delaware Democrat. "He marches to his own drummer."
"He is a good fiscal conservative," Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said with a chuckle.
"What I like about him is that he can be a Republican senator and at the same time say he is unsure about a Republican president," Graham said. "He is a breath of fresh air in politics."
Lincoln Chaffee should go back to playing Polo and posing for Abercrombie ads.
We need to work harder to get a larger Republican majority in the Senate... then Clymers like Chafee will find themselves powerless.
Just ANOTHER New England imitation Republican. How much money did he make off the DNC to make that statement to the press ????
ping
Good grief...couldn't chafee keep his thoughts to himself until after the election.
Oh well. Someone just snipped the coattails he was hanging on to.
if this putz was a demo, they would have cut him off at the pass a long time ago. There needs to be house cleaning whatever happens in the election to take fools like these out of the mix.
Great there goes Rhode Island! Better get ready for a democrat in the White House. </sarcasm>
Agreed. 2006 hopefully will not be a good year for him.
His state went to Gore in 2000, anyway. Maybe the Dems will have a pre-election day rally in some dive bar and hire Great White to play.
Word should be sent by the grass root Republicans that if one dime is spent by the RNC to help reelect this idiot then all future donations to the RNC will cease!
It's only News when he does support Bush.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent Rhode Island ping list.
Forgot the "RINO alert".
But, Zell Miller is a traitor, and must have been drugged by Rove.
Oh Senator Chaffee, you have a phone call from the White House. The President says he would like to meet with you.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
This doesn't surprise me. He's a liberal Republican from a very liberal state. I don't even give it a second thought. I predict he'll run for governor someday and then he'll be out of our hair.
This is a Republican American reminding Republican Senators/Representatives that want to speak off message just days from a MASSIVELY important election, to SHUT.. UP!....SHUT...UP!...SHUT.....UP...!
What else is new.
I remember his father, who ran around supporting Hillarycare, stating that "everybody will have to have " health insurance, whether they wanted it or not.
Something tells me he will be a one term Senator from Rhode Island.
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