Chafee's Perfect Record on Judicial Filibusters

Confirm Them ^ | 9-10-06 | Andrew Hyman

[TitansAFC]

On Tuesday, the GOP primary in Rhode Island pits Sen. Lincoln Chafee against Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey. Whatever else may be said about Chafee, he has been a very reliable vote against obstructionist filibusters of judicial nominees. He's voted for cloture all 25 times (see details below the fold).

According to Rasmussen, Chafee has pulled to within two points of Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse in his bid for re-election (i.e. 44% for Whitehouse and 42% for Chafee). Whitehouse previously had a six point lead. But Chafee must first face off against Laffey, on Tuesday. Rasmussen has Whitehouse leading Laffey 58% to 31%.

The latest news about the Tuesday primary in Rhode Island is here. Contributions to Chafee can be made here. The latest polls for the Tuesday primary show a toss-up (see here and here).

Chafee has voted for cloture in all 25 votes on judicial nominees from 2003 until now:

67-30 for Kavanaugh 72-25 for Alito 67-32 for Pryor 65-32 for Brown 81-18 for Owen 53-44 for McKeague 54-44 for Griffin 52-46 for Saad 53-44 for Myers 53-43 for Brown 53-43 for Kuhl 53-42 for Owen 51-43 for Pryor 54-43 for Pickering 53-44 for Pryor 55-43 for Estrada 53-43 for Owen 52-45 for Owen 54-43 for Estrada 52-39 for Estrada 52-44 for Owen 55-44 for Estrada 55-45 for Estrada 55-42 for Estrada 55-44 for Estrada

[TitansAFC]

To be fair, Chafee has been an ally on some important votes - far more of an ally than Sheldon Whitehouse would ever be.

With Steve Laffey openly calling for the removal of Donald Rumsfeld, his criticism of the war, and his vehement declaration that he is "not a Conservative," would it not be in our best interests to keep the seat in Rhode Island? Even if it means voting for a RINO over a "not conservative" candidate with the ultimate idea of keeping the seat?

Discuss, Freepers! I know this is a hot topic on this blog, especially with the Tuesday primary!!

[Gordongekko909]

I'd take him over a RI Dem any day of the week, but I'd like to see him primary'd.

[TitansAFC]

Between you and me (and everyone reading this), I hope Chafee keeps the seat in RI. There is just too much at stake right now.

And with Justice Stevens to turn 87 years old.......Bush with two more years in office to name that potential replacement.....

I am hoping for a lot of nose-holding Chafee voters.

Sad, but true.

[lilylangtree]

Lincoln Chaffee like Arlen Specter are RATS calling themselves pubby (RINOs). Chaffee like Specter keeps screwing pubbies over.

[Hawthorn]

>> I hope Chafee keeps the seat in RI. There is just too much at stake right now. <<

There's a lot of truth in what you say, and I can't say I disagree.

On the other hand, do we really want Chafee to stay around and accumulate so much seniority that he eventually becomes a committee chairman?

For me, it's a genuine dilemma. Glad I'm not a R.I. voter!

[got_moab?]

Both votes in my house will be going to Laffey on Tuesday. Last week my wife and I were talking about how we would vote in the general election if Laffey lost, I was leaning towards holding my nose and voting Chafee. The next day he blocked Boltons committee vote and lost my support, its time for Linc to go.

[hnj_00]

sometimes it is better to go with the devil that you know...chaffee (rino) sucks but if it chaffee or a lib/dem that may determine holding the senate...it is better for Rhode Islanders to hold their nose and vote for him!

[TitansAFC]

---"The next day he blocked Boltons committee vote and lost my support..."---

I know. It's like he's suicidal, got_moab?. He boggles the mind with this move.

Still. I just forsee a scenario where after 50+ years of judicial activism we finally have a shot at a 5-4 majority in the Supreme Court, finally - and then Sheldon Whitehouse votes against filibuster cloture on Bush's nominee and we fall one vote short of getting a floor vote.

It's almost like I have maybe two uses in the whole world for Lincoln Chafee (votes for GOP chairs and majority, and breaking filibusters), but I still have to pull for the guy just for those two reasons because of Stevens' age, Ginsberg's health, Souter's preparations for retirement.....

sigh./

[oldtimer]

But Bolton is still there, and that's what counts.

IMO Chafee is playing the game.

If I lived in RI, like somebody said, I would hold my nose and vote for him.

The alternative is still one more communist rat.

[tennmountainman]

What are you afraid of? If the democrats will the senate...they will have to have 60 votes too. Right? So whats the difference between the GOP need for 60 votes to get anything done and the Democrats need to get 60 votes to make things happen.

Explain the difference.

[originalbuckeye]

I can't say because I don't live in RI. Do you think the seat would be better in the hands of a Dem? From what I have read Laffey can't win the general election. Don't you think it would be better to have a RINO than a Dem?

[originalbuckeye]

The difference is that the MSM (who still wield much power in this country) will pound US for obstructionism and many people will agree. They don't care about Dem obstructionism because that keeps us from getting done the things we want.

[SaxxonWoods]

The difference?

With 51 Senators, your party appoints all the committee chairs, and committee chairs wield a lot of power, and can stop legislation dead, by holding it in committee, as well as cause other mischief.

Also, it is not true that it takes 60 votes to get "anything" done, it takes 60 votes on certain issues to get things done. The Repubs have never had 60 votes, yet we have Sam Alito and John Roberts on the Supreme Court, and tax cuts were passed, for example.

Also, super-majorities are built by big-tent parties, it is a lot easier to get from 55 to 60, than from 49 to 60.

Pure parties are ALWAYS minority parties. You will never rule a free nation of 300 million people with a pure party. Some compromise is essential. For illustration, what has happened to the Dems as they have become more pure? In the mid-60s, when they held 67 Senate seats, the Dems had a strong moderate/conservative wing. As that wing has diminished, Dem majorities have become Dem minorities.

In liberal states, and only liberal Republicans are electable. Conceeding such states to the Dems is not wise.

If steak is not available, eat hamburger over tripe every time. Pure parties are minority parties.

[got_moab?]

The whole Laffey has no chance in November thing is just a bit over blown. Surely Chafee would have a better shot but Laffey will get a considerable bump should he win on Tuesday. The Dem candidate, former A.G. Sheldon Whitehouse, lost the 2002 Gubenatorial primary to Myrth York who subsequently lost the general election to a Conservative Republican, Don Carcieri.
Laffey will most likely drop bombs on Whitehouse in the debates and his ground game is second to none. While I certainly understand the argument that a RINO is better than a Dem, I personally feel that Lincoln Chafee is a straight up Liberal and being that I consider my self a Conservative first and a Republican second I don't think I can pull the lever for a guy whose beliefs are so diametrically opposed to mine.

[samadams2000]

Another gift from Rino Andy Card. Thanks Andy!

[Soul Seeker]

With Steve Laffey openly calling for the removal of Donald Rumsfeld, his criticism of the war, and his vehement declaration that he is "not a Conservative," would it not be in our best interests to keep the seat in Rhode Island? Even if it means voting for a RINO over a "not conservative" candidate with the ultimate idea of keeping the seat?

Impartial are we? LOL

Well, two can play the game.

With an Incumbent Liberal Senator openly refusing to vote for his party's Presidential candidate, with his outright refusal to vote for the war, with a politician who not only claims he's not conservative but actually has the liberal legislative record to prove it, and is NOT guarenteed re-election would it not be in our best interests to remove a possible redux of Jim Jeffords and use the feet on the ground and financial resources to save Sentaors like Burns, Talent, Santorum and elect challengers in more conservative states?

Yes, some of us can play the game too. :-)

[DIRTYSECRET]

You people are out of touch if you want Chaffee. Stevens is 87? What does that have to do with Chaffee who votes against the GOP? You should direct your anger at those who chose not to run and thereby gave seats to the dems. I'm thinking Florida, Illinois, and Wisconson. If the best candidates don't run the Rats are free to run their own mouths to no end. Hopefully Chaffee will lose on tuesday and I don't care what the fallout effect is, And what if he wins and the end result is a 50-50 Senate? I know exactly what he will do. Get real.

[Criminal Number 18F]

I assume that this post originated with the NRSC, which is pouring resources into this primary and letting other bealeaguered Republicans hang.

The committee has also announced that if Laffey wins, they won't support him -- no money, no volunteers, no visits from popular Republicans, nothing. That's not as big as it sounds, as under Dole the committee generally only supports those Republicans who are leading in their races -- it's pretty much a slush fund for secure incumbents.

They haven't announced that Libby Dole (the disastrous, ineffectual figurehead of NRSC) is actually pulling for Whitehouse, but he's a lot closer to her personal politics than Laffey is -- or Reagan for that matter.

Chafee's votes on judges indicate nothing except that this is an issue that he personally doesn't care about at all.

My prediction is that Laffey will win the primary, the NRSC will indeed cut him off, and Whitehouse will cruise to a victory thanks in large part to Republican spite.

The bottom line is that the incumbents of both parties have more in common with the other members of the club -- of whichever party, they don't care as long as the money is rolling in -- than they do with the subjects.

Any defeat for an incumbent is a win for America.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[ivy]

To me, a RINO from liberal New England is far more palatable than one from a conservative state like Arizona.

Sometimes you have to actually take what you can get.

[Criminal Number 18F]

I still have to pull for the guy just for those two reasons because of Stevens' age, Ginsberg's health, Souter's preparations for retirement.

I can't get excited about it because of Bush's past nominations and his personnel choices in general. This is the guy who stood by Underperformin' Norman Mineta, and who tried to foist Harriet Miers on us, and who did put ICE in the hands of an unqualified bimbo who got the job Monica fashion by banging somebody -- although in her case it wasn't even a politician, but a politician's flunky. (And the nominee, Julie Myers, has been as bad in the post as everyone feared).

So, Democrats may take the Senate. They may turn down a brilliant Bush choice for the court. Heck, the Republicans (particularly Frist) have not been dependable even on those rare occasions when Bush has nominated someone good.

And the Bolton wobble shows that Chaffee could easily choke on a judge, if it was a matter that could get him face time on TV or a fawning profile in the ProJo.

Lincoln Chaffee represents no one but himself and his own strange expectations of unearned entitlement. Let him go get a job for the first time in his out-of-touch life.

The guy who benefits may be a Democrat, but at least he has the balls to accept the label. If Lincoln Chaffee has any balls he better spit 'em out -- they're not his.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F