Posted on 10/25/2006 10:28:25 AM PDT by Anita1
Lincoln Chafee, the only Republican U.S. senator to vote against the Iraq war, often breaks ranks with his party to survive in one of the nation's most liberal states.
But in two weeks Rhode Island may break ranks with Chafee, ousting one of the most moderate voices in the Republican Party and handing the Democrats one of six key seats needed to seize control of the Senate...
Trailing by four to 11 points in recent polls, Chafee is stressing his unique brand of Republicanism - from championing environmental issues to fighting Bush's tax cuts, pressing for direct talks with Iran, opposing Bush's Supreme Court nominee and even voting against Bush in the 2004 election.
(Excerpt) Read more at today.reuters.com ...
His strength, he says, is in his capacity to build bridges in a divided Congress.
In an interview with Reuters, the soft-spoken 53-year-old scion of a revered Rhode Island Republican family and son of the late veteran Republican Sen. John Chafee, said his good relations with both parties has delivered dividends in his seven years in office...
IF he goes down in flames, I won't shed a tear. And take Kean Jr. with ya.
Chafee is stressing his unique brand of Republicanism - from championing environmental issues to fighting Bush's tax cuts, pressing for direct talks with Iran, opposing Bush's Supreme Court nominee and even voting against Bush in the 2004 election.
LOL! I really don't think the words Chaffee and Republican should be used in the same sentence.
I am still pissed that the RNSCC spent its money on Chafee to defeat Laffey. This seat deserves to go down. He won't vote GOP in a 50/50 Senate anyway, so we don't need him--and it will be good to get him off of committees as a member of the majority.
Even if he's #50.
Bingo.
Vote for him!!!! I know he is horrible, but Whitehouse is WORSE!!!! Seriously I am not saying this just to be funny. His view on Iraq and terrorism is scary. He has no concept of the seriousness of War on Terror. I am not being unfair in my views of Whitehouse either.
Laffey was a hack, but at least a semi-conservative one.
Let this be a lesson to all RINOS. Either you are with us, or you are against us. Good riddance to the backstabber.
He's jeffords-esque.
Adios Amigo! He's been an obstructionist with a "R" by his name so now we can have an obstructionist with a "D" by their name with no difference.
Not that he really was on our team.
R.I.N.O. He is an eastern elite only thing lacking is his dem label.
He's not a RINO, he's a "Democrat In All, BUT Name."
Get rid of him. We don't need republicans. We need conservatives, and he isn't. Bye.
I agree. Better to be loyal to principle than to power.
I think Chafee will fight back and win the election, remember the primary where Laffey had a huge lead in the polls which evaporated once the actual results came in. I support Chafee over whitehouse, any Republican is preferrable to a Dem, unless the Dem is Zell miller or similar.
Apparently one of the dividends hasn't been loyalty from either party.
The Dems stuck a knife in his back as payment for helping them. He gets what he deserves.
Why the hell a Democrat would vote for Demo-lite when they can vote for the real thing is beyond me.
Same for Republicans.
Pray tell what's the difference...R.I.N.O.=Republican In Name Only...
People who slam members of their party who are more liberal or conservative than theirs or what they like from other states usually are pretty ignorant of the differences of geography, society and economy.
While their guy may be the next Jesse Helms, and they think everyone everywhere should be, they fail to understand that in some places a person like that is DOA. They think the "true conservative" or "true liberal" can win anywhere, just they never get a chance... because the party or the media or whatever other little green man prevents them from doing so.
Reality is, this is not the case. Jesse Helms could no more be elected in MASS or NY or CT than Pelosi could be in GA, MS or SC. While I'm no fan of many politicians that are in the Republican party for various views they hold, to expect an R Senator from RI to be a hard core ideological movement conservative is insane the state just doesn't elect those sorts of folks statewide.
Now a more interesting race that RI IMHO is NJ.. if the R's pull out the win because of people being sick of the D corruption.... Thats a HUGE COUP!.. and will kill speculation of a D takeover of the Senate before 9 or 10pm election night.
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