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Chafee Considers Leaving GOP
AOL NEWS ^ | 11/10/06 | michelle r. smith

Posted on 11/10/2006 5:29:10 AM PST by NYC Republican

Two days after losing a bid for a second term, Sen. Lincoln Chafee said he was unsure whether he would remain a Republican.

Two days after failing to secure another term, Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee considers leaving the Republican Party.

Chafee lost to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse in a race seen as a referendum on President Bush and the GOP. On Thursday, he was asked whether he would stick with the Republican Party or become an independent or Democrat.

"I haven't made any decisions. I just haven't even thought about where my place is," Chafee said at a news conference. When pressed on whether his comments indicated he might leave the GOP, he replied: "That's fair."

Chafee, 53, is a lifelong Republican who has represented Rhode Island for seven years. His father held the same seat for 23 years before that.

He is the most liberal Republican in the Senate and was the sole Senate Republican to vote against the war in Iraq. But that was not enough to prevail against Whitehouse, who shared many of Chafee's views but was a Democrat in a heavily Democratic state.

Chafee said his loss may have helped the country by switching control of Congress.

"The people have spoken all across America. They want the Democrats and Republicans to work together," he said. "I think the president now is going to have to talk to the Democrats. I think that's going to be good for America."

Chafee said he waged a lonely campaign to bring the party to the middle. He described attending weekly lunches with fellow GOP senators and standing up to argue his point of view, often alone.

"There were times walking into my caucus room where it wasn't fun," he said, adding that he stayed with the GOP largely because it allowed him to bring federal dollars home to Rhode Island.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Rhode Island
KEYWORDS: ambassadortosudan; buhbyeahole; dontletthedoor; gayrinos; getlostloser; goodriddance; makeratstew; politicalbackstabber; rino; thanksforallyourhelp; whofriggincaresloser
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To: theDentist

There must be some joke about Lincoln in the Whitehouse bedroom or Whitehouse in the Lincoln bedroom in there.


61 posted on 11/10/2006 7:00:04 AM PST by ichabod1 ("For make benefit of Our Glorious Socializt Revolution")
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To: NYC Republican

Yes, will you PLEASE leave?!?!


62 posted on 11/10/2006 7:01:21 AM PST by patriot preacher
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To: Alberta's Child

Other than that, Mrs. Chafee, how was the election?


63 posted on 11/10/2006 7:01:40 AM PST by ichabod1 ("For make benefit of Our Glorious Socializt Revolution")
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To: NYC Republican

Buh bye traitor...


64 posted on 11/10/2006 7:03:21 AM PST by Doctor Raoul (Difference between the CIA and the Free Clinic is that the Free Clinic knows how to stop a leak.)
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To: Fester Chugabrew
Is Whitehouse considered to be more conservative than Chafee? I thought he carried himself well in a debate on C-SPAN, with Chafee appearing as an annoying twit.

I think he is.

65 posted on 11/10/2006 7:11:55 AM PST by pray4liberty (School District horrors: http://totallyunjust.tripod.com)
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To: floridareader1
The GOP shouldn't wait...kick him out today.

DITTO!!!:):)

Nancee

PS The Gop shouldn't have wasted either a minute or a dime on this guy in the first place. How many times has he absolutely frustrated progress in the right direction??

66 posted on 11/10/2006 7:16:28 AM PST by Nancee
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To: OB1kNOb

Bookmark for future use as Exhibit A next time pseudo-conservatives argue to vote the party and not the candidate.


67 posted on 11/10/2006 7:20:47 AM PST by OB1kNOb (This is no time for bleeding hearts, pacifists, and appeasers to prevail in free world opinion.)
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To: NYC Republican
Leaving the party?

Oh no!... HINT:YOU HAVE BEEN FIRED BOZO! :)

68 posted on 11/10/2006 7:22:01 AM PST by ElPatriota (Let's not forget, we are all still friends despite our differences)
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To: NYC Republican

How much money did the RNC waste on this guy in the primaries and the general election? A few hunder thousand extra bucks might have helped in Montana and Virginia. We need to do some serious house cleaning.


69 posted on 11/10/2006 7:23:27 AM PST by jsmaineconservative
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To: NYC Republican
Bye!

Nancee

70 posted on 11/10/2006 7:27:11 AM PST by Nancee
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To: NYC Republican
Dear Lincoln:

Bye bye now. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Oh and thanks for the support.

Best Wishes,

RINO Hater from Tennessee

71 posted on 11/10/2006 7:30:14 AM PST by Volunteer (Just so you know, I am ashamed the Dixie Chicks make records in Nashville.)
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To: NYC Republican

Hey, I'm starting to feel better!


72 posted on 11/10/2006 10:02:23 AM PST by Niteranger68 (Big winners of election 2006: Democrats, terrorists, MSM, Hollywood, anti-war protestors, etc.)
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To: Clintonfatigued

Chafee was Republican? LOL


73 posted on 11/10/2006 10:08:38 AM PST by nutmeg (In 2008 we will crush the Democrats like the cockroaches they are! -- Mark Levin 11-8-06)
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To: NYC Republican

So Long


74 posted on 11/10/2006 10:09:19 AM PST by JIM O
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To: NYC Republican

Yo Chafe.... don't let the screen door hit you in a**!!!


75 posted on 11/10/2006 10:30:56 AM PST by Pro-Life Jihad
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To: NYC Republican
It was guaranteed the Dems got it without him. Just brilliant, wasn't it?
76 posted on 11/10/2006 10:32:49 AM PST by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: NYC Republican

We'll miss you, Chaffee....NOT


77 posted on 11/12/2006 3:59:52 PM PST by pray4liberty (School District horrors: http://totallyunjust.tripod.com)
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