Posted on 11/12/2006 4:09:19 AM PST by Mobile Vulgus
Holding to the Center, Losing My Seat By Lincoln D, Chafee
LAST Tuesday, I was one of the many moderate Republican casualties of the anti-Bush virulence that swept the country. Despite my having voted against the Iraq war resolution, my reputation for independence, the editorial endorsement of virtually every newspaper in my state, and a job approval rating of 63 percent, I did not win. Why?
Back in December 2000, after one of the closest elections in our nation’s history, Vice President-elect Dick Cheney was the guest at a weekly lunch meeting of a small group of centrist Republicans. Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and I were honored to have the opportunity to visit with him on the eve of a session of Congress in which, because of Republican defeats, the Senate would be evenly divided at 50-50.
(read rest of this laugherRest of story)
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Like the rest of the America hating left, he blames Bush.
The man is a wuss--whatever that means--or worse. He is the only so called Repub I am glad lost. His vote was always with the Dems.
vaudine
The truth is Linc, that if your going to have a liberal represent you then you might as well have the real thing. You lost because you are a loser, you didn't even bother to stand up for the party you were supposed to represent. Independent? HA! You were a reliable vote against everything the republicans believe in.
Judas Jeffords and Lincoln Chaffee were never centerists. They might properly be described as turds in the punch bowl. Too much sugar might be unhealthy, but it adds flavor. Lime slices might be healthy, but they are mainly for decoration rather than part of the punch. Floating turds add neither flavor nor decoration.
Chaffee and Jeffords were "moderates" like Lowell Weicker was a moderate. Guys with ACU ratings like theirs are not moderate.
Chaffee had an approval rating of 63? Either that number was bogus or too many of those 63% of Rhode Islanders didnt show up to vote I guess.
Lost his seat???
Why is he so upset about that - he lost his testicles years ago and it doesn't seem to bother him at all!
I do not see why Frist cannot take his seat from him during this lame duck session in the Senate, so we can confirm Bolton.
The reason is this: up to 20% of the votes scored by ACU are basically party procedural votes or CYA votes disguised as legislation. This is not knocking the ACU or the validity of the index; it is simply stating a fact which to some extent or other is true in every index. Just as the Soros people beleive they own the Democrats, there are others such as the Chamber of Commerce or American Realtor's Association (albeit to a far lesser extent) who beleive they own the Republicans.
Accordingly, there are one-sided votes where the congressional member will go along with the party line, particularly where it won't make much of a difference to their constituency, just to hike up their rating with their key funding sources.
As proof, you can look at the ratings of Democrats turned Republicans such as former Senators Phil Gramm or Ben Campbell or Republicans turned Democrat such as Judas Jeffords and compare their before and after the switch ratings. Their views really haven't changed that much, neither has their constituency, but the funding mix of which organizations support them plus who they work with has changed, often dramatically.
The rule does not generally apply to those either on the soldidly conservative (80%) side or solidly leftist (20%) side of the index. The reason is because these people are so solidly in one camp or the other that colleagues and funding sources are unlikely to influence them. This isn't to say they won't get funding from friendly sources, particularly in close races or other sources of payback, it is simply that unfriendly sources won't send them a dime because their chances of influence are zilch. Thus, NARL will certainly contribute to Ted Kennedy (even though there is zero chance he will ever vote against them) but won't send a dime to Tom Corbun (because there is likewise zero chance he will ever vote with them).
Accordingly, Chaffees real ACU rating is 26-15 = 11%. Specter, who happens to be closer to the 80% would be 64-11 or about 53%, nearly identical to the weak sisters from Maine. Ben Nelson, on the other hand, would get a 60 + 12 = 72% rating once this adjustment is made.
My apologies!
How about this:
Lincoln Chaffee, you are a frigging weenie!
Bye bye Linkie, we'll sure miss you and your RINO cohorts. not.
Jim Hightower
"Chaffee had an approval rating of 63? Either that number was bogus or too many of those 63% of Rhode Islanders didnt show up to vote I guess."
Or that Rhode Island is a very liberal state and they knew that this seat could decide the Senate so decided to vote against a guy they liked so as to get the Senate they wanted.
Interesting stuff.
Hit the road, Linc; you're a loser.
Why did you lose? Because you think that these people are "centrist Republicans."
Republicans don't.
Raed Chaffee's whines here too:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1736890/posts
yeah but you can eat a dead Armadillo
Poor Linc...now he'll be forced to live off of his $150K/yr Senate pension and the trust fund that mommy and daddy set up for him.
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