Lincoln Chafee: 'I'm running' and here's why

CNN ^ | 04-16-2015 | By Jedd Rosche and Dan Merica

[Red Badger]

Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee said Thursday on CNN that he's running for the Democratic nomination for president, just a week after announcing he formed an exploratory committee, his most definitive statement he's made toward formalizing a 2016 campaign.

"Yes, that's why I'm running. Because I feel strong about where we're going as a country," Chafee told CNN's "New Day" on Thursday, when asked why he's been so critical of Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Chafee was asked by CNN's John Berman in the context of having not formally declared his presidential campaign.

Chafee spokeswoman Debbie Rich said Chafee did not declare himself as a candidate for president Thursday, despite saying "that's why I'm running."

"We are still in the exploratory committee phase," she told CNN in a phone interview, adding, "We will file the proper papers to be an official candidate, but that has not happened yet."

Chafee, a former Republican and former senator, announced he was forming an exploratory committee last week. Chafee's been differentiating himself from fellow Democratic primary contenders by taking sharp jabs at Clinton, willing to be more critical than would-be challengers former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley or former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb over her vote in Congress to authorize the war in Iraq.

"That was a moment where the premise for going to Iraq was so false that there were weapons of mass destruction; she didn't do her homework. We live with the ramifications," Chafee told CNN's "State of the Union" over the weekend. "You may say that's 12 years ago — that's a big motivator for me running. If you show a lack of judgment, lack of doing homework then, what can we expect in the future?"

[alstewartfan]

I do like Link’s campaign slogan, “Hillary tells more lies in a week than I do in a month.” I think that the drones will be impressed. Bob

[MaxMax]

Because I feel strong about where we're going as a country

Socialism, Fascism, Marxism, Communism. What's not to like about where we're going?

[Dave W]

The problem is the money being raised has to be for either primary or general. The beast is raising money for the primaries now. She’s going to raise a billion anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.

[Dave W]

You may have missed it, but there was a big article in the Washington Post and WSJ about 6 to 8 months ago. In fact, it was on the front page and was the main headline, that it was finally revealed that WMD were found in Iraq and a lot of them. They were in multiple places all across the country and if I remember correctly were discovered 3 or 4 years after the initial invasion.

Now hang on and watch your jaw drop. The Bush administration decided not to announce the discoveries and chose to keep it secret because they did not want to bring back the bad memories associated with invading Iraq. Apparently, Karl Rove is the one who pushed to keep it secret so no one would be reminded of any unpleasantness. I don't blame Karl, because ultimately it was Bush who went along to keep it a secret.

I can't remember how these papers were discovered and who disclosed it, but yes, they were discovered. Apparently, our troops came in contact with many of these weapons and did not know it and were never told.

Rush talked about it over a period of a week or so and I think National Review did an article or two on it, but I never heard it anywhere else. I know it was in the Wash Post because I saw it, but I have no idea where else the story showed up.

[VerySadAmerican]

Lincoln Chafee - son of a rino.

[BobL]

I’ve DEFENDED a number of RINOs on this site - people like Kay and the Maine twins.

But Chaffee was in a class by himself. He was HORRENDOUS as a Republican, at best he would have fit as a mainstream Democrat politically...not even a conservative Democrat.

So what did the Republican ESTABLISHMENT do when he was up for re-election in 2006? They dumped MILLIONS into his campaign and even President Bush campaigned for him. And even that couldn’t save him - he never had a chance.

...this is where REPUBLICAN MONEY was spent. There were OTHER REPUBLICANS in close races that could have used some help, and most of them had a history of voting Republican, at least once in a while.

So go ahead Chafee - give them hell!

[1010RD]

Hyper sexualized, youth oriented, police state, yep.

[RichInOC]

MOAR CLOWN CAR!

[Theodore R.]

He declined to run for reelection in RI because he was unpopular...but now he wants to run for President?

Sounds like you were thinking of his good neighbor Mitt. Republican primary voters fell for the scam; could the Demos?

[Theodore R.]

Rhode Islanders are very easily fooled too.

[RginTN]

The gopE have a problem now...chaffey is one of them but what if jeb bush declares...oh the dilemma!

[NonValueAdded]

He’s just in it for the buffet. /Shanklin

[2ndDivisionVet]

[AmericanExceptionalist]

At least there is this: Lincoln Chafee is officially a Democrat.

When he was officially a Republican (not so very long ago), the term, "RINO" (or "Republocrat," to use the older term) really seemed too nice to describe him accurately...

[lowbridge]

“If you show a lack of judgment, lack of doing homework then, what can we expect in the future?”

Exactly.

Switched from the republican party to the ddemocratic party, have we?

[Red Badger]

He’s a true liberal, Northeast Corridor edition...............

[Red Badger]

Pat Paulsen would make a great president.................

[Red Badger]

Arlen Specter....................Part Dos...........

[GreenHornet]

I’ wondering if he is being sent out there by the party to provide Hillary with token competition so they can say “See? It wasn’t a coronation....Hillary had to fight for the nomination.”

[Red Badger]

Possible, but he’s really just enhancing his own resume as a ‘Former Presidential Contender’ in future references from now till forever..................