Chafee Calls for DeLay to Answer Critics (CQ)

[jefferson_dem]

CQ (via DCCC blog):

A second Senate Republican facing a difficult election next year suggested Monday that House Majority Leader Tom DeLay needs to do more to address ethics accusations leveled against him recently.

"We've got to uphold the highest standards of legality and ethics,'' Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., said Monday. "You can't have your leader under a cloud. It makes it difficult to run."

<SNIP>

In Rhode Island, two politically experienced Democrats - Rhode Island Secretary of State Matt Brown and former state Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse - appear ready to fight for the chance to take on Chafee next year.

Political analysts say it is prudent for Republicans running for re-election in 2006 to anticipate attacks from Democrats if they fail to speak out against DeLay.

http://blog.dccc.org/mt/archives/002594.html

http://www.cq.com/

[Chico Man]

1. Whitehouse supported Dean

He came to a few of our Rhode Island for Dean meetups.

[w4rma]

2. So Chafee is only worried about how DeLay is making it harder for his own

campaign rather than DeLay's actual actions. That guy is no moderate.

[spotbird]

3. Yawn....

He is starting to act like McCain, distracting his constituency from his support for the administration with apparently moderate proclamations. It must work.

[WhoDaThunk]

6. chafee & the administration

But Chafee doesn't particularly support the administration, does he? Wasn't that the point of him admitting he wasn't voting for/supporting Bush in the election? I was also under the impression that his voting record was pretty decent. It'd have to be, for him to survive in RI as he has. From what I had gathered, a lot of the beef against him is that he doesn't just go ahead and switch party affiliation and do his part to give the Democrats the numbers to claim a majority.

[spotbird]

11. So what?

He didn't support Kerry.

Chafee votes with the Republicans on every major issue that is important to the Republicans, which means he votes against the majority of Americans. He deserves no Democratic support, NONE. We need to call him on what he is so his constituents know that supporting Chafee is supporting the destruction of the US economy and safety net. Chafee is very effective at concealing his true loyalty.

[WhoDaThunk]

14. chafee votes

No, actually, he doesn't vote the party line often. Not often at all, in fact. Actually look at his record before you make statements like that, please. People pay attention to frequent posters and might tend to take you at your word.

For 2003/2004, he got consistent ratings of 80-100% for voting on women's issues, including high ratings from various women's business organizations, and most important, a 100% rating from the *National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League* in 2004. That's not the party line.

In 2003/2004 he got consistently high ratings of 80% or higher from various wildlife and animal rights organizations.

He also broke party lines when he voted against the shrub's constitutional gay marriage ban.

I'm not saying we should spread any Chafee love around here. I'm just saying that if we're going to comment on anyone's record, Repuke or Democrat, we should do it accurately or we do everyone here a disservice.

[TheFarseer]

16. I'd rather we devote money to pry Santorum

and Delay and Norm Coleman out of office than people who aren't that much of a threat like Chafee, McCain, Spectre and so forth.

[Toby109]

4. Sounds like he's providing Shays

some cover.

[xxqqqzme]

5. Is this in exchange

for a vote approving bolton?

'OK, Linc, U can go out there & do an ethics call for roachman but we gotta have your vote on bolton.'

[spotbird]

12. DeLay is going down with or without Chafee.

If this is a trade the honorable thing to do would be for him to protect the UN, we're getting the short end.

He isn't accusing DeLay of anything, only requesting DeLay answer his critics. That isn't courageous.

[Beetwasher]

7. Damn Liberals Plotting Against Delay!

n/t

[ClarkUSA]

8. Chafee is playing two sides of the fence

He supports Bolton.

[Demeter]

9. Chaffee Needs to Do More to Address Ethics Concerns!

First, he can organize the GOP to boot DeLay out of the Senate. Next, he can organize a GOP move to impeach the Executive Branch, en toto. Third, he can resign and thank his star he didn't get swept up in the traitors' roundup.

[Skidmore]

13. I think some of these guys are going to help *

hang Delay out to dry in exchange for hustling Negroponte and Bolton through the approval processes.

[wallwriter]

10. Whatever the reason,

another repuke coming out against delay is a fine thing.

[TahitiNut]

15. Advocacy of softer whips for beating women doesn't make someone a feminist

That's Lincoln Chaffee - the softer, kinder corporatist predator. Fuck him.