Chafee: The Republican's Lieberman

[rusty charly]

This year, the group's top priority is defeating Chafee, who angered many Republicans by voting against President Bush's tax cuts and then casting a write-in vote for the president's father in the last election. The Club has helped Cranston, R.I., Mayor Stephen Laffey raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to unseat Chafee, and polls show the two Republicans running even a month before the Sept. 12 primary.

The prospect of a Laffey win worries national Republicans, who consider Chafee the party's best bet for holding the seat in a heavily Democratic state. Polls show Laffey trailing far behind the leading Democratic candidate, former Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/REPUBLICAN_INFIGHTING?SITE=NJASB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Greeby]

1. Total role-reversal

Getting thrown out for voting AGAINST the war :crazy:

[blue2helix]

2. What is Chafee's politics?

What is Chafee's politics (other than being a moderate republican)? Do you think he will survive the primary?

[Eric J in MN]

3. Some of Lincoln Chaffee's positons

From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Chafee

Chafee strongly supports legal abortion and gay rights (including same-sex marriage rights, currently the only Republican Senator to do so), more federal funding for health coverage, and strong environmental protection. He also supports an increase in the federal minimum wage.

On June 22, 2006, Chafee was the only Republican to vote for the Levin amendment calling for a non-binding timetable for a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. He voted against the Kerry amendment calling for a binding timetable.

Chafee supports affirmative action and gun control. Chafee was one of only two Republicans to vote against the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which banned lawsuits against gun manufacturers and distributors for the criminal acts of third parties. He was also one of the few Republicans to vote against allowing drilling in ANWR. On June 27, 2006, Chafee was one of only three Republicans to vote against the proposed Flag Desecration Amendment.

Chafee opposes eliminating the estate tax and voted against both the tax cut bills of 2001 and 2003. He is the only Republican to vote in favor of reinstating the top federal tax rate of 39.6% on upper-income payers. These positions make his voting record among the most liberal of the Republicans in the Senate (see<2>).

[rusty charly]

5. sure looks like "party purification" to me

whadd'ya think?

[Eric J in MN]

10. Yes, and I bet conservative Cal Thomas will denounce "Taliban" Republicans

...who vote against Chaffee, just like he denounced "Taliban Democrats" who voted against Lieberman.

(sarcasm)

[MoonRiver]

4. A MAJOR difference though is that Dems won't support him.

R.I. Dems have figured out that taking back the Senate is more important than the good old boy system. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE RHODE ISLAND!

[calico1]

11. He should have taken Jeffords advice

and gone Independent. Sticking with the Republican party was not good thinking on his part, being from such a Blue state.

[MoonRiver]

12. I never understood his stubborn refusal to do that.

He complained bitterly about bush and the extremist Repukes, while completely supporting Jeffords' switch to Indy. Yet he just couldn't bring himself to switch. Very bad choice.

[calico1]

13. According to one article I read, he

supposedly felt very guilty about leaving the party that his father was from and from whom he took over the Senate seat after he died. Which makes no sense to me. If his father was the same type of Republican as he is then he wouldn't be happy with the party now either. So now instead he is facing losing his seat. Not too smart.

[MoonRiver]

14. I can understand family loyalty and being faithful to his father's legacy.

But I bet his father would have switched under the same circumstances.

[TheFarseer]

6. If going after Lieberman

is proof positive that there is no room for disagreement among Democrats, what would this be? Do you think Sean Hanitty will be foaming at the mouth and yelling at guests about bipartisanship if Chafee gets beat?

[rusty charly]

7. Chaffe should run as an Ind.

THAT would be amusing to watch.

:popcorn:

[TheFarseer]

8. that would really be something

to have 2 elections like that in the same year, and serve to nullify any talk of anyone not being tolerant enough of different opinions, although I'm sure Hanitty could rationalize it somehow.

[opihimoimoi]

9. Whitehouse(D) is currently leading in polls in R. I.

Looks like we gonna get one back from the Pubs...

Carl Sheeler(D) is nowhere in sight at 8%.....Primary in Sept and Whitehouse has big lead.

[Lefty48197]

15. Chafee votes for dipshits like Trent Lott and Dr. Fristenstein to lead the

Senate. At least Joe never did that. Not yet anyways.

[skipos]

16. WE WANT LAFFEY TO WIN THE REPUB PRIMARY

Whitehouse (D) has a much better chance against Laffey than Chafee in the general election

[Awsi Dooger]

17. Chafee apparently won the first debate a few days ago

That's the impression I got from sampling a few Rhode Island sites. Even the most ardent Laffey supporters were calling it a draw.

Weird, it was a radio debate. There are three more debates scheduled, the next on Thursday.

Some of the Laffey supporters were insisting Chafee won only due to low expectations going into the debate. Laffey's reputation is for feistiness and Chafee for being more mild mannered, but Chafee reportedly was atypically aggressive during the first debate.

This cracked me up; one of Laffey's big selling points from his years as mayor of Cranston is he fired old lady crossing guards to save money.

[newsguyatl]

18. chafee's more of a democrat than many "democrats"