Sen. Chafee's Wife Tries to Save Re-Election Campaign

1 posted on 04/21/2006 12:50:45 PM PDT by neverdem

I guess that chafes Chaffee's RINO butt that his wife must stoop to such pleading.

2 posted on 04/21/2006 12:53:39 PM PDT by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)

I like the guy running against him. I think Chafee might be out.

3 posted on 04/21/2006 12:54:12 PM PDT by catholicfreeper

That's pretty pathetic.

She's begging Democrats to negate the votes of Republicans in the Republican primary.

And "Linc" doesn't have the balls to sign his own name to the appeal, so he hides behind his wife's skirt.

4 posted on 04/21/2006 12:54:46 PM PDT by dead

In that couple, which one is the wife?:P

5 posted on 04/21/2006 12:55:14 PM PDT by John Geyer

I know Chaffee is a Dem in disguise, but isn't his vote important to make sure the Republicans hold the committee chairs, etc.? Does his Republican opponent have any chance of winning?

6 posted on 04/21/2006 12:55:28 PM PDT by Loyal Buckeye

Seems like the wife's got bigger stones than that pissy little man.

7 posted on 04/21/2006 12:55:30 PM PDT by paddles

To: Loyal Buckeye

I was going to ask the same questions. Most likely a conservative republican can't win in that state, so you trade a lib republican for a lib democrat and just lose your voting edge on controlling the Senate.

But I must admit the liberal republicans are an abomination. The bottom line is that unless we get a bigger majority, tossing out all the libs from lib states would probably mean losing control of the Senate.

8 posted on 04/21/2006 12:58:32 PM PDT by Williams

Big signal being sent here....RINO's can become unemployed, despite the party powers that be, check book republicans, and even the President.

9 posted on 04/21/2006 12:59:13 PM PDT by Jim Verdolini (We had it all, but the RINOs stalked the land and everything they touched was as dung and ashes!)

And "Linc" doesn't have the balls to sign his own name to the appeal, so he hides behind his wife's skirt.

The "instinct" of the northeastern RINO.

10 posted on 04/21/2006 12:59:29 PM PDT by CROSSHIGHWAYMAN (Toon Town, Iran...........where reality is the real fantasy.)

Chaffee's got to send his wife out to fight his battles. What a wimp! Why don't you just form your own party, the RINO Party, Linc?

11 posted on 04/21/2006 1:02:43 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Never trust Democrats with national security.)

To: Loyal Buckeye

I know Chaffee is a Dem in disguise, but isn't his vote important to make sure the Republicans hold the committee chairs, etc.? Does his Republican opponent have any chance of winning?

It’s a chance you take, but if you’re going to start suggesting that conservatives shouldn't even vote for like minded candidates in GOP primaries, you may as well just announce the end of conservatism.

12 posted on 04/21/2006 1:02:56 PM PDT by dead

In this case, I heartily support the poaching of an endangered RINO. At the ballot box of course, not with an elephant gun.

13 posted on 04/21/2006 1:04:30 PM PDT by domenad (In all things, in all ways, at all times, let honor guide me.)

14 posted on 04/21/2006 1:05:12 PM PDT by mikeus_maximus (Welcome to Meximerica, courtesy of the GOP.)

To: Loyal Buckeye

I know Chaffee is a Dem in disguise, but isn't his vote important to make sure the Republicans hold the committee chairs, etc.? Does his Republican opponent have any chance of winning?

I don't know. It's a judgment call. But this should be where RINOs get dumped, in the primaries, not in the general election.

The electorate deserves a clear choice, not some dem-light. I'm tired of this too smart by half, calculating BS.

15 posted on 04/21/2006 1:05:28 PM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)

To: Jim Verdolini

Big signal being sent here

Yep. it's an object lesson.

16 posted on 04/21/2006 1:07:03 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Ignore the drive-by media. Build the fence. Sí, Se Puede!)

No sympathy here. The man's a demoncRAT wearing a pubby title. He can take the turncoat Vermonter, who shall be nameless, with him out the door.

17 posted on 04/21/2006 1:10:44 PM PDT by lilylangtree

I am very worried about losing this seat to a Dem. I am surprised we have held onto it as long as we have.

18 posted on 04/21/2006 1:15:44 PM PDT by yellowdoghunter (I sometimes only vote for Republicans because they are not Democrats....by Dr. Thomas Sowell)

My understanding is that not only did his wife tell Democrats how to change their voter registration to Independent, she also explained how they can change it back to Democrat the day after the primary. Those Chafees sure believe in building the RI GOP!

19 posted on 04/21/2006 1:16:22 PM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (http://auh2orepublican.blogspot.com/)

It's not Chaffee vs Laffey, it's Daffy vs Laffey

20 posted on 04/21/2006 1:16:41 PM PDT by Shimmer128

If we in the south can finish off the rest of the RATs in the Senate like Mary Landreu, Blanche Lincoln and the few others, than the North East can have all the RAT Senators they want.

21 posted on 04/21/2006 1:16:53 PM PDT by lormand (...the wrong person came out of the water that fateful night in Chappaquiddick)

This is also what Arlen Specter did.

-PJ

22 posted on 04/21/2006 1:17:48 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too (It's still not safe to vote Democrat.)

To: Shimmer128; All

Laffey is worth consideration.

http://www.electlaffey.com/site/index.php

23 posted on 04/21/2006 1:24:38 PM PDT by GunsareOK

I don't know about you, but I like my democrats on the other side of the aisle, not sneaking around behind my back disguised as a Repub.

24 posted on 04/21/2006 1:24:52 PM PDT by Elpasser

If the Senate went 50-50 with Chaffee re-elected I wouldn't trust him not to pull a "Jeffords".

25 posted on 04/21/2006 1:25:35 PM PDT by Semper Paratus

Long Live the Revolution!!!

That is the The Revolution of Reagan I'm talking about!

26 posted on 04/21/2006 1:28:20 PM PDT by SelectiveJNJ

How does dipping into the Dem cesspool for votes in a Republican primary take stones? Chafee and his wife are both cowards.

27 posted on 04/21/2006 1:30:37 PM PDT by JillValentine (If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran.)

To: Loyal Buckeye

I know Chaffee is a Dem in disguise, but isn't his vote important to make sure the Republicans hold the committee chairs, etc.? Does his Republican opponent have any chance of winning?

Normally, I would agree with you. We should be supporting RINOs like Chaffee, Snowe and Collins for that very reason, i.e., being the majority party in the Senate. We saw what happened when Jeffords switched. That said, Chaffee made it known that he did not vote for Dubya, but rather wrote in Bush 41.

Laffey has a chance, but it is RI. I suspect that we will lose the seat if Chaffee isn't the Rep nominee. Even if he is, we could lose. It is quite possible that Chaffee could run as an independent, which would ensure a GOP defeat.

28 posted on 04/21/2006 1:31:23 PM PDT by kabar

To: yellowdoghunter

I would rather lose the seat than vote for that man (lucky for me I am from NJ...yet again...)

29 posted on 04/21/2006 1:31:46 PM PDT by SelectiveJNJ

To: SelectiveJNJ

Don't worry. With the way Chafee votes, the seat is already lost.

30 posted on 04/21/2006 1:33:16 PM PDT by JillValentine (If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran.)

To: yellowdoghunter

"I am very worried about losing this seat to a Dem."

The Democrats already own this seat; Chafee is a Democrat troll within the GOP that screws us in the three committees on which he sits. We'd be better off if he switched to the Democrats.

I don’t see why Republicans should put any effort into reelecting Lincoln Chafee (RINO-Rhode Island) to the Senate. Chafee votes with the Democrats on just about every vote that counts, and he cannot be counted upon to support Bush’s nominees or even to stay a Republican in the future—if the Senate was 50-50, he would have almost certainly pulled a Jeffords, as he has threatened to do in the past. And with 54 other Republicans in the Senate, the R next to Chafee’s name doesn’t mean squat.

A better solution might be to kick Chafee off of a sub-committee chairmanship or something so that he makes it official and finally leaves the GOP. I assume that the Democrats would discourage other candidates from running in the Democrat primary against someone who recently switched parties in order not to discourage other RINOs from switching, and I think that a Republican Senate candidate with decent name ID would have a good chance of defeating Lincoln Chafee in a general election, especially one in which Governor Don Carcieri (a very popular pro-life conservative) is running for reelection.

Chafee sits in the following committees:

1. Foreign Relations (3rd of 10 Republicans and Chairman of the Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Subcommittee)

2. Environment and Public Works (5th of 10 Republicans, and Chairman of the Superfund and Waste Management Subcommittee)

3. Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (6th of 9 Republicans)

See: http://www.senate.gov/general/committee_assignments/assignments.htm

I’m certain that the GOP would be able to keep its current 2-seat advantage in these committees even if the number of GOP Senators dropped from 55 to 54. In fact, I believe that this could be accomplished by keeping the same number of Republicans and Democrats in the committee, which, given the fact that Chafee has been an imposter on the GOP side, would mean that the GOP would have a net gain of 2 Republicans on those committees (one fewer de facto Democrat and one more real Republican). If the size of the committees was kept the same but Chafee became a Democrat member of the committees, it would benefit the GOP particularly in the Foreign Relations Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee, in which Chafee has seniority and would certainly be given a spot by the Democrats. The lowest-ranking Democrat—in fact, the only first-year Democrat—in each of those committees is one Barack Obama. The Democrats won’t want to drop their “rising star” Obama from those two committees, but none of the other Democrats with more seniority will give up without a fight. Republicans could just sit back and enjoy the show.

But if, instead, the Democrats insisted on each of those committees adding 2 members with the GOP still having a 2-vote advantage (which could happen, since it would mean that the GOP would have closer to 54% of the members of those committees as opposed to a bit over 55%), then the GOP would still have a pickup of two real Republicans. Chafee would join the other Democrats on the committee, but 2 real Republicans would be added to the committee. Obama would stay put, but we would have much stronger control of the agenda of the committees than we currently do.

Stephen Laffey is a candidate whose views are well suited to Rhode Island tastes---he is a bit populist on economics (but not a socialist or union lackey), pro-life on abortion (but not “in-your-face” about it), and a supporter of the military (but not a George W. Bush-type hawk). While, in a vacuum, Laffey is not my ideal candidate by any stretch of the imagination, we must remember that he is running in Rhode Island, a state that gave President Bush under 40% in each of 2000 and 2004, so we cannot run a 100% conservative and expect to win. Laffey is probably like a 75% conservative, which is certainly better than a 25% conservative (if that) in Chafee or a 5% conservative such as the Democrats running for the Senate.

You may wonder why I call Chafee a “25% conservative.” Well, this number comes from the 12 key votes of the 107th Congress selected by Michael Barone for his Almanac of American Politics. The votes prove that Chafee is far too liberal to call himself a Republican. Chafee is markedly more liberal than the other RINO Senators (Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins), as well as far more liberal than schizophrenic Republican John McCain and conservative Democrat Ben Nelson. The 12 votes selected by Barone as representative of the 107th Congress are (1) a $1.35 trillion tax cut over 10 years, (2) expand patients’ rights in dealing with insurers and HMOs, (3) campaign finance reform (“CFR”), (4) permit oil exploration in ANWR, (5) confirm John Ashcroft as Attorney General, (6) withhold funding from schools that prohibit Boy Scouts from using their facilities due to the Boy Scouts’ ban on gay scoutmasters, (7) provide funds for the prosecution of “hate crimes,” (8) provide access to (and funding for) abortions for military personnel and their dependents stationed overseas, (9) prohibit U.S. cooperation with International Criminal Court, (10) extend trade promotion authority, (11) authorize use of U.S. military force against Iraq, and (12) excluding presidential authority to ban union membership for Homeland Security employees. This is a fair collection of issues, with four votes that measure economic conservatism, four that measure social conservatism, and four that measure foreign-relations conservatism.

Chafee voted with the conservatives on just 3 of the 12 votes: (1) He voted for the 2001 Bush tax cut (although he was instrumental in reducing the amount of the tax cut---in fact, Chafee was the first GOP Senator to speak out against it, even before then-Republican Jim Jeffords did), (2) he voted to confirm Ashcroft, and (3) he voted in favor of trade promotion authority. 3 out of 12 is 25%, which is 25% less than how Specter voted (Specter’s 6 conservative votes were (1) tax cuts, (2) ANWR, (3) Ashcroft, (4) hate crimes, (5) trade promotion authority, and (6) Iraq War). Snowe also had 6 conservative votes: (1) tax cuts, (2) Ashcroft, (3) ban cooperation with ICC, (4) trade promotion authority, (5) Iraq War, and (6) deny Homeland Security union. Her Maine colleague Collins had 7 conservative votes, the same 6 that Snowe had plus voting for the Boy Scouts. McCain voted conservative on 9 of the 12 votes, all but (1) expand patients’ rights, (2) CFR and (3) ANWR. And Ben Nelson, in spite of facing pressure from the Democrat leadership to vote the party line, voted conservative on 7 of the 12 votes: (1) (1) tax cuts, (2) CFR, (3) Ashcroft, (4) ban on overseas military abortions, (5) ban cooperation with ICC, (6) trade promotion authority, and (7) Iraq War; had Ben Nelson been a Republican, I think he may have voted the conservative position on 11 or 12 of the 12 votes.

And among the 12 key votes selected by Barone for the 108th Congress, Chafee voted with the conservatives on just 2 occasions (16.7% of the time), while voting with the liberals on 10 occasions (83.3% of the time). Chafee voted against President Bush's 2003 tax-cuts, against Bush's energy bill, against the Medicare prescription drug plan *because it didn't spend enough money*, against drilling for oil in ANWR, against adding flexibility to federal overtime regulations, against the ban on partial birth abortion, against the ban on same-sex marriage, in favor of reapproving the Assault Weapons Ban, in favor of banning bunker-busting bombs, and in favor of a resolution expressing support for Roe v. Wade. Of the 12 key votes, the only times Chafee voted the right way were in favor of funding the Iraq War and against restricting missile defense deployment.

Kicking Chafee out of the party would not have hurt the GOP in any of the 3 key votes from the 107th Congress or 2 key votes from the 108th Congress in which he took the conservative position (even though I think he would have voted as a liberal on all five had he been a Democrat), since the (reduced) tax cuts passed with 62 votes, Ashcroft was confirmed with 58 votes, trade promotion authority was approved 66-30, Iraq War funding was approved by 87-12, and restricting missile defense deployment was defeated by 42-57. Unlike Specter, Snowe and Collins, who vote the conservative position half the time and can at least be counted on to support most of President Bush’s foreign policy, Chafee is predictably liberal across the board. The only use that Chafee had to the GOP was allowing the party to “control” the Senate back when the GOP had 50 or 51 Senators, but now that we have 55 Senators there is really no need to keep him around taking up a GOP spot on three committees (even with our 2-man advantage on those committees, there are tie votes whenever Chafee votes with the Democrats, which is more often than not) and allowing the media to say that “even one Republican Senator refused to vote for President Bush” or to call some ultraliberal measure a “bipartisan bill.”

So I say we kick him out. And if Chafee won’t leave on his own volition, Rhode Island Republican primary voters can make the decision for him by voting for Stephen Laffey in the Republican Senate primary this year.

31 posted on 04/21/2006 1:39:27 PM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (http://auh2orepublican.blogspot.com/)

To: AuH2ORepublican

You convinced me. I was wrong. It is time for him to go, especially if we can still hang on to the Senate without him.

Please know that I have never been a fan of his and would not blink an eye if we were rid of him.

BTW...thanks for that excellent analysis of how Chaffee has screwed us in the past. It also sounds like Chaffee has a real challenger this year. I will be watching the race.

32 posted on 04/21/2006 1:44:35 PM PDT by yellowdoghunter (I sometimes only vote for Republicans because they are not Democrats....by Dr. Thomas Sowell)

fyi, I wasn't suggesting that we (you) should support Chaffee. I was just raising some questions.

Also, I see he came out yesterday or today and blasted GWB. I would prefer he loses if the Republicans still retain control.

33 posted on 04/21/2006 1:52:48 PM PDT by Loyal Buckeye

To: AuH2ORepublican

34 posted on 04/21/2006 1:54:57 PM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)

To: JillValentine

Hey, I have a question for you. Where does your screen name come from? *</:o)

35 posted on 04/21/2006 1:59:12 PM PDT by Theresawithanh (Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I stuck around...)

To: Loyal Buckeye

If his vote was the decider, he's likely to do a Jeffords anyway. He has treatened to do so in the past.

36 posted on 04/21/2006 2:01:03 PM PDT by stop_fascism

So?

What would be the difference?

The Dems give amnesty to 15 million, instead of "only" 12 million, Mexican nationals?

We have enough liberals in the Senate, (nominal) Republicans and Dems.

37 posted on 04/21/2006 2:01:29 PM PDT by Do not dub me shapka broham ("The moment that someone wants to forbid caricatures, that is the moment we publish them.")

"Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee's re-election odds are looking so bleak his wife Stephanie has sent a letter asking friends registered as Democrats .."

Considering RINO Chaffee's inclinations, this could be a lot of people.

38 posted on 04/21/2006 2:02:22 PM PDT by ZULU (Non nobis, non nobis, Domine, sed nomini tuo da gloriam. God, guts, and guns made America great.)

I hope he goes down in flames.

39 posted on 04/21/2006 2:02:38 PM PDT by krunkygirl

To: Loyal Buckeye

fyi, I wasn't suggesting that we (you) should support Chaffee. I was just raising some questions

Understood. I was just responding to your comment, " but isn't his vote important to make sure the Republicans hold the committee chairs, etc.?" I would normally say yes regardless of how he votes because being able to set the Senate's agenda and chair committees are very important.

40 posted on 04/21/2006 2:03:33 PM PDT by kabar

To: Do not dub me shapka broham

The difference is control of the senate. Little things like tax hikes, cuts in defense, no chance of ANWR drilling, an impeachment of the president, sabotaging the war effort. Otherwise, I could care less about a liberal ass like Chafee.

41 posted on 04/21/2006 2:06:50 PM PDT by Williams

To: Do not dub me shapka broham

Dems give us justices like Breyer and Ginsburg. Pubbies give us Roberts and Alito. Dems raise taxes, Pubbies cut them. Pubbies aren't perfect, or great, or ,often, even good; they're just better than the alternative.

42 posted on 04/21/2006 2:07:02 PM PDT by stop_fascism

They said the same thing about Reagan. He can't win because he's "too conservative." The Rino's always load their gun with that one.

Did you know Reagan carried Massachusetts and New York twice? (Though Rhode Island voted for him just once.)

In California, back in 1992, a Democrat tidal wave swept the state. The only candidate to almost win was Bruce Hershensohn, a genuine conservative who got smeared at the last minute by Boxer and gang and barely lost. In the other senate race, Rino John Seymour, a pseudo Democrat, got beat bad. He stood for nothing.

Conservatives with a temperament and good meassage can win almost anywhere.

43 posted on 04/21/2006 2:08:34 PM PDT by Luke21

To: stop_fascism

Not in this case.

Lincoln Chafee hasn't given us anything, except heartburn.

He certainly didn't give us Justice Alito, who was confirmed in spite of that coke-sniffing, single brain-celled, abortion-loving asshat's opposition.

44 posted on 04/21/2006 2:10:29 PM PDT by Do not dub me shapka broham ("The moment that someone wants to forbid caricatures, that is the moment we publish them.")

Chafee's ACU ratings are higher than his ADA ratings according to Barones Almanac of american politics 2004. I say stick with him. Any way you look at he is better than a 'rat and that is what you will get with out him.

45 posted on 04/21/2006 2:19:01 PM PDT by bilhosty

Any way you look at he is better than a 'rat...

How so?

46 posted on 04/21/2006 2:21:24 PM PDT by Do not dub me shapka broham ("The moment that someone wants to forbid caricatures, that is the moment we publish them.")

47 posted on 04/21/2006 2:25:46 PM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (http://auh2orepublican.blogspot.com/)

To: Loyal Buckeye

48 posted on 04/21/2006 2:27:42 PM PDT by rock58seg (The actual thing all illegal aliens will do, that over half of Americans won't, is vote Democrat.)

Think of it as a teaching aid....even if you are a RINO, act like a Republican some times.

49 posted on 04/21/2006 2:29:33 PM PDT by rock58seg (The actual thing all illegal aliens will do, that over half of Americans won't, is vote Democrat.)

To: Do not dub me shapka broham

Yep, he's the exception that proves the rule. Even I couldn't vote for him.

50 posted on 04/21/2006 2:34:57 PM PDT by stop_fascism

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794