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 ...
This leftist... he doesn't even qualify as a RINO he is so far left ... is trying to act as if his being a "centrist" made him lose!!!
What made him lose is that he is farther left than most Democrats and voters didn't know why NOT vot3 for a Democrat if they were going to have one ANYWAY!!
Good riddence to bad rubbish.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
"There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil."
AYN RAND
Hey Linc, don't let the door hit you on that seat on the way out.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
I can tolerate RINOs like Specter. Chafee is beyond contempt.
So, now he can finally declare himself a democrat and run again.
hey Lincoln, how can we miss you if you won't go away?
This loss is one of the bright spots of the election. Goodbye, so long, see ya.
Link you're a weenie.
you reap what you sow!!!!
Ann Coulter stated it correctly....
"they shot the wrong Lincoln"!!!!!
LOL!!
Anybody know what his lifetime ACU or PFAW record is? I'll bet those numbers don't show a "centrist" but a raving Marxist.
His ACU rating was 26%
Just the other day he claimed he lost because the ballot was set up to enable voters to vote straight party line too eaily. Therefore, everyone voted straight D and he lost. He needs to make up his mind.
Oh, he made up his mind alright. He found a way to blame the GOP and found a place to help him make the claim.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Agree.
Dear Mr. Congresscritter Chafee:
SAYONARA, BUCKWHEAT!
What the hell was the purpose of him writing to the NYT
Does he think they will run a massive editorial campaign to have the election held over
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.
But a dead Armadillo must be good for something....like voting Democrat.
oh, an armadillo can be a political whore to be sure...
Oklahoma armadillos, unlike more moraled Texas armadillos. have been known to play possum in the middle of the road in hopes a wanton buzzard might land. Horney little devils those Oklahoma armadillos. So of course they tend libral.
Maybe not having a backbone has more to do with it then Bush hmmmmmm(BOLTON for example)
I guess Linclon Chafee cannot remember the 1960 presidential election? JFK , his daddy and the unions took that election from the people. I guess Chafee thinks the senate seat was his for life? The people of Rhode Island cannot tell you from a secular progressive pinko and that is why you lost. Democrat politics aced you out Chafee. You can thank moveon.org and a host of other liberal groups and not GW Bush. Any state that keeps Patrick Kennedy as congressman is beyond hope. What committee will Patches take over?
LOL LOL LOL
This "man", weak as mush, is not fit to wipe the shoes of a REAL Republican: Rick Santorum (PA)!!
You do no not hear "real" "men" like Rick Santorum and George Allen whining like this fool!
Nancee
"I guess he has forgotten that Bush saved Specter's butt in his last election..."
How much better spent would the Republican Party's money have been here in Pennsylvania in this election on a genuine Republican; i.e., Rick Santorum than throwing it away on this alleged "Centrist"!!!!
Nancee
What I ask is a moderate Republician. It is someone who supports abortion on demand, is aganist the 2nd amendment, is for gay rights, will raise taxes, is anti-war, supports a moderate welfare state. What is it that makes them a Republician. Nothing. Good riddance to a wussy effiminate Moderate. I bet he gets his nails manicured and has never been fishing or hunting or sat in a pickem up truck or drank anything but imported beer. Sillly metrosexual mouse he is.
This article got me thinking. Chaffee thinks he is moderate, but I always thought he was very left.
So I went to the ACU website to see who really is in the "center", figuring anyone with a score between 40-60 could qualify.
I was surprised at the rarity of true center scores. I found:
Olympia Snowe (60)
Nelson of Nebraska (52)
Chaffee (Surprise!) with a 40, he barely made it, but he is there.
That's it. Three members in the true middle, 2 of which are republicans. So next time anyone tells you the repubs are more extreme, tell them there are more radical dems than repubs. Nelson is the only one in the true middle.
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