Chafee votes against Owen's confirmation

Providence Journal ^ | May 25, 2005 | John Mulligan

[TeleStraightShooter]

Anyone have a link to what Owen's opinion actually said, and not Chaffee's interpretation?

[oceanview]

no, its better to make an example of someone in a state who could elect some other republican - that's why Lindsey Graham is a better choice.

[madprof98]

Chafee said his objection was not so much to how Owen voted in the case but rather to her written rationale for the vote, which referred to moral and religious arguments.

If she had cited French and Dutch court decisions, Chafee would have led the fight to make her Chief Justice.

[TeleStraightShooter]

I prefer to refer to them as The Right To Take Life crowd.

[Dansong]

The Republican party is growing in Rhode Island. The Unions are crushing every municipality and taxes are skyrocketing.

Remember: Traditional "blue-haired" Democrats who pay no federal tax pay every penny of a local tax. In fact, it shows up as a bill in their mailbox! Slowly but surely they're seeing the light and voting for more Conservatives. Trust me on this...I am a former city councilman who won a local election running on conservative principles. I've since moved to Massachusetts, however.

Anyway, the very popular and conservative mayor of Cranston, Steve Laffey, will run against Chaffee. Expect national support.

[fish hawk]

Wait until he gives his vote for John Bolten, then kick his sorry ass out.

[samtheman]

More disgusting than McCain. More disgusting than Byrd. That's pretty d*mn disgusting.

[oceanview]

well, I can't comment about RI. But the municipal unions and teachers are crushing every taxpayer in NY and NJ too. people vote with their feet, those states are getting more Democratic, not less.

[monkeywrench]

"What Chaffee really wants is for Bush to nominate judges that agree with him and the Democrats -- the minority in the senate. He doesn't give a flip about the support of the majority. He wants the majority to concede."

As important as this vote is, the leadership should have laid out consequences for going against their party.

[Dansong]

Actually, "people voting with their feet" is happening in RI, too, yet it seems to be having a positive effect in that the true-blue dems can plainly see that it's the more-affluent Republicans who are leaving - leaving them with the higher tax bill...

[winner3000]

(Chafee said yesterday he was undecided on all of Mr. Bush's pending judicial nominees. )

So that's what "moderate" means!

[Defiant]

Chafee is better than nothing. He's far better than Kerry and Kennedy next door.

Yes and no. He votes better than what we could expect from a Dem Senator from RI. That is true--a 40 percent rating versus an 8 percent rating, as shown by the comparison with Dodd. However, to the extent that someone like Chafee takes a committee position from someone like Kyl, we are better off without him...so long as we have a safe majority. That's the beauty of the 55 vote majority. I'd rather drop it to 54 or 53 if it means that we get a better chair of Judiciary or Foreign Affairs, and then let the Dems have Rhode Island. We'll take Nebraska and New Mexico and Michigan and Minnesota.

[Defiant]

Lindsey is a great choice as someone to be made an example of...because he will fall in line. I think Chafee is on the precipice of leaving, and I don't see why we don't let him.

It's like Connie Rice said, punish France, ignore Germany and forgive Russia. Punish Graham, ignore (i.e., no committee assignments or home state pork) Chafee, forgive....well, I haven't figured out if there's anyone I want to forgive yet, but if DeWine and some of the others end up voting to get rid of the filibuster, it's still possible.

[Defiant]

Anyway, the very popular and conservative mayor of Cranston, Steve Laffey, will run against Chaffee. Expect national support.

That's the guy! He can expect my support.

[oceanview]

the two from Maine - forgive them, Maine would elect two Dems if Snowe and Collins are targeted.

[KC Burke]

As someone who worked for Goldwater in the YAF, I would like to add a little historical perspective.

In '64 we couldn't swing a majority in virtually any area of the country, even the solidly Republican states of that era.

I have relatives in Maryland who are in the same situation as those in Rhode Island. Those states' Republicans are glad to have some Republican representation and a place at the table of Republican power. Granted, their representation is RINO, but the whole Party was RINO not four decades ago.

They have to walk before they run. The change in attitudes is shown in how Bush gained in those areas even though he was demonized. Chaffee has his lucid moments. I have seen him on various issues act like he has a backbone.

It is the left that insists on the Stalinist lockstep and votes in a block. We are striving to give true representative government. If some of our fellows are only peaking under the tent flap, I think it is fool hardy to shoo them away; instead invite them in and extend the sincerity we have.

The pilsner glass is half full it is true. But I like a full draw and the only way to get it is to accept some foam and just keep pulling the tap.

[YOUGOTIT]

Chafee, a anti-American left winger. He should be ashamed to be called a Senator or a Republican. He is neither and is more aligned with the Socialist.

[Bar-Face]

"How about Robert KKK Byrd voting for?"

You seem surprised. Stop and think about it. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) said that she and Brown wanted to take the country back to the Jim Crow days. Old Sheets, Robt. Byrd (KKK-WV) believed him and voted accordingly.

[KellyAdmirer]

The thing that gets me about Chafee, though, is that while he is a de facto Democrat because he is from a hard-core Democrat state and everybody simply seems to accept this, Democrats from hard-core Republican states like the Dakotas blithely slip along as the most obnoxious liberals they can be. What gives?

[CIDKauf]

NOW THAT'S FUNNY