Voting against Bush won't save a Republican up north (Lincoln Chafee)

[T_i_B]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/10/29/wbush229.xml

If politics were fair, Lincoln Chafee, a maverick who declined to cast a ballot for President George W Bush at the last election and was the only senator in his party to vote against the Iraq war, would be cruising to victory.

Instead, the blue-blooded scion of a prominent New England family who is the most popular politician in his state, is staring at defeat in next week's mid-term vote because of one most inconvenient fact – he is a Republican.

America's smallest state, Rhode Island, home to a well-heeled yachting set and peppered with sumptuous mansions once frequented by the Astors, Vanderbilts and Kennedys, prides itself on being insulated from the grubby machine politics of the rest of the country.

The senator challenged Mr Bush on tax cuts and recently single-handedly delayed the appointment of John Bolton as the president's UN ambassador. But with Mr Bush slumping to a 22 per cent popularity rating in Rhode Island – the lowest rating of all 50 states – the Chafee balancing act appears to have come to an end.

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. He wants to have his cake and eat it, too. Sorry, Linc.

He should have done what Jim Jeffords did, but he couldn't get off the fence.

Now he'll pay.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Good point.

What was the advantage to even calling himself a Republican if he was going to represent Rhode Island? I assume RI leans left.

[stellanoir]

3. Ummm

". . .prides itself on being insulated from the grubby machine politics of the rest of the country. . . "

Do we really. . .?

Then how come I've been walking around for years saying that R.I has been corrupt since long before it became nationally trendy? And why perchance, would we re-elect a felon as mayor of the capital city who is now back in prison on RICO charges?

Ahhh we have optical scanners here so goodness only knows whether the election will be reflective of the the polls.

[T_i_B]

5. The odd thing here

is that this is from the right wing Sunday Telegraph, who would normally jump all over a left leaning state having corrupt politics.

It's certainly not usual to see the Torygraph being called out on DU for not taking a pop at the Democrats but then again I suppose that corruption does need to be called out, regardless of who's doing it.

[Captain Hilts]

7. It's the "Torygraph" in England. I actually read it daily.

Especially for military, Iraq news it does a good job.

[iamjoy]

4. Kind of Sad in a Way

Chafee was one of the "good" Republicans. I really want to lose Republicans like Talent, Brownback, etc. I wouldn't mind Chafee sticking around.

However, anything legal that helps us retake the Senate is OK by me.

[Captain Hilts]

6. He'd be a shoo-on as a Democrat.

He's not very bright and not all that interested in being a senator, but what the hell.

[Ian David]

8. Lincoln Chafee voted for cloture on the Scalito vote.

As good as voting for confirmation.

Fuck you, Lincoln Chafee.

[saltpoint]

9. 'Can honestly say I oppose Chafee on strictly political grounds and

not personal.

I want to like the guy. But I can't handle those pro-Bush votes. I can absorb one or two, maybe three, but his totals run well into double figures.

In a world of my own making, he would have changed parties long ago and voted with Democrats far more often. So far, though, it doesn't look as if it IS a world of my making, and possibly out of loyalty to his father, he remained with the GOP, and now faces the very real possibility that Rhode Islanders, a progressive and alert bunch of folks, are about to replace him with Sheldon Whitehouse.

[Lefty48197]

10. Sweep him out of office.

Big brooms sweep wide paths.

[Eric J in MN]

11. What should Americans outside RI know about Sheldon Whitehouse? NT

NT