Chafee, unsure 'where my place is', may leave GOP

[dajoki]

MSNBC
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15651273/

Leave GOP? Outgoing senator considers move
Rhode Island's Lincoln Chafee unsure 'where my place is'

Updated: 1 hour, 39 minutes ago

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Two days after losing a bid for a second term, Sen. Lincoln Chafee said he was unsure whether he would remain a Republican.

Chafee lost to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse in a race seen as a referendum on President Bush and the GOP. On Thursday, he was asked whether he would stick with the Republican Party or become an independent or Democrat.

“I haven’t made any decisions. I just haven’t even thought about where my place is,” Chafee said at a news conference. When pressed on whether his comments indicated he might leave the GOP, he replied: “That’s fair.”

Chafee, 53, is a lifelong Republican who has represented Rhode Island for seven years. His father held the same seat for 23 years before that.

He is the most liberal Republican in the Senate and was the sole Senate Republican to vote against the war in Iraq. But that was not enough to prevail against Whitehouse, who shared many of Chafee’s views but was a Democrat in a heavily Democratic state.

[non sociopath skin]

1. Trading Lieberman for Lincoln? Seems like a fair idea to me ...

The Skin

[Ian David]

2. Chafee's place is on the golf course with the rest of the useless repukes. n/t

[Kookaburra]

3. If only he'd done this sooner...

He could have won the election -- I truly believe that.

[dajoki]

9. I tkink he sees his mistake...

but it's too jate now.

[Greeby]

4. Little redundant now, isn't it?

Now he has less than two months left in office

[robbedvoter]

5. Timing as good as the Rummy firing....Sorry, Lincoln...

You could have made a difference...Remeber jeffords? HIM I'll remember. You? Not so much. (and yeah, you were a much better person than the hyped McCain)

[gfnrob]

6. Chafee is a class act.

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[patricia92243]

7. The only reason he has remained a Republican is family tradition. Tradition and what the family

would think, etc is hard to break away from.

Should we send him an e-mail encouraging him to turn Democrat - which is what he already is in his heart.

[dajoki]

15. Old family ties...

are hard to break.

[Warren Stupidity]

8. Linc should have done this years ago.

That's why he is sitting at home right now instead of still representing the good people of rhode island. He's a good man, from a long line of progressive new england republicans. His party left him a long time ago.

[Totally Committed]

10. I'd love to see Chafee in this Party...

I hope he is truly considering it. Olympia Snowe should consider it, as well. Both of them are ideologically more "liberal" than many of the Democrats who just won elections in this Party.

Time will tell.

TC

[dajoki]

11. I agree and you are correct n/t

[mainegreen]

21. Olympia will retire before she comes over! nt

[Ilsa]

12. Good for him. He may start sleeping better at night. nt

[cascadiance]

13. I wonder if he's talked to Jeffords...

I also wonder how Jeffords reflects on his departure. now that Bernie has his spot, I wonder if he'll write a book on his decision to leave the Republican Party. It seems like the right time for it and him.

[demokatgurrl]

14. Day late, dollar short and none too bright

He should have seen the turning tide against Bushco, and loudly dissasociated himself from them by at least going to Independent.

[mentalsolstice]

16. Come on in, the water's nice! n/t

[Auntie Bush]

17. I'd happily accept him in our party. I personally

like the man and forgive him for sticking to his family tradition. He was trying to be loyal...though wrong...so I forgive him. He's a good honest man (with integrity) like Jeffords. He also voted against his party many times in spite of DeLay and his retributions. He's the only Republican I felt sorry for losing his seat, but I'm so grateful Whitehouse won! I do hope he'll become a Democrat.

[churchofreality]

18. He does seem like a decent guy

Therefore he really can't be a republican anyway.

[warrens]

19. You're welcome here, Linc

Why stay with those thugs? Your dad would have split too.

[imlost]

20. Great for him! n/t

[MalloyLiberal]

22. Your place is cleaning up dog poo now, Chafee, not in the senate

bwahhaah. loser.