January 30, 2006

Chafee To Vote No-Lito

One of themost anticipated vote announcements on Sam Alito is from liberal GOP Sen. Lincoln Chafee, who is facing an incredibly tough primary fight in RI SEN. Well, later this morning, Chafee will announce he's voting against Alito's confirmation. While this will make for big news and lots of crowing for Chafee's conservative GOP primary foe, Steve Laffey, it actually makes sense.

Voting for Alito would not have bought Chafee any new conservative friends but may have cost him some of his indie/left-leaning supporters, including NARAL, which would have made the general that much tougher. One thing even critics of Chafee can say is that his opposition to Alito is actually a consistent position on judicial nominations.

Posted at 09:23 AM

Comments

Could you perhaps find out/report the non-irrelevant part?

What will he do about filibuster?

If he opposes it, he is making a huge mistake, in that he will be taking the ONLY unprincipled, immoral option.

Unless he supports filibuster too, this will hurt him big time.

thedeanpeople | 01.30.06 10:14 AM

While this definitely fits Chafee's general profile and style, I don't think its going to win him plaudits from anyone other than the Providence Journal-- a paper which his family once owned, whose editorial stance generally is reflective of Chafee's politics (except that they endorsed Bush's reelection and support the Iraq war), and whose political reporting people on all sides in RI regard as being heavily biased toward Chafee. Indeed, its just that vacilating and having-it-both-ways style that has been criticized from all corners in this race.

On the one hand, his "no" vote is going to further displease the GOP base and fuel Laffey, who has already criticized Chafee for vacilating and not taking a stand-- just as he did with his public catharsis leading to his write-in vote for George HW Bush last November. On the other, from the Democratic POV, it fits his pattern of trying to look liberal when his vote doesn't really matter, but rolling over when it does and there is pressure otherwise from the right. Indeed, there is another pattern to be discerned there on other key votes-- for instance, the Medicare prescription drug bill, where Chafee was one of the deciding votes that stopped Democratic attempts to kill it, then turned around and opposed the bill as it easily passed on final vote. Similarly, you have the Bolton nomination, where Chafee vacilated a ton in public before finally voting "aye" in committee and against a filibuster-- yet publicly stated that he wished he'd had the fortitude of George Voinovich's principled opposition statement!

Sean | 01.30.06 03:51 PM

I was a loyal and consistent contributor to the RNC, NRSC, RPTF and even Frist's VOLPAC until they all decided to, not only back the liberal democrat Chafee, but actually attack a good conservative Republican - Steve Laffey. Steve Laffey has accomplished more and delivered on more republican ideals in his three years as Cranston Mayor than Lincoln Chafee has in his entire political career. What is really sad for the NRSC is that Laffey will win the primary BECAUSE they helped Chafee. What people outside of Rhode Island may not realize about Steve Laffey is that he has a perfect record of doing what people have said he could never do. Liddy Dole's biggest mistake was telling him he couldn't run against Chafee. Rhode Island will not lose a Republican Senate seat, we will GAIN one when Steve Laffey wins on Nov 7th.

Stretch Cunningham | 02.04.06 09:50 PM

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