Lincoln Chafee
Encyclopedia
Lincoln Davenport Chafee (icon ; born March 26, 1953) is an American
politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate
as a Republican
from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat
Sheldon Whitehouse
. In 2007, he left the Republican Party and became an independent
. He is the first independent to serve as Governor of Rhode Island since John Collins, who served 1786-1790.
A Rhode Island native educated at Phillips Academy
and Brown University
, Chafee worked as a professional farrier
for seven years before entering state politics in 1985. He was a delegate
to the Rhode Island State Constitutional Convention, a member of the Warwick, Rhode Island
city council, and later the mayor
of Warwick. Chafee was appointed to the United States Senate in 1999 upon the death of his father, Senator John Chafee
, and was re-elected in the 2000 Senate election for a full six-year term.
Chafee was a supporter of Barack Obama
's 2008 presidential bid
. On January 4, 2010, Chafee declared his intent to run for Governor of Rhode Island. Prior to entering the gubernatorial race, he was a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Brown University
's Watson Institute for International Studies
.
, the son of John Chafee
and Virginia Coates. He attended public schools in Warwick, Rhode Island
, Providence Country Day School
, and Phillips Academy
. At Brown University
, Chafee captained the wrestling
team, and in 1975 earned a Bachelor of Arts
in Classics
. He then attended the Montana State University
horseshoe
ing school in Bozeman. For the next seven years, he worked as a farrier
at harness racetracks
in the United States
and Canada
. One of the horses he shod, Overburden, set the track record at Northlands Park
in Edmonton, Alberta.
Chafee and his wife, Stephanie D. Chafee, have three children: Louisa, Caleb and Thea.
Chafee's great-great-grandfather, Henry Lippitt
, was Governor of Rhode Island. Among his great-great-uncles are Rhode Island Governor Charles Warren Lippitt and United States Senator Henry Frederick Lippitt. His great-uncle, Zechariah Chafee
, was a Harvard law
professor and a notable civil libertarian
. The Chafee family was among the earliest settlers of Hingham, Massachusetts
, before moving south to Rhode Island.
to the Rhode Island Constitutional Convention
. A year later, he was elected to the Warwick
City Council
, where he served until his election as Warwick's mayor in 1992, a post he held until his 1999 appointment to the U.S. Senate.
appointed the younger Chafee to serve out the term.
2000 re-election campaign
He was elected to a full six-year term in 2000, defeating Democratic
candidate then-U.S. Representative Robert Weygand
by a 57 percent to 41 percent margin in the heavily Democratic state.
2006 re-election campaign
In September 2005, Steve Laffey
, the mayor of Cranston
, Rhode Island, announced his intention to run against Chafee in the Republican primary. Laffey was considered a formidable challenger, as he was much more conservative than Chafee. Among other stances totally opposite those of Chafee's, Laffey was pro-life and against embryonic stem cell research. Laffey was heavily supported by notable conservative groups, including the Club for Growth
and several Ohio-based pro-life groups.
Chafee went on to defeat Laffey in the primary on September 12 by a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent, an unusually close margin for an incumbent Senator. The turnout for the Republican primary was the largest in Rhode Island history. In his victory speech, Chafee credited unaffiliated voters and disaffiliated Democrats for his victory.
Chafee was defeated by Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse
in the general election. Whitehouse won by a 54 percent to 46 percent margin. Despite Chafee's high approval ratings statewide, Whitehouse pointed out that Chafee supported his party's more conservative leadership.
In response to a question at a news conference on November 9, 2006, Chafee stated he was unsure whether he would remain in the Republican Party
after serving out the remainder of his term. According to Michelle R. Smith of the Associated Press
, when asked whether he felt that his loss may have helped the country by switching control of power in Congress, he replied: "To be honest, yes."
In the summer of 2007, Chafee officially left the Republican Party, changing his affiliation to independent. He said that he did so because of the Republicans' increasing conservatism, and particularly cited spending cuts in programs which assisted the middle- and low-income people, such as Pell Grant
s and Head Start. In February 2008, he said he was considering voting for Barack Obama
in the Democratic
presidential primary. On February 14, with the Rhode Island Democratic primary approaching in three weeks, Chafee officially endorsed Obama.
In 2008, Chafee joined the advisory board of J Street
, a lobbying group that promotes diplomatic relations between Israel
and its neighbors, and supports an independent Palestinian state.
In September 2008, Chafee received significant media attention for describing Sarah Palin
, Governor of Alaska and the Republican
vice-presidential
nominee in the 2008 United States presidential election
, as a "cocky wacko".
as the incumbent Governor Donald Carcieri
(a Republican re-elected the same day Chafee lost his Senate re-election bid) was term-limited at the time. On October 31, 2010, electoral analysis site FiveThirtyEight.com
gave Chafee a 63.8% chance of victory, compared to Democratic opponent Frank Caprio's 26.2% and Republican opponent John Robitaille
's 10.0%. Likewise, other sites, such as the Cook Political Report
, classified the race as a "toss-up". Chafee's approval rating at the time of his 2006 defeat was between 51% and 63%.
On September 16, 2010, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
traveled to Rhode Island. Bloomberg praised Chafee's "experience and integrity", saying that Chafee would put Rhode Islanders' interests "ahead of party interests", and that Chafee would "produce results—because that's exactly what he did as a mayor and as senator." On November 2, 2010, Chafee won the gubernatorial race, winning with a 35.9% plurality in the seven-candidate race.
In November 2011, it was reported that Maryland
Governor
Martin O'Malley
, the Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association
, had asked Chafee to join the Democratic Party
. When asked if he was considering it, Lincoln responded, "I’m happy where I am for now."
policies in favor of more lenient approaches.
as United States Ambassador to the United Nations
. On December 4, 2006, the White House announced that Bolton would no longer seek the appointment, and would resign within a matter of weeks.
and supports an increase in the federal minimum wage
. He supports affirmative action
and gun control
, and was one of only two Republicans to vote against the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act
, which prevents firearms manufacturers and dealers
from being held liable for crimes committed with their products. On June 27, 2006, Chafee was one of only three Republicans to vote against the proposed Flag Desecration Amendment
.
Some of Chafee's positions that are well within the mainstream of the Republican Party include:
Chafee's liberal stances have led some conservatives
to refer to him as a "Republican In Name Only
" (RINO).
Most notable among these was Human Events
magazine, which named Chafee "the No. 1 RINO in the country." The National Journal
has rated Chafee as the least Conservative Republican in the Senate, and placed him to the left of two Democrats, Nebraska
's Ben Nelson
and Louisiana
's Mary Landrieu
, the only Republican to the left of the latter.
Known for often disagreeing with the Republican Party leadership, Chafee says he did not cast his ballot for President
George W. Bush
in the 2004 election
, instead choosing to write in
former president George H. W. Bush
as a nod to the Republican Party
of his father. He has frequently criticized Bush's record on the environment
, and also expressed concern about the 2004 Republican platform
and the direction of the party. He described the younger Bush's presidency as "an agenda of energizing the far-right-wing
base
, which is divisive." Soon thereafter, he rejected Democratic overtures to leave the Republican Party after appeals from other Republican senators
to remain in their caucus.
Chafee considered challenging Bush for renomination in the New Hampshire primary
in 2004 on an antiwar platform. In his autobiography, Against the Tide (2007), he states that "In the fall of 2003, part of me thought it was cowardly to oppose the president on so many issues and then not oppose him head-on as he sought renomination." However, he decided not to run after the capture of Saddam Hussein
on December 13, 2003.
In 2003, Chafee voted against the Medicare Part D
prescription drug
benefit. However, Chafee also cast a crucial procedural
vote against a Democratic attempt to kill the bill, which failed by only two votes.
On May 23, 2005, Chafee was one of 14 bipartisan senators
to forge a compromise on the Democrats' use of the judicial filibuster
, forestalling the Republican leadership's implementation of the so-called "nuclear option
". Under the agreement, the Democrats would retain the power to filibuster a Bush judicial nominee only in an "extraordinary circumstance", and three of the most conservative Bush appellate court
nominees (Janice Rogers Brown
, Priscilla Owen
and William Pryor
) would receive a vote by the full Senate.
Chafee was the only Republican to oppose Bush's nomination of Samuel Alito
to the United States Supreme Court. However, he voted to end debate on the nomination, helping to end any chance of a Democratic filibuster. Chafee did not announce his opposition to the nomination until a majority of Senators had already publicly said they would support Alito.
Conservative author and radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt
argued that Chafee is one of the greatest roadblocks to creating a permanent Republican majority in the country because of his unwillingness to conform to the party's social goals. Hewitt argued further that Republicans should remove him from office by any necessary means, which includes voting for a Democrat against him. Ann Coulter
has expressed disgust that Bush campaigned for him in the Republican primary against conservative Steve Laffey
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon Whitehouse is the junior U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
. In 2007, he left the Republican Party and became an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. He is the first independent to serve as Governor of Rhode Island since John Collins, who served 1786-1790.
A Rhode Island native educated at Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
and Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Chafee worked as a professional farrier
Farrier
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...
for seven years before entering state politics in 1985. He was a delegate
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
to the Rhode Island State Constitutional Convention, a member of the Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
city council, and later the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Warwick. Chafee was appointed to the United States Senate in 1999 upon the death of his father, Senator John Chafee
John Chafee
John Lester Hubbard Chafee was an American politician. He served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, as the 66th Governor of Rhode Island, as the Secretary of the Navy, and as a United States Senator.-Early life and family:...
, and was re-elected in the 2000 Senate election for a full six-year term.
Chafee was a supporter of Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's 2008 presidential bid
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
. On January 4, 2010, Chafee declared his intent to run for Governor of Rhode Island. Prior to entering the gubernatorial race, he was a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
's Watson Institute for International Studies
Watson Institute for International Studies
The Watson Institute for International Studies is a center for the analysis of international issues at Brown University, focusing mainly on global security and political economy and society. Its faculty span a wide range of disciplines, including, anthropology, economics, political science, and...
.
Early life, education, and early career
Chafee was born in Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, the son of John Chafee
John Chafee
John Lester Hubbard Chafee was an American politician. He served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, as the 66th Governor of Rhode Island, as the Secretary of the Navy, and as a United States Senator.-Early life and family:...
and Virginia Coates. He attended public schools in Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
, Providence Country Day School
Providence Country Day School
The Providence Country Day School is a private middle and high school, founded in 1923. Located in East Providence, Rhode Island, United States, it serves approximately 300 students in grades 6 through 12...
, and Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
. At Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Chafee captained the wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
team, and in 1975 earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
. He then attended the Montana State University
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
horseshoe
Horseshoe
A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...
ing school in Bozeman. For the next seven years, he worked as a farrier
Farrier
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...
at harness racetracks
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. One of the horses he shod, Overburden, set the track record at Northlands Park
Northlands Park
Northlands Park is the "Alberta A circuit" horse racing track at Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta. The horse racing season generally consists of a spring harness meet from February/March, a Thoroughbred meet from May/June to September/October and a fall harness meet to mid-December. Northlands Park...
in Edmonton, Alberta.
Chafee and his wife, Stephanie D. Chafee, have three children: Louisa, Caleb and Thea.
Chafee's great-great-grandfather, Henry Lippitt
Henry Lippitt
Henry Lippitt was the 33rd Governor of Rhode Island from 1875 to 1877.-Family:Lippitt was the son of Warren Lippitt and Eliza Lippitt, married to Mary Ann Balch. He was the father of Charles Warren Lippitt, another Rhode Island Governor, and the father of Henry F. Lippitt, a U.S...
, was Governor of Rhode Island. Among his great-great-uncles are Rhode Island Governor Charles Warren Lippitt and United States Senator Henry Frederick Lippitt. His great-uncle, Zechariah Chafee
Zechariah Chafee
Zechariah Chafee, Jr. was an American judicial philosopher and civil libertarian. An advocate for free speech, he was described by Senator Joseph McCarthy as "dangerous" to the United States...
, was a Harvard law
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
professor and a notable civil libertarian
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
. The Chafee family was among the earliest settlers of Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham is a town in northern Plymouth County on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and suburb in Greater Boston. The United States Census Bureau 2008 estimated population was 22,561...
, before moving south to Rhode Island.
Local politics
Chafee entered politics in 1985 as a delegateDelegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
to the Rhode Island Constitutional Convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
. A year later, he was elected to the Warwick
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
, where he served until his election as Warwick's mayor in 1992, a post he held until his 1999 appointment to the U.S. Senate.
United States Senator
After his father announced he would not seek re-election in 2000, Lincoln Chafee announced he would run for the seat. When John Chafee died suddenly in October 1999, Gov. Lincoln AlmondLincoln Almond
Lincoln Carter Almond is an American attorney, politician and member of the Republican Party. Almond served as United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island from 1969–1978 and 1981–1993 and latter the 72nd Governor of Rhode Island, serving from 1995 to 2003.- Early life, education and...
appointed the younger Chafee to serve out the term.
2000 re-election campaign
He was elected to a full six-year term in 2000, defeating Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate then-U.S. Representative Robert Weygand
Robert Weygand
Robert A. "Bob" Weygand was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1997–2001. He was a Democrat from Rhode Island....
by a 57 percent to 41 percent margin in the heavily Democratic state.
2006 re-election campaign
In September 2005, Steve Laffey
Steve Laffey
Stephen Laffey was the Republican mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island with his term ending in 2007.-Background:Laffey was born in 1962 in Warwick, Rhode Island, one of five children born to John and Mary Laffey. When he was four years old, his family moved to Cranston, where his father worked as a...
, the mayor of Cranston
Cranston, Rhode Island
Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. With a population of 80,387 at the 2010 census, it is the third largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston...
, Rhode Island, announced his intention to run against Chafee in the Republican primary. Laffey was considered a formidable challenger, as he was much more conservative than Chafee. Among other stances totally opposite those of Chafee's, Laffey was pro-life and against embryonic stem cell research. Laffey was heavily supported by notable conservative groups, including the Club for Growth
Club for Growth
The Club for Growth is a politically conservative 527 organization active in the United States of America, with an agenda focussed on taxation and other economic issues, and with an affiliated political action committee . The Club advocates lower taxes, limited government, less government spending,...
and several Ohio-based pro-life groups.
Chafee went on to defeat Laffey in the primary on September 12 by a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent, an unusually close margin for an incumbent Senator. The turnout for the Republican primary was the largest in Rhode Island history. In his victory speech, Chafee credited unaffiliated voters and disaffiliated Democrats for his victory.
Chafee was defeated by Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon Whitehouse is the junior U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
in the general election. Whitehouse won by a 54 percent to 46 percent margin. Despite Chafee's high approval ratings statewide, Whitehouse pointed out that Chafee supported his party's more conservative leadership.
In response to a question at a news conference on November 9, 2006, Chafee stated he was unsure whether he would remain in the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
after serving out the remainder of his term. According to Michelle R. Smith of the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, when asked whether he felt that his loss may have helped the country by switching control of power in Congress, he replied: "To be honest, yes."
Post-Senate activities
In December 2006, Chafee announced he was accepting a fellowship to serve as a "distinguished visiting fellow" at Brown University's Thomas J. Watson Jr. Institute for International Studies. The university has Chafee leading a student group studying U.S. foreign policy.In the summer of 2007, Chafee officially left the Republican Party, changing his affiliation to independent. He said that he did so because of the Republicans' increasing conservatism, and particularly cited spending cuts in programs which assisted the middle- and low-income people, such as Pell Grant
Pell Grant
A Pell Grant is money the federal government provides for students who need it to pay for college. Federal Pell Grants are limited to students with financial need, who have not earned their first bachelor's degree or who are not enrolled in certain post-baccalaureate programs, through participating...
s and Head Start. In February 2008, he said he was considering voting for Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
presidential primary. On February 14, with the Rhode Island Democratic primary approaching in three weeks, Chafee officially endorsed Obama.
In 2008, Chafee joined the advisory board of J Street
J Street
J Street is a nonprofit liberal advocacy group based in the United States whose stated aim is to promote American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Israel-Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically. It was founded in April 2008....
, a lobbying group that promotes diplomatic relations between Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and its neighbors, and supports an independent Palestinian state.
In September 2008, Chafee received significant media attention for describing Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
, Governor of Alaska and the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
vice-presidential
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
nominee in the 2008 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, as a "cocky wacko".
Governor of Rhode Island
On January 4, 2010 Chafee formally declared his intention to run for Governor of Rhode Island in 2010 as an independent,as the incumbent Governor Donald Carcieri
Donald Carcieri
Donald L. "Don" Carcieri was the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Carcieri has had a varied vocational background, having worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid relief worker, bank executive and teacher.-Personal background:...
(a Republican re-elected the same day Chafee lost his Senate re-election bid) was term-limited at the time. On October 31, 2010, electoral analysis site FiveThirtyEight.com
FiveThirtyEight.com
FiveThirtyEight is a polling aggregation website with a blog created by Nate Silver. Sometimes colloquially referred to as 538 dot com or just 538, the website takes its name from the number of electors in the United States electoral college...
gave Chafee a 63.8% chance of victory, compared to Democratic opponent Frank Caprio's 26.2% and Republican opponent John Robitaille
John Robitaille
John Robitaille was the Republican party nominee in the 2010 election for governor of Rhode Island, which he lost to independent candidate Lincoln Chafee on November 2, 2010.-Background:...
's 10.0%. Likewise, other sites, such as the Cook Political Report
Cook Political Report
The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five...
, classified the race as a "toss-up". Chafee's approval rating at the time of his 2006 defeat was between 51% and 63%.
On September 16, 2010, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
traveled to Rhode Island. Bloomberg praised Chafee's "experience and integrity", saying that Chafee would put Rhode Islanders' interests "ahead of party interests", and that Chafee would "produce results—because that's exactly what he did as a mayor and as senator." On November 2, 2010, Chafee won the gubernatorial race, winning with a 35.9% plurality in the seven-candidate race.
In November 2011, it was reported that Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
Governor
Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
, the Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association
Democratic Governors Association
The Democratic Governors Association is a Washington, D.C. based 527 organization founded in 1983, consisting of U.S. state and territorial governors affiliated with the Democratic Party. The mission of the organization is to provide party support to the election and re-election of Democratic...
, had asked Chafee to join the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. When asked if he was considering it, Lincoln responded, "I’m happy where I am for now."
Abortion
- Chafee is pro-choicePro-choiceSupport for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
. - While Senator, he was a member of the Republican Majority for ChoiceRepublican Majority for ChoiceThe Republican Majority for Choice is a Republican organization in the United States dedicated to preserving legal access to abortion. The group also supports federal funding for all kinds of stem cell research, including Embryonic stem cell research.....
and Republicans for ChoiceRepublicans for ChoiceRepublicans for Choice, an organization based in the Washington, D.C. area is a political action committee composed of members of the United States Republican Party who support legalized abortion.-History of Republicans for Choice:Republicans for Choice was founded in 1989 by Ann Stone...
. - In 2003, Chafee was one of the three Republican Senators to oppose the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban ActPartial-Birth Abortion Ban ActThe Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 is a United States law prohibiting a form of late-term abortion that the Act calls "partial-birth abortion", often referred to in medical literature as intact dilation and extraction...
. - In 2005, his senatorial re-election bid was endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice AmericaNARAL Pro-Choice AmericaNARAL Pro-Choice America , formerly the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, then National Abortion Rights Action League, and later National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, is an organization in the United States that engages in political action to oppose...
.
Church and state
On December 20, 2010, Chafee's spokesman Michael Trainor told Providence Journal that Chafee would skip Episcopalian services on January 4, 2011, to be at home with his family. "His point of view is that his Inauguration Day needs to respect the separation of church and state. Separation of church and state is an important constitutional principle," Trainor explained.Death penalty
- Chafee opposes the death penaltyCapital punishmentCapital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, and has consistently voted against limiting federal death penalty appealAppealAn appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
s, has favored including racial statistics in death penalty appealAppealAn appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
s, and a prerequisite of DNA analysisGenetic fingerprintingDNA profiling is a technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles. DNA profiles are encrypted sets of numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's identifier...
for all federal executions.
Drug policy
Chafee has shown some willingness to deviate from harsh drug warWar on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
policies in favor of more lenient approaches.
Education
- Chafee opposes charter schools, saying, "I am wary of charter schools undermining and cherry picking and skimming off the top of our public school system."
- Chafee is "wary" of Race to the TopRace to the TopRace to the Top, abbreviated R2T, RTTT or RTT, is a $4.35 billion United States Department of Education competition designed to spur innovation and reforms in state and local district K-12 education...
, "because Race to the Top includes money for charter schools". He says he would ask federal officials "what kind of flexibility we might have" to alter Race to the Top, were he elected Governor. - On education reform in general, Chafee does not believe America's schools are failing, saying "This notion of all these failing schools, if this were true, how did America get to be at the status where we are in the world if it were that bad? So I don’t buy into the trashing of our public school system. Somehow Brown UniversityBrown UniversityBrown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, and University of Rhode IslandUniversity of Rhode IslandThe University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
and Bryant UniversityBryant UniversityBryant University is a private university located in Smithfield, Rhode Island, U.S., that grants the degrees of bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and master's degrees in business, taxation and accounting. Until August 2004, it was known as Bryant College...
, Providence CollegeProvidence CollegeProvidence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
are full of public school students that are doing very, very well and leading America in many fields. Yes, there's room for improvement, I don't deny that and I want to be part of the improvement. But the notion that our public school systems are in disarray and failing, I don't buy that." - Chafee easily won the endorsements of all major public school teachers unions, including the Rhode Island affiliates of the National Education AssociationNational Education AssociationThe National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
and American Federation of TeachersAmerican Federation of TeachersThe American Federation of Teachers is an American labor union founded in 1916 that represents teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; local, state and federal employees; higher education faculty and staff, and nurses and other healthcare professionals...
in his 2010 gubernatorial campaign.
Embryonic stem cell research
- Chafee was a member of the Republican Main Street PartnershipRepublican Main Street PartnershipThe Republican Main Street Partnership is a group of moderate members of the United States Republican Party. They tend away from the dominant social conservatism of many Republicans and towards a moderate fiscal conservatism and limited government to a degree. The group is the rough equivalent of...
and supports federal funding for embryonic stem cellEmbryonic stem cellEmbryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, an early-stage embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells...
research.
Environment
- Chafee was one of the few Republicans to vote against allowing drilling in Arctic National Wildlife RefugeArctic National Wildlife RefugeThe Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States. It consists of in the Alaska North Slope region. It is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge...
, and was a member of the Republicans for Environmental Protection. - He has been endorsed throughout his career by the Sierra ClubSierra ClubThe Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
and the League of Conservation VotersLeague of Conservation VotersThe League of Conservation Voters is a political advocacy organization founded in 1969 by American environmentalist David Brower in the early years of the environmental movement. LCV's mission is to "advocate for sound environmental policies and to elect pro-environmental candidates who will adopt...
.
Gay rights
- Chafee is a supporter of gay rights.
- He was the only Republican senator to have expressed support for same-sex marriageSame-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
. - In his 2006 reelection campaign, he was endorsed by the prominent gay rights organization, the Human Rights CampaignHuman Rights CampaignThe Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
.
Iraq War
- Chafee was the only Republican in the Senate to have voted against authorization of the use of force in IraqIraq ResolutionThe Iraq Resolution or the Iraq War Resolution is a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress in October 2002 as Public Law No: 107-243, authorizing military action against Iraq.-Contents:The resolution cited many factors to justify the use of military force against...
. - On June 22, 2006, Chafee was the only Republican to vote for the Levin amendment calling for a nonbinding timetable for a withdrawal of US troops from IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - He voted against the Kerry-Feingold amendmentKerry-Feingold AmendmentThe Kerry and Feingold Amendment proposed the withdrawal of American Armed Forces from Iraq by July 2007 with the exception of a few to maintain security. The proposal was defeated in the United States Senate in a 86 to 13 vote.-Vote Summary:...
calling for a binding timetable.
Israel
- Chafee is now involved in the J StreetJ StreetJ Street is a nonprofit liberal advocacy group based in the United States whose stated aim is to promote American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Israel-Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically. It was founded in April 2008....
project, a liberal Jewish group that calls for Israel to withdraw from all occupied territories and advocates for a "two state" solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict.
Tax policy
- Chafee opposes eliminating the federal estate taxEstate tax in the United StatesThe estate tax in the United States is a tax imposed on the transfer of the "taxable estate" of a deceased person, whether such property is transferred via a will, according to the state laws of intestacy or otherwise made as an incident of the death of the owner, such as a transfer of property...
. - Chafee voted against both the 2001 and 2003 federal tax cut bills.
- On November 17, 2005, he was the only Republican to vote in favor of reinstating the top federal income taxIncome tax in the United StatesIn the United States, a tax is imposed on income by the Federal, most states, and many local governments. The income tax is determined by applying a tax rate, which may increase as income increases, to taxable income as defined. Individuals and corporations are directly taxable, and estates and...
rate of 39.6% on upper-income payers.
2006 John Bolton renomination
In November 2006, immediately following the midterm elections, Chafee joined key Democrats in opposing President Bush's renomination of John BoltonJohn R. Bolton
John Robert Bolton is an American lawyer and diplomat who has served in several Republican presidential administrations. He served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations from August 2005 until December 2006 on a recess appointment...
as United States Ambassador to the United Nations
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
The United States Ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The position is more formally known as the "Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador...
. On December 4, 2006, the White House announced that Bolton would no longer seek the appointment, and would resign within a matter of weeks.
Other issues
Chafee favors increased federal funding for health careHealth care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
and supports an increase in the federal minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
. He supports affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
and gun control
Gun politics
Gun politics addresses safety issues and ideologies related to firearms through criminal and noncriminal use. Gun politics deals with rules, regulations, and restrictions on the use, ownership, and distribution of firearms.-National sovereignty:...
, and was one of only two Republicans to vote against the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act
The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was passed by the U.S. Senate on July 29, 2005, by a vote of 65-31. On October 20, 2005, it was passed by the House of Representatives 283 in favor and 144 opposed. It was signed into law on October 26, 2005, by President George W...
, which prevents firearms manufacturers and dealers
Federal Firearms License
A Federal Firearms License is a license that enables an individual or a company to engage in a business pertaining to the manufacture of firearms and ammunition or the interstate and intrastate sale of firearms...
from being held liable for crimes committed with their products. On June 27, 2006, Chafee was one of only three Republicans to vote against the proposed Flag Desecration Amendment
Flag Desecration Amendment
The Flag Desecration Amendment, often referred to as the flag burning amendment, is a controversial proposed constitutional amendment to the United States Constitution that would allow the United States Congress to statutorily prohibit expression of political views through the physical desecration...
.
Some of Chafee's positions that are well within the mainstream of the Republican Party include:
- Support of free tradeFree tradeUnder a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
agreements, such as the North American Free Trade AgreementNorth American Free Trade AgreementThe North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
(NAFTA) and the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade AgreementDominican Republic-Central America Free Trade AgreementThe Dominican Republic – Central America Free Trade Agreement, commonly called DR-CAFTA, is a free trade agreement . Originally, the agreement encompassed the United States and the Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and was called CAFTA...
(CAFTA) - Cosponsored the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005Class Action Fairness Act of 2005The U.S. Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, 28 U.S.C. Sections 1332, 1453, and 1711–1715, expanded federal jurisdiction over many large class-action lawsuits and mass actions taken in the United States....
, which expanded federal jurisdiction over class-action lawsuits since federal courts are generally less likely than state courts to rule in favor of the consumers (plaintiffs) in consumer protection cases - Supported Bankruptcy ReformBankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection ActThe Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 , is a legislative act that made several significant changes to the United States Bankruptcy Code...
- Supports the partial privatizationPrivatizationPrivatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
of Social SecuritySocial Security (United States)In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs... - Voted against a wholesale ban on gifts from employees of lobbying companies
- Support for the USA Patriot ActUSA PATRIOT ActThe USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
Chafee's liberal stances have led some conservatives
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
to refer to him as a "Republican In Name Only
Republican In Name Only
Republican In Name Only is a pejorative term that refers to a member of the Republican Party of the United States whose political views or actions are considered insufficiently conservative or otherwise not conforming to party positions...
" (RINO).
Most notable among these was Human Events
Human Events
Human Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
magazine, which named Chafee "the No. 1 RINO in the country." The National Journal
National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
has rated Chafee as the least Conservative Republican in the Senate, and placed him to the left of two Democrats, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
's Ben Nelson
Ben Nelson
Earl Benjamin "Ben" Nelson is the senior U.S. Senator from Nebraska. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000....
and Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
's Mary Landrieu
Mary Landrieu
Mary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, the only Republican to the left of the latter.
Known for often disagreeing with the Republican Party leadership, Chafee says he did not cast his ballot for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in the 2004 election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, instead choosing to write in
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
former president George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
as a nod to the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
of his father. He has frequently criticized Bush's record on the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, and also expressed concern about the 2004 Republican platform
Party platform
A party platform, or platform sometimes also referred to as a manifesto, is a list of the actions which a political party, individual candidate, or other organization supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said peoples' candidates voted into political office or...
and the direction of the party. He described the younger Bush's presidency as "an agenda of energizing the far-right-wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
base
Base (politics)
In politics, the term base refers to a group of voters who almost always support a single party's candidates for elected office. Base voters are very unlikely to vote for the candidate of an opposing party, regardless of the specific views each candidate holds...
, which is divisive." Soon thereafter, he rejected Democratic overtures to leave the Republican Party after appeals from other Republican senators
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
to remain in their caucus.
Chafee considered challenging Bush for renomination in the New Hampshire primary
New Hampshire primary
The New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide political party primary elections held in the United States every four years , as part of the process of choosing the Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidential elections to be held the subsequent November.Although only a...
in 2004 on an antiwar platform. In his autobiography, Against the Tide (2007), he states that "In the fall of 2003, part of me thought it was cowardly to oppose the president on so many issues and then not oppose him head-on as he sought renomination." However, he decided not to run after the capture of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
on December 13, 2003.
In 2003, Chafee voted against the Medicare Part D
Medicare Part D
Medicare Part D is a federal program to subsidize the costs of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries in the United States. It was enacted as part of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 and went into effect on January 1, 2006.- Eligibility and...
prescription drug
Prescription drug
A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
benefit. However, Chafee also cast a crucial procedural
Procedural
Procedural may refer to:*Procedural programming, a computer programming concept*Procedural generation, a term used in connection with computer graphics applications to indicate that data is created algorithmically rather than directly specified by an artist...
vote against a Democratic attempt to kill the bill, which failed by only two votes.
On May 23, 2005, Chafee was one of 14 bipartisan senators
Gang of 14
The Gang of 14 was a term coined to describe the bipartisan group of Senators in the 109th United States Congress who successfully negotiated a compromise in the spring of 2005 to avoid the deployment of the so-called nuclear option over an organized use of the filibuster by Senate...
to forge a compromise on the Democrats' use of the judicial filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
, forestalling the Republican leadership's implementation of the so-called "nuclear option
Nuclear option
In U.S. politics, the "nuclear option" allows the United States Senate to reinterpret a procedural rule by invoking the argument that the Constitution requires that the will of the majority be effective on specific Senate duties and procedures...
". Under the agreement, the Democrats would retain the power to filibuster a Bush judicial nominee only in an "extraordinary circumstance", and three of the most conservative Bush appellate court
Appellate court
An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...
nominees (Janice Rogers Brown
Janice Rogers Brown
Janice Rogers Brown is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She previously was an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court, holding that post from May 2, 1996 until her appointment to the D.C. Circuit.President George W. Bush...
, Priscilla Owen
Priscilla Owen
Priscilla Richman Owen is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She was previously a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court.-Early life:...
and William Pryor
William H. Pryor, Jr.
William Holcombe "Bill" Pryor, Jr. is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Previously, he was the Attorney General of the State of Alabama from 1997 to 2004.-Background:...
) would receive a vote by the full Senate.
Chafee was the only Republican to oppose Bush's nomination of Samuel Alito
Samuel Alito
Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
to the United States Supreme Court. However, he voted to end debate on the nomination, helping to end any chance of a Democratic filibuster. Chafee did not announce his opposition to the nomination until a majority of Senators had already publicly said they would support Alito.
Conservative author and radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt is an American radio talk show host with the Salem Radio Network, lawyer, academic, and author. An outspoken Republican, evangelical Christian, he comments on society, politics, and media bias in the United States. Hewitt is also a law professor at Chapman University School of Law.-...
argued that Chafee is one of the greatest roadblocks to creating a permanent Republican majority in the country because of his unwillingness to conform to the party's social goals. Hewitt argued further that Republicans should remove him from office by any necessary means, which includes voting for a Democrat against him. Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter
Ann Hart Coulter is an American lawyer, conservative social and political commentator, author, and syndicated columnist. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public events and private events...
has expressed disgust that Bush campaigned for him in the Republican primary against conservative Steve Laffey
Steve Laffey
Stephen Laffey was the Republican mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island with his term ending in 2007.-Background:Laffey was born in 1962 in Warwick, Rhode Island, one of five children born to John and Mary Laffey. When he was four years old, his family moved to Cranston, where his father worked as a...
.
Electoral history
See also
- Republican and conservative support for Barack Obama in 2008
- Rockefeller RepublicanRockefeller RepublicanRockefeller Republican refers to a faction of the United States Republican Party who held moderate to liberal views similar to those of Nelson Rockefeller...
- Republican In Name OnlyRepublican In Name OnlyRepublican In Name Only is a pejorative term that refers to a member of the Republican Party of the United States whose political views or actions are considered insufficiently conservative or otherwise not conforming to party positions...
- Lowell Weicker, another liberal Republican senator who won his state's governorship as a third-party candidate.
External links
- Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee official state site
- Chafee for Governor official campaign site
- 15 things about Lincoln Chafee, U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
, June 16, 2006