The Myth of the Republican "Moderate": Sen. Lincoln Chafee Case in Point

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May 20, 2006

The Myth of the Republican "Moderate" Senator: Lincoln Chafee Case in Point

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

Dateline: Providence, Rhode Island
http://www.buzzflash.com/analysis/06/05/ana06033.html

You see, Chafee, the ditzy offspring of a true Rhode Island moderate Republican senator (his father John), is facing a primary challenge from a conservative Republican. But the White House knows that Chafee always votes with them when they need his vote. He casts "moderate" votes now and then when Rove doesn't need him to put a White House bill over the top, so that Chafee can "appear" moderate, while actually being a Bush loyalist on close votes.

The Republicans are much, much better at this game than the Democrats. It's called maintaining power. And to maintain power, they need a majority of Republican seats in the senate. Lincoln Chafee can vote anyway he wants on bills that the GOP is going to pass easily, as long as he is there when they need him -- and he is.

Furthermore -- and this is the most important strategic point -- Chafee gives them one more seat to guarantee a majority, which means the GOP controls the Senate, including all its committees. Among other things, this means that people like Bush Boy Toy #1, Kansas State Senator Pat Roberts (Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee), can continue to cover up administration illegalities, betrayal and incompetence.

So, in the shell game that the GOP plays so well, they don't give a hoot if Chafee gives off the "appearance" of being moderate. He's their made man and is a more likely fall election winner in an uber blue state than a conservative candidate running against him in the primary. Besides which, when it comes to control of the Senate and voting with them when they need him, the White House knows Chafee isn't a moderate, he's just another Bush foot soldier. This is because rhetoric doesn't count; it's only control of the Senate and must-win votes.

more: http://www.buzzflash.com/analysis/06/05/ana06033.html

[fujiyama]

1. Or better yet

that 'moderate' Arlen Specter.

Idiots on the left are partly responsible for keeping that fuck tard in power all this time. I'm afraid that the same will happen with Chafee this time...and it's impossible to replace those two idiots from Maine either....(and ocassionally I STILL see people even on DU praise Snowe and Collins).

[homaffectional]

2. Yep, and this is true for other 'moderate' Republican senators...

such as Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Arlen Specter (who just voted to send the anti-gay amendment to the full Senate), and Gordon Smith

I'm sure the Nazis had their own 'moderates'... at least in the beginning.

[jpak]

5. Beat me to it

Olympia Snowe-Bush and Susan Collins-Bush are a bunch con artists.

They talk "moderate", but when the Cat Killer comes around looking for their votes - he gets them.

[pnwmom]

3. Maybe we should do as good a job supporting our "DINO's"

as the Repubs do in supporting their "moderates."

Even Lieberman's vote counts when it comes to determining committee heads.

But otherwise, almost no Democrat's vote ever really matters under this administration, because the Repubs can and do pass almost anything they want with a simple majority.

[TahitiNut]

4. Like Ben Nelson? Gimme a break!

The difference is that Ben Nelson and other "DINOS" jump ship when it really counts - the complete opposite of the mythical GOP 'moderates' who only jump ship when it doesn't count.

To equate the two is an exercise in ridiculous equivocation.

[pnwmom]

6. If someone other than Ben Nelson can beat the Repub

opposition in Nebraska (hardly a liberal bastion), great. Otherwise, we need Ben Nelson and at least 50 other Democrats in the Senate.

[pnwmom]

8. Also, I'd be interested in hearing about the votes where

the Democrats jumped ship when it "really counts." Since the Repubs have majorities in the House and the Senate, and they also have a policy to pass bills on the narrowest of majorities --that is, without needing any Democratic votes -- when does a Democratic vote ever really count?

[lastliberalintexas]

11. The Iraq War resolution, for one

Also the votes on Roberts and Alito. We have the numbers to block judicial appointments, if the so-called moderates would stick with us on those issues that is.

Chafee was allowed to vote against the IWR, because they had enough votes due to the crossover Dems. He was also allowed to vote (or threaten to vote?) against Alito once he voted FOR cloture, which was really the only vote that mattered.

Tahiti Nut is right- our moderates desert the party when we need them
the most, which is why they get treated differently than the RINOs do by their more conservative counterparts.

[Kurovski]

28. The Bankruptcy Bill, for two.

[pnwmom]

35. The bankruptcy bill had support of 55 Republican Senators

plus Jeffords. Our Senators' votes didn't affect the outcome.

[Raksha]

9. You beat me to it!

>>The difference is that Ben Nelson and other "DINOS" jump ship when it really counts - the complete opposite of the mythical GOP 'moderates' who only jump ship when it doesn't count.<<

[pnwmom]

10. And what bills exactly was Bush able to pass ONLY because

of Democratic votes? He puts out bills that he thinks he can pass with his Republican majorities. He doesn't think he needs any Democratic votes.

He wants bills passed that will take his policies as far to the right as possible. And passing a bill with only a bare majority means he has probably succeeded in that goal.

[Hippo_Tron]

25. 2003 Tax Cuts...

Passed 50/50 (with Cheney breaking the tie) due to turncoats Zell Miller and Ben Nelson.

[pnwmom]

34. Zell Miller is a turncoat.

But Ben Nelson's vote wouldn't have mattered without Zell Millers.

[Hippo_Tron]

37. I don't understand your logic at all...

The tax cuts passed because Ben Nelson and Zell Miller voted for them? Why is Nelson any less guilty than Miller?

[pnwmom]

38. Miller was about to turn Republican. Nelson wasn't.

[Hippo_Tron]

39. But that doesn't change the fact that his vote...

Was responsible for the passage of the tax cuts. Nelson was a democrat who voted for them and because it was 50/50, his vote mattered.

[bvar22]

27. CAFTA,

and I believe the Bankruptcy Bill would not have passed without the help of "Centrist" Dems.

[pnwmom]

33. Patty Murray, who is no DINO supported CAFTA, as did

Maria Cantwell, Diane Feinstein, and Bill Nelson of Florida. What they all have in common is coming from port states where CAFTA is believed to benefit their economies.

The bankruptcy bill had more than 55 Republican Senators, more than enough to pass without any help from us.

[stellanoir]

7. 'Scuse me but I'm a Rhode Islander

Linc's an eccentric and is mostly not at all beholden to the powers that be.

When he was to the manor born he went out and shoed horses in Montana in his twenties. He voted against the Iraq War Resolution and was the singular Repub to do so.

Rove and his party want to unseat him with Lafferty which is totally pathetic. That is what this atrocious machine longs for. Someone who is compliant. Linc is not. Lafferty will be if given the chance.

I love Sheldon and Carl and Linc equally though I have issues with how Linc's office has inappropriately responded to the correspondence I've sent about EVM's.

It was totally bogus.

I'm registered as an independent. I want a twelve party system that is truly representative of our diverse populous. Like that's gonna happen. I've tried to help Carl in every way I can, and totally honor, respect, and deeply admire his anti war status. I absolutely adore Sheldon for his intellect and many other things. I think Linc is just quirkie enough for me as well. That primary will be the most difficult in which I've ever voted. As if. . . my vote will even be counted.

But though Linc's a Repub, he's cut from a different cloth I swear. Not your average clone I swear.

It'll be a rough and tumble race. Should be interesting. I would only write off one of the four contenders at this point.

[lastliberalintexas]

12. Did you like his vote for cloture on Alito?

When the chips are down, Chafee is no better than my senators. And that says A LOT.

[brentspeak]

13. Chances that a filibuster would have prevented Alito's confirmation:

Zero.

Chances that filibustering Alito would have cost two or three Democratic senators their seats: high.

[lastliberalintexas]

14. And Alito is on the bench for life

while we have a Senatorial election- and thus the chance to control the Senate- every 2 years. Which seems more important to you?

[pnwmom]

16. The point is that even if we had won the cloture vote, we

would have lost in the long run and Alito would still be on the court. We just didn't have the votes.

[blm]

17. It would have gotten more time to get the facts straight on Alito before

the final vote. The moderate GOPs should have been put on the hotseat.

[lastliberalintexas]

21. By golly, someone on our side of the aisle who understands the value of

actually forcing your opponent to publicly vote against their constituents' wishes. Give that lady a beer (or champagne, if you prefer!) :)

[lastliberalintexas]

18. We had more than 40 Dem senators

How did we not have the votes? Maybe because the "moderate" DINOs refused to do what was best for the country and instead worried too much about their re-election by deserting the party to vote with the repubs? Yeah, I think that's what Tahiti Nut meant upthread.

And if we'd been able to hold it together as a party and force the filibuster, we would have also been able to put the screws to people like Chafee, Snowe, and Collins by forcing them to live up *their* supposed moderate labels by actually opposing Alito's confirmation. Instead, they got to have their cake and eat it too by pretending to oppose Alito on the confirmation vote and all the while actually supported Bush by voting for cloture.

I truly mean no offense by this, but I really hope that actual Dem party workers are better at strategy and long term thinking than so many posters here. But given the election results of late, I'd say they're not.

[stellanoir]

19. and the repercussions from the Iraq war will haunt my kid

and my kid's kids long after you and I and Alito are gone.

Yeah I know about Judicial precedent and all.

But still the IWR was huge by comparison when it's trashed out economy and our social services and our infrastructure. When now we have to watch the legislative branch dick around about relatively inane issues as English as being the official language of the country, or flag burning, or how our idiotically militaristic national anthem is sung(I prefer Ray Charles' version of "America the Beautiful" personally, or gay marriage (no offense to gays at all. . .it's important to you guys but I'm talking about the senseless deaths of all of our kids. I know more than most that you need equal rights but come on, these wedge issues are just that-meant to distract us and make us polarize and fight over fringe issues when war and peace is all that we should be discussing.) It's all hype and drivvle in my book.

[lastliberalintexas]

23. Possibly

I am not downplaying the IWR vote at all. I just think that Chafee was given a pass by the administration on that vote because they didn't need him since they had enough turncoat Dems. If they'd actually *needed* his vote, he would have been brought to heel.

But your children and grandchildren will also be dealing with the corporatist wet dream that is America once this current Supreme Court has its way with workers' rights cases, environmental regulations, workplace safety issues and the like.

I guess it's 6 of one and half dozen of another. :shrug:

[stellanoir]

32. yeah I know

it's a mixed bloody bag isn't it ?

Damned the duality and damned the duplicity. In a land formerly known as the land of the lively discussion. . .

THERE ARE FAR MORE THAN TWO POINTS OF VIEW!!!

Sorry to yell I'm especially just bothered tonight.

[brentspeak]

20. To repeat: Alito's confirmation was unpreventable

A filibuster has a chance of success only when the non-filibustering side might suffer political fallout back home following a long, drawn-out filibuster. How would Bill Frist or George Allen or (take your pick of 90% of GOP senators) suffer political consequences for refusing to withdraw their support of Alito when their strongly conservative constituencies demand that a conservative like Alito be put in the Supreme Court in the first place? If anything, digging their heels in on the issue of Alito would make the GOP senators local heroes to the people who elected them -- and guarantee they'd be reelected for the rest of their life.

[lastliberalintexas]

22. Oh dear lord

It would have forced people like Chafee, Snowe, Collins, and even DeWine into that box you're trying to shove Frist. Think the people of Maine would have been happy with Snowe and Collins refusing to oppose the man? What about RI, where Bush's numbers are lower than the national average and where sentiment against Alito was very high? How do you think Chafee would have fared once he had to go home and explain his support of Alito's nomination?


But even more than that, even if we could not have forced any conservative republicans to withdraw their support of Alito, we still could have prevented his confirmation. We had more than enough Dems and there were wnough repubs who were supposedly waivering that it could have been done.


And actually, from the polling in Virginia, it might have done us some good to force Allen into that same box as well. His race isn't as sewn up as you seem to think.

[brentspeak]

24. Wrong

There are just as many conservatives in Maine as there are "liberals", so Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins risk nothing if they hem-and-haw and remain uncommitted during an Alito filibuster. And Chafee and DeWine have demonstrated time and again that they will always vote along party lines if they end up being the deciding votes. Also, a person would have to be on some heavy drugs to believe that George Allen would not fully support Alito during a filibuster.

In other words: there were not enough Republicans to have made a successful filibuster, and there probably were not even as many Democrats as you thought were would vote against Alito following a filibuster (e.g. Feinstein was strongly for Alito).

[stellanoir]

15. Nope

but he's better than most Dino's especially in terms of the IWR vote which was the most significantly destructive vote of our time. IMHO That counts for something. I'm not pleased with the whole lot of them. really aside from Conyers, Boxer, and Kucinich and a bunch of other members of the Black National Caucus.

[bigtree]

26. The point is that he votes with republicans when it counts

cloture votes are the most memorable party line destruction that moderates, including Chafee, practice believing that their party is bestto sort out whatever nonsense they want to shove down our throats.


I'd still support a dead dog before I'd support him


"I'll vote Republican," he said, explaining that he would choose a write-in candidate, perhaps George Bush the elder, as a symbolic act of protest. Asked if he wanted Senator John Kerry to be president, Mr. Chafee shook his head sadly, as if to say he could not entertain the question. "I've been disloyal enough," he said.

>>>>But Mr. Chafee says he does care. In heavily Democratic Rhode Island, he has been a Republican since birth; his parents named him Lincoln after the first Republican president. He says he is waiting for the moderate wing of the party to rise again; in the meantime, he was asked if he went to bed at night wondering how he could remain a Republican.

"Yes," he said, "I don't deny that."

>>>>That seems to be the prevailing sentiment among Republicans in the Senate, who are treating the gentleman from Rhode Island gingerly these days. At a recent lunch with colleagues, Mr. Chafee said, he offered them an apology and found himself comforted by a conservative, Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.

"I said, 'I'm a pro-choice, antiwar, antideficit Republican,' " he recalled. "And Judd Gregg said, 'The key word there is: Republican.'"

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70E17FA3A5C0C778CDDA90994DC404482

[Lefty48197]

29. "Moderates" don't put the radical right wing in charge of the Senate

as Chafee, Snowe, Spector and so-called "moderates" have done. If they're so moderate, then why do they vote for radicals to lead the nation?

[bigtree]

30. good example

'process' votes can be devastating.

[pnwmom]

31. But even the DINOS could help make John Conyers the

Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Go Democrats!

[bigtree]

36. as hard as it is to credit some of them

that's a fact. A vote is a vote.

I do think that support can be outweighed by devastating issue votes. Overall, though, I would say the balance is in favor of having the seat, especially with the close vote margins which have characterized the makeup for some time now.