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February 14, 2008

Update: R.I.'s Chafee backs Obama

Former Republican U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee today endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president, citing the Illinois senator’s longstanding opposition to the war in Iraq.

Chafee, who lost a run for reelection in 2006, was the only Republican in the Senate to vote against giving President Bush the authority to attack Iraq. Chafee left the Republican Party last year and changed his registration to unaffiliated.

Chafee hinted several days ago that he was considering a vote for Obama. In his upcoming book, Chafee criticizes Democrats who supported the resolution to authorize the war, saying a vote for the war should be a career-ending lapse of judgment.

In backing Obama, the former senator said the nation cannot afford another presidential election with two candidates who supported the war.

In a conversation this morning with The Journal, Chafee emphasized that was a major factor in his decison.

Obama was not in the Senate in 2002; he announced his opposition to the war that October in a speech in Chicago.

During a conference call with reporters late this morning, Chafee said he called Obama personally this past Tuesday to offer his support and told him that he was "at his disposal."

The other top contenders, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, and Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain, voted for the authorization.

McCain, who campaigned for Chafee in 2006, is in Rhode Island today for a campaign event. He is the likely Republican nominee.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault

Posted by Jack Perry  at 11:58 AM | Permalink

Comments

Yes, Lincoln has seen the light, and is leaning towards the Democrats.

A. Douglas | February 14, 2008 11:30 AM link

IM A REPUBLICAN WHO WILL VOTE FOR BORACK OBAMA. HES THE ONLY ONE OUT THERE WITH SOME SENSE IN HIS HEAD. WE NEED PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER FOR THE SAKE OF THIS NATION!! FOLKS THIS NOT A JOKE!!! WE NEED TO STOP THE SAME OLD DYNASTYS!!! NOTHING WILL GET DONE. WE AMERICANS ARE SICK AND TIRE OF THE CLINTON DRAMA. OBAMA IS RIGHT!!! HE WILL BE READY IN DAY ONE NOT ONLY THAT HE WILL BE READY HE WILL BE CORRECT IN DAY ONE. HILLARY WANTS TO TAKE THE TROOPS OUT IN 90 DAYS...SHES FLAT OUT LYING. IT WILL TAKE AT LEAST A YEAR OR MORE TO BRING OUR TROOPS HOME. BORACK DONT GIVE FALSE HOPE. ALL HIS POLICY THAT HE PUT FORWARD ARE MORE REALISTIC, NOT FULL OF FALSE HOPE. HIS ECONOMIC PLANS WERE RATED A- AND HILLARY PLANS WERE RATED C+ , BY MANY ECONOMIC EXPERTS. YOU CAN RESEARCH THIS ON YOU OWN, FROM THE RESPECTED WASHINGTON POST. HILLARY IS OFFERING A MANDATE THATS WHY SHE GETTING HEAT FOR IT BECAUSE IT DOES NOT SIT WELL WITH THE AVERAGE HARD WORKING AMERICAN. WE AMERICANS WANT CHOICE NOT A MANDATE. THIS IS NOT CUBA!!!! WE DONT NEED OUR WAGES GARNISH IF WE DONT JOIN!!!! WE AMERICANS ARE REJECTING HILLARY BECAUSE OF ALL HER DIRTY LAUNDY AND DIHONEST TACTICS. I URGE ALL MY TEXANS REPUBLICANS AND INDEPENDENTS TO GO OUT AND SUPPORT BORACK OBAMA!!! IN REGARDS TO EXPERINCE BORACK HAS IT. HE HAS BEEN ON THE ILLONOIS SENATE FOR OVER 8 YEARS, HES WAS A PROFFESOR OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW FOR OVER 8 YEARS. HE WAS HEAD OF THE HARVOR LAW REVIEW. FOLKS IN ORDER TO BE HEAD OF THE LAW REVIEW YOU HAVE TO BE BRILLIANT!! MANY REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS HAVE SAID THAT BORACK OBAMA HAS WISDOM....HE HAS WORKED TIRESLY FOR WHAT HE BELIVES. IN REGARDS TO HIS RELIGION..BORACK IS A CHRISTIAN FOR MANY YEARS AND WILL ALWAYS BE. BELIVE ME WHEN I SAY THIS I RESEARCH THIS FROM HEAD TO TOE. HES IS NOT A MUSLIM HES A CHRISTIAN, HE GREW UP WITH HIS MOTHER A WHITE WOMEN FROM KANSAS, HE WAS RAISED MY HIS MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS WHO WAS ABLE TO SAVE MONEY TO SEN HIM TO THE BEST SCHOOLS IN THIS GREAT NATION. THATS THE AMERICAN DREAM. BORACK DESERVES TO BE ADMIRED. HE DOES NOT JUST SIT AROUND AND EXPECT FREE HAND OUTS..HE HAS WORKED HARD FOR MANY YEARS TO GET TO WHERE HIS AT. THATS THE AMERICAN DREAM TO ACHIVE MORE THAT YOU EVER THOUGH POSSIBLE. I URGE ALL TO GO OUT IN TEXAS, OHIO AND SUPPORT THIS AMAZING GIFT TO THIS WORLD.
BORACK WAS FROM THE START SAID NO TO THE WAR. TO THIS DAY HILLARY THINKS IS A JOKE!! SHE DANCES AROUND THIS ISSUE AND DOES NOT COME CLEAN. SHE ACT BOTHERED WHEN THEY ASK HER THIS QUESTION. HILLARY CAMP WAS IN SEPTEMBER GIVING ABSENTEE BALLOTS TO ILEGAL IMMIGARTS. THATS THE REAL REASON SHE LET GO HER CAMPAING MANAGER BECUSE SHE WAS INSTRUCTED TO GIVE ABSENTEE BALLOTS TO POLLING CAMPTAIN MOSTLY MEXICAN TO GIVE ILEGAL ABSEENTE BALLOTS. I THINK SHE WAS THINKING THIS WAY I CAN GET COUGH NOR PROVE OTHERWISE. SHAME. I HOPE HISPANICS ARE SMART ENOGH TO MAKE UP THEIR OWN MINDS. BORACK WAS RAISED UNDER POOR CONDITION BUT HE HAD LOVE AND A MOTHER WHO WANTED HIM TO BECOME SOMEHING IN LIFE, AND HE DID. PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR HIM LOVE HIM, THEY ALL SAY HES A BOSS YOU REALLY WANT TO WORK FOR, HES VERY GENUINE AND SICERE AND TELLS YOU THE TRUTH NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR. I HOPE YOU ALL DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS AND INDEPENDENTS WHO ALREDY LEANING HEAVELY TOWARDS BORACK COME OUT AND VOTE. BORACK IS A PORSON OF DIGNITY AND WELL REPECTED AMONG REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS. HES MANNERS A VERY CONSEVATIVE HES NOT LOUD. HES CALM COLECTIVE AND FULL OF WISDOM

GRAIG W SMITH | February 14, 2008 12:51 PM link

Im glad that republicans, independents are coming together to support Borack Obama. I must admit Im a women who started out supporting Hillary because I felt compelled to vote for a women. Well that has now has change. Why?? Im sorry we Americans are tired of the drama and scadals that our great nation has endured, its time to say NO MORE. In the past two weeks or so I have witness the true Hillary. Shes not even nominated but has already shown her true colors. I would be lying if I tell you that I knew this was coming, I was hoping it would not. Hillary is just naturaly dramatic, high strong and egotistic. Im sorry if you want to work with people you must not only have experience you must also have the ability to bring people together and move an agenda forward. Hillary is failing in doing so. I was really surprised that she did not tell her husnband Bill to stop the lies and the dishonest tactics. She fail to do so. The only thing that I though was worth looking at was her health care palne. Well let me tell my fellow Americans after intensive research I came to one conclusion..She talks about Universal Health plan but to this day she has not explain nothing. I follow her speaches, I follow her debates nothing at all. The only thing that is for certain is that we all now its a mandate that does not go well with the average American working class family. If you dont join they will garnish your wages. Im sorry Americans like choice not mandate. This is far from being a Cuba!
Americans all across this great nation are rejecting you Hillary because you are whats wrong with this great nation, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. We will send a clear message the Rhode Islanders are smart people and we too are tired of all the drama you and Bill will bring to Washinton. I hope that we reject your policys wich are full of fall hopes.

Kind regards,

Grace

Grace | February 14, 2008 1:09 PM link

Maybe before someone supports a candidate, they should learn how to spell said candidate's name. I also question the judgement of anyone who claims a less-than-one-term Senator is ready for any executive position, much less Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on Earth, from Day 1. I would think you'd want a person like that to learn their own job first, and learn Washington, before using it as a jumping point to the most powerful office in the world.

Overall not exactly a ringing endorsement.

EMT | February 14, 2008 3:59 PM link

And are we supposed to be surprised by this?

Rip | February 14, 2008 4:52 PM link

JUST FOR ME TO COMMENT ON THIS INSANE ENDORSEMENT IS GIVING CREDITBILTY TO SOMETHING THAT DO NOT DESERVES ANY SUCH THING . NOW TO THE COMMENT BELOW YOUR ARTICLE REFLECTS THE VOID LACK OF KNOWLEGE AND INFORMATION INTER ALIA . BARACK OBAMA IS A SCREAMING LIE-BERAL THAT DO NOT CARE AND HAS ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THE THREAT TO THIS NATION . HE IS SUPPORTED BY TERROR NETWORKS SUCH AS MOVEON.ORG THE PRIMARY SUBSIDIARY OF THE COMVICTED CRIMINAL GEORGE SOROS . KNOWLEGE IS POWER AND THE SHARING OF KNOWLEGE TRUTHFULLY IS EMPOERMENT . IN DUE COURSE I WILL EXPAND AND BROADEN MY DOCTRINES OF EXPOSING HOW DANGEROUS AND EVIL IT IS TO EVEN CONSIDER HAVING BARACK OBAMA AS THE COMMANDER INNCHIEF TO THIS NATION SAFETY AND SECURITY . MORE TO COME TREVOR THURSDAY FEBRAUARY 14.2008

TREVOR MERCHANT | February 14, 2008 5:38 PM link

I think it is so funny that Lincoln Chafee who recently lost the election in Rhode Island has decided to crossover to the Democratic party. I think it shows what a sore loser he is. People talk about Hilary??????? and flip flopping. What is this????


Joyce Rigby

Joyce Rigby | February 14, 2008 8:19 PM link

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