Froma Harrop’s Blog
Did you know that Projo op-ed columnist Froma Harrop has her own blog, where you can learn about things like her libertarian streak (h/t Jack Fowler of National Review)…
Froma Harrop is an independent voice on politics, economics and culture. Though often pigeonholed as “left of center,” she is widely known for her unconventional approach and libertarian streak.I have no control over what anyone than myself posts in the comments section of another blog, but knowing the full range of the RI blogosphere like I do, I’m going to urge commenters who decide to participate in her forum to take advantage of the opportunity she providing to respond directly to her writings when you believe she’s made a mistake (or even when you want to compliment her!), and not waste the opportunity available to get the attention of an MSM op-ed/editorial writer by lobbing general insults.
The good ideas win out in the end, when there’s a forum for exchanging them.
I hate change the subject, but I just have to put this in here for “Anthony”…
MJ: (Mother Jones Mag interviewer)If you were in Congress today do you think you would caucus with the Democrats? Today do you have more in common with the Democratic than the Republican Party?
LC: (Lincoln Chafee) Yes.
http://motherjones.com/interview/2008/09/fix-it-interview-lincoln-chafee.html
Thanks, George. As you might guess, I don’t regularly read Mother Jones, so I’m glad you posted.
My position hasn’t changed. If Linc Chafee helped secure the Republican majority, I would support him. If he became a Democrat and indicated that he would vote for the Demcratic majority leader, I would not support him. I suspect many others share my position.
It was quite clear from the start that the GOP leadership and Chafee were in a marriage of convenience. They didn’t necessarily like one another, but both derived some benefit from the other. That’s politics.
Generally speaking, I’d rather have a Republican than an Independent. I’d rather have an Independent that a Democrat. I’d rather have a Democrat that a Green.
The question of what Chafee would have done had he gotten re-elected–stayed Republican, gone independent, or become a Democrat–is, and will remain, somewhat speculative.
But I’d still rather have Chafee as an independent US Senator from RI than Senator Left-Wing Whitehouse.
I have said in earlier posts that I thought the timing of Chafee’s endorsement of Obama was below the belt and poorly executed, particularly given McCain’s efforts on behalf of Chafee when he needed it most.
Suffice to say, I’m very comfortable with my ’06 support of Chafee and I still don’t understand the animosity held by many on the right towards Chafee. I can understand how some on the right might cut a Democrat like Zell Miller or Jim Webb more slack than Chafee, but to cut Whitehouse more slack than Chafee seems inconsistent to me.
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Speculative? He said it himself, if he were in Congress today, he’d be a Democrat. He answered yes. In other words he would have screwed his loyal Republican supporters and donors, as well as the local, state and national committees who endorsed him. He would have betrayed his number one fan – YOU.
Chafee was never a Republican. We don’t have to speculate any longer, day after day he proves it with his own words and actions.
It is not your support for Chafee in ’06 that I criticize (I’m willing to let that go). It is your continued, stubborn defense of him that I find as absurd as the former senator himself.
As long as the Chafee crowd remains in denial, the RI Republican Party is in danger of repeating the dredful mistake of supporting someone like him in future.
I supported and campaigned for Chafee in 2000. I admit it! I was wrong! I didn’t think it through! But, I’m willing to admit it and I’ll never make that mistake again.
The Republican party in this state will never be viable if it continues to try to acquiesce to progressives. I don’t think I need to remind you what Republicans believe in. But it does seem like you constant remindeding that Lincoln Chafee didn’t believe in any of it.
It’s always hard to admit fault, even that due to ignorance of all the facts. Just ask Obama. 😉
I haven’t admitted this too many times, but I actually voted for Linc Chafee in 2000 myself. Of course, that was largely because I respected his father, and honestly, knew very little about Linc — which is probably how he got as far as he did in his public life, until enough people figured out who he really was and did away with him.
Linc Chafee used the term “cocky wacko”-he seems to be a “cockeyed wacko”,just two letters difference
Linc making that stupid remark has about as much credibility attached to it, as Rosie O’Donnell berating someone for being obese (in other words, none).
Round 2 is coming:
Heard yesterday from a co-worker who is close to a Laffey family member (the Southern branch) that he’s all in for gov in ’10.
If Linc’s in, this is going to get really, really ugly. If Caprio’s the Dem nominee and Laffey can’t depend on help from Carcieri…
It will make Obama-McCain look like a warmup act. And “cocky wacko” will look like a term of endearment.
George,
If you read the link to the article that you posted, Chafee said that he has more in common with the Democrats than the Republicans and it’s somewhat unclear as to whether the “yes” response referred to caucusing or whether it just refers to him having more in common. It’s also not clear that he would have become a Democrat or just an independent. It doesn’t really matter, because it’s speculative and I’d still rather have an independent Chafee over a Democrat Whitehouse.
As for the “defending Chafee” accusation, I defend him when I think he is being treated unfairly on this blog and I’ve criticized him when I think he’s done something wrong.
Likewise, I defended Barack Obama when it was insinuated that he attended a fundamentalist Islasmic madrassa and I’ve criticized Sarah Palin for making the statement that she has national security experience because she oversaw the Alaska National Guard.
As you know, that doesn’t mean I’m supporting Obama. It just means that I’m not going to give someone a blind pass because I support them or not challenge an attack against someone who I oppose if the attack is below the belt.
I call them the way I see them, which means I’ll inevitably disagree with both you on the right and leftists like Old Time Lefty.