Lincoln Chafee - Independent Candidate for Rhode Island Governor

Endorsement

Why Lincoln Chafee deserves your vote

October 28, 2010

Providence Phoenix
By Providence Phoenix Staff

A man of expansive yet commonsensical vision, with a rare political courage

Many Rhode Islanders are still undecided about the governor's race. Until this week, the Phoenix, too, was torn. Democratic Treasurer Frank Caprio, an undeniably able official, offers a focused, business-based plan to revive the ailing state. And former US Senator Lincoln Chafee, an admirable one-time Republican renegade now running as an independent, presents a chance to sideline the politics of small minds and petty grievances.

When Caprio blasted President Barack Obama, telling him to take his endorsement and "shove it," he brought political realities into clear focus. If it were not for Obama, there would have been no economic stimulus. And as bad as the unemployment situation still is, it would have been even worse had the Obama Administration not pulled the economy back from the brink.

As challenged as Rhode Island's educational infrastructure is, there would be even less hope of turning it around if it were not for the $75 million in Obama-sponsored Race to the Top funds flowing into the state. That Caprio has been a more vocal supporter of Race to the Top than Chafee makes his sharp rebuke of the president even more bizarre. Our next governor needs his head screwed on straight.

In two bruising and beleaguered years Obama has done more for Rhode Island than Republican President George Bush did in eight disastrous years. Yet Caprio saw fit to pander to those very voters who are nostalgic for a return to the Bush Era. Has Caprio forgotten? Those were the days when the rich got richer, the poor got poorer, and the middle class got squeezed until the economy collapsed — leaving working people everywhere shafted.

Chafee is a man of expansive yet commonsensical vision who has demonstrated a rare political courage. As a Senate Republican, he bucked the Bush Administration on the war in Iraq and tax cuts for the wealthy. And he rejected attempts to water down environmental regulation.

As a candidate for governor, Chafee told voters he will push to impose a one percent sales tax on exempt items like food, clothing, and medicine in a bid to address the state's fiscal woes, even though he knew it could cost him politically. Chafee is not hamstrung by ambiguity.

Chafee will bring integrity to the governor's office. He will appoint able people to the top posts in state government. And he will be a leader on important issues like gay marriage and environmental protection.

The Phoenix endorses Chafee for governor.

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Neutral Obama Stars in Rhode Island Ad

October 26, 2010

New York Times
By Bernie Becker

President Obama may be trying to stay out of Rhode Island’s campaign for governor. But that’s not stopping some of the candidates in that tight race from bringing him up.

A day after his nonendorsement of the Democratic candidate helped create headlines, Mr. Obama showed up playing a starring role in an advertisement for Lincoln Chafee, his former Senate colleague who is running for governor as an independent.

In the spot, Mr. Obama is shown praising Mr. Chafee at a 2008 event in Providence for opposing the war in Iraq. Mr. Chafee, who was a moderate Republican in the Senate, endorsed Mr. Obama’s presidential bid in February 2008, not long before Rhode Island’s primary.

“Real change isn’t voting for George Bush’s war in Iraq,” Mr. Obama says in the ad, which also includes some compliments about Mr. Chafee from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York. “I knew what it was. Lincoln Chafee knew what it was. We were voting for war.”

But while Mr. Obama may speak warmly about Mr. Chafee in the ad, it doesn’t appear as if the president will be formally backing any of Rhode Island’s candidates for governor.

On Monday, not long before the president took a trip to the state, Frank T. Caprio, the Democratic candidate in the race, said Mr. Obama “could take his endorsement and really shove it, as far as I’m concerned.”

For his part, Bill Burton, the deputy White House press secretary, told reporters on Monday that the president decided to sit out this particular contest “out of respect for his friend Lincoln Chafee.”

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The Anchor endorses Lincoln Chafee for Governor of Rhode Island

October 24, 2010

The Anchor
By The Anchor Editorial Board

As we all approach the ballot box, the turbulent first few years of the Obama administration are sure to be in the minds of many. Our endorsements are no different. As we roll out our picks for office over the next few weeks, you will see that The Anchor endorsed far fewer Democrats than we have in the past.

The race for governor race is both the most interesting and most contested of the races here in RI. This one seems like a real no brainer: we trust Chafee.

"Chafee," Providence College political scientist Tony Affigne told The Phoenix, "may be one of the few politicians in the country, and certainly the only one in Rhode Island, who can put up ‘Trust Me' lawn signs credibly."

Lincoln Chafee is by the far the best choice for all those interested in job development and higher education, two issues all college students care deeply about. Chafee says that if elected Rhode Island governor, he would hold a budget summit within his first 100 days and that he will audit all economic development tax deals, two things we need.

Think about it this way: if Chafee didn't have an "R" next to his name four years ago he would still be in DC. That one letter seemed to be the only problem this state had with him and he quickly fixed that. Now he is ready to fix some of the more pressing problems in our state.

Can Chafee pull it out? Who knows? But if he can, it's a major win for the state and for everyone that wants to see a strong third party. So we employ all Rhode Island College students to get out on November 2nd and vote for a governor that will really create the jobs you want when you graduate, and fund the college, to a far better level, that you enjoy now.

Next week, The Anchor will address both congressional races in R.I.

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Let's Trust Lincoln Chafee

October 22, 2010

Providence en Español
[Oprima aqui para leer el artículo en Español.]

Undoubtedly the most important political decision for Latinos in Rhode Island is the race for governor between Democratic State Treasurer Frank Caprio and Independent candidate former US Senator Lincoln Chafee.

Faced with a critical economic landscape, the next governor must restore confidence, revive the economy, fight an unprecedented unemployment rate and seek ways to ease property taxes that have overwhelmed homeowners and businesses.

Frank Caprio has an interesting combination of experience, credentials and political acumen. However, his ambiguous stance in relation to traditional areas of support within the Democratic Party and his centrist politics lacking in concrete proposals are cause for concern. Add to this his reluctance to rescind the Executive Order issued by Governor Carcieri, motivated by widespread anti-immigrant sentiment expressed by broad sectors within the state. Therefore, this weekly concludes that the only viable option is to trust Chafee.

Lincoln Chafee has an impressive resume. He has been Mayor, US Senator and college professor. Unlike Caprio, Chafee denotes a refreshing transparency when defining - and defending - his policies and positions even when these may not be the most popular.

It is no secret that during his time in Washington, Senator Chafee broke with the Republican Party and opposed the war in Iraq. He supported the legalization of undocumented immigrants and even co-sponsored the McCain Kennedy proposal that sought to create "a path to citizenship."

Now, Chafee has promised to remove Carcieri's Executive Order and has consistently expressed support for the "Dream Act" that would allow undocumented students access to college. He has not taken these positions for political convenience, as they are not necessarily popular among the vast majority of American voters, but because he believes they are correct. That says a lot about his character and personality.

Nearly half a century ago, Chafee's father, then Governor John Chafee lost his re-election because he had the honesty to admit publicly that the state would need a tax on income to maintain solvency. His opponent at that time, Democrat Frank Licht, vigorously opposed this proposal and emerged victorious. However, shortly after assuming the governorship, Licht adopted the tax and washed his hands by saying that the state's economic reality left him no choice.

Facing the responsibility of choosing between two viable candidates on November 2, one who says what people apparently want to hear and doesn’t take risky positions or one who speaks openly and without political calculations, Providence en Espanol is inclined to trust Lincoln Chafee as the next governor of Rhode Island.

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Confiemos en Lincoln Chafee

Providence en Español
[Click here to read article in English.]

Sin lugar a dudas la decisión política de mayor relevancia para los Latinos en Rhode Island es la gobernación disputada por el actual Tesorero Estatal demócrata Frank Caprio y el ex-Senador Federal el candidato independiente Lincoln Chafee.

Frente a un panorama económico realmente crítico, el próximo gobernador deberá recuperar la confianza de los diferentes sectores, reactivar la economía, combatir una tasa de desempleo sin precedentes y buscar la manera de aliviar los impuestos sobre propiedad que tienen a los dueños de viviendas y negocios agobiados.

Frank Caprio presenta una interesante combinación de experiencia, credenciales y capacidad política. Sin embargo, sus posturas ambiguas ante sectores de apoyo tradicional dentro del partido Demócrata y su discurso centralista carente de propuestas concretas resulta preocupante. A esto sumamos su renuencia a cancelar la Orden Ejecutiva anti-inmigrante emitida por el gobernador Carcieri, sin lugar a dudas motivada por el sentimiento anti-inmigrante expuesto por amplios sectores dentro del estado. Por tal razón este semanario concluye que la única opción viable para la gobernación es, precisamente, confiar en Chafee.

Lincoln Chafee cuenta con una impresionante hoja de vida. Ha sido Alcalde, Senador Federal y profesor universitario. A diferencia de Caprio, sin embargo, Chafee denota una transparencia refrescante al momento de definir - y defender - sus políticas y posturas aún cuando no son las más populistas.

Para nadie es secreto que en su época de senador en Washington Chafee rompió con el partido republicano y se opuso a la guerra en Iraq. También abogó por la legalización de los inmigrantes indocumentados e incluso fue un co-auspiciador principal del proyecto McCain Kennedy que buscaba crear “un camino hacia la ciudadanía.”

Ahora, Chafee ha prometido remover la Orden Ejecutiva de Carcieri y ha apoyado reiteradamente al proyecto legislativo “Dream Act” que permitiría que estudiantes indocumentados puedan accesar la universidad. Él ha tomado estas posturas no por conveniencia política, pues no son populares entre la gran mayoría de votantes norteamericanos, sino porque cree que son correctas. Eso dice mucho de su carácter y personalidad.

Hace casi medio siglo el padre de Chafee, el entonces gobernador John Chafee, perdió su reelección porque tuvo la honradez de admitir públicamente que el estado necesitaría de un impuesto sobre rentas para mantener su solvencia. Su contrincante en aquella época, el demó crata Frank Licht, se opuso vigorosamente a esa propuesta y salió vencedor.

Sin embargo, poco después de asumir la gobernación, Licht adoptó el impuesto y se lavó las manos diciendo que la realidad económica del estado no le dejaba otra opción.

Con la responsabilidad de escoger el próximo martes 2 de noviembre entre dos candidatos atractivos y potables: uno que dice lo que aparentemente la gente quiere escuchar y no toma posturas arriesgadas o uno que habla sin tapujos ni cálculos políticos, Providence en Español se inclina por confiar en Lincoln Chafee para Gobernador del Estado de Rhode Island.

Clickar aqui para leer el artículo original.

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Richard Walton's Pro-Linc take on RI Governor

October 11, 2010

WRNI
By Scott MacKay

Dear Fellow Rhode Islander

After these long, dreary Carcieri years, we need a good governor and the choice is stark. We can choose a man who has been in the state Senate for years and represents the “cronyism-who do you know?” school of government that has so long prevailed in the General Assembly and Rhode Island politics or a man who has long demonstrated his trustworthiness, his competence, his independence and his courage.

I’m not going to vote against Frank Caprio Jr., an intelligent and decent man, but for Lincoln Chafee. It is no secret that Chafee would still be in the U.S. Senate were it not that the only way to vote against President Bush in 2006 was to vote for Sheldon Whitehouse, who has turned out to be a pretty good Senator. It was not the way I voted that year but it was certainly understandable.

I’m going to vote for Linc Chafee in November for precisely the same reasons I voted for him in 2006. Assuming a candidate’s positions are within acceptable bounds, what is most important is his/her character. Politicians are often, and legitimately so, criticized for playing politics, for saying what they think will help them politically rather than what they believe. But Chafee is that rarest of politicians, one who speaks his mind; not what the polls say would help him politically.

No one can doubt his courage. I will, for the rest of my days, remember his voting against the Iraq War, the only Republican to do so when even most Democrats were voting to plunge us into a horror that has not yet ended. And he has called for a tiny 1% increase in the sales tax — hardly a politic thing to advocate — because he believes it’s much better than another round of increases in the property tax in RI’s cities and towns that so hurt the middle class.

Remember, too, that Chafee has demonstrated his excellence as an executive. He was, as is widely accepted, a fine mayor of Warwick even at a time when the City Council was overwhelmingly of the other party. He knows how to work effectively across the aisle. He demonstrated that as mayor and as U.S. Senator.

As the 2006 election neared, many, probably most, of my friends and acquaintances said they felt they had no choice but to reluctantly vote against Chafee. Well, this time they can vote for him.

His bumper stickers and yard signs say: Trust Chafee. I do.

Richard Walton of Warwick is a longtime local political activist and president of the union representing adjunct professors at Rhode Island College. He was the Citizens Party candidate for vice-president in 1984.

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Linc Chafee is a tested leader of unquestioned integrity and a strong independent voice. As Governor, he will work hard to create new jobs, rebuild our economy, solve our chronic budget problems, end corruption, and forge a new way forward for Rhode Island.

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