Lincoln Chafee

Opinion Source Information:

RealClearPolitics

"The whole appeal of the Obama candidacy was post-partisan, and to get off to that start I thought was surprising," said the Rhode Island Republican. "Ultimately, the chief executive has so much power, and just as a spectator, I thought the onus was on him to just to make it happen. Get 80-or-so votes on your first big initiative, whatever it is."

"To get off to that start, really, I was stunned about that vote in the House. Oh, come on! You've got to get that first vote, whatever it takes," Chafee added. "It was kind of sloppily put together or something and it just gave to partisan oxygen."

 

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Barack Obama website:

"As I looked at the candidates in order who to vote for, certainly my kind of conservatism was reflected with Senator Obama, and those points are that we're fiscally conservative, we care about revenues, matching expenditures, we also care about the environment, I think it's a traditional conservative value to care about clean air and clean water. Senator Obama's terrific on that issue. Personal liberties, such as the first amendment, the fourth amendment, a woman's reproductive freedoms, Senator Obama's strong on that. I consider that traditional conservatism. Senator Obama is a leader in speaking out against the war in Iraq. Using the tools of government to help the less fortunate, I consider that traditional conservatism. Give everybody an equal shot. And Senator Obama is terrific on those issues. So I consider myself a traditional conservative, and Senator Obama has voted consistently in my kind of conservatism."

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From an op-ed piece sent to The Providence Journal, a copy of which can be found and read entire on Senator Chafee's official site:

On Tuesday, I cast my vote against the nomination of Judge Alito to be an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. At the same time, I refused to support a filibuster of this nomination that was led by a small group of Democrats.

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From an August 2006 account of a Chafee-Laffey primary debate on National Review Online: 

Chafee states that every scientist knows that the real potential for cures is in embryonic stem cells. He basically states that the cures for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries, and cancer are in those cells, and we should be ashamed for not getting them.

There's really no question that he's in favor of more federal funding.

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Chafee has a mixed record on Social Security issues, having voiced support for parts of President Bush's plan for it but also publicly saying that he is in favor of keeping Social Security going. Source.

As reported by Kent County Daily times, one Chafee’s biggest concerns in 2005 was "Bush’s proposed changes to the Social Security system, which could change the program to private accounts for each citizen. Chafee has voiced his opposition to the plan until a long-term solution can be developed.

"While he disagrees with the president’s plans for the program, Chafee said that Social Security does need the attention of the government. He said he supports a plan dubbed "blended indexing," which would take the most money from those who need Social Security the least by making benefit cuts that increase proportionally with income. It could also cut Social Security's projected deficit by 70 percent.

"He said the president could benefit from eliminating the talk of private accounts, which he said would force opponents of the plan to develop a solution."

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From an AP article on where Lincoln Chafee and Stephen Laffey stand on the issues, Chafee on flag burning:

Chafee says he does not think people should burn flags, but he would not endorse a Constitutional amendment limiting free speech.

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From an AP article about Stephen Laffey, Chafee's challenger to the RI GOP senate nomination:

Chafee, 52, was the only Republican to vote in 2002 against the resolution authorizing the president to use force against Iraq.

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12/16/2005: Chafee voted yes on extending the PATRIOT Act: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00358 

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Press release: http://carper.senate.gov/press/03/04/042803.html "Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Lincoln Chafee (R- RI), and Judd Gregg (R-NH) have introduced S. 843, a “four pollutant” bill called the Clean Air Planning Act of 2003 (CAP 2003). The legislation sets national caps on emissions from electric power plants- including carbon dioxide, and provides a better alternative to existing Clean Air proposals because it cleans up emissions without impeding economic growth. The centrist proposal provides a workable solution to achieve cleaner air, begin to address global warming, and maintain reliable electricity for the nation. The senators are committed to passage of the bill this year."

Bill information: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d108:73:./temp/~bd3TQO::

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http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/19/anwar.vote.ap/ The eight Republicans who voted against oil development were Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, both of Maine; Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island; Gordon Smith of Oregon; Mike DeWine of Ohio; Peter Fitzgerald of Illinois; John McCain of Arizona, and Coleman.