You are viewing the Club Candidate: Steve Laffey category
September 13, 2006
Rhode Island Election Results
Andrew Roth
Rob Bluey of Human Events was with us when the election results came in last night. He blogged about it here and here. Matt Lewis was also there and had this to say.
National Review has an editorial on the race.
Leon at RedState.com suggests that the NRSC should disband.
Time Magazine offers a funny headline: "Chafee Gives the GOP Many Reasons to Smile".
Michael Crowley chuckles at Chafee's definition on what it is to be a Republican.
The final (unofficial) results:
Candidates Votes Pct. Lincoln Chafee 34,873 54.17% Steve Laffey (Club PAC-Endorsed Candidate) 29,500 45.83%
Posted at 11:43 AM, September 13, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
September 12, 2006
The Facts About The Laffey-Chafee Race
Andrew Roth
THEN AND NOW, THE FACTS ABOUT THE RHODE ISLAND PRIMARY RACE
"Issues matter. Voters still care about pocketbook issues like lower taxes, lower spending and less government waste. If economic growth wasn't important to voters, this race wouldn't be close. But the fact that it is speaks volumes about the viability of the issues this election cycle," said Pat Toomey, President of the Club for Growth.
AGAINST THE ODDS:
- According to an April 2006 independent public poll, Laffey was trailing Senator Lincoln Chafee by a 56% to 28% margin.
- Laffey has been outspent nearly 2-to-1.
- The Power of Incumbency: It is very rare for incumbent senators to lose in their party's primary -- just one elected Senate Republican incumbent has lost a primary race in the last 25 years.
"No matter what happens when the votes are counted, this race shows that the power of our ideas will be an influential factor in this election cycle," added Mr. Toomey.
Club for Growth members have donated over $725,000 to Laffey's campaign and the Club for Growth PAC has spent over $515,000 in independent expenditures in this race, including over $450,000 of TV ads in the last month.
Posted at 8:00 AM, September 12, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
September 11, 2006
The #1 Reason to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
What's the #1 reason to dump Lincoln Chafee? Before I reveal the answer, let's review the last 19 reasons.
We are an overtaxed nation with a federal government obsessed with overspending our hard-earned money. Chafee has consistently enabled that reckless behavior during his 7 years in the Senate. He's an out-of-touch politician who has voted to give himself pay raises and multi-million-dollar pork projects to Alaska. He has voted to limit free speech, especially political speech that is critical of himself and his ensconced colleagues. He has not only voted for higher taxes, but has let everyone know that he'll vote for higher taxes in the future if given the opportunity to "fix" Social Security. He lacks a basic, yet critical, understanding of economic principles by supporting price controls and subsidies while ardently opposing market-inspired school vouchers.
On the other hand, the #1 reason to dump Chafee can be summed up in two words -- Steve Laffey. Instead of re-electing senators who vote for more taxes and bigger government, we should help elect people like Laffey who will shake up Washington by working tirelessly to lower taxes and limit the size of government. Instead of being beholden to political insiders and unions, he'll be fighting for taxpayers. He understands economics. He understand how incentives motivate people. He understands that pro-growth policies will ignite the economy.
In other words, Steve Laffey knows how to help lead our country towards more prosperity and a higher standard of living instead of Lincoln Chafee, who will vote to strangle our economy with burdensome taxes and egregious, self-serving government waste.
Folks, it's time to dump Chafee.
Past Reasons
Reason 02 - Chafee is Against Personal Accounts
Reason 03 - Chafee Didn't Vote for GWB
Reason 04 - Chafee Voted Against Sam Alito
Reason 05 - Chafee is a Two-Time "Porker"
Reason 06 - Chafee Voted For McCain-Feingold
Reason 07 - Chafee Supports the Death Tax
Reason 08 - Chafee Is Against School Choice
Reason 09 - Chafee Gives Himself Pay Raises
Reason 10 - Chafee Votes Like a Liberal
Reason 11 - Chafee the Tax-Hiking Mayor
Reason 12 - Chafee Supports Price Controls
Reason 13 - Chafee Voted to Subsidize Amtrak
Reason 14 - Chafee Voted Against Gas Tax Suspension
Reason 15 - Chafee was 'Porker of the Month'...twice!
Reason 16 - Chafee Won't Sign Tax Pledge
Reason 17 - Chafee Supports the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 3:32 PM, September 11, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
September 10, 2006
Reason 2 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
Lincoln Chafee doesn't support personal accounts as a part of saving Social Security. What's his solution for reform? Raise taxes.
Past Reasons
Reason 03 - Chafee Didn't Vote for GWB
Reason 04 - Chafee Voted Against Sam Alito
Reason 05 - Chafee is a Two-Time "Porker"
Reason 06 - Chafee Voted For McCain-Feingold
Reason 07 - Chafee Supports the Death Tax
Reason 08 - Chafee Is Against School Choice
Reason 09 - Chafee Gives Himself Pay Raises
Reason 10 - Chafee Votes Like a Liberal
Reason 11 - Chafee the Tax-Hiking Mayor
Reason 12 - Chafee Supports Price Controls
Reason 13 - Chafee Voted to Subsidize Amtrak
Reason 14 - Chafee Voted Against Gas Tax Suspension
Reason 15 - Chafee was 'Porker of the Month'...twice!
Reason 16 - Chafee Won't Sign Tax Pledge
Reason 17 - Chafee Supports the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 5:23 PM, September 10, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
September 9, 2006
Reason 3 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
Senator Lincoln Chafee was the only Republican in Congress to not vote for President George W. Bush in 2004. After the election, he even snubbed the president by saying: "Well, usually when you talk about a mandate, you're talking about an overwhelming win. I don't think by any measurement the 2004 election was an overwhelming win."
Past Reasons
Reason 04 - Chafee Voted Against Sam Alito
Reason 05 - Chafee is a Two-Time "Porker"
Reason 06 - Chafee Voted For McCain-Feingold
Reason 07 - Chafee Supports the Death Tax
Reason 08 - Chafee Is Against School Choice
Reason 09 - Chafee Gives Himself Pay Raises
Reason 10 - Chafee Votes Like a Liberal
Reason 11 - Chafee the Tax-Hiking Mayor
Reason 12 - Chafee Supports Price Controls
Reason 13 - Chafee Voted to Subsidize Amtrak
Reason 14 - Chafee Voted Against Gas Tax Suspension
Reason 15 - Chafee was 'Porker of the Month'...twice!
Reason 16 - Chafee Won't Sign Tax Pledge
Reason 17 - Chafee Supports the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 6:23 PM, September 9, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
September 8, 2006
Reason 4 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
Senator Lincoln Chafee, who clearly favors activist judges on the bench, voted NO to confirming Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. This is after Chafee said, "Judge Alito has outstanding legal credentials."
It's hard enough stopping Congress from overlegislating this country towards bigger government. We don't need another branch piling on.
Past Reasons
Reason 05 - Chafee is a Two-Time "Porker"
Reason 06 - Chafee Voted For McCain-Feingold
Reason 07 - Chafee Supports the Death Tax
Reason 08 - Chafee Is Against School Choice
Reason 09 - Chafee Gives Himself Pay Raises
Reason 10 - Chafee Votes Like a Liberal
Reason 11 - Chafee the Tax-Hiking Mayor
Reason 12 - Chafee Supports Price Controls
Reason 13 - Chafee Voted to Subsidize Amtrak
Reason 14 - Chafee Voted Against Gas Tax Suspension
Reason 15 - Chafee was 'Porker of the Month'...twice!
Reason 16 - Chafee Won't Sign Tax Pledge
Reason 17 - Chafee Supports the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 1:45 PM, September 8, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
September 7, 2006
Reason 5 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
Senator Lincoln Chafee voted not once, but twice for the porkified "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska. First, in the pork-infested Highway Bill, and then second, in an amendment that Tom Coburn offered which sought to defund the Bridge, and instead, funnel the money to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Chafee's penchant for pork has also garnered him the "Porker of the Month" award by Citizens Against Government Waste. Again, not once, but twice!
Past Reasons
Reason 06 - Chafee Voted For McCain-Feingold
Reason 07 - Chafee Supports the Death Tax
Reason 08 - Chafee Is Against School Choice
Reason 09 - Chafee Gives Himself Pay Raises
Reason 10 - Chafee Votes Like a Liberal
Reason 11 - Chafee the Tax-Hiking Mayor
Reason 12 - Chafee Supports Price Controls
Reason 13 - Chafee Voted to Subsidize Amtrak
Reason 14 - Chafee Voted Against Gas Tax Suspension
Reason 15 - Chafee was 'Porker of the Month'...twice!
Reason 16 - Chafee Won't Sign Tax Pledge
Reason 17 - Chafee Supports the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 4:08 PM, September 7, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
September 6, 2006
Reason 6 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
Back in 2002, Senator Lincoln Chafee voted YES on McCain-Feingold, otherwise known as the Incumbent Protection Act. Chafee, along with 13 other GOP defectors, were responsible for the bill's passage. Had they voted NO, then McCain-Feingold would have be just another failed vote and not the law of the land.
Past Reasons
Reason 07 - Chafee Supports the Death Tax
Reason 08 - Chafee Is Against School Choice
Reason 09 - Chafee Gives Himself Pay Raises
Reason 10 - Chafee Votes Like a Liberal
Reason 11 - Chafee the Tax-Hiking Mayor
Reason 12 - Chafee Supports Price Controls
Reason 13 - Chafee Voted to Subsidize Amtrak
Reason 14 - Chafee Voted Against Gas Tax Suspension
Reason 15 - Chafee was 'Porker of the Month'...twice!
Reason 16 - Chafee Won't Sign Tax Pledge
Reason 17 - Chafee Supports the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 2:10 PM, September 6, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
September 5, 2006
Reason 7 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
Senator Lincoln Chafee is strongly opposed to the repeal of the Death Tax.
He has voted against repeal at least one, two, three, four, five times!
Past Reasons
Reason 08 - Chafee Is Against School Choice
Reason 09 - Chafee Gives Himself Pay Raises
Reason 10 - Chafee Votes Like a Liberal
Reason 11 - Chafee the Tax-Hiking Mayor
Reason 12 - Chafee Supports Price Controls
Reason 13 - Chafee Voted to Subsidize Amtrak
Reason 14 - Chafee Voted Against Gas Tax Suspension
Reason 15 - Chafee was 'Porker of the Month'...twice!
Reason 16 - Chafee Won't Sign Tax Pledge
Reason 17 - Chafee Supports the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 5:18 PM, September 5, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
September 4, 2006
Reason 8 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
Senator Lincoln Chafee is adamently against school vouchers. Instead, he prefers the union view that competition is inherently bad and that the education industry is somehow exempt from the incentive effect brought on by a marketplace.
Past Reasons
Reason 09 - Chafee Gives Himself Pay Raises
Reason 10 - Chafee Votes Like a Liberal
Reason 11 - Chafee the Tax-Hiking Mayor
Reason 12 - Chafee Supports Price Controls
Reason 13 - Chafee Voted to Subsidize Amtrak
Reason 14 - Chafee Voted Against Gas Tax Suspension
Reason 15 - Chafee was 'Porker of the Month'...twice!
Reason 16 - Chafee Won't Sign Tax Pledge
Reason 17 - Chafee Supports the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 6:24 PM, September 4, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
September 3, 2006
Reason 9 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
Senator Lincoln Chafee loves to give himself an annual raise. Since 1999, when Chafee came to the Senate, he has gotten an automatic pay raise. However, Senator Russ Feingold has offered an occasional amendment that would force an up-or-down vote on the issue. How did Chafee vote?
In 2003, he voted to keep the pay raise.
In 2002, he voted to keep his pay raise.
In 2001, he voted to keep his pay raise.
Past Reasons
Reason 10 - Chafee Votes Like a Liberal
Reason 11 - Chafee the Tax-Hiking Mayor
Reason 12 - Chafee Supports Price Controls
Reason 13 - Chafee Voted to Subsidize Amtrak
Reason 14 - Chafee Voted Against Gas Tax Suspension
Reason 15 - Chafee was 'Porker of the Month'...twice!
Reason 16 - Chafee Won't Sign Tax Pledge
Reason 17 - Chafee Supports the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 6:17 PM, September 3, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
September 2, 2006
Reason 10 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
We're in the Top Ten! And the reasons to dump Chafee will only get more resounding.
Today's reason to dump Chafee will astonish you. So far this year, the Senate has had 230 roll call votes. How did Senator Chafee vote? (Source PDF)
Lincoln Chafee voted with Hillary Clinton 71% of the time and with Ted Kennedy almost 72%!
How does that compare to Senator Ben Nelson, who is arguably considered the Senate's most conservative Democrat? Nelson voted with Clinton only 59% of the time and with Kennedy 54%.
BOTTOM LINE: These numbers don't make Chafee a self-described "moderate". They make him a full-blown liberal.
Past Reasons
Reason 11 - Chafee the Tax-Hiking Mayor
Reason 12 - Chafee Supports Price Controls
Reason 13 - Chafee Voted to Subsidize Amtrak
Reason 14 - Chafee Voted Against Gas Tax Suspension
Reason 15 - Chafee was 'Porker of the Month'...twice!
Reason 16 - Chafee Won't Sign Tax Pledge
Reason 17 - Chafee Supports the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 1:38 PM, September 2, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
September 1, 2006
Reasons to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
The Viking Spirit blog is offering a daily "reason to vote against Lincoln Chafee", similar to my blog posts.
Since there are so many reasons maybe ours will never overlap!
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 12:07 PM, September 1, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
'GOP Kisses Up to Liberal Chafee'
Andrew Roth
That's the headline to this new article by Walter Shapiro at Salon.com. What's laugh-out-loud funny about this article, is that Steve Laffey has been constantly calling Lincoln Chafee irrelevant as a Senator. Chafee proves it in the article with this quote:
"The only way my vote is significant is if it's 50-50," Chafee responded. "Otherwise, it's irrelevant. And that possibility seems remote as you look ahead at the races."
I wonder why Chafee bothers to vote at all if he feels that way.
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 8:26 AM, September 1, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
August 31, 2006
Rhode Island: In politics, there is no waiting until next year.
David Keating
So we see a new independent poll out in Rhode Island. While it shows good news, frankly we’re surprised and think the race is a lot closer than that. A lot closer.
It could be that the debates last week (TV debate 1 and TV debate 2) have led to a collapse in support for Chafee. On the other hand, there could be something wrong in the poll. We saw a similar out-of-the-box poll in the Nevada 2 congressional race that showed a huge lead for a candidate our PAC supported. Yet she wound up losing by 421 votes.
Since it is still baseball season, I’ll use some baseball analogies on strategy we think Laffey should be employing. After all, he’s a businessman and baseball is a business.
A manager who saves his best pitcher in the first round of the playoffs to win the next round often won’t even get there. You have to throw everything into winning game 5 of the first round of the playoffs, even if it means using your ace game one starter to win the deciding game in relief. If that leaves you with a Boof Bonser to open the ALCS, well at least you are in the ALCS.
In politics, you can’t win the general election if you don’t win the primary. We know this is stunningly obvious, but sometimes candidates take their eyes off the ball.
If the independent poll is right and Laffey wins by crushing Chafee, great. The side benefit is that it greatly boosts his chances of being the winner in November. It could also lead to huge national publicity that will cause a surge of online fundraising from people excited about changing Washington’s business as usual.
Even before the poll, it looks to us like Laffey thinks, and is acting like, he is going to win. We think he is being a little too confident.
Yesterday’s anti-Laffey TV spots outnumbered Laffey’s promotional spots by 108 to 27.
Then we read Laffey still has over $600,000 in the bank.
But looking at the amount of money Laffey is spending on TV makes us wonder, is he ever going to spend the money? Why is he letting Chafee and the NRSC beat him to a pulp without an effective response?
Laffey should put everything he has to win in the primary race in these last two weeks. We certainly don’t want to have to explain to our members why Laffey lost by a fraction, or worse by 421 votes, yet didn’t spend all of the money.
We are optimistic but not complacent.
Far from it. A report filed tonight will show our PAC pumped another $165,000 into the race.
Likewise, we hope that Laffey is going to spend every last dime he’s raised to ensure his primary victory.
Don’t wind up like the Chicago Cubs. In politics, there is no waiting until next year.
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 6:09 PM, August 31, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
RI-Sen: 'Out of Touch' TV Ad
Andrew Roth
This Club for Growth PAC ad started running yesterday in Rhode Island on both broadcast and cable television.
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 5:08 PM, August 31, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
Reasons 12, 13, and 14 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
REASON 12: Chafee supports price controls. This is already evidenced by his support for the minimum wage, but he also attacks so-called "price gougers" and voted to allow the government to set prices for prescription drugs purchased by the Medicare program. This would lead to backdoor price controls that would stifle innovation in the drug industry.
Chafee needs to re-take (or take for the first time?) Econ 101 and learn about how supply and demand work.
REASON 13: Chafee voted to give $550 million of taxpayers' money to Amtrak.
REASON 14: Big government thinking in Washington is to punish oil companies for making money by taxing them even harder, which strikes me as ironic. Greedy politicians are attacking "greedy" oil companies for making money by greedily taxing them even more.
But back in 2000, the Senate voted on a bill that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, suspended "the remainder of the 18.4 cents-per-gallon tax if the national average price of gasoline reaches $2 a gallon. It would provide a similar tax suspension for diesel fuel, kerosene and aviation fuel."
Chafee sided with the Democrats (yet again) and voted NO on ending debate for the bill.
Past Reasons
Reason 15 - Chafee was 'Porker of the Month'...twice!
Reason 16 - Chafee and the Tax Pledge
Reason 17 - Chafee and the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 9:40 AM, August 31, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
August 28, 2006
Reason 15 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
Citizens
Against Government Waste, a prominent national taxpayers advocacy group, has named Senator Lincoln Chafee "Porker of the Month", not once, but twice.
In 2005, CAGW also gave Chafee an anemic 33% rating on their scorecard, giving him the dubious honor of being "unfriendly to taxpayers".
Past Reasons
Reason 16 - Chafee and the Tax Pledge
Reason 17 - Chafee and the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 4:43 PM, August 28, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
The GOP Attempts to Rescue Chafee
Andrew Roth
The Republican Party has just activated a 72-hour program in Rhode Island:
Read it all.Democrats were right in 2004: the Republicans have adopted a draft. It only applies, however, to party workers employed by state victory committees in the east of the Mississippi. For many it will be worse than boot camp. They are to be sent to Rhode Island to try to rescue Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee’s re-election campaign in the September 12th primary.
Workers start arriving Friday and will be charged with sorting out the mess that Washington operatives believe is the Chafee campaign. First task may be to get Republican voters to forget Chafee’s erratic performance in the last two of the four broadcast debates between the incumbent and his lively challenger, Cranston mayor Stephen Laffey.
Posted at 3:09 PM, August 28, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
Lincoln Chafee is a Tax Hiker
Andrew Roth
As the following video clip shows, during Saturday's debate against Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey, Senator Lincoln Chafee said a TV ad run by the Club for Growth PAC was "very misleading" and "completely erroneous" because it said he voted for tax hikes. Chafee then goes on to say that he doesn't think he's ever voted to increase taxes.
Unfortunately for Chafee, he's wrong. he sided with the Democrats in November of 2005 and voted for a tax hike (just to name one). And that's not even counting his endless votes against tax cuts.
It's understandable that Chafee doesn't recalling voting for that specific tax hike because he reflexively votes for higher taxes no matter what, but he should come clean by correcting the public record.
UPDATE (3:45pm) by David Keating: Chafee is the one who is misleading people here. The ad does not say he raised taxes. It says he voted for higher taxes.
As Pat Toomey has noted previously, "Chafee has also repeatedly voted against measures to extend expiring provisions of the Bush tax cut package. Clearly those are votes to allow these tax rates to jump back up when the current lower rates expire. And if all that weren't enough, the dispositive fact is that Chafee has voted repeatedly for straightforward tax increases, sponsored by Democrats, in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006."
If you want more information on Chafee's various tax votes, click here.
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 2:33 PM, August 28, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
August 27, 2006
Reason 16 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
Lincoln Chafee has NOT and WILL NOT sign the ATR pledge not to raise taxes even though his GOP primary opponent, Steve Laffey, has signed it.
Even Democrat Senator Ben Nelson has signed it.
Past Reasons
Reason 17 - Chafee and the Minimum Wage
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 4:29 PM, August 27, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
August 26, 2006
Reason 17 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
On June 21, 2006, Senator Ted Kennedy offered an amendment that would raise the minimum wage by over 40%. The proposal passed 52 - 46, thanks in part to Lincoln Chafee who broke with Republicans to vote YES.
This wasn't the first time Chafee sided with Ted Kennedy instead of Republicans, but that's for another day.
Past Reasons
Reason 18 - Chafee and Incomes Taxes
Reason 19 - Chafee's Liberal Donors
Reason 20 - Chafee a "Centrist Democrat"
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 4:12 PM, August 26, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
August 25, 2006
Reason 18 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
Senator Lincoln Chafee was the lone Republican to support a Dianne Feinstein amendment to raise the top income tax rate from 35% to 39.6% in 2004.
RINO Senators like Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins weren't even willing to do that. And there were even FIVE Democrats who weren't willing to vote for it, either.
That's how liberal Chafee is.
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 6:08 PM, August 25, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
August 24, 2006
Reason 19 to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
Why should Rhode Island voters dump Senator Lincoln Chafee in the September 12th GOP primary? Let us give you REASON 19 - His Liberal Friends:
Chafee has several liberal endorsements, some of which he proudly displays on his website. Organizations like:
- Sierra Club (He's the only Republican senator to garner their support)
- League of Conservation Voters
- Republican Main Street Partnership
Strangely, Chafee does not list the RINO endorsement of It's My Party Too PAC. Perhaps it's just an oversight on Chafee's part.
Also, over 20 labor unions have given ($) over $90,000 in contributions to Chafee.
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 2:42 PM, August 24, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
August 23, 2006
20 Reasons to Dump Chafee
Andrew Roth
From now until September 12, the date of the GOP primary in Rhode Island, we're going to blog about why it's time to retire Senator Lincoln Chafee. He's going up against Steve Laffey, mayor of Cranston.
REASON #20: Chafee is the most liberal Republican in the U.S. Senate. The Boston Globe once wrote that "his liberal positions would be well-suited for a centrist Democrat."
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 5:43 PM, August 23, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
August 17, 2006
RI-Sen: New TV Ad
Andrew Roth
The Club for Growth PAC just released the following TV ad, which is airing across the state of Rhode Island on both broadcast and cable.
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Posted at 9:40 AM, August 17, 2006 | Trackback | Print | #
