HEADLINE: Former GOP senator calls Palin a 'cocky wacko'

[Bluebear]

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Former Rhode Island Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee has called vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin a "cocky wacko" and said her selection as John McCain's running mate has energized supporters of Democrat Barack Obama.

Chafee left the Republican Party last year after losing his bid for re-election and now supports Obama. He told an audience Tuesday at the New America Foundation in Washington that the Alaska governor has revived a "lackluster McCain candidacy."

"They've just thrown this firestorm, this tornado, into the whole presidential election," Chafee said in response to an audience member's question about whether the Obama campaign should worry about Palin's presence in the race....

Chafee said in an interview Thursday that he found much of Palin's convention speech objectionable, particularly her "mocking" assertion that Obama was overly concerned with al-Qaida terrorists getting read their rights. That comment "got to the core of everything wrong with the last eight years," he said.

"I consider that wacky, and certainly her tone was very, very cocky," said Chafee, a visiting fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies. "So I thought they were appropriate words."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iiVDUWaN_HPd_3wdPsZc_RIjSpIwD934LRRG3

[wicket]

1. K & R

Love you Bluebear! :hi:

[Bluebear]

2. I love you back!

:hug:

[FLAprogressive]

3. Chafee....one of the few 'pukes with a conscience

him, Jim Leach, and Wayne Gilchrest are about it.......

[MrMickeysMom]

7. You know, he's not a "repuke" at all...

He's the kind of Republican reminiscent of many baby boomer's Republican parents.

Spank me if I'm wrong, but I wouldn't call him a puke.

[FLAprogressive]

10. That's true -- it's kind of a blanket term anyway

[LeftishBrit]

4. He's got it right!

[AllentownJake]

5. Why didn't he speak at our convention?

Seriously?

[w13rd0]

9. Likely because although...

...we appreciate Republicans crossing over, we have enough filling our seats that any more might seem untoward, especially as we try to rally the base and get people to volunteer.

"Ah, so you were a Republican that voted for Bush twice, and now you are voting for Obama. That's fabulous..." but I still don't think I'm ready to have you sit in on policy or present yourself as our face to the world.

The Republicans do that shit (see: Joe Lieberman & Zell Miller). Where's Zell now? What's he up to? Can only imagine he's landed himself a nice do-nothing lobbyist position with no responsibilities thanks to one of his new friends in the GOP. The same will be true for Lieberman. We don't need to use people like that...

[AllentownJake]

12. He actually didn't vote for Bush II in 2004

He voted for the 1st as a write in.

[reaganbites]

16. Chafee

Is a good and honorable man. I met him once at the Raygun Airport. He was telling me about a time that Cheney called him up and then hung up on him. He said it was his birthday and Cheney was just reaming him. He said after that "no more."

[gaspee]

13. The only problem with that theory

Is that he didn't vote for BUsh in 2004 - He was very vocal about it too. He wrote in George HW Bush.

I loved him as my Senator but had to vote against him in 2006 so Dems could get a majority in the Senate. Too bad CT gave us Lieberman.

[Alexander]

15. Actually Chafee did not vote for Bush twice.

He did the first time, but in 2004 he wrote in "George H. W. Bush" as a protest vote.

[Bluebear]

18. Exactly correct.

[Aeval]

6. In Rhode Island, even our Republicans are DEMOCRATS!!!!

I have long thought that Chafee remains a Republican to honor his dad, John, who ironically was also more like a Dem.

[gaspee]

14. Exactly

He was republican by tradition.

[Liberalatus]

8. It's always amazing..

how openly these ex-Republicans express their "true" feelings, once they are free from intimidation, castration, or excommunication from the Right-wing mafia. I almost feel sorry for a genuine Republican who is trying to do what is right within the party, knowing that if you speak out against the establishment, you will be ostracized.

[WI_DEM]

11. we need to get some of these republicans for obama out there in an ad for him.

[bigtree]

17. yep

cocky wacko. spot on.

[Bluebear]

19. yep!

:hi: tree!

[Douglas Carpenter]

20. kik!! THIS NEEDS LOTS AND LOTS OF RECOMMENDS!!!

[eshfemme]

21. Wow... how crazy do you have to be to make Lincoln Chafee say this?

Apparently, you have to be Sarah Pailin.

[SweetieD]

22. lol that is what I was thinking.

[Bluebear]

23. welcome to DU!