RJ Eskow on Lincoln Chafee

Last week, I blogged a piece by Steve Clemons supporting Linc Chafee; today, another commentator at the Huffington Post weighs in on the other side, arguing not so much against Chafee, but rather his role as an "enabler" of the Republican agenda. It really makes me angry to be put in a position where I feel I need to vote against someone who's been doing good work for Rhode Island, but that's where I am. In any other year, I would be voting for Chafee, because I believe measurable performance, philosophy, and character count more than party. But this year that's not possible, for the reasons Eskow articulates. Follow the link to read the full piece, but here's the nut:

Here's the bottom line in this election. The Republican Party has been hijacked by extremists and corrupt politicians, and there isn't a Republican Senatorial candidate out there who won't assist them in their orgy of greed and radicalism when it matters most: in determining who controls the United States Senate.

and

MODERATES, TAKE NOTE: The most unequivocally bipartisan issue in Washington today is veteran's rights, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans' Association has created a handy interactive guide to politicians' records on this issue. (Highly recommended.) Chafee only scores a "C," while his Democratic fellow Senator Jack Reed rates an "A-." That's food for thought for moderate Rhode Island voters. -- RJ Eskow: True Moderation: Why Lincoln Chafee Must Be Defeated