R.I.'s Chafee, opponent meet in debate

[cal04]

The candidates for U.S. Senate stuck to familiar themes Thursday in their first televised debate, with Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse saying Washington needs a change while incumbent Lincoln Chafee tried to highlight what he called his own "honesty, courage and foresight."

(snip)
Whitehouse repeatedly brought up the Republican Party, calling it fundamentalist, right-wing and partisan. He said that while Chafee often votes against it on issues such as the environment and Iraq, the senator enables the party to advance policies that he, and many Rhode Islanders, oppose.

"He votes to put that leadership in place, and once that leadership is in place, the die is cast," Whitehouse said.

The message has caught on with many voters in Rhode Island, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans more than 3 to 1 and where President Bush is exceedingly unpopular.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061021/ap_on_el_se/rhode_island_senate_1

[saltpoint]

1. I'm for Sheldon Whitehouse in this one, but I don't feel the

visceral dislike of Lincoln Chafee that I feel for Conrad Burns or Rick Santorum.

Still, go Democrats.

[Little Star]

2. My feelings exactly!

[saltpoint]

3. Hi, Little Star. Nice to bump into you tonight on DU.

I see you're from the Boston area.

Wow, are you folks lucking out in that gubernatorial race. I love Deval Patrick and hope he whomps Healy. And not to mention, your two U.S. Senators are awfully well liked in my house.

More power to ya.

[Little Star]

6. I'm with you on MA's two senators! Deval has my vote...

for sure. Can't wait to be rid of mittens! I can't stand Healy. She is everything I am against! Keep your fingers crossed for us.

[saltpoint]

7. They're crossed. Good luck.

and go, Democrats.

[Hav]

4. .

Me too. I don't know whether he won't change to the Dems because he is a real Conservative but he either sees that the Repubs are wrong on so many issues or not. If he stays a Republican, he is still a part of the problem.
Had he changed, he would have won in a landslide.

[saltpoint]

5. Yes. He doesn't seem to have a thing in common -- in substance or

in style -- with people like John Cornyn or Tom Coburn.

My hunch is they probably make him sick to his stomach.

We sure could have used one more Democrat in the Senate.

[Awsi Dooger]

8. It's odd to see Chafee going negative

That's not his personality or his preference but it worked in the primary with Laffey and he's using it again, to lesser degree, while trailing Whitehouse.