How great it would have been if Lincoln Chafee would have voted 'nay'

[saltpoint]

for cloture, but as he indicated earlier today, I see that he has voted 'aye.' This, despite his specific announcement about not supporting the filibuster.

Person to person, I want Chafee to be the kind of New England moderate Republican I want him to be. That is politically selfish, I concede, but it is at least aligned with the principles of his constituents. Do women in his state want a return to 1953 abortion laws?

"My vote in exchange for White House funds and apparatus support for the Senate race in November?" Was that the deal he struck? Or is his soul made of marshmallows that any bug can bore through at will? His vote 'aye' today is tantamount to Alito sitting on the Court, and he knows it.

What a HUGE disappointment, on top of all the other times he's caved in and caved in and caved in to the Far Right.

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amended text to incorporate the excellent suggestions of other DUers. Thank you all.

[mattclearing]

1. He indicated during his announcement he would not support the filibuster.

[saltpoint]

3. I think that's right. As I said, I wanted him to vote my way instead.

I hold the illusion that I am no less liberal than the other progressive voters in his constituency, even though I live in another state.

I want to have him as an example of what Lugar and Sessions are not. When he votes with them, I feel betrayed and don't understand why he would vote for cloture when he knows that is tantamount to putting a manipulative dinosaur on the Supreme Court.

[Blaukraut]

2. Nobody got to Chaffee

He was never going to vote against cloture. His no vote for Alito's confirmation is largely symbolic. Believe me; if Chaffee's vote were going to be the deciding vote in the confirmation, he would vote FOR the guy.
He sells himself as a moderate repub to Rhode Islanders to get elected, but once he is in the senate, he toes the party line. All moderate repubs do the same thing. Pay attention to their votes. They will only vote against party lines when their vote is not a deciding vote.

[saltpoint]

4. I miss Lowell Weicker. He was his own thinker, no matter what.

Nixon's people tried to get to him on Watergate and Weicker slammed the door in their faces.