If anything, the White House made it clearer that Caprio will not get Obama's endorsement.

[babylonsister]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101025/ap_on_el_pr/us_obama

Obama assails GOP on clouded final campaign push

WOONSOCKET, R.I. – President Barack Obama attacked Republicans with gusto Monday as he plunged into a final week of midterm election campaigning, but his party's prognosis remained darkened by the feeble economy and his itinerary was designed largely to minimize losses.

Nor was his greeting totally friendly in Rhode Island where Obama has pointedly declined to endorse his party's candidate for governor.

Obama can "take his endorsement and shove it," declared Democrat Frank Caprio, battling Republican-turned-independent Lincoln Chafee in a gubernatorial race rated tight in the polls. Chafee endorsed Obama during the 2008 campaign for the White House.


snip//

"It's not enough to just play politics," he said. "You can't focus on the next election. You've got to focus on the next generation."

Caprio called Obama's rebuff "Washington insider politics at its worst." Rhode Island's congressional delegation expressed disapproval about Caprio's remarks, but the executive director of the Democratic Governors Association said the president's decision was disappointing.

"Frank Caprio has spent his career fighting for the values of the Democratic Party. He deserves the full support of our party and its leaders," said executive director Nathan Daschle.

If anything, the White House made it clearer that Caprio will not get Obama's endorsement. "Out of respect for his friend Lincoln Chafee, the president decided not to get involved in this race," said White House spokesman Bill Burton. It was the first time the White House had cited Chafee as the reason for Obama's non-endorsement of a Democrat.

more...

[ThomCat]

1. I think Obama is being politically tone deaf again.

He could have been a big help for the party here. Instead, he's helping the REPUBLICAN candidate.

Now everyone knows that he is refusing to endorse his own party out of friendship with the Chafee. That's as good as an endorsement of Chaffee for any voter who is independent or undecided!

:wtf:

What an amateur fucking mistake!

[babylonsister]

2. The Dem sounded like a clown; he was bitter because Obama

refused to endorse him.

Obama can "take his endorsement and shove it,"

Nice way to respect the President.

That's why perhaps the WH came out with the statement they did.

Edit to add this, from a Rhode Islander:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9383084#9386094

Caprio is running to the right

He is anti-union and anti-teacher.

He took a meeting in DC with the RNC last spring.

He tried to meet with the Republican candidate to drop out.

His father is a judge with his own show on local TV where they broadcast his traffic court. He's also on the State Board of Governors and hands out jobs like party favors.

He went on a talk show hosted by John Depietro, a right wing hack who got tossed off WRKO in Boston for calling a Gubernatorial candidate "a fat lesbo". Depietro speaks to the far right in this state, a disenfranchised group who rail against Democrats all day and love the GOP guv, Don Carceri who is the worst Right-winger we've ever had in high office.

Basically, Caprio ran unopposed in the primary when AG Patrick Lynch dropped out. All the money in this state flowed to Caprio, EXCEPT the union money. Even with no one else on the ballot......I did NOT vote for Caprio in the primary.

NEA Rhode Island and Local 94, the biggest state union endorsed Chafee.

I'm voting for Chafee, I decided that long ago. He is far more progressive than Caprio. Even my father, a "party comes first" guy, won't discuss Caprio with me. He has no faith in him and is holding his nose in "supporting" him. I think he'll vote for Chafee in the end.

[emulatorloo]

5. The Dem has been anti Obama, and is pretty much telling Obama to fuck himself

He is apparently what most DU'ers would call a DINO.

People don't seem to remember much about Chaffee when he was in the Senate, like how he caucused and voted with the Dems.

[babylonsister]

7. Yes, I just added a comment from a DUer; sounds like a real

charmer, and maybe a good reason Obama didn't want to take sides.

[emulatorloo]

3. 1) the Democrat is running aggressively against Obama

and the Democratic agenda.

2. Chaffee isn't a Republican.

[ThomCat]

11. No, he's running as a Democrat, and he supports the Democratic

agenda. The article even says so, if you read the article. Nothing in there says he's running against anything. It has been mentioned elsewhere that he wanted that endorsement, until Obama chose to snub him. That isn't HIM acting outside the party. That's OBAMA acting outside the party.

Chaffee was a republican until just recently, and only just because an independent. Pardon me for still thinking of Chaffee as a republican.

[pscot]

19. The head of the Democratic Governor's Association disagrees with Obama

The Wilmington newspaper quoted him... "but the head of the Democratic Governors Association said it was Obama's decision that was disappointing — not the candidate's remarks.
Frank Caprio has spent his career fighting for the values of the Democratic Party. He deserves the full support of our party and its leaders," said association executive director Nathan Daschle."

[ProSense]

4. How do you know it's

a mistake?

Caprio sounds like an asshole. Seriously, he doesn't get an endorsement and tells the President to shove it?

Let him fucking win on is own.

[emulatorloo]

6. He sounds like what a lot of DU'ers would call a DINO, quite frankly

[ThomCat]

9. Based on what?

The article said he has spent his career fighting for the values of the democratic party.

Obama isn't endorsing him because of friendship with a republican, not because this guy isn't a good democrat.

But here you are smearing him as a DINO? :wtf:

If you were in RI, would you be voting for the republican because Chafee is a friend of Obama's?

[emulatorloo]

12. Again, Chaffee is not a Republican. He used to be one, then he caucused and voted with Dems in the

Senate. It was a big deal at the time, he gave the dems the majority and control of the Senate.

(See correction below, I confused him with Jeffords, There was much speculation in 2004 that he was going to leave the republican party in 2006) He is an independent.

Obama hasn't endorsed Chaffee either.

All I know is that the democratic candidate has been anti-Obama agenda before this incident.

[dsc]

15. that is flat out, gold carat false

jeffords is who did that. Chaffee was a Republican until he got defeated in the general election of 2006 by Sheldon Whitehouse.

[emulatorloo]

18. sorry my mistake. The brain is fuzzy, flu or old age. thanks for the correction

Now that I dig, there was talk about Chaffee switching affiliation in 2004, but didn't happen - that may have been where my confusion came from. Thanks again fo rthe correction.

[Exilednight]

26. Alright, he's not a republican, but on the other hand - he's not a Democrat either ...............

if he was, he would be running as a Democrat on the ticket.

We are consistently told that it is not okay to support anyone who is not a Democrat.

So, it doesn't matter if Obama doesn't endorse him, but according to DU rules no one on this board can support him. Yet, I still hear a lot of rah-rah on here for him.

[firedupdem]

8. Not an "amateur fucking mistake"...you might want to get some

facts about this asshole guy before you bash the President.

[Lord Magus]

10. Get real.

You think he should support the DLCer instead of the ex-Republican who's the more progressive candidate?

[ThomCat]

13. You're calling Chaffee a progressive?

Is Chaffee going to be caucusing with the democrats?

[Lord Magus]

14. He's running for governor, not Congress.

Governors don't "caucus" with anybody.

[Number23]

33. lol That poster is like 0 for 434

If only his command of the facts was as strong as his Obama-hate. :rofl: :rofl:

[emulatorloo]

16. Well, Chaffee voted against the IWR. (and he is running for Governor, not the Senate)

That used to be a big litmus test here.

Repeating 1. he is not a Republican 2. Obama didn't endorse him.

[Drunken Irishman]

36. Swing and a miss.

[otohara]

20. I Thought Chafee Was Independent

as a Republican his party often called him a RINO -

[Number23]

34. Your posts in this thread have really not helped you or your case.

[Thrill]

17. Chafee is more of a liberal than

a lot of Democrats in the Senate right now.

[Mass]

21. Well, I was not expecting anything else. Dont ask me to agree with him on that one.

By this criteria, he can refuse to endorse any Dems in New England states where moderate Republicans will run (and I know Chafee is not a Republican anymore, but he stayed in the party until the end. Not a profile in courage either).

[ProSense]

22. What I don't understand is

this: If the President decided he wanted to stay out of the race (his decision, and some people seem to hate when he decides otherwise), why even make the President's endoresement an issue? The "shove it" comment was completely inappropriate for someone looking for an endorsement, especially since none was given in the race. I assume he wanted the endorsement?

[Mass]

25. He actually asked for an endorsement in the media last week.

Then Obama's spokeperson was asked by the media if he would endorse Caprio, and said NO. It is not even clear from what I read if Caprio was informed beforehand, given he had planned to attend two events with Obama today, and pulled out at the last minute.

His reaction was inappropriate, but not endorsing Caprio is a boost for Chafee (and Obama has to know it. He is not an idiot) and Chafee immediately touted it to get more Democratic votes.

I am sure some Democrats will agree with Obama, as some thought that Chafee was the liberal choice again a DLC Whitehouse (if you can imagine that).

[Jennicut]

24. I have lived in CT all my life and Chafee was always a very moderate

Repub. He has a good rep here. Some moderate Repubs here in New England would be considered more moderate then some DINOs in other parts of the country. Confusing, isn't it? Caprio seems like an idiot and Chafee is a decent guy. On the other hand, it is a Dem vs an independent. I wish Chafee simply switched to being a Dem.

[Mass]

27. I dont dislike Chafee. He is a decent guy, but there is a Democrat in the race, and, contrarily to

Florida, he has a fighting chance. Not endorsing him is stabbing him in the back, and he probably saw it this way.

Now, he certainly overreacted and looks like an idiot now, I agree. Let's see if the media will talk about this (given the MA debate)

[Lord Magus]

28. Two questions.

First, are you a Democrat first or a liberal first?

Second, is the Democrat actually the best candidate in the race?

Just because he has a D by his name doesn't automatically make him the more liberal candidate.

[PolNewf]

31. Chafee was the sole Republican to vote against the war in Iraq

That was definitely a profile in courage that many Democratic senators failed. Remember the mood of the country and how Repugs were using 9/11 at the time of that vote.

Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Chafee#Political_positions

Some highlights:
-Chafee opposes charter schools, saying, "I am wary of charter schools undermining and cherry picking and skimming off the top of our public school system."
-Chafee is pro-choice
-Chafee is a supporter of gay rights\marriage.
-Chafee was one of the few Republicans to vote against allowing drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
-Chafee opposes the death penalty
-Chafee opposes eliminating the federal estate tax
-Chafee voted against both the 2001 and 2003 federal tax cut bills.
-On November 17, 2005 he was the only Republican to vote in favor of reinstating the top federal income tax rate of 39.6% on upper-income payers.
-involved in the J Street project.
-supports federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
-Support of free trade agreements
-Supported Bankruptcy Reform
-Supports the partial privatization of Social Security
-Support for the USA Patriot Act

He appears to be very socially liberal with some fiscal conservative thrown in. Except for his Social Security position he is pretty close to this Canadian's POV.

WTF was this guy doing with an R by his name?

[Mass]

32. A typical New ENgland Republican. We have many here.

As for his vote for the IWR, It is good, but he was not for reelection that year and he was not casting a decisive vote.

[KingFlorez]

23. I have a big problem with this

This is a race that a Democrat can win and the President is staying silent for a Republican turned Independent, I think the President is very wrong. Sure, Chafee was a moderate in the Senate, but he still rubber stamped some bad policy for Bush, so there is no reason for Obama to support him.

[catgirl]

29. Where do get that he's supporting Chafee?

He's staying out of this race. And this is one case where I think the dem candidate
may not be the best choice.

[Lord Magus]

30. Chafee voted against the Iraq War.

That's better than I can say about most Democrats who were in the Senate at the time. Acting as if he was a Bush rubber stamp is just wrong.

[jeanpalmer]

35. Should Obama be banned from DU

for not supporting the Democrat?

[Phx_Dem]

37. Good for Obama. Any Dem who publicly tells the President to shove it,

shouldn't be a Democrat. Normally, I would says ANY elected official who publicly tells the President of the United States to shove it, is a huge fucking disgrace, but he Republicans have already proven the point with much worse. Now Caprio can join them.

I hope that fucker loses. Chaffee's more liberal anyway.

[TuxedoKat]

38. I totally agree with you

The guy is an absolute disgrace and a jerk and is disrespecting the Office of the Presidency. I hope he loses and his political career is over too.