Lincoln Chafee in CNN "State of the Union" interviews during 2015

On Budget & Economy: Widening disparity of wealth hurts the middle class

Q: There is a lot of enthusiasm out there for Elizabeth Warren because of her populist approach to economic issues. Do you consider yourself somebody who wants to fill that void since she's saying she's not running?

CHAFEE: Yes, absolutely. There's no doubt that Senator Warren's absolutely right about what's happening to the middle class and she's just been a prophet about this for a number of years. And that's what makes any community, whether it's a state or a city or a country or anywhere around the world strong: having a robust middle class. I have a great record of voting against the Bush tax cuts which widened that disparity of wealth, that hurt the middle class, led to the Great Recession. And so I'm proud of my record and would like to have Senator Warren's support and her legion of followers.

Source: CNN SOTU 2015 interviews of 2016 presidential hopefuls Apr 12, 2015

On Principles & Values: The Republican Party changed and I never changed

Q: You have an unusual history when it comes to party affiliation. You were appointed to the Senate back in 1999 as a Republican to fill the seat of your late father. You lost to a Democrat then you ran for governor as an independent. Now, you're a Democrat considering a run for president. Why?

CHAFEE: As far as my evolution, certainly the Republican Party changed and I never changed. And as I became an independent and one governorship as an independent, my values never changed whether it's on fiscal responsibility or on environment issues or on using the tools of government to help the less fortunate, keeping us out of the quagmires we see overseas. I've never changed. Protecting civil liberties and now I'm a Democrat. I'm very comfortable as a Democrat and look forward to the primaries and the debate ahead.

Source: CNN SOTU 2015 interviews of 2016 presidential hopefuls Apr 12, 2015

On War & Peace: Until Iraq War, there was lasting peace ahead of us

Q: You said explicitly that you're challenging Hillary Clinton primarily because of her vote for the Iraq war. Do you really think there's still enough anger left--this was a long time ago--to propel your candidacy based on that?

CHAFEE: Well, I enjoyed working with Sen. Clinton. We overlapped for six years and we served on the environment and public works committee together. But that vote for the Iraq war, that was a moment in time where the Vietnam era had ended, the Berlin wall come down. There was lasting peace ahead of us if we made good decisions particularly after September 11th when people were angry and they were scared. And that was just a moment in time where the premise for going into Iraq was so false that there were weapons of mass destruction--she didn't do her homework and we live with the ramifications today. And so you may say that's 12 years ago, but if you show lack of judgment, lack of doing your homework then, what can we expect in the future?

Source: CNN SOTU 2015 interviews of 2016 presidential hopefuls Apr 12, 2015

The above quotations are from CNN "State of the Union" interviews during 2015 (Candy Crowley interviewing candidates for 2015 and 2016 races). Click here for other excerpts from CNN "State of the Union" interviews during 2015 (Candy Crowley interviewing candidates for 2015 and 2016 races). Click here for other excerpts by Lincoln Chafee. Click here for a profile of Lincoln Chafee.
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Page last updated: Nov 30, 2021