Former Sen. Chafee in new book complains about Bush's "juvenile streak" - calls WMD skit "obscene"

[sabra]

http://entertainment.aol.ca/article/chafee-book-disillusioned-look-back/175593/

<snip>

He brands Bush as two-faced for solemnly promising during the campaign to be a "uniter, not a divider," but later pursuing a hard-line GOP agenda using wedge issues like abortion and gay rights. Chafee complains about Bush's "juvenile streak." And he rails at Bush's pretending to search for weapons of mass destruction behind the White House furniture during a skit at a black-tie Washington dinner.

"It was obscene for him to joke about a falsehood that American troops had gone to their graves believing," Chafee writes.

As U.S. casualties in Iraq mounted in fall 2003, Chafee says he even considered a primary challenge against Bush but quickly scrapped the idea after Saddam Hussein's capture boosted the president's political stock.

...

Chafee recalls Vice President Dick Cheney outlining a "shockingly divisive" agenda during a meeting with a handful of moderate GOP senators shortly after Bush won the presidency in 2000.

"Cheney was not asking for support _ he was ordering us to provide it," writes Chafee, who somehow seems surprised at such hardball tactics by Cheney, a man infamous for his take-no-prisoners brand of politicking. Chafee, too, seems stunned that none of his GOP colleagues put up much of a fight.

Chafee reminded Cheney that the votes of their small group of moderates would matter in a closely divided Senate.

[iris5426]

1. I always have really liked him...

he's kinda like the anti-Lieberman...

[sabra]

2. it's interesting how he notes Cheney setting the tone from day one..

[iris5426]

4. Yes I wasn't really surprised by that at all...

He's been the root of all the crap this administration has spewed from the beginning as far as I'm concerned. Execution would be too good for him.

[bdamomma]

13. Cheney is the root of all evil.

[donkeyotay]

3. Obscene, and so were the people who laughed and applauded. nt

[Solly Mack]

5. There's a name for anyone that believed Bush about anything

and it's not complimentary.

Same can be said of anyone "surprised" by Cheney's "hardball tactics"

Perhaps Chafee wasn't willing to believe the worst...you know, the truth.... about Bush and Cheney.

But then there's a name for that too...

I don't got much sympathy for him......just the same "not me...I didn't do it...I was fooled....I didn't know...if I only knew then what I know now" bullshit to absolve themselves.

"falsehood" .... couldn't even say lie...Bush lied. He's a liar who tells whatever lies he has to... He's far worse than merely being two-faced.


I know others will see it differently

[stellanoir]

6. Chafee is such a character and not voting for him in '06 was probably the

hardest vote I never cast.

*'s humor is worst than juvenile, it's repugnant.

Then * sang that ". . .brown, brown, grass of home. . ." wherein he made a joke of Scooter finally being free of the prosecutor, not only mocking treason, but also flaunting his scorched earth policies.

ughhh

[katsy]

7. The media had a jolly old laugh at that zinger.

They were in stitches while *bush searched under the couch, while the rest of humanity watched appalled at what we have allowed to happen in our name.

[bdamomma]

14. once a ignorant fratboy always a ignorant fratboy.

he needs his a$$ kicked out.

[msongs]

8. yet he supported the bush agenda. now he wants to cash in with a book nt

[rch35]

9. He voted against the war, just a point in his favor nt

[FredScuttle]

10. He also voted for the GOP leadership that did Dumbya's bidding

his hands aren't exactly clean.

[rch35]

19. I know, im not saying they are.

Im just saying is that it seems like he was one of the better ones, and that i think that a lot of his bad votes probably came with a fair share of threats and arm twisting from the republicans.

[JDPriestly]

11. Had he spoken out earlier, he could have changed the course

of history and probably been re-elected. He was/is a fool to have stayed loyal to a party that was not loyal to him, that did not even respect him or his opinions.

[MiniMe]

12. I love Senator Whitehouse, I just wish he had defeated Sununu instead of Chafee

I like Chafee, but think what he could have done if both he and Sununu were in the Senate. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy that Whitehouse is a Senator, I just wish we could have both of them and not Sununu.

[bdamomma]

15. Senator Whitehouse does his homework and he never

makes me sorry for voting for him.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

17. I love Whitehouse too. He is one of the shining gems in the mountain

of garbage. Sorry for my harsh words. I am so angry with the majority of Democrats who are cavalieringly throwing our rights away.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

16. Anyone worth anything, who was at that dinner should have walked out. I don't recall hearing

that anyone did.

[katsy]

18. No on walked out. Not one person.

What does that tell you?

It tells me that madness has overtaken the politically connected.

Obscene indeed.