Former Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee '75 called Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin a "cocky whacko" Tuesday.
Chafee, a visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies, remained confident in his comments yesterday when talking to reporters. He called some of her decisions "wacky," adding that he did not regret making the comment.
Chafee, who is supporting Democratic candidate Barack Obama, was addressing the New America Foundation, a Washington-based public policy institute, and made the comment during a question-and-answer session near the end of his talk.
Later, in an interview with a foundation representative, Chafee called Palin "dangerous for the future of the country."
Gannet Tseggai, Northeast communications director for the Obama campaign, wrote in an e-mail to the Providence Journal that Chafee's comments "do not reflect the views of Senator Obama, Senator Biden or our campaign."
Chafee registered as an independent last year after failing to win reelection to the Senate.
The video of Chafee's speech and the later interview is on YouTube.
