To the Editor:
I do not look forward to a campaign season of progressives succumbing to Caleb Karpay's logic ("Save Lincoln," Feb. 25).
Though Sen. Chafee has indeed taken some high-profile votes in opposition to President Bush, he also makes one vote every two years that is a stake in the heart of all who support civil rights, workers' rights, peace and economic justice - and that is the vote for Bill Frist as Senate Majority Leader. Mr. Frist, and his top henchmen (including the very Rick Santorum, the senate's third most powerful man, who Karpay mentions as a rigid ideologue) get to set the agenda of the Senate. It should also be noted that he has a policy of voting for all but the very most offensive judiciary nominees Bush puts forward, and that he made a key procedural vote to cut off debate that allowed 2003's disasterous Medicare "reform" to pass.
The Democrats may not indeed capture back the senate in 2006. But for Karpay to insist that they not even try is a self-defeating logic of the sort that leads only to one conclusion - permanent minority party status on Capitol Hill. If the Dems roll over and play dead, the phenomena that Karpay refers to (lack of attention from the media, etc.) will only continue for longer. It was not so long ago that Democrats did control this chamber - as in 2002.
If Sen. Chafee so wished, he could reject a GOP that clearly does not respect his politics, even without joining the Democrats - Jim Jeffords did. But so long as he votes to keep Republicans in charge of the Senate chamber, he should not be considered a friend to Rhode Island's working people.
Peter Asen '04Feb. 26
