It looks like Lincoln Chaffee will be the next to announce candidacy for 2016

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He was on the Bill Maher show and almost almost said he was running. What do you think about old Linc?

 

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Hardly know who he is

 

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Hardly know who he is

Lincoln Chafee 2016 Presidential Exploratory

Environmental Stewardship
Responsible environmental stewardship can coexist with economic strength.
Throughout my career I have shown the proper respect for our natural world. At the local level I was a champion for wise growth with maximum input from neighbors on development. As a Senator, I was often the critical vote in favor of clean air, clean water and protection of vulnerable species. As Governor, my administration added unprecedented open space and parkland. The Northeast has the nation’s highest energy costs and I know the importance of balancing protection of our environment and making rational decisions on energy infrastructure. This same respect for people’s livelihoods extends to all economic sectors of our country.

Protection of Personal Liberties
The freedoms granted to America in our Constitution should never be abridged.
Recently certain of our rights have been wrongfully infringed upon. Particularly the Fourth Amendment forbids the tapping of our phones without a warrant. And the Eighth Amendment outlaws cruel and unusual punishment or torture. I will never allow our liberties to be diminished. And I will always steadfastly support our First Amendment rights. I also strongly support a woman’s right to make her own personal reproductive decisions. I believe in common sense adherence to the Second Amendment.

Aversion to Foreign Entanglements
Only 23 of 100 U.S. Senators saw the folly of allowing Bush/Cheney to invade Iraq. I am very proud to be one of the 23.
The tragedies of the Iraq War are manifold; lost and injured lives, hundreds of billions of squandered tax dollars, the difficulty of providing just and proper care for our brave veterans, but maybe the most tragic, the loss of American credibility. I commit to the repair needed to all the harm done. Our credibility will be restored when we respect our world partners and truly listen when they speak. In a world of nuclear weapons, the United States must make international decisions with brains and not biceps.

Middle Class
A strong middle class is the bedrock of any prosperous community.
However today’s system is stacked against too many American families. They play by all the rules; they are educated, often at great cost; they work hard all week, and are barely making ends meet. This is not right. As a U. S. Senator I voted against every Bush tax cut that favored the wealthiest and deepened the disparity between the few and the many. At the local, state and federal level I have supported incentives and protections that help grow the middle class. Beneficial social programs have a long history of being a force for good in the lives of Americans