The Associated Press
Thursday 14 February 2008
Providence, Rhode Island - Former Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee endorsed Democratic Sen. Barack Obama on Thursday, saying he is the best presidential candidate to restore the nation's credibility.
Chafee, who left the GOP last year and became an independent, said the Illinois senator has the intelligence, ideas and fortitude needed to be the next president.
"I believe Senator Obama is the best candidate to restore American credibility, to restore our confidence, to be moral and just, and to bring people together to solve the complex issues such as the economy, the environment and global stability," Chafee said in a conference call with reporters.
Chafee, one of the more liberal Republicans in the Senate, lost his seat in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. Chafee was the only Republican in the Senate to vote against the war in Iraq, and said Obama's early opposition to the war was key to his decision.
"We need people with good judgment," he said.
Chafee remains popular in the Ocean State. On the day he lost his Senate seat, his approval ratings were 63 percent. He's now a visiting fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies.
He said he spoke with Obama on Tuesday and offered to do anything he wanted to help him win. Rhode Island's primary will be held March 4, the same day as primaries in Texas, Ohio and Vermont.
In an odd bit of timing, Chafee made the announcement the same day Republican front-runner Sen. John McCain planned his first campaign trip to Rhode Island. McCain's last visit here was to campaign and raise money for Chafee during his failed re-election bid.
"That's just the way the system works," Chafee said when asked about McCain's visit. "I'm sure Senator McCain will understand."
During that race, Obama came to Rhode Island twice for Whitehouse, who has endorsed Clinton.
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