Lincoln Chafee '75, a distinguished visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies, was technically a Republican during his eight years representing Rhode Island in the Senate, but his strong criticism of the Bush administration, liberal social positions and maverick voting record made him hard to categorize. No longer a Republican, he's reflecting on his time as a senator in a new memoir, "Against the Tide: How a Compliant Congress Empowered a Reckless President," released Tuesday.
The former "Gang of 14" member offers an insider's view of the Senate during the early years of the Bush administration and the run-up to the Iraq War from his unique vantage point as an anti-war Republican. During his eight years in the Senate from 1999 to 2007, Chafee was the only Republican to vote against the use of force in Iraq and the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. He also expressed support for same-sex marriage and federal funding for both embryonic stem cell research and healthcare.
Chafee lost his Senate seat to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse in 2006. Since his loss, Chafee has changed his political affiliation from Republican to independent, and he recently endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Chafee said he was inspired to write the book because he felt that his years in the Senate were "tumultuous times" and he wanted to put his experiences "down on paper." His goal, he said, was to focus on the failure of Congress to stand up to what he saw as flawed Bush administration policies.
Geoffrey Kirkman '91, deputy director of the Watson Institute, said he thinks Chafee's distinctive viewpoints are part of the book's greatest appeal.
"The book offers a really unique perspective that no one else can give and no one else will," Kirkman said.
"It is a very candid account of life in the U.S. Senate in a very difficult time, and it is very honest and candid with criticism not only of the Bush administration but of Congress itself, of his own party and the Democratic Party as well," he said.
Kirkman read and edited an early draft of the book and offered suggestions, Chafee said in his acknowledgements for the book. Chafee's tone throughout the book sets it apart from other political memoirs, Kirkman said.
"The viewpoints that he expresses and the honesty and candor are not the norm. Other political reviews or biographies such as this are usually tools to launch a campaign or propaganda, but this is not at all. He has a story to tell and his perspective wasn't being told," Kirkman said.
The book begins with Chafee's discussion of the political influences in his own life and ends with a discussion of the future of third parties in America.
His book calls for people on both sides of the political spectrum to come together to solve policy issues, said Darrell West, professor of political science and director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy, who reviewed Chafee's book for the Providence Journal. West said he thinks Chafee's message coincides with the general mood of the country.
"I think that it is very much in keeping with the tenor of the presidential campaign," West said.
"Candidates like Barack Obama make the same pitch that it's time to move more towards the middle of the political polarization that has characterized this country for too long. Chafee basically, I think, makes a point that is very relevant to the current political situation."
West said he thought Chafee's personal accounts of insider Washington meetings and personalities will especially attract media attention and readership.
"(Chafee) was at the table when some of our nation's most controversial policies were adopted, so he has the unique perspective of somebody who was actually in the room when these things were being debated. He has interesting things to say about Bush and Cheney and there are stories in the book that will attract media attention."
Chafee will be conducting a book signing in conjunction with the Watson Institute at the Brown Bookstore on April 8.
