AP: Where they stand: Chafee on some issues of 2016 campaign

[Omaha Steve]

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/1dd5878d2b1e4d369a005e60e448fc03/where-they-stand-chafee-some-issues-2016-campaign

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT and MICHELLE R. SMITH
Jun. 3, 2015 10:35 PM EDT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee announced his candidacy Wednesday for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president. Here's a look at where Chafee — a Republican who became an independent, then a Democrat — stands on some issues likely to be debated in the campaign:

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ECONOMY

Chafee supports raising the federal minimum wage. As governor, Chafee supported a plan to broaden the state sales tax but lower it from 7 to 6 percent. Most parts of the plan died. He signed into law a program expanding paid family leave and supports similar proposals nationally.

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TRADE

Chafee voted in favor of free trade agreements when he was a Republican senator from 1999 to 2006. He supports giving the White House authority to negotiate trade deals that Congress can only approve or reject, not amend. When asked if he would support the Trans-Pacific Partnership, involving the U.S., Canada and Asian countries, Chafee said he assumed President Barack Obama will negotiate a good deal.

FULL story at link. He just lost lots of D's on his trade opinion!

[Vattel]

1. At keast he doesn't pretend to be against TPP.

[Thinkingabout]

2. Looked at Chafee on the issues, is somewhat away from DNC platform, he will have

a hard road ahead of him running in the DNC primary. He is rated as a moderate liberal as is Martin O'Malley.

[DURHAM D]

3. Just caught part of an interview with him.

He seemed a silly lightweight.