Lincoln Chafee = Freedom Fighter

[© tweed]

08/23/99- Updated 11:43 AM ET

 

   
Senate candidate admits cocaine use

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Lincoln Chafee, a U.S. Senate candidate and son of a stalwart Republican, admitted Sunday that he used cocaine ''several times'' during his college years.

Chafee, the mayor of Warwick, R.I., is the only Republican running for the seat being vacated by his father, John Chafee, who is retiring from the Senate.

Referring to the media's ''dogged'' pursuit of Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush's possible drug use, the younger Chafee decided to be forthcoming with his own cocaine use when asked about it during a WJAR-TV news show interview that aired Sunday.

''I had three choices - lie, which was not an option, or evade it and receive the consequences of that, or be honest. And I chose to be honest,'' Chafee said from his home Sunday.

Chafee, 46, acknowledged that the revelation could hurt his candidacy if voters hold him to the wholesome image of his father, a former Boy Scout and World War II hero.

Chafee said he tried cocaine several times around 1974, as a student at Brown University.

''It's not something I'm proud of,'' Chafee said.

The race has so far has attracted U.S. Rep. Robert Weygand, D-R.I., former Democratic Lt. Gov. Richard Licht, and former state attorney general Arlene Violet, who may run as an Independent.

''I think his personal involvement with cocaine is going to be between him and the voters,'' Violet said.

[Joe Republic]

Ooooooohh, I didn't know that.  Still, if it didn't hurt him then, it's not likely to hurt him now.

[TheresNoMoney]

I read about that a while ago and I think his honesty was very refreshing. I wish politicians were more honest about their past.

Still, if a Democrat had admitted to cocaine use the news media would smear them 24/7. A Republican is able to get away with it unscathed (George Bush for example).

[Democratic Hawk]

I've never touched nowt. Alcohol and tobacco that's about as scandalous as it gets with me

Dave

[True Democrat]

I read about that a while ago and I think his honesty was very refreshing. I wish politicians were more honest about their past.

Still, if a Democrat had admitted to cocaine use the news media would smear them 24/7. A Republican is able to get away with it unscathed (George Bush for example).

Umm, no.  Bush was severely punished and nearly lost hte 2000 election because religious turnout was so low because of the cocaine and DUI thing.

[Joe Republic]

I read about that a while ago and I think his honesty was very refreshing. I wish politicians were more honest about their past.

Still, if a Democrat had admitted to cocaine use the news media would smear them 24/7. A Republican is able to get away with it unscathed (George Bush for example).

Umm, no.  Bush was severely punished and nearly lost hte 2000 election because religious turnout was so low because of the cocaine and DUI thing.

Indeed.  In fact, without that very well-timed leak by the DNC, Bush would have won the popular vote too.

[opebo]

Chafee should've used the occasion to speak out in favour of legalization.