Lincoln Chafee To Unveil 2016 Bid Today

Via The Hill:

Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee is set to enter the Democratic presidential field Wednesday afternoon, making a bid to become the foreign policy foil to front-runner Hillary Clinton. While the majority of presidential contenders launched their bids at large rallies in their home states, Chafee will announce his candidacy during a foreign policy speech at George Mason University at 5:30 p.m., a campaign aide confirmed to The Hill. Since the surprise announcement of his exploratory committee back in April, Chafee’s national media appearances have largely focused on rebuking Clinton’s vote to authorize the War in Iraq. Chafee, the only Republican senator to vote against the authorization as Clinton’s Senate colleague, called her vote a “disqualifier” in a previous interview with The Hill and said it helped lead to the rise of Islamic militants in the Middle East.

That brings the 2016 Democratic field to four.

Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee Announces 2016 Exploratory Committee

Via Rhode Island NPR:

Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee has announced that he is considering a campaign for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president. The 62-year old former U.S. Senator and governor said in an interview that he wants to give Democratic voters a choice for president. "The Republicans have lots of choices, I feel that Democratic voters deserve choices too." Chafee said the launch of his exploratory committee will be made via videos posted on his website, Chafee2016.com. "Throughout my career, I exercised good judgment on a wide range of high-pressure decisions, decisions that require level-headedness and careful foresight," said Chafee. "Often these decisions came in the face of political adversity. During the next weeks and months I look forward to sharing with you my thoughts about the future of our great country."

Gov. Lincoln Chafee Celebrates On MSNBC

Photos Of The Day

All of New England is now officially on the side of equality.  Congratulations Rhode Island!

Quote Of The Day - RI Gov Lincoln Chafee

"When I sign the Marriage Equality Act into law, I will be thinking of the Rhode Islanders who have fought for decades simply to be able to marry the person they love. I will be thinking of how Rhode Island is upholding its legacy as a place founded on the principles of tolerance and diversity. But I will also be thinking, as all governors must, about the economy. With marriage equality becoming law tomorrow night in Rhode Island, we are sending a clear message that we are open for business, and that all are welcome. I hope that leaders in capitals across the country — including Washington — will soon realize that marriage equality is an issue where doing the right thing and the smart thing are one and the same." - Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, writing for the New York Times. Hit the link and read the full essay.

THURSDAY: Ocean State To Tenth State

RHODE ISLAND: Same-Sex Marriage Campaign Launched From Local Church

RI Gov. Chafee: Pass Marriage Now

Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee today said that he will likely veto any attempt to put same-sex marriage to a public vote.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee told reporters Thursday that lawmakers owe it to voters to decide themselves. The state House of Representatives is expected to vote within weeks on legislation that would allow gay and lesbian couples to wed. But some opponents have voiced support for alternative legislation that would put the question before voters. Same-sex marriage supporters say the issue is one of civil rights and shouldn't be decided by a vote. Rhode Island is now the only state in New England without same-sex marriage.

Zoom, zoom, zoom!

UPDATE: Through a White House spokesman, President Obama has endorsed marriage equality in Rhode Island. 

“While the President does not weigh in on every measure being considered by the states, he believes all couples should be treated fairly and equally, with dignity and respect,” said White House spokesperson Shin Inouye. “As he has said, his personal view is that it’s wrong to prevent couples who are in loving, committed relationships, and want to marry, from doing so.”

That's the boilerplate response we've seen in the past, but it's welcome nonetheless.

Rhode Island To Recognize Gay Marriages

Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee today ordered all state agencies to officially recognize same-sex marriages legally performed in other jurisdictions.

The executive order is expected to have many real-world implications. Same-sex spouses of state employees and anyone covered by an insurance company regulated in Rhode Island will be entitled to health and life insurance benefits, gay rights advocates say. Both partners in a same-sex couple will be able to list their names as parents on a child’s birth certificate, and same-sex couples will be entitled to sales tax exemptions on the transfer of property including vehicles. One couple who attended the signing ceremony — married in neighboring Massachusetts — described their disappointment of not being able to list both their names on their son’s birth certificate. “For our next child, we won’t have to go through the same kind of turmoil,” Martha Holt Castle said.

Yay, guv!

RELATED: Civil unions have been legal in Rhode Island since last year.

RHODE ISLAND: Gov. Lincoln Chafee Signs Civil Unions Bill Into Law

Against the vehement objections of some LGBT rights groups, today Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed his state's controversial civil unions bill into law.

The new law includes a section that says no religious organization -- including some hospitals, cemeteries, schools and community centers -- or its employees may be required to treat as valid any civil union, providing a religious exemption "of unparalleled and alarming scope," Chafee said in a statement. As a result, a civil union spouse could be denied the right to make medical decisions for his or her partner, access to health insurance benefits, property rights in adjoining burial plots or family memberships at some community centers. That could cause partners significant harm at critical moments in their lives, the governor said. "This extraordinary exemption eviscerates the important rights that enacting a civil union law was meant to guarantee for same sex couples in the first place," Chafee said.

RHODE ISLAND: Civil Unions Pass Senate

Last night Rhode Island's controversial civil unions bill passed in the state Senate by a vote of 21-16. The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who is expected to sign it over the protests of some major LGBT groups.

The legislation, which passed overwhelmingly in the state's lower house on May 19, affords same-sex couples a host of new state tax breaks, health-care benefits and greater ease of inheritance. Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent, is expected to sign the bill into law, according to his spokesman, Michael Trainor. If signed, the law would take effect on July 1, making Rhode Island the fifth state in the country to allow civil unions between same-sex couples.

RHODE ISLAND: Activists Demand Governor Veto Civil Unions Bill

Saying that Rhode Island's proposed civil unions bill will "allow religious organizations and their individual employees to completely disregard the validity of a civil union in any context," major LGBT activist groups are asking Gov. Lincoln Chafee to veto the act should it come to his desk. Via press release:

"This flawed civil union bill undermines a crucial principle that Rhode Island has always stood for -- respecting the separation of church and state,” said Marc Solomon, National Campaign Director for Freedom to Marry. “Not only does the bill propose a separate-and-unequal status instead of ending the denial of marriage itself, it grants an unprecedented license to discriminate against same-sex couples and their families. Governor Chafee should veto this defective bill and work with the legislature to enact a marriage bill that ends discrimination while preserving religious and personal freedom on equal terms for all.”

The letter, which was signed by groups including Freedom to Marry and GLAD, reads: This amendment could allow individuals, who are legally required to recognize everyone else’s legal commitments, to opt out of doing so only for gay and lesbian people. In practical terms, this law could allow religiously affiliated hospitals to deny a civil union spouse’s right to be by his spouse’s side and make medical decisions for him, and could allow religiously affiliated agencies to deny an employee’s right to leave in order to care for his civil union spouse under Rhode Island Family and Medical Leave.

NOM Rhode Island: House Vote On Marriage May Be Very Close

The leader of NOM's Rhode Island chapter appeared on CBN yesterday to praise Catholic and Hispanic churches for "standing up against gay marriage." According to this NOM spokesbigot, marriage equality has a shot of passage in the state House, but petitions from anti-gay churches may have convinced the Senate not to move forward.

NOM Launches New Attack Ad Against Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee

NOM Launches $100K Campaign Against Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee

NOM is pouring big bucks into their video attacking Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee.

The local chapter of the National Organization for Marriage is launching a $100,000 TV advertising campaign aimed at defeating the legalization of same-sex marriage in Rhode Island. The first TV ad scheduled for airing on Tuesday will challenge "Governor Lincoln Chaffee's claim to have a mandate to redefine marriage,'' according to a news release issued by the group that misspelled new Governor Lincoln D. Chafee's name. "Lincoln Chaffee got just 36% of the vote in the recent election, and fewer popular votes than the Cool Moose Party's candidate for Lieutenant Governor," Christopher Plante, executive director of NOM-RI, said in the release. "Our message is that getting 36% of the vote is no mandate to redefine the institution of marriage for all of Rhode Island society."

RELATED: Here's an HRC clip about the "new nicer" NOM. Somehow I missed this a couple of months ago.

NOM On Attack In Rhode Island

Here's NOM's first ad attacking Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee's support of same-sex marriage.

UPDATE: NOM has pulled the clip, possibly due to a misspelling of Chafee's name. I'll replace the clip in this post if it goes back up.

UPDATE II: The clip is back up.

Quote Of The Day - Bishop Thomas Tobin

"It is particularly disturbing that our new governor, who has trumpeted his desire to bring our state together in unity, would adopt such a very divisive agenda item as one of his first priorities. His proposal violates the sincere conscience of many of our citizens and inflames passions on both sides of the issue. Our state leaders could better serve all Rhode Islanders by working on initiatives that will create jobs and improve the overall economic health of our state." - Bishop Thomas Tobin, on Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee's endorsement of same-sex marriage.

Governor Lincoln Chafee (RI) Uses Inauguration To Call For Marriage Equality

On Top Magazine has the transcript: “When marriage equality is the law in Rhode Island, we honor our forefathers who risked their lives and fortune in the pursuit of human equality. Rhode Island today must be as welcoming to all as [founder] Roger Williams intended it to be. Mark my words, these two actions will do more for economic growth in our state than any economic development loan."

RHODE ISLAND: Pro-Gay Independent Lincoln Chafee Wins Governor's Race

Lincoln Chafee, who was the only GOP Senator to ever express support for marriage equality, has won the gubernatorial race in Rhode Island as an Independent. Democrat Frank Caprio had been leading up until two weeks ago, but lost ground after telling President Obama to "shove it" when he didn't get Obama's endorsement. Both Chafee and Caprio had promised to sign a marriage equality bill should one get to their desks.

RHODE ISLAND: Independent Lincoln Chafee Surges Against Dem Caprio

When I last reported on this race two weeks ago, Caprio had a slight lead, but that was before the president declined to endorse him. Chafee aligns himself with Obama in his new ad (below), something more than a few Democrats won't do these days.