Lincoln Chafee announced today he is ending his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. The former Rhode Island senator and governor started out in politics in the 1990s as a Republican, became an independent after losing re-election in 2006 and then became a Democrat as he was leaving office as governor in 2014. He now becomes an interesting political trivia question and footnote for that unusual journey.
But his presidential campaign will be remembered solely for his bizarre defense of his vote to repeal the Glass-Steagall banking law during this month’s Democratic debate: that his father had recently died and he thus should be given a pass for not fully understanding his vote. There was always the option of not voting or voting present.