Just Who Are Those (Stupid) Republicans for Obama?

I mentioned this silly organization the other day, and the fact that Lincoln Chafee, one of the "Republicans" for Obama, is in fact not a Republican, but James Taranto has more one the trio that front this group:

However, the Financial Times reports that Obama has been endorsed by three "prominent Republicans": former senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, who lost his 2006 re-election bid, former representative Jim Leach of Iowa, who also lost his 2006 re-election bid, and Rita Hauser.

Who in the Sam Hill is Rita Hauser? The New York Sun tells us:

[She is a] PLO apologist whose law firm, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, racked up millions of dollars in legal fees over the years as a registered foreign agent of Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority. Ms. Hauser met with Mr. Arafat as early as 1988, when America still considered him a terrorist and refused even to allow him access to the United Nations headquarters in New York.

At least she didn't lose her 2006 re-election bid.

The Sun points out that Chafee also has an anti-Israel record, having blocked John Bolton's confirmation as U.N. ambassador on the ground that the Bush administration was too favorably disposed to the Jewish state. As for Leach, he voted "no" on the Iran Freedom Support Act, a sanctions measure, in 2006. It passed the House, 397-21.

In addition, Chafee was the only Senate Republican to vote against the liberation of Iraq (even Hagel supported it), and Leach was one of just six GOP House members to vote "no." This position may be more popular in retrospect than it was at the time, but it does show that these guys are far from the Republican Party's mainstream.

Obama's welcome to have this collection of losers.