I missed his voice of conscience in the Senate, where he was the only Republican to vote against the use of force in Iraq– one of the few who had the political courage to stand against a war of choice that still takes the lives of American soldiers and Iraqui civilians. He served a term as mayor of Warwick, and did a decent job. And it’s a good idea to have an independent voice.
Obama is scheduled to visit Rhode Island on Monday, but according to The Providence Journal, won’t be endorsing anyone.
Fellow Democrat Frank Caprio tells WPRO-AM that Obama can “take his endorsement and shove it.”
Chafee has not run the best campaign, and I’ve been frustrated about that, because I think he’s the best candidate. Caprio’s temper tantrum on the air looks bad for him and doesn’t reflect well on the state.
I first saw this story on Salon. We’re national again, and it’s not even Chris Young this time. Rhode Island’s Future has more…
Caprio was referring to a news report in this morning’s Providence Journal that says that during President Obama’s campaign visit to the State today Caprio will not be receiving the endorsement of the President. Caprio went on to tell Depetro that Obama treats Rhode Island “like an ATM machine” and was critical of Mr. Obama’s decision not to visit the State during the flooding on 2009, comparing his disfavorably to Republican President George Bush, who is Caprio’s eyes, at least did a “fly over” after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005.
re: Rhode Island’s Katrina– I didn’t recall anyone dying in the floods last spring, forgive me if I’m wrong on that. It was certainly severe for the areas that got the worst of it.
Rhode Island got $111 million in federal aid–
Would a visit by the president have pumped out the basements faster?
You won’t see many links to Anchor Rising on this site, but here’s a post about a rumored approach to the GOP by Caprio’s campaign early this year.
Kmareka.com 
I’m not sure Obama showing up in the midst of the flooding would’ve done anything but create an obstacle to a rapid response what his security needs(or any president’s)-what was needed were the hands on people from FEMA and related agencies and it seems like they did aa pretty good job.
It also says something that there was no looting or lowlife behavior and no deaths.
Rhode Islanders do care about their neighbors.
I wouldn’t vote for Chafee for dogcatcher.
He doesn’t believe in 2nd Amendment rights(thankfully he can’t impose laws with this legislature);he has never worried about financial security in his life;he rolls over and plays dead for the public employee unions;he wants to tax regressively on necessities(Why not on yachts Linc old chap?);he has a holier than thou attitude;and I don’t think he is even a fraction of the man his father was,but he keeps coasting on that name.
Maybe you like to the manor born effete snobs running your life(I bet you REALLY don’t)-I do not.
I’m voting for John Robitaille,a non-elitist who has views similar to mine.
Caprio is sleazy.
Block is smart,although I don’t like some of what he says.
Another thing here-Chafee was on with Taricani and Rappelye and he opposed the Governor’s Executive Order and E-verify because he doesn’t like”big brother” and doesn’t want to “pick on” illegal aliens.
What part of the fact that they’re violating existing Federal law does he not get.
He wants “big brother” in gun owners’ shorts 24/7.Damn hypocrite.
The exception to respect for the law when it comes to immigration is a serious matter.We don’t get to pick and choose laws if we want a civilized society.
I guess i’m talking to the wall on this issue on this site,but whatever.I don’t like preaching to the choir to an excess.
His opposition to the Iraq War was admirable,but that alone doesn’t make him a good choice for Governor.
“effete snob’?? Typical offensive right-wing personal attack rhetoric devoid of content.
Folks should vote on issues, so one should indeed vote for Robataille if one is opposed to rights for gays and reproductive freedom, wants tax cuts regardless of what happens to URI/RIC/CCRI, the roads, transit, the disabled, the needy, and wants to continue the erosion of the standard of living for working people generally. Working people get what they get in large measure thanks to unions (for minimum wages, workplace safety, child labor laws etc), though the relentless (and thus successful) attacks on unions have indeed hurt working people and skewed income distribution entirely to the benefit of the upper income classes and investors.
On the other hand, I would suggest voting for Chafee if one wants an honest governor who is the most likely to select the best people to run the state, who sees the need for a state revenue increase to hold down property taxes and still have the resources to help invest in transportation, education, save the safety net, and take advantage of our “assets” that he has talked about.
Are you a union member?For how long?I was a public employee union member for 27 years.I however do not believe unions should abuse the public.
Private sector unions are an entirely different story-they’re dealing with profit making companies who make the money on their efforts,so they are completely justified in striking if they want.
Robitaille is not a rich man,and frankly I am sick of hearing about same sex marriage-I don’t care if we have it or not-he’s for civil unions-if those provide equal legal rights,what else is needed?
I never had a church wedding with my wife and we have a long term marriage.
As far as being devoid of content,Barry,I thought the majority of my response was very specific.
You addressed two words and that was it.Typical cherrypicking liberal.
1) By telling Obama to shove it, Caprio showed himself to be a petty, spiteful little man.
2) By this point, Chafee is more of a dem than Caprio is anyway.
You never cited those “right wing shootings” that you made allegations about.
Don’t even try with the Tiller case-the anti-abortion fringe nuts are not in synch with most,actually,hardly any conservatives.They are in their own mad little world.It makes no sense to murder someone in the name of being pro-life.
So what other cases are you aware of?Hmmm?You got caught.
I’ve had personal experience with Sheldon Whitehouse and he’s an effete snob and an incompetent.
I have neevr met Chafee,but his whole demeanor comes across like that.He has no clue of what ordinary people have had to contend with.
Someone commented on RI Future that Caprio’s comment is a deliberate effort to draw Republicans off Robitaille and toward him — by being the most defiant-sounding of the Dem party. That makes a lot of sense. It seems like everyone is getting more and more desperate, so we can only imagine what kind of silly season finale we are in for in the next week.
I am not sure if it was calculated or not,but Caprio is trying to be a Governor.If he were a talk show host,fine,but what he did was not very gubenatorial.
I’m wondering if Caprio started taking political strategy advice from Johnny Paycheck. It may have been ok for him to launch an attack against the President, but it was so inartfully done as to possibly alienate those with whom he sought to curry favor. I think Caprio’s comments make him look petty and I wonder if he’ll look back on November 3 and wish he had a do-over.
Of course there are some who will cheer Caprio’s comments. But then again, some folks get their jollies disrespecting the President, or seeing him disrespected.
As for Chaffee, about a year ago I had the opportunity to sit and chat with him for an hour or so. Rather than elite, I found him to be a very genuinely nice guy who is really interested in trying to do “the right thing.” We can argue as to exactly what that is, but I think the characterizations of Chaffee above and elsewhere as dim or elite or an effete snob or imcompetent are misplaced.
I called Sheldon Whitehouse incompetent because he just is.Anyone who has worked around him who wasn’t one of his kiss asses will tell you so.
I don’t think I called Chafee incompetent.
He is weird.He sounded like Danny DeVito in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest constantly repeating “hotel-hotel”when he was on with Taricani-except he kepy saying “train station-train station”.
He also was hurt and stunned that “they primaried me”-I was thinking-“what world are you in?”Being primaried is part of political life.
Not that I thought much of Laffey.
Oops-I forgot.How does deciding which laws you’ll respect doing the right thing.
What it amounts to is saying to yourself-ok,I can do a burglary,but not a rape.What a garbage way of thinking.
Chafee can campaign to change laws,as can anyone,but he as a sworn public official has to commit to observing the ones we have.
Kinda like the old song-if you can’t have the one you love,love the one you’re with.
About three years ago Chafee spoke at First Unitarian. He was unpretentious, concise and informative. I came away with a better understanding of how much politicians depend on the participation of the voters, not only in casting our vote but expressing our opinions.
Good-vote your way and I’ll vote mine.
Now,are you voting for Cicilline?
If so,I guess you think he did a great job in our city.
And you must not be bothered by his vote against Megan’s law.
And his lying-that’s just Republican propaganda.
Chafee,Whitehouse,Caprio,Lynch,Kennedy-they all think they’re ENTITLED to guide us poor benighted folk to the better world.What a load of crap.
Cianci set the bar pretty low. In fact, he buried it. Cicilline has done a much better job. Crime was worse in the Cianci years, we’re not lacking strong laws against child abuse.
RIGHT-we aren’t lacking strong laws protecting children-NO THANKS to Cicilline.
Don’t use the “he did something worse”excuse for Cicilline-each person should be judged on what THEY do-period.
You and “klaus”and “Kevin Schmidt”may get your way here in RI(although I hope not),but you should prepare to be defeated at the national level.
At least in the House,and really,that’s all we need to shut Obama down.
I guess his impression of the “middle class”is the bunch of eloi at last night’s obscene soiree.
Have you ever read Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death”?