Rep. Rick Santorum Calls Himself Stupid (I think)

Enquiring minds find his recent statements lead to intriguing questions.  The Rep. on Sat. stated: “We will never have the media on our side, ever, in this country. We will never have the elite, smart people on our side.”

Despite the fact about the media being repeatedly proven untrue, I'm curious as to the definition of  "the elite," not to mention "smart." Sooo... being one of 435 in the entire U.S. sounds elite to me. Smart?  Able to read AND write?  Are elite & smart necessarily attached?

Then there is: "Santorum also criticized the libertarian wing of the Republican party who 'don’t want to talk about social issues,' saying that 'without the church and the family, there is no conservative movement, there is no basic values of America.'” Besides questionable syntax...

Read the Constitution lately?  Our founding fathers weren't exactly traditional Church members. So... none of them were Conservatives?  They had no basic values?  It boggles the mind...

It reminds me of the time I was out having breakfast one morning after an election I had run in as a liberal Democrat (lost to the long-time Republican liberal incumbent).  I ran into a candidate from a different race (who also lost) who is most definitely a conservative Rep. who also happens to be a staunch Catholic (whatever that means).  He met my family & we talked about many things- nothing political.  As we were leaving he remarked that, gee, he was surprised that I did have family values.  HUH???

But back to Rick's remarks.  Does this mean that ALL Republicans are neither elite nor smart?  Okay.  I can live with the latter (( especially after listening to Clint). His logic is impeccable, right?  Unless, of course, he is stupid.  Which would make his remarks applicable to him (except for the "elite" bit).  But who would give a fig for any remarks a non-smart man would make?  This just boggles the mind.  Does this mean I am smart?  Or... I can read & write after all.  Elite?  I think the most important point to be taken from the Santorum speech is (like Eastwood)... it certainly gave me LOL! Clint, baby- great actor, director; lousy extemp speaker.  Next time- use the script someone has written for you.  (Rick, hon, r u listening? )  Umm, Just a thought- isn't Clint one of the "elite?"

Maryland's Rep. Bartlett Against Student Loans

Or is he?

Representative Roscoe Bartlett from Maryland said on Sept. 5 in a town hall meeting, "Not that it's not a good idea to give students loans, it certainly is a good idea to give them loans... But if you can ignore the Constitution to do something good today, tomorrow you will be ignoring the Constitution to do something bad. You could... The Holocaust that occurred in Germany -- how in the heck could that happen? And when you start down the wrong road, it can be a very slippery slope." 1 The next day he issued an apology regarding the Holocaust comparison.  This dude is the second oldest Republican in the House (1926), so he lived through WWII and well knows what the Holocaust is. A slippery slope?  Student loans?   Perhaps this remark is related to the fact that the largest ethnic background of his constituents is German?  Or perhaps his mouth was engaged while his brain was still in neutral? He's served since 1993, and is also a member of the Tea Party Caucus.  His district was redrawn this year from the Western Maryland Appalachian hinterlands (e.g., Republican and 60% white) to include pieces of Baltimore, Harford, Montgomery, etc., where they actually have Democrats and minorities more representative of the State as a whole. The national Democratic Party also decided to tackle this re-election campaign with monies believing they might actually defeat this man. Bartlet won re-election despite admitting to property tax cheating (by over a million $) & lying on his federal disclosure form ($5,000 fine). He calls himself a "bit player" in real estate while he is the wealthiest member of Maryland's federal delegation.  What a guy! Perhaps he needs to like, actually reread the Constiutution which says the the power to decide legislative legalities belongs to the umm, you know, Supreme Court. I'm just sayin'... Maybe it's time to give HIM the boot!  Student loans - WORK!!!!  I had them.  How about you? John Delaney

Middletown Elections Are Coming- Be VERY Afraid!

Sorry, well not really, that I have not kept up with Middletown politics.  I do know some of what's going on due to visitations, not the daily snooze (they charge).  Truly, it's not very high on my list since I no longer reside nor own property there!
I do know about the referendum question (above) and some of the local yokels running (I say this most affectionately).
I'll be short & sweet.  If you don't elect Ed Silveira, Barbara VonVillas, and Dick Adams- you are nuts & deserve what you get.  I've only heard mention of a few other names- "I've heard that song before." Feel free to check the archives!  Check Projo's, too.  Change is extremely difficult, if not impossible for most, so past performance matters!
It's highly questionable why ANYONE would want to run for Town Council/School Committee, but aren't you lucky that they do!  Hat's off to one and ALL of them!   
Pay special attention to State Lege races.  Often these candidates are ignored and get a free pass every year.  They Should Not!  High property taxes- thank them.  Tolls raised?  Look to them.  School woes?  Hey, cast your eyes towards Prov.  But, damn, they do know how to look effective and duck. It's often a beauty contest.  If you haven't got the physical attributes- spin city. So don't let the philistines escape!
Hang tough & buckle down!  Ask those  hard questions & duck the incoming. "Eggheads of the world- unite!  We have nothing to lose but our yolks!"  Adlai Stevenson.

A Fine Whine

So, President Barack Obama dropped in on Rhode Island on Monday, and notably failed to endorse Democratic gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio. Caprio responded by saying, "He could take his endorsement and really shove it, as far as I'm concerned." WJAR, the local NBC affiliate in Providence, then polled the race, and found that Caprio had dropped from first place to third since a previous poll released on October 12. Specifically, Caprio fell from 37% to 25%, Independent Lincoln Chafee rose from 33% to 35%, Republican John Robitaille rose from 22% to 28%, Moderate Ken Block held steady at 2%, while undecideds rose from 6% to 10%. So Caprio dropped 12%, with 2% going to Chafee, 6% going to Robitaille, and 4% going to undecided.

It looks like "Vote for the Whiner" is not going to be a winning campaign slogan for Caprio.

Party On

In a follow-up to Monday's follow-up, Moderate Party of Rhode Island Chairman Ken Block now reports that the Board of Elections has provided him with signature petition forms. Now it's up to Block and his supporters to get 23,588 signatures from registered voters and get them certified by the board of canvassers of Rhode Island's 39 townships. With that accomplished, the MPRI will become one of the state's official political parties, and it can field candidates for the 2010 state elections.

Signature petition forms are now available at Block's business, Sympatico Software Systems, at 20 Altieri Way, #3 in Warwick, RI. Block will be throwing a petition party at Sympatico from 5 to 7 P.M. on Monday, June 15, where volunteers can pick up forms and celebrate the MPRI's legal victory. Further down the road, Block will be organizing his volunteers to collect signatures during the Fourth of July parade in Bristol. He figures if he can hit the streets with enough volunteers, he'll be able to get all 23,588 signatures that day.

So, if you'd like to help Ken Block launch his less-insane rival to the Rhode Island GOP, swing on over to his office in Warwick, pick up some forms, and go out and get those signatures. Because you can never have too many conservative political parties.

Voter I.D. in R.I. & Provisional Ballots

The recent House bill requiring picture i.d. when voting blows what's left of my mind. We're passing this bill because of all the people here trying to vote who are not eligible. Wait, no, that's not it. We're demanding it because we want voting to be more difficult, slower, & to make sure all those undesirables out there quit trying to vote.

Nope! Not it either- I think. Although I do think this bill may well be code words for the latter. We're doing it because you need a picture i.d. for practically everything. Well, not really. In fact, when you do need a picture i.d., it's because there is some governmental law requiring it.

Saying that this is a good thing because you sometimes need a picture i.d. is like my kids trying the old- because everyone else is doing it gambit. Worth a try but a waste of time- except with our lege.

Rep. Amy Rice is right- just don't need it & will make voting lines longer. Heck, some of these poll workers have difficulty doing the job as it is now (and God bless them for even doing it for lousy pay and a VERY long day with little training). Voting is a right we are born with or acquire. It's not something extra or nice to have- like a drivers' license, or a credit card, or an airline ticket. If you don't want to give it to me- picture or not- I say the onus is on you to try & prove that I'm NOT entitled to it.

Passing legislation we don't need for a non-problem. Relatively easy to do when you know that it will likely never get out of the Senate committee hearing it. Also easy to do when House leadership wants it passed & subtly intimating any legislation that you want passed will die quietly.

The Newport Daily News also was against this bill- hey, lots of times we agree. BTW, I could give you the link, but then you'd have to pay me.

Rep. Amy Rice- against (3 cheers for her!), everyone else- for. BTW, this latter info is difficult to find out unless you ask someone, hope the newspaper publishes it (rare), or wait for the daily lege journal to be published & know that date it was voted on. SO-O-O-O not useful. Accident? Please, don't make me laugh. NDN reporter Joe Baker, did publish the results (NDN, Sat.). Sorry, it gets harder & harder to link to this paper without holding the actual paper in front of me. You can still get it online for a week, but you have to register. After that, it's all $.

Why even bother with all this provisional ballot stuff- just shoot 'em. Ahh, provisional ballots. Ever try one of these? Take my word for it, loads of fun & extremely time-consuming. We went through 3 poll workers before we could even get one (for husband's mom). What's that you want? Hey, he said, she has a right to vote! And she did after signing papers & listening to a long list of instructions- while in a wheelchair. We had to return later with the proper docs (a bill with her current address). Who knew that you have to file every election for a mail-in ballot when living in a nursing home? Nice to be told. Yup, the other voters in line loved us. But sure sounds simple, right? Just vote with a provisional ballot.


Sure will be fun trying to get a voter i.d. for someone who is a senior, wasn't born here, has no drivers' license, etc., etc.


So a resounding bronx cheer for those lege voting for this bill. Somehow, if this ever becomes law, I know that it's going to cost me $.

Moderation Now!

Yesterday saw the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the RI chapter of the ACLU back in February on behalf of the Moderate Party of Rhode Island. US District Judge William Smith ruled that the state's law requiring that would-be political parties wait until an election year before gathering qualifying signatures was unconstitutional. Thus, the MPRI can start in right now to gather the 23,500 or so signatures they need to qualify as a political party. (The 23,500 number comes from another law requiring would-be parties to collect 5% of the voter turnout from the last election. Judge Smith ruled that this law was constitutional.)

The MPRI is the brainchild of Barrington business owner Ken Block, a small-government conservative who came to the conclusion that the GOP didn't really mean it when they claimed to favor small government. As a gander at their website shows, the Moderate Party of Rhode Island is only moderate compared to the modern Republican Party. They favor term limits for state legislators, a two-year term limit for the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate, stringent ethics rules, and general lowering of taxes and spending. Block writes, "The hot button social topics of our times (abortion, illegal immigration, etc) necessarily must take a legislative back seat while our economy is repaired and the erosion of the tax base reversed."

It was their need to pander to their base of religious zealots and xenophobes that led the Republican Party to put social topics front and center in the first place, and this has played an important role in their recent collapse here in New England. As I've mentioned before, I think Ken Block's MPRI has the potential to give Rhode Island Democrats a sane opposition party, so I welcome Judge Smith's decision. In fact, I'll even help Brock gather signatures, and as a registered voter I'll add my own Stephen Hopkins to his registration papers.

Good luck, Ken. I hope you make it.

How Much for a Local Political Party?

**UPDATE** In looking over recent financial filings, I see Gladys Lavine contributed the $1000 max towards the end of the recent election cycle to the Middletown Dem. Town Committee. She is on the Planning Board, treasurer of the local Dems, sister-in-law of that chair, & sister of Frank Bozyan (Council). Recently she voted as a member of the Planning Board to support a change in the Aquidneck Corporate Park (the town's economic engine) which would lower the height requirements by 10 ft. (a floor) in the interests of the "citizens of Middletown." This suggestion will eventually make it to the Council agenda. Interesting... So how much will $ & power buy?
The Democratic Town Committee is now down to 20 members. Five are related to one family (the "financiers"), and four to another. Six are current/former politicans. Six have only been members for a yr. or two. Three are employed by the town (one is regularly appointed by the town & another is a dept. head). Except for a handful, all serve on various town boards/committees. How many have just deep-sixed the group? Too many. Yeah, diversity. Wide-based community participation- not. No self-interest here. Shhh!****

Think of it- you could exert control over elections- who runs & who doesn't. You could exert control over ALL appointed town committees. Taxes too high- go before the Tax Review Board. You could also exert somewhat more limited control in the State as a member of its political assembly. Good for more appointments, endorsements, nominations, etc. Friends in important places- all for a few bucks. And for the most part, hardly anyone would know your name!

It's cheaper than you may think! About $3-4,000 ought to do it (maybe less if you have some rich relations). Those local yokels, for that kind of $ you'll have them eating out of your hand before you know it. It also may help if your long-time neighbor owns the local rag.

Picture the Democratic Town Committee. The Chair, his wife, his bro-in-law & his wife all on it (most in leadership). Appoint them & their daughter to local boards. Decide on candidates (include your bro-in-law who controls the family trust). Help the current Council (both parties) win the last election. Throw $ into the party coffers (throw a few thousand into the pot & call it small contributions). Not so hard to do. Skirting the law- maybe, but no real penalty & no way of proving it.

Family members have basically underwritten the local party with almost $2,300 in mostly large contributions (and that's what's ON the record). Now this may sound like penny-ante stuff, but on a local level where money dribbles in in small amounts ($25-$35), it's big bucks.

Pretty nifty, huh? Now perhaps you might understand why membership has severely declined with many deserting the ranks except for the current "endorsed" candidates (4) who probably don't even realize where their funding and/or support comes from. No, it wasn't all from fundraisers (which, by the way, had less than $60 in food costs while selling tickets amount to appx. $7000). Heck, the tent cost more than the food. Gimme a break!

What? You mean that you didn't get your taxes reassessed dropping 20% of the land assessed value to your trust? Oh, that's why your name doesn't show up in the tax rolls (just your car- the rest is under the trust name)? None of your political pals' family has gotten town jobs? But not to worry, what's good for the family trust (and your pals) is good for Middletown, right?

Now why take my word for it? Check out we're in the money finance reports. Compare it with previous party reports or other political parties in here or nearby (like Newport). They are, after all, public records. Check out the names & the relationships of the Middletown major contributors. (http://www.google.com/).

Yeah, now tell me Middletown isn't run by a few insider friends & families. Nah, this has nothing to do with newspaper endorsements either either. LOL.

Is any of this illegal? Not really. Ah, but does it pass the sniff test? You tell me. Vote wisely.

Elections over!

For the good, the bad, & the just plain ugly, click here. I'm getting ready for a well-earned vacation far, far away.

Who are you Voting for?

In case you've missed the MANY forums on cable or in print, I'm giving you the major NDN link on candidates for different towns & for different positions. It's well done!

Ignore the endorsements (really- the opinion of 3 people). If you have questions, call, e-mail the candidates. Be pro-active! Check out Ch. 18. The forums are still running- I refer to it as hit-or-miss.

Offer some seniors a ride if you think that they may need it. Extend help to a candidate if you like them. Phone calls, signs, $, or even just talking among friends, relatives, co-workers all help. In Middletown, the election for Council is major. Sea-change or not. Same old- same old, or not. Legislative elections on Aquidneck Island are major this year (more on this later)!

And come to the blog party Tues. nt. 8:30-? at the Royal Plaza on E. Main Rd. across from Frotsee Freeze. We'll likely be around there (or at polls) most of the day. Help us with rides, phone calls, etc. Or just come to hear the results- t.v., computer, & poll readings. Food, drinks available, conversations, lampshades on heads, whatever... You don't really want to sit home alone, do you?

Be Prepared Tuesday!

I love Chris Barnett from the Sec. of St. office who sends me super press releases & is always responsive to my inquiries. I'd vote for her (I'm fairly sure it's a "her") any day! Thanks to Sec. Mollis for hiring her!

"[Here is advice] which Secretary of State Mollis hopes will help voters cope with the expected record turnout on November 4. I embedded links in the body of the email. If the links don't work on your site, here are the URL's in order of appearance at the end of this email:

With record turnout predicted for Election Day, Secretary of State Mollis is urging voters to be prepared.

Because this is Rhode Island's third election this year, voters may be headed to their new third polling place since March. So use the Secretary of State's Voter Information Center confirm the location of your polling place ahead of time. You can also see a sample ballot for your neighborhood. Review your choices now so you are ready to vote when you get to the poll.
Rhode Island has registered 42,000 new voters since February, Even if you aren't voting for the first time, check the accuracy of your voter registration info now. That will give you time to resolve any discrepancy with your local board of canvassers now rather than at a busy polling place on Election Day.

Mollis warns that turnout will be heaviest from 7-9 a.m. and from 5-7 p.m. So, vote during off hours when you can get in and out of the polls faster. Any eligible voter in line when the doors close at 9 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot. And you are allowed to bring a marked sample ballot or other material that will help you in the voting booth.

If your name is not on the voter registration list at your polling place, you are eligible to vote a provisional ballot. Your ballot will be counted if elections officials determine that you are properly registered.

“I encourage you to take advantage of your right to vote. The upcoming presidential election may set America’s course for the next eight years. Your vote matters. Make your voice heard,” Mollis says.

http://www.sec.state.ri.us/vic/
http://www.sec.state.ri.us/vic/
http://www.sec.state.ri.us/elections/faq/canvassers.html
http://www.sec.state.ri.us/elections/voting/voting/ProvisionalVoting.html "

Newport Goes for Obama

Well, kinda. Here is a fun story from Sec. of St. Mollis' office from Christ Barnett (Press Sec'y):

With Election Day less than four days away, students at Michael’s Country Day School in Newport got a practical lesson in civics today when Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis’ office staged a mock presidential election.

“Some of these young people will be our leaders of tomorrow. This is the age to engage. I hope our visit will create a new generation of voters and citizens committed to making their voices heard,” Mollis said.

More than 200 students voted using an official voting machine and ballots similar to those their parents will use on Election Day. Barack Obama received 128 votes and John McCain received 74. Third-party candidates Ralph Nader and Bob Barr received 4 and 1 votes, respectively.

The Secretary of State’s office prepares the ballots for all federal, state and municipal elections held in Rhode Island. In addition, the office maintains the state’s central voter registration system and distributes handbooks that explain how to run for office, how to register to vote and how to vote.

Secretary of State Mollis is committed to making it easier for Rhode Islanders to vote, helping businesses grow and making government more open and accessible. For more information about the programs and services the Secretary of State offers Rhode Islanders, visit www.sec.state.ri.us.

Chris Barnett

Bishop Tobin on Voting

I enjoyed reading this article by Projo reporter Maria Armental. What the Bishop seems to be suggesting is that when you vote, you should weigh many factors & vote your conscience. Social issues count.

4 + 2= Middletown Politics as Usual

**UPDATE** A reader sent me the mailer the "unendorsed" Dems sent out two years ago. Look familiar? Same basic promo, a few different names. What does this mean? Exactly what I said- more of the same. If you want that, then definitely read today's mailing & vote it. Yeah, fair & blanaced.

It's in the mail. The four "endorsed" Democratic candidates (Cambra, Semonelli, Bozyan, & Williams) join with Republicans Barrow & Santos on a postcard pushing for their elections. Repeatedly the local Dem. Town Committee leadership (Lavine, Bozyan, Kaull) said they would join with NO ONE except endorsed Dems for the election (despite others like Silveira suggesting otherwise). They have repeatedly spoken against non-partisan elections. And this new team was voted on by ??? Not at any town Dem. membership meeting. Were any of the other actual candidate Dems asked to join this new team? or Independents? or other Republicans? I think not. So, please, explain this to me. I know, I know, the fix is in.


Electing all of them will lead us to...more of the same-old, same-old. I'm disappointed. And the Middletown Dems paid for this mailing & printing. What a shocker. No wonder, T. Santos appeared at the Concerned Taxpayers forum, but elected to sit in the audience. Why answer tough questions when the election is already "in the bag" pushed not only by the TWO Republicans (screw Roberts & Viveiros) but by the Democrats. They were also no-shows at last night's "Meet the Candidates" night sponsored by Looking Upwards (Santos, Barrow, Bozyan, Cambra, Semonelli, & Williams). Like I said- it's in the bag so why bother with, y'know, the great unwashed?

A "responsible and balanced Council," indeed. Now where have I heard "fair & balanced" before (quick mind substitution you're supposed to make)? Oh, Fox News. Yeah. Fair & balanced- NOT. And all you Dems out there who paid for this promo- You Paid for It. Well, kinda. Check the previous post. When all is said & done- you get what you pay for. And yeah, it matters who pays for it & then uses your name whether you're on their committee or not. What a buy if you'd like to control a local political party- a few thousand buckeroos & it's yours.

Imagine, the NDN wouldn't endorse Barrow, Mello, or Bozyan, but the local Democrats will. Please, please, please. Vote. On the bottom of my blog I have a quote from Mark Twain, "If government is not good perhaps it is because the "good" refuse to participate and so we get the government that we deserve."

Who, then, are the "unholy" candidates: Republicans Antone Viveiros & Cheryl Foster; Independents Helen Christy, Barbara VonVillas, Morris Hirsch, and myself; unendorsed Dems (those bad boys) Sylvia & Silveira.

Ah, the curse of living in "interesting times." Your other Council votes (you elect 7 members for Council) after electing these 6, or 5, or even 4- totally irrelevant. Bet they've already got a Chair & Vice. Heck, they hardly need us at all. More isolation. Us against them. Because we say so. More Ed Silveiras. To quote the main character from a VERY old t.v. series,"What a revolting development this is!"

PS. Upon further reflection, I've decided that they're leaving room for Barbara VonVillas. She'll be the new Ed. Hair will have to change, though. Has she got a white suite? She'll be needing it. A white hat may help also.

NDN Middletown Endorsements

The NDN editorial board evidently still buy into that old vaudeville axiom- always leave 'em laughing. I know that I am.

They gave 5 for Council & 1 for School Committee. You actually vote for 7 for Council & 2 for S.C.

Nope, what a shocker, no endorsement. And still--- I LIVE. And prosper. Heck, we ALL do. The endorsed & the "unholy." Go figure.





So, as my mother says, ye makes yer choice & ye takes yer pick. To quote the old knight Templar in the "Indiana Jones" movie- "Choose wisely." And remember, the Council that we now have- they ALL rec'd the NDN endorsements last time around. So, how's that working for you?

Vote Early, Vote Often!

Now, you really don't take my title seriously, right?

The Sec. of St. is advising you to avoid the high traffic hours- the first two hours or so of polling & 5-7. Please, take a sample ballot with you or something that will speed you up- it's a LONG ballot (two sides).

You shouldn't be asked for i.d. If you are, ask why. If they won't let you vote, insist on an emergency ballot. Problem? CALL the emergency help line at 222-2340. Don't let anyone give you any crap about voting. It's YOUR BIRTHRIGHT. Be Loud!

From the NDN:

HELP WANTED: the town of Middletown is looking for volunteers to work at the polls on Election Day. All volunteers must undergo poll worker training, which is being offered free of charge Wednesday, at 2 p.m. or 6 p.m. at the Newport campus of the Community College of Rhode Island on Connell Highway. If you are interested, call the town clerk's office at 847-0009.

NDN Newport Endorsements

A few surprises! Waluk did NOT get their endorsement, nor Leonard. For School Committee Sandra Flowers (blog writer here) gets the nod. Sorry, even though my family pays Newport taxes, I have trouble keeping up with things in Middletown where I live. These do seem like good choices, though. But remember, it's YOUR vote.


What do these endorsements mean? Beats me. The endorsement and a nickel will get you a cup of coffee-oh, well, no. A doughnut- oops, not that either. A chocolate bar- well, you'd need a tad more $ for that, too.


It doesn't hurt but I've never actually seen anyone in a polling line with the newspaper endorsement list.


What does it mean? I suppose it means that 3 individuals who theoretically know the area & something about politics like you. That's it. If you haven't done some hard campaigning you won't win, if you have, then, you may win. And that, basically, is the long & short of it.



I applaud the NDN for the attempt to make their endorsement process more transparent this year (they LOVE transparency). And I suppose it is.



My main gripe is with State & Fed'l position endorsements. They are gung-ho on dividing the lege, Congressional representation, & State office holders between Dems & Reps. What this means, then, is that Reps. get the nod here. Calling this non-partisan or even "fair" is laughable for two reasons.



One is that there is such a WIDE diversity of Dems in R.I. In most other states they would be called Republicans. The other is that an evenly divided lege is just not going to happen in the short-term. And in the long-term... we'll all be dead. I want individual candidates looked at irregardless of party affiliation. Original idea, say what?



Of course, all this blabber becomes malarkey if I win an endorsement. LOL.

Buy "Newport Daily News" this Week

I didn't realize that campaign coverage & sample ballots began Monday. Monday was Newport, Middletown is today (Tuesday), & I'll assume Portsmouth is Wed. & Tiverton is Thursday.

It's a LONG ballot so go into the booth prepared.

Area Politics

Ah, so much news, so little time.


Rep. Coaty took a hit in his re-election campaign against Peter Martin in Newport this weekend. The "Newport Daily News" had an article regarding a Middletowner who,

"... filed a complaint with the Supreme Court Disciplinary Board against her former attorney, Steven J. Coaty of Newport, claiming his negligence resulted in the dismissal of her injury suit against the city of Newport."


Political? Maybe, maybe not. It's legal-eagle stuff & I leave the highly complex court system to them. Still, if there are undecided independent voters out there, this has to have an effect. No one wants to win an election on "iffy" personal stuff like this. But it's out there.


Rep. Long was scheduled with his challenger Deb Ruggiero to be on one of the local Sun. news interview shows. He was a no-show. Wondering why? Well, there are actual news reporters there & they might ask hard questions like: did you ever pay your business taxes? do you live in the district? were you a drug addict? did you smack your former wife around?


Now, we ALL have life problems. But it is a little different when you're an elected official. Stuff like this matters. The question about living here was asked to Deb. She responded that she'd lived here awhile & that Rep. Long just purchased a home here. The bottom line was that there was no up-side to Rep. Long appearing & plenty of down-side.


Rep. Barney Frank is running a new election commerical in a circus setting- with trapeze fliers & elephants & everything. I'd post it but no link. It's actually- funny!


Sen. Gibbs has a commercial up, too. Top notch, I might add, although a bit deceptive. She's at Sachuest Point (fed'l park) speaking about how this area could have been developed. Please, gimme a break. No sewers there & the fed'l regs were a LOT different then regarding the Navy excessing land. But I digress. Then there is a short narration on how much she'd done for the district, blah, blah. Her next statement concerns how she was able to obtain $100,000 funding for the Aquid. Is. Planning Commission.

Now you're supposed to connect the two statements- developing Sachuest Point combined with $100,000 for a planning commission. Aha! She got the moola so that we could buy that park! What a gal! However, the two aren't related. The moola was a yr. or two ago. Sachuest Point has been there awhile & that $ had nothing to do with it. But still clever. And nicely produced. They even persuaded deer to show up!

Yeah, I'm a bit cynical when it comes to political blurbs and I've seen plenty lately from both sides of the aisle. I'm especially fond of Sen. Gibbs' website (link at left). LOL. Not much effort put into it as her opponent DiPalma didn't bother with one. At least he posted his political beliefs on the Political Courage Test though. Guess he's got it & she don't. But she's certainly not alone there.

In Middletown I keep seeing NDN tiny ads (& large promos) for the Middletown Dems Council "endorsed team." Same old, same old. Bloc voting u-r-us. A real mistake in my book, but what do I know?

So find candidates that you like, talk them up, contribute however you can. Voting matters! Do it! Persuade others to do the same. As they used to say in Chicago (and perhaps still do)- vote early! Vote often!

Middletown Council Candidates' Forum Tonight

It's a town hall in Middletown from 6:30. Evidently I rec'd a notice which didn't actually make it into my hands. If someone has details, please send.