Loughlin Spokesman Slams Doherty Campaign
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The Congressional primary race between Republicans John Loughlin and Brendan Doherty is already heating up.
In response to an advertisement for a Loughlin fundraiser that said most GOP city and town chairs supported Loughlin, Doherty spokesman Dante Bellini told Rhode Island Public Radio that the chairs “shouldn’t be hasty in picking a Republican candidate” so early in the race.
Yesterday, a spokesman for Loughlin shot back:
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“It is clear that Mr. Bellini is not communicating with his candidate. Brendan Doherty was invited, and appeared before the RI GOP Chairman’s Caucus in May. He started the meeting by stating that he had a previous engagement and was not able to stay for more than a few minutes. When confronted by a couple of questions, particularly about his past voting in Democrat primaries and his broad democratic support, he appeared to be visibly uncomfortable,” said spokesman Mike Napolitano, who also chairs the Republican committee in Lincoln.
Doherty ‘can run, but not hide’
In fact, Napolitano said Doherty, the former State Police Superintendent, also had a chance to reach out to the GOP chairs in advance of a June fundraiser at the Metacomet Country Club in East Providence.
“Prior to the fundraiser he called several city and town chairs to invite them to the event where he had ample time to discuss issues with them at length,” Napolitano said. “I find it interesting that he went out of his way to call on Republican chairs to attend his fundraiser, but draws a blank on discussing why he is running for Congress and what he believes the important issues are.”
Loughlin is currently serving in Iraq as a US Army Lieutenant Colonel. He is expected back in the state in December, when an official campaign announcement is anticipated. In the meantime, Napolitano promised to keep the pressure on Doherty.
“Doherty can run for office, but he won’t be able to hide from the issues we all face as a nation,” Napolitano concluded.
Bellini told GoLocalProv late last night that the campaign would be issuing a response this morning.
DEVELOPING….
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