Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
Friday, August 13, 2010
WHO'S HOT
David Cicilline -> This Providence Mayor easily captured the week with the combination of three important events: (1) a commanding lead in the latest Brown poll (a poll ridiculed by the Segal camp); (2) two TV ads that hit the biggest issues in CD-1 - jobs and seniors; and (3) winning the endorsement of the Laborers International Union.
Peter Kilmartin -> This Democratic candidate for Attorney General received similarly good news from the latest Brown poll which showed Kilmartin with a sizeable lead over his two challengers: Steve Archambault and Joe Fernandez. And, his latest TV ad trumpets a "tough on corporations and crime" approach to the AG's position. Kilmartin seems well-positioned to win the establishment primary voters with both of his challengers left to compete over the disgruntled factions of the party.
Jim Hummel -> Hummel's back reporting on some hard political news with troubled former North Kingstown schools superintendent James Halley running for the Republican nomination in House Distrct 31. Will NK voters respond positively to a man who left his job in a swarm of controversy just three years ago after the Department of Education determined he misspent nearly a quarter of a million dollars in federal special education grant money? Your call!
Jim Langevin -> The latest Brown poll shows Rhode Island's 2nd District Congress with an insurmountable 56% to 13% lead over challenger Betsy Dennigan. While another pro-choice woman Democrat - Jennifer Lawless - drew a respectable 39% in her run against Langevin, it appears that Dennigan's campaign has failed to pick up any steam in the last year. Meanwhile, Langevin has solidified his base and won over many of his detractors.
Gordon Fox -> The new House Speaker has gotten his house in order, sort to speak. He has installed a top-notch young-blood team at the RI Democratic Party, eliminated a gubernatorial primary and his favored statewide candidates are winning all of the major races according to recent polling. The Speaker's success will ultimately be judged, though, on his ability to manuever though dozens of difficult primary and general election races in the House so as to maintain his majority.
Elizabeth Roberts -> Pundits galore have wondered aloud about the strange matchup pitting Roberts against the Red Sox senior advisor Jeremy Kapstein. And, now, with just a month to go before election day, the latest Brown poll shows Roberts leading Kapstein by a wide margin of 49% to 18%. What exactly is Kapstein doing and hoping to accomplish in this race? Surely he had the money to hire a professional campaign team. Which he didn't. So what is going on here?
Angel Taveras -> This Providence mayoral candidate, who I am unabashedly supporting, continues to impress with his bold initiatives to tackle the foreclosure crisis and modernize city services. Time will tell whether city voters are ready to elect the city's first Latino mayor. But, you can't blame Taveras if they don't. Competing against two opponents who have been part of a system which has driven up taxes, unemployment and corruption, Taveras has meticulously laid out a plan to get the city moving again. Will the old way of doing business prevail? Or will the winds of change usher in a new history-making Mayor? In 4 weeks, we will know.
Donald Robbio -> You may be wondering who this person is. I can't help you. What I can tell you is that this no-name Republican is leading the Republican race in the 2nd Congressional district to take on Congressman Langevin according to the latest Brown poll. Is there any better evidence of Republican disarray in Rhode Island?
Col. Dean Esserman -> The current chief of the Providence Police has turned into a political football, but I agree with the paper of record that Esserman has the bona fides to continue to lead the Providence Police. Esserman has made a point of investing in community policing and community partnerships and simultaneously rooting out decades of corruption - thereby overseeing one of the largest reductions in crime in Providence's history. The city would be wise to continue on such a path of progress.
The Primary Voter -> Many races in Rhode Island - indeed our state's future - will be decided on September 14th. Will the voters turn out in this important election? If you aren't registered, you only have until Saturday to register. What are you waiting for?
WHO'S NOT
Anthony Gemma -> After a dismal 3rd place showing in the recent Brown poll, Gemma got hit with worse news when his campaign manager Chad Radock quit - effective August 2nd. Now, Gemma, trailing in the polls and without a campaign manager, faces the stark reality of whether to waste his personal fortune on a race that he likely doesn't have the numbers and the organization to win.
Antonin Scalia -> This infamous conservative Supreme Court justice received national press attention during his recent visit to Providence when he took a tumble getting into his car. Perhaps he was lost in a daydream; longing for the days of Bush rule. Apparently, something woke him up from that nightmare!
Victor Cipriano -> This former Johnston fire chief is getting no love from the candidates for Attorney General when a GoLocalProv investigation found that former chief Cipriano is earning more money from his disability pension that he did on the job.
Senate Republicans -> Shame on this group of Senators who - en masse - left the U.S. Capitol without allowing the nomination of Jack McConnell to the RI federal bench to be continued and considered by the Senate. For years on end, these same Republicans complained that President Bush's judicial nominees were not being allowed to have an "up or down" vote on the merits. Now, Senate Republicans are engaged in the same gamesmanship. McConnell, who has broad support across Rhode Island - including the business, Republican and legal communities - deserves an up or down vote on the merits of his nomination.
The Procaccianti Group -> In the wake of unprecedented wage cuts, health care cuts and mass layoffs, the federal government - through the National Labor Relations Board - has issued an unfair labor practice complaint against the Westin hotel. Now, more than ever, the Rhode Island community should understand the workers' boycott of the hotel and demand that these middle class jobs be restored and treated with dignity and respect.
Steven Costantino -> This Providence Mayoral hopeful has some 'splainin to do with a recently enacted state budget that still has a $38 million shortfall despite an infusion of federal cash. Will the House Finance chairman reconvene a special session to address this massive budget deficit and tackle the hard questions on Rhode Island's structural deficit or will he leave this budget hole for other lawmakers (and future generations) to repair?
Patrick Lynch -> One of the stranger emails that many politicos found in their inbox was a request from the current Attorney General and former gubernatorial candidate to support his brother's bid for Congress. While Lynch, who trailed Cicilline by double digits in the recent Brown poll clearly needs the help, one can't help wondering about the bizarre nature of the request. Patrick got out of the governor's race to avoid intra-party infighting that could lead to Republican victory but is encouraging people to donate to... intra-party infighting that could lead to a Republican takeover of the House?
Don Carcieri -> The current Republican Governor continues to write his journey into obscurity - this time with the major Republican candidates criticizing his two biggest sweetheart deals to date: the $75 million giveaway to Curt Schilling's videogame company and the Deepwater wind deal. Republican house leader Bob Watson rightly called the 38 Studios deal a "scandal waiting to happen." This Governor would do well to leave the virtual world alone and start focusing on the real one: where Rhode Islanders are desperately looking for leadership on the budget, unemployment and foreclosures crises.
Ken Block -> John DePetro rightly wonders about the failures of this Moderate Party to gin up any movement of support for his own candidacy for Governor or his new party. Despite pumping $350k of his own money (!) into the Governor's race, Block has failed to make any significant gains against the favorites in this race: Caprio and Chafee. Now the question is whether Block will quit the race and endorse one of his opponents.
Jonathan Papelbon -> All I have to say is WTF?!?!
Send me your HOT and NOT tips to mjerzyk at gmail dot com.
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Comments:
Jay N
7:27am on Friday, August 13, 2010
Matt, I have to agree with your acuracy on this one.
ed curtis
9:36am on Friday, August 13, 2010
Matt,
Your attempt to be an entry level version of Huffington Post is absolutely humorous. This whole Progressive Democrat biased "blog" of yours is a waste of band width and only good for a laugh or two. You should just change to title to "The liberal Democrats I am going to pimp" and then dissect anyone who disagrees with your ludicrous agenda.
Opinions are one thing but your blind ignorance to the facts is just poor judgment. No wonder you when into writing "fiction" and not actually own and run a real business. You'd never survive in the real world.
.
R. Parsons
9:55am on Friday, August 13, 2010
___________________________________________
This "column" is nothing more or less than a platform to promote its "author's" favored candidates and causes, and has nothing to do with objective analysis -- let alone wit, charm, and the firey spark of intellect.
Which is OK -- nothing illegal or immoral about any of it.
The only problem is that it's offered under false pretenses.
Hey, if I'm the "author," then I'll take it for as long as it's available.
If I'm the publisher, I'm asking myself, "How long can I get away with misleading my readers?"
Just think of this as either the Fluffington Post or the In a Huff-ington Post, and you'll know how to value its content.
Matthew Jerzyk
10:28am on Friday, August 13, 2010
===========
Dear Jay N -
Thank you.
Dear ed curtis -
Please tell me to which "facts" I have blind ignorance so that we can have a substantive debate. Thanks.
Dear R. Parsons -
I know that my favorite communications director from the Gemma campaign doesn't like his candidate being critiqued, but you gotta admit that your guy had a pretty awful week.
-Matt
Adda Nielson
11:00am on Friday, August 13, 2010
I can't believe this Parsons guy...is he really from the Gemma campaign? I have seen such filth come out of his mouth on these posts, it is disgraceful
Henry Thompson
11:04am on Friday, August 13, 2010
So glad to see that people are responding the Cicilline's message, I think he will go far in Washington. Kudos to Matt Jerzyk as well for pushing voter registration.
William Richter
11:12am on Friday, August 13, 2010
Love the ads Matt, thanks for posting them, I like that Cicilline is not coming out with self-aggrandizing fairy-tale plans in his ads and that he has real people talking about real issues. That is also a huge labor endorsement for him, looks like the hard work is really paying off.
R. Parsons
6:01pm on Friday, August 13, 2010
____________________________________________
CICILLINE LIES AGAIN -- ABOUT JOBS, AGAIN
Nah, there's nothing "self-aggrandizing" about this terrible little man.
My friend David Segal is the latest to expose the lies of David Cicilline. And you aint' heard nothin' yet. From a Segal press release:
David Segal will call on David Cicilline to stop airing misleading "Jobs Now" ad at a Press Conference on Monday in front of the Rhode Island Superior Court. David Segal along with other plaintiffs and supporters of the "First Source" lawsuit will gather at the court house where 2006 ruling was made in their favor against Cicilline and other city officials.
The Associated Press has affirmed that Cicilline's "Jobs Now" ad takes credit for work that Cicilline did only after then-city councilman Segal and others sued him to force him to comply with the city's "First Source" ordinance.
As noted in the AP's AdWatch, released today:
Cicilline takes credit for being the first mayor to implement the program, and says hundreds of city residents have been hired for jobs because of it.
But Segal in an interview pointed out that happened after Segal, as a city councilman, sued the city to get them to do so. Superior Court Judge Stephen Fortunato in 2006 found that the city was not fully implementing the ordinance, that city officials were "jaw-boning" and had created a bewildering bureaucracy around it, and ordered them to comply.
"The mayor is disputing the findings of the Superior Court when he asserts that he enforced the law," Segal said.
The article may be found online at:http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2010/08/12/adwatch_cicilline_tv_ad_touts_job_creation_record/
According to Segal, "This ad should laud the countless individuals who spent years pushing for the Mayor to enforce First Source, as it's their work that secured these jobs for Providence residents. It's obscene that Cicilline would claim credit for something he did only after a judge forced him to do it."
John Smith
8:29pm on Friday, August 13, 2010
Over 2 million dollars in money was appropriated today from the Senate for The Pawtucket I-95 bridge....In every public speech, forum and debate Bill Lynch has stated that this country is spending billions of dollars in tax payers money overseas when we can't even get a bridge fixed in Pawtucket....Over and Over he has stated this on the air and look what happened!!!! He is getting the job done even before he is an elected official...But of course their will be no mention of it on this guys column thats for sure.
John Smith
8:33pm on Friday, August 13, 2010
Oh and in reference to Mayor Cicilline where is the 75k dollar check!!! How about the article dating back to when you were running for mayor when you said "Within the first few months as mayor I will get the firefighters contracts done??? 7 1/2 years later and 2.5 million in city tax payers money fighting those same contracts they get done???? Hmmm did he decide to run for congress or something LOL!!!!!
R. Parsons
11:02pm on Friday, August 13, 2010
_____________________________________________
The argument that Lynch's statements prompted the appropriation for the Pawtucket I-95 bridge funds is ... well ... just plain preposterous.
It's like saying that a '70s high school student's anti-war tantrums brought about the end of the Vietnam War.
But Brother Smith is correct about the corruption and lying that are David Cicilline's everlasting legacy.
Cicilline took on the firefighters because his polling data as early as 2003 indicated that, if he wanted to become governor -- and trust me, he did -- he had to ingratiate himself with Rhode Islanders by demonizing a labor union.
He victimized the taxpayers of Providence by billing them over a million dollars in union busting-related legal fees -- not to mention the additional costs of failed negotiations -- to support the Cicilline for Governor campaign.
That's right, voters in the 1st District: David Cicilline took money from the pockets of Providence taxpayers -- which is to say, David Cicilline took food off the tables of the good people of Providence -- to support his own political agenda.
David Cicilline has no shame. None.
And now David Cicilline wants to do for Rhode Island what he's done for Providence ...
Rhode Island needs to be rid of David Cicilline. And after September 14, we WILL be rid of him.
Adda Nielson
10:11am on Saturday, August 14, 2010
Matt, are both of these guys on the Gemma Propaganda team? "We WILL be rid of him," sounds like the script to Braveheart or something. Parsons/"Brother" Smith (obviously fake names / are you guys pretending to be Witnesses or something?) this is getting a little ridiculous, you're starting to sound like Chris Young...Are you Chris Young?
Adda Nielson
10:18am on Saturday, August 14, 2010
Oh, I get it, Parsons is from Gemma's "Campaign" (which is now sans manager...) and Smith is from Lynch's Squad....This is too funny
John Smith
10:23am on Saturday, August 14, 2010
Number one don't even think of lining me up with Mighty Mouse wannabe(Gemma) with his clip on tie fan club!!!! Who since his campaign manager quit, for absolutely nothing to do with family matters, Gemma shows up over an hour and a half late to a speaking engagement on Thursday night in Pawtucket and had three kids whom had to be teenagers at best acting as his campaign staff..Well Rickman was there too but yeah ya know..OMG this guy thinks he is in a horse race with ChiChi??? hahaha...
John Smith
10:24am on Saturday, August 14, 2010
Wrong again Adda!!!! Try the other side hmmmmm
John Smith
10:28am on Saturday, August 14, 2010
I work with a microphone an an audience how about you Adda???
R. Parsons
10:29am on Saturday, August 14, 2010
______________________________
How Cicilline-esque ...
When confronted with an inconvenient truth, evade and shoot the messenger.
Rhode Island, your choice is clear: The Liar or the Leader.
Desperation, thy name is Cicilline.
John Smith
10:33am on Saturday, August 14, 2010
OMG!!! Chief Esserman is hot???????? Could the real Mayor of Providence please stand up!!! "BUDDY" you were dead on about this kid Jerzyk!!! Constantino win this race please and make certain the door doesn't hit Esserman in the ass on the way out...yet again let it!!!
R. Parsons
6:11pm on Saturday, August 14, 2010
________________________________
Costantino is on record being undecided on Esserman.
You can't put a dollar sign on that kind of political courage.
Angel Taveras will keep him -- after all, Taveras represents four more years of Cicilline rule.
'Dems da facts, my friends.