Governor Chafee Condemns Providence Journal’s Rewrite of OpEd

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

GoLocalProv News Team

Governor Lincoln Chafee took the editorial board of the Providence Journal to task for an "agenda-driven" rewrite of his opinion piece explaining his appointment of Richard Licht to serve as a member of the Judiciary.

Chafee in a one-on-one interview voiced concern about the unilateral rewrite. "I have never seen a piece rewritten like this," said Chafee. "Sure, when submitting to the New York Times they might make edits, but never without calling."

The two versions of Governor Chafee's opinion piece can be read below unedited.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

The rewrite of the Chafee submission is dramatic and highly unusual and was not cleared by the Journal with Governor Chafee or his staff.

View Larger +

The controversy was sparked when the Providence Journal wrote a highly critical editorial blasting Chafee for his appointment of Licht -- calling the appointment of Licht, "cronyism." Licht, the former Democratic Lt. Governor, had run against Chafee's father in an epic political battle in 1988, a high profile race that was featured on CBS' "60 Minutes." Licht also tried to knock (Lincoln) Chafee out of his U.S. Senate seat, but lost in the Democratic primary to former Congressman Bob Weygand.

Editorial Rewrite

"This is so unusual. Yes, they have an agenda and it is biased," said Chafee of the Providence Journal.

View Larger +

The rewrite of an opinion piece is highly unusual. The fact that Chafee's words and meaning were changed without his approval conflicts with journalistic standards. The New York Times' David Shipley, editor of the Op-Ed page wrote in 2005 , "Our most important rule, however, is that nothing is published on the Op-Ed page unless it has been approved by its author. Articles go to press only after the person under whose name the article appears has explicitly O.K.'d the editing."

Ken Fang, GoLocalProv's Director of Content who oversees the editing and posting of opinion pieces (MINDSETTERS™) on GoLocalProv.com said, "We review and edit for grammar and spelling, but we always want the reader to read the words of the opinion writer, never GoLocal's opinion."

Ed Achorn, Editor of the Editorial Page of the Providence Journal refused to respond to a request for an interview or comment.

The two versions of Governor Chafee's opinion piece are as follows:

Providence Journal Edited Version

Lincoln D. Chafee: Licht nod is ethical and in R.I.’s best interest

BY LINCOLN D. CHAFEE
The May 25 editorial (“Chafee’s unethical choice”) attacking my nomination of Richard Licht to the Superior Court bench deserves a rebuttal. Of all the challenges we face in this great state, it is mind-boggling to imagine the wastefulness of spending capital on opposing a Rhode Islander of the stature of Richard Licht to be a judge. His education, legal career and long record of public service make our state proud.

Mr. Licht holds a bachelor’s and a law degree from Harvard, and an LLM in Taxation from Boston University. He has served his country in the military. He vigorously worked for the people of Rhode Island as a former state senator and lieutenant governor. His distinguished public service has garnered him several awards, such as the Israel Peace Medal, David Ben-Gurion Award, Outstanding Man of the Year from the Jaycees, Honorary Public Service on behalf of the handicapped from the Meeting Street School, and Governmental Service Award from Ocean State Residences for the Retarded. He has fought for and achieved reforms for early childhood development and the passage of the nation's first Family and Medical Leave acts, as well as consumer protection legislation. He has been Rhode Island’s best director of the Department of Administration. Ted Nesi of Channel 12 recently called Richard Licht “indispensable.”

The Journal claims that it and unnamed “others” who care about protecting the public oppose my nomination of Mr. Licht because it violates the “spirit” of the state’s revolving-door law. Rather than citing any provision of that law, The Journal simply asserts that “people in positions of great power are supposed to wait a year” before being appointed to the bench. The Journal is wrong on the law, and it glosses over the role of two important public bodies — institutions whose actual job it is to protect the public interest — that vetted and approved this nomination long before it ever came to my desk.
First, the Rhode Island Ethics Commission reviewed the revolving-door statute. I assume it did this with the full understanding of the high visibility of its decision. It then determined that Richard Licht is not subject to its provisions. Second, the Judicial Nominating Commission conducted a meticulous evaluation of all judicial candidates, including lengthy written submissions, background checks and interviews. As a result of that process, the commission sent me a list of five candidates, each of whom the commission deemed “highly qualified.” Mr. Licht was one of two candidates receiving eight votes, a unanimous display of support.
I believe in the law and the public processes established to determine conflicts, and to select judges. I abide by the law and those processes, and I am entitled to rely upon them. The Journal’s Editorial Board supports those processes only when it likes the results. Otherwise, it defaults to personal attacks and invented legal theories.

Lincoln D. Chafee, a Democrat, is the governor of Rhode Island.

Editor’s note: The editorial argued that Mr. Licht’s qualifications were not the issue, but that his appointment should wait a year in the spirit of Rhode Island’s revolving-door law.

Governor Chafee Releases Unabridged Version of his Projo Op-Ed

Providence R.I.— Governor Lincoln D. Chafee is releasing the unedited text of the opinion-editorial, which was published in today’s Providence Journal.

Elevate the Dialogue
By Governor Lincoln D. Chafee
Back in June 2011, in the first months of my administration, Jack O’Rourke, who I don’t know and have never met, had a letter published in the Providence Journal. He wrote, “Some divide the world into two camps: The people of reason and logic versus the haters. Instead of debating the people of reason and logic with reason and logic of their own, haters attack their opponents personally.” O’Rourke continued, “I find it clear that Edward Achorn is a hater. Instead of putting meat on the bones of the Journal’s vague suggestions for reforms, Achorn repeatedly attacks Governor Chafee personally. ”

I have chuckled at the veracity and wisdom of Jack O’Rourke’s observations as his point has been reinforced in Mr. Achorn’s many editorials since. I have been successful in politics for nearly 30 years and I take pride in ignoring the taunts of lilliputians. I do believe that Mr. O’Rourke’s “haters” will never admit they are wrong and thus are difficult to engage, and I haven’t.

But the May 25th editorial’s attack on Richard Licht and my nomination of him to the Superior Court Bench deserves a rebuttal. Of all the challenges we face in this great state, it is mindboggling to imagine the wastefulness of spending capital on opposing a Rhode Islander of the stature of Richard Licht to be a judge. His education, legal career and long record of public service make our state proud.

Mr. Licht holds a bachelor’s and J.D. from Harvard, and an LLM in Taxation from Boston University. He has served his country in the military. He vigorously has worked for the people of Rhode Island as a former state Senator and Lt. Governor. His distinguished public service has garnered him several awards such as the Israel Peace Medal, David Ben-Gurion Award, Outstanding Man of the Year from the Jaycees, Honorary Public Service on behalf of the handicapped from the Meeting Street School, and Governmental Service Award from Ocean State Residences for the Retarded. He has fought for and achieved reforms for early childhood development and the passage of the nation's first Family and Medical Leave acts, as well as consumer protection legislation. He has been Rhode Island’s best Director of the Rhode Island Department of Administration. Ted Nesi of Channel 12 recently called Richard Licht “indispensable.”

Let’s look at this latest editorial. The Providence Journal claims that it and unnamed “others” who care about protecting the public oppose my nomination of Mr. Licht because it violates the “spirit” of the state’s revolving-door law. Rather than citing any provision of that law, the Journal simply asserts that “people in positions of great power are supposed to wait a year” before being appointed to the bench. The Journal is wrong on the law, and it glosses over the role of two important public bodies – institutions whose actual job it is to protect the public interest – that vetted and approved his nomination long before it ever came to my desk.

First, the Rhode Island Ethics Commission reviewed the revolving-door statute. I assume they did this with the full understanding of the high visibility of their decision. They then determined that Richard Licht is not subject to its provisions. Second, the Judicial Nominating Commission conducted a meticulous evaluation of all judicial candidates, including lengthy written submissions, background checks and interviews. As a result of that process, the Commission sent me a list of five candidates each of whom the Commissions deemed “highly qualified.” Mr. Licht was one of two candidates receiving eight votes, a unanimous display of support.

I believe in the law and public processes established to determine conflicts and to select judges. I abide by the law and those processes, and I am entitled to rely upon them. Mr. Achorn supports those processes only when he likes the result. Otherwise, as here, he defaults to personal attacks and invented legal theories.

Governor Chafee Condemns Providence Journal’s Rewrite of OpEd

Related Slideshow: 26th Annual Metcalf Awards for Diversity in the Media

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

Sign Up for the Daily Eblast

Governor Chafee Condemns Providence Journal’s Rewrite of OpEd

Related Slideshow: 26th Annual Metcalf Awards for Diversity in the Media

Related Articles

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

Sign Up for the Daily Eblast