Recent Republican Contributions to RI

Some people want me to believe that the national Republican party wants to donate $500,000 to the state Republican party, a full year before the election, because it is interested in improving the general health of the state party. If that is true, then the national party has dramatically changed its attitude towards Rhode Island in the past year.

Because of the Harwood and other scandals, the state Republican party was optimistic about its chances to pick up seats in both the Rhode Island Senate and General Assembly in 2004. So, in this potentially banner year, how much did the national Republicans contribute to Rhode Island? Well, according to opensecrets.org, which tracks campaign finance information, in 2004, the national party donated a grand total of $15,000 to the state party, contributing a single lump sum about a month before the election.

Now to be fair, the party did make substantial contributions in 2002, which like 2006, was a gubernatorial election year. But given this history, some Republicans in Rhode Island would like to know what strings are attached to the national party’s sudden $500,000 burst of generosity. Has the national party stipulated something like $485,000 of the money can only go to Lincoln Chafee and Don Carcieri, and that everyone else has to split up $15,000?