March 18, 2008
The RI GOP's Continuing Cash Crunch
Allow me to propose an alternate headline for Mark Arsenault's Monday Projo story on the state of the RI Republican Party's finances…
RI GOP Has Less Cash On Hand than Norman Hsu Has Given to the RI Democrats All By Himself (Well, Sort of By Himself, As Best as We Can Tell).Or maybe that's too long for a headline.
Will Ricci has some slightly more serious thoughts on the subject over at the Ocean State Republican.
Andrew. You're not helping.
Posted by: Monique at March 18, 2008 8:27 PMNobody's helping...
1. Still too many Chafee people appointed to executive positions. Chafee came out of the closet, now its time for the rest of his mindless followers to get out of the Republican party.
2. Donations to the RIGOP are down,
a) because a Providence Journal story a year ago highlighted how the party wastes its money and doesn't help candidates and nothing has changed!
b) the Governor, Rep Trillo, Sen Gibbs and the Chairwoman all lied to the delegation about the $500,000 rule 11 money saying it would be used to help candidates when all of it was wasted on that far-left Obama-endorsing nut case.
c) Chairman Gio ingnores the grass roots by stacking all the decision-making boards of the party with Chafee-istas.
d) The three people paid $2,500 a week to raise money can't even raise enough to cover their salaries.
e) The tax-return check off is way down because of a, b, c and d!
People need to get mad AND REFUSE TO TAKE IT ANYMORE! All the making nice has gotten use absolutely nowhere! Gio MUST GO!
Posted by: George at March 19, 2008 9:55 AM(Blaming Chafee for all your problems will accomplish all of your goals, I'm sure.)
Posted by: rhody at March 19, 2008 11:32 AM$2,500 a week?! No wonder they're broke! They're overpaying for clerks and receptionists.
I'd give the RIGOP money if I thought they'd know how to spend it. But they just keep using the money to buy bullets for the gun they use to shoot themselves in the face.
Posted by: Greg at March 19, 2008 1:05 PMRhody, sure. Defend Chafee now that he's officially on your side.
You wouldn't be able to see it from your perspective. But the RIGOP's problems have Chafee written all over them. Pick a problem, ask why and any honest answer is traceable to the whole Chafee stain on the RI Republican party.
Posted by: George at March 19, 2008 5:13 PM"Chafee-istas"? Does such a thing even exist?
The RI Republican Party website shows 7 people in the party "leadership" and 2 staff people.
Robert Manning is one of the three highest ranking people in the party and supported Laffey against Chafee. Gio Cicione was Carcieri's pick. John Robitaille works for Carcieri. The executive director "who can't raise enough to cover their salary" is Donna Perry who happens to be John DePetro's sister and everyone knows about the relationship between Laffey and DePetro. Not exactly a "Chafee-ista".
Only 2 of the 9 people in leadership or staff of the RI GOP have any tie to Chafee according to the website.
Robert Coupe is the party secretary and worked for John Chafee, but also worked for Nancy Mayer, Bernie Jackvony and Mitt Romney. He is the party secretary.
The other person is Lammis Vargas who spent two years working for Lincoln Chafee as an assistant while working on her college degree.
There is nothing indicating that the other GOP leaders listed, Karen Salvatore and Marc Tondreau have any tie to Chafee.
But OK, the reason the RI GOP is broken is because of John Chafee (who has been dead for nearly a decade) and Lincoln Chafee (who isn't even a Republican).
Maybe the problem is that the people in charge of the RI Republican party don't know they're in charge?
Makes me think of an old quote-
"We have met the enemy and he is us"-Pogo.
Posted by: Huh? at March 20, 2008 8:59 AMHuh?
You couldn't be more right. The RIGOP is probably the most poorly organized political organization I have ever seen.
Take my town, Westerly for instance. Apparently Caswell Cooke, Town GOP Chair is running for Peter Lewiss's house seat. That's fine except that he has alienated so many republicans with me-first leadership that he is facing a republican primary...a nasty one at that. I know at least one confirmed republican outside of the town committee declaring on the final day in June.
That will sink any GOP candidate winning that seat. I know of two others running against established gop politicians in Middletwon and Tiverton.
Bad year to have an (R) next to your name.
Steve Wall
Posted by: Steve Wall at March 20, 2008 2:07 PMHuh?, we are also the opposition.
Posted by: Monique at March 20, 2008 10:46 PMHi!
I was born in Westerly but grew up in nearby Ashaway which is in Hopkinton. Caswell Cooke,Jr.,may have a strong personality, who has his supporters and detractors, but he is a go getter and arguably self centered.He has accomplishments whether in politics,communications, and an organization official. The fact may be said of some of the others of us that we are self centered.
Caswell was the top vote getter among the McCain delegate candidates in the recent primary in Westerly.It appears he will be a McCain alternate delegate in Minnesota.
Regards,
Scott