The GOP Chairman Hits the Right Note on Controversy

Deliberately skirting the content of the news story, I'd like to note that I think RI-GOP Chairman Gio Cicione hit precisely the correct note regarding the drunk driving Democrat legislator:

"I have trouble getting myself outraged about this," state Republican Party chairman Giovanni Cicione said. "The guy should be a little more open about the issue .. But I'm much more concerned with the legislation he's submitting than his troubles with the law."

As I pointed out when the Raymond Sullivan drunk driving story first broke, some of his legislation is truly horrible, and moreover, the entire process of letting bad legislation disappear raises questions about the processes of state government. Among advocacy crowds, legislators get to point to bills that they've submitted, but they rarely have to justify those bills to the broader public. The most damaging thing that the RI Republican Party can bring to light is the method by which the Democrats run the state — or, more accurately, fail to run the state.