It’s encouraging to see the national conservative movement, specifically Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review Online, taking notice of John Loughlin’s run for Rhode Island’s First Congressional seat:

No seat belongs to the Kennedys, not even in the House of Representatives. Announcing his candidacy on the same day that Sen. Scott Brown took his oath as successor to Edward M. Kennedy in the U.S. Senate, John Loughlin, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve who was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina and trained troops for Operation Iraqi Freedom, hoped to surprise the establishment in a similar way: succeeding Senator Kennedy’s son, Patrick, in the House. Loughlin has even picked up Brown’s advisers to help him pull it off. …
Of congressman Kennedy, Loughlin says: “He was the only member of Rhode Island’s delegation to refuse to hold a public town-hall meeting with his constituents. It’s clear that he’s not interested in the views of the people of Rhode Island.” In short, it’s the people’s seat. And Loughlin’s hoping the people will see it to be in their best interests to send him to Washington to fill it.

Lopez offers some review of Loughlin’s chances and includes her full interview with him. Perhaps with such national attention, the people of Rhode Island can begin to believe that it is possible — permissible — to change our representatives from time to time. The apathy that grows from a contrary view is arguably among the state’s biggest problems, and it would be magnificent if Loughlin’s run for Congress could help to repair that attitude.