Dennis Michaud, A Candidate of Convenience
Attaching a typo-rife position paper, Megan Boben — apparently the press secretary for Republican candidate for governor Dennis Michaud — emailed me to point out Charles Bakst’s “great job accurately representing Michaud’s positions.” I’m sure more time with that piece would reveal a wealth of interesting quirks, but this one jumps out at me:
VOTER INITIATIVE: “It’s bad.” The Assembly should thrash out issues instead of voters being able to force them onto the ballot. Wealthy people or corporate interests “could literally highjack the voters.”
This position is mostly noteworthy when contrasted with the following “Current News” from Michaud’s campaign Web site:
Dennis is extremely excited that the state legislature has decided to allow the citizens of Rhode Island to vote on the Casino issue. If the people decide that they want a casino to help secure the future of Rhode Island, as Governor, Candidate Michaud looks forward to helping the project come to fruition.
I suppose one is meant to conclude (wink, wink) that Michaud is, specifically, “extremely excited” that the wealthy people and corporate interests who back the casino will have their opportunity to “literally highjack the voters.” Of course, between the lines of the following from the Bakst column, one gets the sense that it may be the GOP primary that is hijacked first:
LOBBYING: Lt. Gov. Charlie Fogarty, Democratic candidate for governor, proposes that lobbyists have to report every contact — you know, meetings, phone calls, e-mails — they have with legislators and other top government decision-makers. “It sounds like a good idea to me,” says Michaud.
Touting the good ideas of a potential general election opponent from another party is, to say the least, a suspicious political slip — especially when presented in conjunction with an ostensible position paper that makes repeated and nakedly political accusations against a primary opponent. I was going to joke that Michaud’s campaign slogan of “we can do better” would best be directed at his campaign staff, but I suppose it all depends on what, exactly, his campaign is trying to do.
I’m not even going to get into Michaud’s bona fides, because he’s a joke, plain and simple. All I’m going to say is this … as I’ve said in another media forum, “If you can judge a politician by the quality of his campaign’s television ads, Michaud is a very, very bad man.
Did anyone else hear Dan Yorke reveal on the air the other day that he’s received an email from a Republican operative (that he named, but I can’t remember who it was) was in a local sign shop and saw and made note of Michaud’s campaign signs and the person behind the counter coughed up that CHECKMATE paid for the signs.
So Guy Duffault’s son’s company is paying for Michaud’s signage. I’m sure that doesn’t mean anything at all…
Michaud’s double standard announces loudly that he is part of the problem ( and a 10 on the M scale).
The people will speak loudly about this deceit and corruption in September just like they did two years ago in Cranston.
Good government is coming whether they like it or not.
J Mahn
I dont understand everyone’s hang up with the typos. I understand that websites should be error-free, but mistakes do happen. As far as you go, Mr. Katz, im sure that Mrs. Boben was very busy, and simply attempting to get her candidate’s beliefs out. Hence, she probably did not have the time, nor the energy to spell check an email to some blogger. “In an typo-rife e-mail” is just an immature comment, and an attempted low blow to belittle a gubernatorial candidate.
I dont understand everyone’s hang up with the typos. I understand that websites should be error-free, but mistakes do happen. As far as you go, Mr. Katz, im sure that Mrs. Boben was very busy, and simply attempting to get her candidate’s beliefs out. Hence, she probably did not have the time, nor the energy to spell check an email to some blogger. “In an typo-rife e-mail” is just an immature comment, and an attempted low blow to belittle a gubernatorial candidate.
Everybody is hell bent on beating up Michaud’s speaking and spelling errors, but I don’t think enough of you are taking a look at what our current (and hopefully not future governor) is doing right now. Cacieri’s blatant favoritism towards citizens with bigger wallets is becoming insulting. Cacieri is pushing tax cuts for the wealthy, and cutting health care for poor children. Is anybody else appalled that this is even being considered?! It’s ludicrous!! Another pro-wealthy Cacieri is supposrting: The governor is in support of giving tax credits to private schools, while at the same time he supports cutting Physics First at the public school level. These proposals certainly show Cacieri’s somewhat elitist side, and possibly refelect his campaign contributors right now.
Uh, Helen,
It was the House Finance Committee that killed the increased funding for math and science that the Governor proposed, so that instead they could spend more on welfare programs. If you want to blame somebody for this train wreck, you might try the Poverty Institute or Ocean State Action. Or even the teachers unions, since they supported it too. But don’t forget, they have our children’s best interests at heart…
Michaud is a fraud, plain and simple. Dufault’s son paying for Michaud’s yard signs? What a jerk.
For the record, it was not an email that was sent by Mr. Michaud’s people, but a word document entitled “Position Paper Final.” That certainly doesn’t strike me as a hastily scribbled note.
Michaud is a fraud?! Explain this to me. Who hear could earn themselves both a degree and Ph.D from an Ivy league school? The governor dosent have half the brains of Michaud, he was allowed admittance to Brown for his “athleticism,” and he turned out to be a garbage baseball player. Never In a million years would Cacieri have been admitted for his grades. Also, youre worried about whose paying for Michauds damn lawn signs? What about Cacieri getting a $60,000 contribution from Hinkley, Allen, & Snyder… in return for giving a no-bid contract on the Lincoln Park deal, please explain this to me.
Come on folks, if you’re going to try to defame Gov. Carcieri, at least please spell his last name right!
Guess we know who wrote the typo ridden letter now…
The Michaud Collaboration Method
Justin already referred to the position paper sent out by the Michaud campaign. The linchpin to many of Michaud’s positions seems to be not so much what he’d do differently than Governor Carcieri, but that it is his belief that…
John, Helen, Liz, et al:
Do you actually think that we are a bunch of morons?
If your posts were typewritten we could easily see that they were all from the same machine. It’s the same one Traf and Gary Reilly used two years ago.
Michaud: he might be sloppy but at least he’s slow.
J Mahn
Gold ribbon to Joe! The comments from John, Helen, and Liz were all indeed submitted using the very same computer. Normally, that would be grounds for deletion, but I think I’ll leave everything up as a lesson to Internet newcomers.
Mr. Katz,
I am new to Rhode Island and new to the politics of the state. However, I have noticed something that troubles me. You are supporting Gov. Carcieri and several people on this board have spelled out specific offenses, offenses, which you have yet to counter.
I have been living in DC and so I am quite used to the bob and weave routine that politicians and bloggers routinely perform. Please stand up and defend yourself and your candidate rather than pointing fingers at the actions of others.
Additionally, please address Gov. Carcieri’s role in the breach of fiduciary responsibility by his appointee at Beacon-Mutual. This to me is a very serious issue. Is your candidate appointing cronies and then using his position to exert inappropriate influence?
Jeff:
Since you are new to the state and obviously new to blogging I would suggest you send posts like this directly to Mr. Katz via e-mail.
That way he can correspond with you directly.
From my perspective (a cynical old man who has lived here all my life) I don’t believe for a New York second that you are new to the state or RI politics.
Now what do you want to talk about?
J Mahn
Mrs. Boben is another of the little college students that Michaud attracts to his campaign — because professional adults won’t work with him once they learn his M.O. Poor dear is in over her head, as is he.