Marc Comtois

FLASH: Corrente Not Running for Governor

By Marc Comtois | November 2, 2009 |

Former U.S. Attorney for RI Robert Corrente told WPRO’s Dan Yorke that he will not run for RI Governor in 2010. He confirmed that he did speak to the Moderate Party but ultimately determined that the timing wasn’t right.

Providence Monthly: Katz and Jerzyk on Governor’s Race

By Marc Comtois | October 30, 2009 |

Anchor Rising’s Justin Katz and Matt Jerzyk (former proprietor of RI Future) were asked by the Providence Monthly to handicap the presumed 2010 Rhode Island gubernatorial candidates. But there was a twist: Justin took a look at the Dems (and Chafee) and Matt looked at the GOP (and Chafee). Matt has helpfully provided links to…

Who’s Keener on Current Events?

By Marc Comtois | October 30, 2009 |

The pro-Republican results of the Pew Research Poll, “What Does the Public Know?,” (h/t) has led to some “rah rah” chatter on the right side of the blogosphere, partly inspired because the MSM isn’t covering the results the same as they did previous polls showing opposite results. True enough, self-identified Republicans performed better than Democrats.…

“He Wasn’t No Bad Man.”

By Marc Comtois | October 29, 2009 |

The ProJo’s follow-up to the story about the murder of accused woman-beater and “serial father” George Holland only adds to the frustration earlier expressed. On Wednesday afternoon, the five other mothers and Holland’s relatives gathered at an apartment on Hymer Street to talk about his life. They said Holland had been characterized unfairly in The…

Fiddling at the State House

By Marc Comtois | October 29, 2009 |

The procrastinators in the RI House continue their torrid pace, today joined by the Senate. Governor Carcieri points out the obvious: “They need to deal with the budget,” Carcieri said at an unrelated event. “They’re not doing that, and I think that’s really unfortunate because the problem is not going away; it’s getting worse.” Though…

NY-23: Conservative vs. Republican

By Marc Comtois | October 29, 2009 |

The Congressional race in New York’s 23rd District pits a Democrat against a Republican against a Conservative (New York has a Conservative Party), all of whom have polled around 30%. It has been an interesting object lesson in showing how conservatives aren’t automatically Republicans. In a nutshell, through typical back-room arm-twisting, the local GOP nominated…

RE: Medicare Fraud

By Marc Comtois | October 28, 2009 |

I referenced a 60 Minutes report on Medicare fraud earlier this week. Mark Hemingway adds some additional context: Medicare fraud amounts to $60 billion dollars a year. That is one heck of a lot of money. In fact, Medicare loses seven times as much money in fraud every year than the combined profits of the…

All You Can Do is Just Shake Your Head…

By Marc Comtois | October 27, 2009 |

…at stories like this, about the Providence woman who stabbed the father of her son to death. The short version is that 14 years ago a 15 year old boy was statutorily raped by a woman 10 years his senior. She bore him the first of many children by multiple baby-mamas. Two weeks after the…

Profiting from Confusion

By Marc Comtois | October 27, 2009 |

As Justin warily explained, we’re about to witness two fun-packed days of legislative confusion–at least to outsiders. For, as Lt. Holden said in Operation Petticoat, “In confusion, there is profit.” Just so. The line was uttered at a point in the movie when the submarine aboard which Holden served as the supply officer was in…

Medicare Fraud: “They would pay first and send an auditor later. “

By Marc Comtois | October 26, 2009 |

Proponents of the “public option” like to point to MediCare. It ain’t the panacea they say, as 60 Minutes reported: President Obama says rising costs are driving huge federal budget deficits that imperil our future, and that there is enough waste and fraud in the system to pay for health care reform if it was…