The lopsided balance of power in the General Assembly -- populated by just six Republicans in the House of Representatives and four in the Senate -- offers grist for those who depict Democrats and their allies in labor as decisively powerful.
Bill Felkner took up this theme recently, writing at Anchor Rising, in describing the state Labor Relations Board.
RI GOP chairman Giovanni Cicione says he's heard that Steve Laffey has sold his Cranston home.
Laffey could not be immediately reached for comment via his cell phone. Cicione says the former US senate candidate has long made known his desire for a larger house for his family.
Since Laffey's recent announcement that he will not be a Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2010, some political observers have theorized that the former Cranston mayor plans to relaunch his political career after moving out of state.
Following on the recent news that Elizabeth King, senior foreign policy adviser and legal counsel to US Senator Jack Reed, might be destined for a State Department post, as assistant secretary for legislative affairs, we get word of a promotion for another Reed staffer:
Washington, D.C., March 24, 2009 — Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary L. Schapiro announced today that Didem A. Nisanci has been named SEC Chief of Staff.
Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline is scheduled to make a guest appearance this evening with the Providence faction of Drinking Liberally, a monthly get-together of mostly progressive people with an interest in politics.
Here's one thing that local Democrats and Republicans can agree upon; both groups are unhappy with the direction of the state.
Meghan Grady, president of the Rhode Island Young Democrats, writes via e-mail to detail part of this finding (70 percent of respondents say the state is headed in the wrong direction), which was discovered during a recent survey. The Young Dems have a get-together later this week to elaborate on the results:
As Lincoln Chafee celebrates his 56th birthday today, a source tells WRNI that he has decided to run for governor in 2010, and will soon begin to assemble a campaign organization.
Chafee is traveling outside of the United States and he couldn't be reached for immediate comment.
Sources close to Chafee generally stuck to the party line that the former Republican senator-turned independent is seriously considering a run for governor.
James "Jim" V. DeRentis, who is leaving his job as chief business officer at Bancorp Rhode Island, is declining comment, for now, on whether he will be taking on a leading role with Lincoln Chafee's incipient 2010 gubernatorial campaign.
"I will be prepared to comment in the next couple of weeks," DeRentis tells WRNI's On Politics. "I'll be happy to share what I'm going to do, with everybody."
To catch a glimpse of two of the emerging young political activists in Rhode Island, check out WPRI/WNAC-TV's Newsmakers this weekend.
With sunglasses perched on his head and a blue scarf jauntily wrapped around his neck, John Maeda looked more rock star than academician when he appeared during yesterday's broadcast of 10 News Conference.
UPDATE II: Churchville says news direction will happen locally
WJAR GM Lisa Churchville says that although the station will not hire another news director to succeed Betty-Jo Cugini, it will employ a "team" approach to manage news coverage for the station's Web and broadcast reports.
The station employees who are losing their jobs include VP of sales Jeff Walkes and marketing director Barbara Beresford, Churchville says.
