RWB News: With one week left before the election, endorsements, or the lack thereof, are causing a stir in the Democratic Party. In Rhode Island, it's actually pretty amusing.
As reported, Oct. 25,2010, by Bill Haberman (WPRO)
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio is livid after the Providence Journal reported Monday morning President Obama would not endorse Caprio during his visit to the state today.
"He can take his endorsement and really shove it," Caprio told John Depetro and the WPRO morning news. Caprio told WPRO he did not seek the President's endorsement and calls the snub Washington politics.
"We had one of the worst floods in the history of the United States a few months back and President Obama didn't even do a fly over of Rhode Island. He ignored us and now he's coming into Rhode Island and treating us like an ATM machine," said Caprio.
A spokesman for the Chafee campaign tells the Providence Journal the President's decision is a victory for Linc Chafee. Chafee crossed party lines in 2008 to endorse then candidate Obama over Chafee's former Senate colleague John McCain.
Listen to the full interview at WPRO.
From the AP article, posted by the Washington Times
Frank Caprio's campaign last week said he would welcome the president's endorsement. But on Monday, the same day Mr. Obama was set to make his first visit to Rhode Island as president and a day after the White House said Mr. Obama would endorse no one, Mr. Caprio angrily told WPRO-AM that Mr. Obama can "take his endorsement and really shove it."
Rhode Island's congressional delegation expressed disapproval of Mr. Caprio's comments, but the head of the Democratic Governors Association said it was Mr. Obama's decision that was disappointing, not the candidate's remarks.
"Frank Caprio has spent his career fighting for the values of the Democratic Party. He deserves the full support of our party and its leaders," association Executive Director Nathan Daschle said.
Mr. Caprio also accused the president of "treating us like an ATM machine" by coming to Rhode Island to raise money but ignoring it during springtime flooding. Mr. Obama instead sent Cabinet members, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
Mr. Caprio called Mr. Obama's rebuff "Washington insider politics at its worst."
"What I'm saying to President Obama very clearly is, I'll wear as a badge of honor and a badge of courage that he doesn't want to endorse me as a Democrat, because I am a different kind of Democrat," he told the station.
The state's congressional delegation, all of whom are Democrats, commented Monday on Mr. Caprio's remarks. Sen. Jack Reed called them disappointing and noted that the president had helped the state get millions in federal funds for flood recovery and infrastructure as well as to close a massive budget deficit. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse called the comments unfortunate, and Rep. Jim Langevin said he did not agree with them.
Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, who is giving up his seat at the end of this term, defended Mr. Caprio's comments as coming in the heat of a campaign.
"You're running on adrenaline, and you're running on emotion," he said.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele, in Rhode Island for a rally Monday, said he was amused by the conflict.
Read the full article: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/25/rhode-island-democrat-asks-obama-shove-it/?page=1
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