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President Bush (finally!) set to visit Rhode Island today

PROVIDENCE -- President Bush makes his first presidential visit to Rhode Island today with a speech on terrorism before a friendly audience of Navy officials and military leaders from around the globe at the Naval War College in Newport... Governor Carcieri, the lone Republican to hold state or federal office in Rhode Island, will introduce the president at the war college.

Editor's Note -- Newport's Naval War College is considered the nation's preeminent postgraduate military institution. The college is more than a century old and instills future naval leaders with combat readiness and education in security, strategy and military history issues. The Naval Command College, the institution Mr. Bush celebrates today, was founded in 1956 by Adm. Arleigh Burke, who sought to prevent war by fostering friendships and understanding among military officers from the United States and other countries.

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Gov. Carcieri announces massive state worker layoffs to balance budget

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri has proposed what is believed to be the largest layoff of state employees in Rhode Island history, a move that shocked legislators and union officials 24 hours before House leaders were set to release their 2007-08 spending plan. [His] proposal, announced at a packed State House news conference yesterday afternoon, calls for the elimination of 1,000 state jobs....

Editor's Note -- State Republican Party Chairman Giovanni Cicione released a statement yesterday applauding the governor's plan. "The Democrat leaders in the General Assembly need a reality check right now, and it's time they start showing a little courage and urge the union bosses to stop the greedy demands that are breaking this state's budget back," Cicione said. "I salute this governor for holding his ground, making a very tough decision and not running from the grim reality of this state's very serious fiscal situation."

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Catholic Bishop blasts Giuliani's abortion stance

Bishop Thomas J. Tobin writes in the Rhode Island Catholic that he somehow received an invitation to a Giuliani fundraiser in the Ocean State and uses that as a jumping off point to describe the former mayor's stance on the issue as "pathetic," "confusing" and "hypocritical." He even went so far as to liken Rudy to Pontius Pilate...

Editor's Note -- The piece represents the most significant attack yet hurled at the pro-choice Giuliani by his church. And it comes from a tough place. Rhode Island, despite its very strong Dem tilt, is the sort of heavily Italian and Catholic state where supporters of Giuliani think he could fare better than most any other GOP candidate. Direct link: http://www.ricatholic.com/rudy.html

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RIRA Strongly Opposes "Comprehensive Amnesty" Legislation

WARWICK, R.I. - Certain members of the United States Congress, in collusion with our President, have introduced legislation which they are calling "comprehensive" immigration reform, but in reality is "comprehensive amnesty" for illegal aliens. The Rhode Island Republican Assembly (RIRA) strongly opposes this legislation, which if enacted will undermine the sovereignty of our country. It will rend...

Editor's Note -- This "immigration reform" Legislation is not about the "melting pot," but about the meltdown of our nation's sovereignty. It boils down to is this: Cynical politicians betraying our country in a shallow and unscrupulous effort to buy political support from a defined voting bloc. This Legislation must not stand! We urge all Americans to contact your senators and representatives to let them know that you oppose this misguided Legislation.

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Laffey talks politics in 'tell-all' book

Since falling short last year in his bid for the U.S. Senate, the outspoken Stephen P. Laffey has been unusually quiet. Now we know what the former Cranston mayor has been up to -- Laffey has written a "tell-all" book about politics, his 2006 primary campaign against former Republican U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee and the future of the national Republican Party.

Editor's Note -- His editor at Penguin Group, Bernadette Malone Serton, said that Laffey tells the story of the campaign with stunning candor. "Steve Laffey is so candid in talking about what Washington Republicans did to him that the rest of the country needs to know why they lost the Senate in 2006," she said. "And he names names in his book," she promised. Laffey's nonfiction book, Primary Mistake, will be published Sept. 13th.

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RI Attorney General declares RI will recognize MA same-sex marriages

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The state of Rhode Island should recognize gay marriages performed in Massachusetts, Attorney General Lynch stated in an advisory opinion that he said could apply equally to the private sector or state and local governments. Lynch said, "I'm saying there is no legal reason that a couple validly married in Massachusetts should be denied any basic rights in Rhode Island....

Editor's Note -- The Rhode Island Republican Assembly (www.ri-ra.org) responded in part: "In an unprecedented attack on the Rhode Island Constitution and with complete disregard to the citizens of Rhode Island, Attorney General Patrick Lynch has today, taken on the role of Lord and Master of the citizens of this state by proclaiming that 'Rhode Island will recognize same sex marriages lawfully performed in Massachusetts as marriages [in RI].' He has proclaimed this recognition without the citizens of Rhode Island being given the right to vote on the matter as the citizens in other states..."

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Sen. Chafee defeated -- Gov. Carcieri reelected

PROVIDENCE - Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse defeated incumbent Republican Lincoln D. Chafee yesterday to win Rhode Island's U.S. Senate race, ending the Chafee family's 30-year lock on the seat on a day when voters across the Northeast rose up against President Bush and the Republican leadership that has run Washington, D.C., for six years.

Editor's Note -- Senator Chafee said he went down to defeat in a Democratic "perfect storm" and expressed disappointment that his record was no match for anti-Bush sentiment. "The rage toward our president was insurmountable," said Chafee. There is a lot of very good analysis of our local races on the conservative website www.anchorrising.com.

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Senator Chafee survives tough GOP primary challenge

WARWICK - After the most contentious GOP primary in Rhode Island history, Senator Lincoln Chafee won the Rhode Island Republican Primary last night. Mayor Laffey conceded at 10:40pm. This was largely due to an influx of non-Republican voters who chose to vote in the Rhode Island Republican Primary...

Editor's Note -- Senator Chafee won the GOP primary by a margin of approximately 4,500 votes. Just over 63,000 total votes were cast in the Rhode Island Republican Primary, even though there are only about 68,000 registered Republican voters in all of Rhode Island. Somewhat more than half of the voters in the RI "Republican" Primary were not actually registered Republicans. "Unaffiliated" and disaffiliated Democrat voters are permitted to vote in the Republican Primary under current Rhode Island election law.

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Conservative Republicans hold national board meeting in Warwick

[McKay] said he lobbied to bring the board meeting to Rhode Island in an effort to "move the conservative effort up the East Coast into a very blue [Democratic] area and make it more red."

Editor's Note -- The NFRA Board Meeting & Northeast Conservative Conference will be held July 21-23 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, RI. Keynote speakers include Oklahoma Senator Dr. Tom Coburn and Susette Kelo. More information is available on their website at http://www.ri-ra.org

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