 Out with July, in with Mudslinging Season in RI Politics! Dee DeQuattro (@DeeDeQuattro) Clay Pell came out on top of the Democratic Primary this week as he is the only Democrat keeping his hands clean. While Raimondo is slinging mud at Taveras and Taveras is slinging it right back, Pell is just boosting himself and his own plans. Offensive offense Raimondo went on the offensive pretty strong this week with her ad that seems loosely based on an Orange County Choppers trailer attacking Taveras for the city’s unemployment rate. Problem is the man featured in the commercial may not be on the straight and narrow himself. Talk radio is a buzz saying that man has been charged with DUI and Raimondo’s commercial features him driving through the city.  Street wars Meanwhile Taveras has responded, finally, and said that people know better. Taveras’s campaign theme is “Main Street” not “Wall Street,” a subtle stab at Raimondo who has received campaign contribution from Wall Street investors. Never waste a good crisis Meanwhile the Republicans continued to trade barbs this week. Ken Block made a smart move when he didn’t let a good national crisis go to waste. As Immigration is becoming a hot button issue throughout the country he found a resolution that Allan Fung signed as city councilor and is using it to say that Fung, who is from an immigrant family, supports amnesty for illegal immigrants. Fung is saying that is not what he was calling for at all in the resolution. But for Block’s purposes why does it matter? He knows what will stick, “Allan Fung Supported Amnesty for Illegals.” This is a huge issue for Republicans and is likely to do some damage to Fung. Meanwhile Block who has never served as an elected official so Fung doesn’t have quite the same arsenal as Block.  Take a number, please Block and Fung both rolled out policy plans this week as well. Block took aim at the wait times at the DMV and the antiquated computer system. He was one step shy of suggesting that perhaps his software company could save the Rhode Island DMV. What’s more Rhode Island than a state contract? Fung on the other hand went after subsidize health care for law makers. Most people can get on board with this, why should lawmakers get free health care? But then there is the kicker only one lawmaker in fact accepts free health care fro the state: Representative Grace Diaz. Either way the issue is enough to frustrate voters and it makes Fung look like his is for good government and less spending. Anti-Social Buddy Meanwhile, the Providence Mayoral race is relatively quiet and still no sign of Buddy Cianci on Social Media. Meanwhile Jorge Elorza, Michael Soloman, and Brett Smiley are all over social media. Cianci needs to gets with the time and step up the campaigning. Changing of the guard? In Warwick, battle lines are being drawn as some members of the city’s GOP are getting behind Stacia Petri, a primary challenger to Mayor Scott Avedisian. Avedisian is known to be a middle of the road Republican which has worked in Warwick, but Petri seems to be taking a more hard-line conservative approach. Her supporters are beginning to push her campaign on social media and other forums. Her problem is people know Avedisian and like him. In 2010 Avedisian won Warwick with over 80% of the vote.  Dan McKee Popping Mollis Secretary of State Ralph Mollis is having a tough week. First his primary opponent for Lt. Governor, Dan McKee took aim at him saying he knew that Michael Corso was lobbying for 38 Studios and wasn’t registered. Then, the Providence Journal released a report that Mollis is renting the Wee House Farm from Chafee. Mollis is currently renting the guest house, after the owner of the home he had been renting was foreclosed on. Problem is -- it looks like Mollis is part of an Ol’ Boys Network. The McKee to victory Dan McKee came out on top this week. No one in Rhode Island really knows what a Lt. Governor does, so how are they supposed to get any media attention. Well, Dan McKee is giving the people something to talk about. He is taking aim at Mollis and blaming him for 38 Studios and meanwhile Mollis can’t seem to get out of his own way. Then there is candidate Frank Ferri who has just been mum the whole time. He needs to step it up, get in the game or get forgotten. Dee-termined Lastly, I survived my swim. I didn’t drown and I made it the whole way across! #victory!  Team ABC Dee Dequattro is a WBOB political columnist and reporter for ABC 6 (WLNE).
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