Dee DeQuattro: Pulse on Politics - June 20

Dee DeQuattro (@DeeDeQuattro)

Swim Empowerment Rhode Island had a major win this week as Mayor Taveras announced summer programs for youths including the reopening of the Davey Lopes Pool this summer. After fighting for the pool all last summer the group finally won.

Swim Empowerment's Ray Rickman and Dylan Molho with community activist Leah Williams Metts

Toll Trolls

The East Bay had a major win too as Governor Chafee has order the tolls of the Sakonnet River Bridge to be torn down. So what if we wasted millions of dollars to install the tolls. ITs just another half brained scheme that was poorly planned by Rhode Island lawmakers. The good news for everyone is that even though the state wasted a bunch of money, again, and our gas taxes are going up, Calamari will be the new official state appetizer. Thank the seafood gods. We can finally sleep at night knowing that calamari is now the official state appetizer. 

Team Blung

Team BLUNG loses this week. Who’s team Blung? Well, this is what you get when you mix Ken Block and Allan Fung. During the WPRI debate and Block was called Blung a few times, and it became apparent, the race has become such a mess that we can now refer to it as the BLUNG race. These two should try arguing about issues not who is a better Republican. Reality check boys, most Rhode Islanders are not Republicans and they are not impressed with how conservative you are or are not. Most just want to be able to sleep at night knowing they can provide for their families tomorrow.

The Mayor and Treasurer

The real winners of the debate were Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and General Treasurer Gina Raimondo. While BLUNG beat each other up and name-called, these two probably kicked back and relaxed and enjoyed the show. The more these guys turn voters off to each other the greater the likelihood that the supporters of the losing candidate will vote for the Democratic candidate especially if it is Raimondo or Taveras who have both shown some conservative tendencies. Let's face it who ever loses in the BLUNG race may make a lackluster endorsement of the winner but it is unlikely that they will actually do anything to help the Republican prevail in the General Election Especially if Allan Fung loses the primary and Angel Taveras wins for the Democrats. It is likely that Fung secretly supports his long time friend Taveras over his recent political foe.

GOP on TOP

The GOP wins this week. For the first time in what could be Rhode Island history people are actually fighting with each about who fits in better with the Republican Party. For once some opinion leaders think it is actually cool to be a Republican. Go figure. The GOP should embrace this small victory as it is literally being torn in half by the BLUNG race.

Clay Pell: Right Idea, wrong bridge

Wrong Bridge

Clay Pell loses this week. Why would a guy with the last name Pell feature a bridge that is clearly not in Rhode Island in his latest ad? Why not feature the PELL BRIDGE in your ad? Would that not make the most sense? Sense has not been a driving force for the Pell marketing team, clearly. Pell did have a slight victory when the Democratic Party announced they will not be endorsing a gubernatorial candidate at their convention on Sunday night. That must have been a huge sigh of relief from the underdog candidate.

Meanwhile the RI GOP still plans to endorse a GOP candidate for Governor next week.

Master Leverage

Finally the Master Lever folks had a major win, well sort of. The master lever bill passed the House and the Senate, the catch? it won't go into effect until after this election in 2015. Super convenient for any Democrat facing a close race in November.

Dee Dequattro is a WBOB political columnist and reporter for ABC 6 (WLNE).

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