When Governor Carcieri recently tabbed Kerry King as his new executive counsel, state Democratic Party chief Bill Lynch rapped the selection, pointing to how, among other things, King had not recently practiced law. Others noted how King’s appointment seemed like an effort to mend GOP fences, since Carcieri had walked away from his early endorsement of King’s bid for lieutenant governor last year.
King’s unsuccessful primary campaign featured sharp criticism of some leading legislative Democrats. Considering this harsh rhetoric — and considering how Carcieri’s critics fault the governor for what they call an overly confrontational approach — it’s fair to wonder what the fallout will be with King taking an important role in the governor’s administration.
“We’re not going to hold it against the guy that he said a bunch of dumb things to try to get elected,” responds Michael Healey, spokesman for Attorney General Patrick Lynch. “Campaigns are campaigns, and government is government, and we will wait to see how he helps the governor govern."
Healey’s words notwithstanding, it won’t be a huge surprise if King’s arrival presages more friction between these two offices.
Former state representative Tom Palangio has left his position as the City of Providence’s legislative lobbyist. Palan¬gio, who turned down a job with the city’s Depart¬ment of In¬spections and Standards, says he left the lobbyist post because he felt he had “taken it as far as I could.”
Palangio, who came into the legislative lobbyist position following David Cicilline’s election as mayor in 2002, says “we were all upset by” the lack of legislative budgetary relief this year. He says he was not asked to leave and that it was “pretty much” his decision. City officials have yet to identify his successor.
Palangio, the brother of John Palangio, the director of executive operations for AG Lynch, says he is looking at opportunities to lobby “for a couple of other private groups.”
Last week’s Providence Geek Dinner featured the official launch of RI Nexus, an ambitious new Web site from the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, which is meant to strengthen Rhode Island’s growing information technology-digital media sector. It has a lot of cool elements, including a blog, a calendar of upcoming events, a news radar, a directory of relevant Rhode Island companies, a statewide map, and forums.
fBack in March, when I reported on how Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian represents a rare bright spot for the perennially struggling Rhode Island Republican Party, Lincoln Chafee told me he thought that Avedisian will “probably run for governor.” Chafee added that he was “not, at this stage,” planning a gubernatorial run, and he demurred when asked about a Providence mayoral campaign. Referring to Avedisian, Chafee says, “At this stage, I’d encourage him to think about [running for] governor.”
Chafee recently went a bit further, telling Charlie Bakst for a September 23 column in the Sunday ProJo that “he’s ’unlikely’ to run for governor. ”
Avedisian remains one of the wild cards for 2010. Does he run for governor, offering a moderate challenger to Steve Laffey, stay in Warwick, or make a bid for another office? Time will tell.
Material here was first posted on www.thephoenix.com/notfornothing
