Speaking of Chafee, he was his idiosyncratic self during his appearance yesterday with Rappleye on 10 News Conference.
It sometimes seems like some of the gubernatorial hopefuls for 2010, including David Cicilline, Patrick Lynch, and Steve Laffey, have been preparing forever. Yet Chafee, citing a mixed message about a return to public life, is very, very relaxed about the whole thing. Asked about the next statewide election cycle, in 2010, he told Rappleye, "That's a long way away." Rappleye responded, correctly, by saying it's not that far away.
Chafee repeated his prospective areas of interest as mayor of Providence, general treasurer, and possibly governor.
"I don't understand it," he said, when asked about the Carcieri administration's axing of his popular former aide, J.R. Pagliarini.
Asked earlier in the show about Governor Carcieri's job performance, Chafee said, "He's got a tough job. I'm not looking at that. That's 2010."
Later, Chafee said he is putting all his energy into his job at Brown's Watson Institute. As it stands, he said, "I'm not thinking tactical terms about 2010."