The new best political narrative in Rhode Island is also the biggest battle for progressives: Congressman David Cicilline’s reelection battle against Brendan Doherty. Cicilline is among the most liberal legislators from the Northeast and Doherty would be one of the most conservative. That’s the case Democrats will be making these next 54 days, while Republicans will run more of a smear campaign. While the local mainstream media will probably care more about the character issues, we’re betting voters will care more about policy.

We don’t often find opportunity to write this sentence but here goes: there’s truth to what Donna Perry writes in GoLocalProv this morning about their being two very different factions of the Democratic Party at the State House. The blue dog Dems support tax cuts to the rich and retirement benefit cuts for the working class, marriage inequality and voter ID laws, while the progressive wing doesn’t. Which one sounds more like the traditional Democratic Party to you?

Speaking of tax cuts for the wealthy, a new study shows they don’t stimulate growth. Then again, Rhode Island is another study that depicts this trend…

One of the reasons Rhode Island has Democrats that skew to the right is we allow people who are completely out-of-touch with mainstream values like Bishop Tobin to define them.

But the Green Party will be on the Rhode Island ballot this November. This will help David Cicilline and progressives.

Providence Schools Superintendent Susan Lusi is encouraging all the city’s public schools to become charters; so far nine have taken her up on the offer.

Anti-America protests in Egypt, Libya and now Yemen, too.

Today in 1971, the Attica prison riot comes to an end after inmates held guards hostage for four days in a failed attempt to negotiate for more humane living conditions.