pell – RI Future

September 9, 2014September 11, 2014

Gov Chafee votes as a Democrat, explains Pell support

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After Governor Linc Chafee voted for the first time in a Democratic primary, he explained in further detail why he voted for Clay Pell.

“We’ve got a lot of momentum in this state after a lot of hard work,” Chafee said. “Clay Pell is the person to continue that momentum. No divisiveness, labor peace, working with federal partners, local partners, unions, business leaders, that’s what we need in this state.”

He said he wasn’t certain who he would vote for at the beginning of the campaign but said he “had a feeling” it would be Pell.

“Like all citizens we watched the campaigns, you always keep your options open, but I kind of had a feeling who was best to keep the momentum going,” Chafee said.

The governor, who lives in the Potowomut neighborhood of Warwick, voted at Potowomut Country Club this morning. He would not share who else he voted for. His mother, Virginia Chafee, also lives in Potowomut, and the governor picked her up in his state car and the two were among the first voters at the posh polling place this morning. Mrs. Chafee, widow of the late Senator John Chafee, voted in the Republican primary.

September 4, 2014September 5, 2014

Pell on when he left GOP: ‘We can get details on time’

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Responding to an RI Future report that he was a registered Republican until at least 2003, Clay Pell told NBC 10’s Dan Jaehnig that he switched his party affiliation during college but didn’t offer an exact date.

“We can details on time,” Pell told NBC 10’s Dan Jaehnig, who responded: “You don’t know that firsthand.”

Jaehnig stopped Pell, who has disavowed negative campaigning, from turning the focus from his party affiliation to his opponents.

Here’s the NBC 10 segment:

September 3, 2014September 5, 2014

Clay Pell was a registered Republican until 2003

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Clay Pell, Democratic candidate for governor, was a registered Republican in Pima County Arizona until 2009, according to the County recorder’s office. Pell’s campaign manager Devin Driscoll countered that the candidate was a registered Rhode Island Democrat as of 2003.

“Per our conversation, Mr. Pell was registered as a Republican in Pima County from 6/10/1999 until he voluntarily cancelled his registration on 5/18/2009,” Pamela Franklin, the executive assistant in charge of public records requests for the county recorder’s office, emailed to RI Future this afternoon. “I will send the forms to you via US Mail.”

When presented with the information from Pima County, Driscoll said Pell registered as a Democrat in Rhode Island in 2003, when the candidate was still in college. Driscoll did not comment on why Pell changed his party affiliation. “I cannot speak to what was in his mind,” Driscoll said. “I can give you the facts.”

The Taveras campaign declined to comment.

An archived Newport This Week post about a Pell family funeral indicated a teenage Clay Pell was a Republican. It said:

Wimby Hoyt, recalled a conversation last Christmas aboard a family-ladened sailboat in the Caribbean.Discussing Mr. Pell’s son, Clay’s activities with the Republican party, Mr. Pell asked his father, the former Senator (a Democrat), if Clay were to run for office, would he vote for him.The senator and grandfather replied, Blood is thicker than politics.

Earlier in the campaign Pell’s voting record came into question, but never his party affiliation.

August 21, 2014August 22, 2014

Langevin and Pell at Warwick Library tonight

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Want to rub elbows with Congressman Jim Langevin? Maybe you’d like to meet gubernatorial candidate Clay Pell? Or perhaps you want to talk to legislative candidates David Bennett, Joe Shekarchi, Nick Denice, Joseph Solomon Jr., or Jennifer Siciliano?

If so, they will all be at the Warwick Public Library tonight at 5:30 for the Warwick Progressive Democrats second annual Meet & Greet.

Here’s the Facebook event, and here’s the full release we sent out:

The Warwick Progressive Democrats, an affiliate of the RI Chapter of the Progressive Democrats of America (RIPDA), is proud to host its second annual Meet & Greet for officeholders, candidates, and voters! All candidates are welcome to attend, whether or not they have been endorsed by RIPDA — the focus of this event is on the discussion and advancement of ideas through promoting candidates speaking directly with Rhode Island voters and residents. Candidates attending include Congressman Langevin, gubernatorial candidate Clay Pell*, State Representatives David Bennett (D-20)* and Joe Shekarchi (D-23) and State Rep candidates Jennifer Siciliano* Joe Solomon Jr. (both D-22), and Nick Denice (D-26), along with members of and candidates for Warwick City Council.

Meet us in the Large Room of the Warwick Public Library on Thursday, August 21 starting at 5:30 to speak one-on-one with candidates for office while enjoying pizza from Cosmic Pizza (donated by Rep. Shekarchi) and refreshments. This is a free event, not a fundraiser or endorsement hearing, and all are welcome to attend. Bring your friends and family!

The top priority for the Warwick Progressive Democrats is creating well-paying jobs for Rhode Islanders through raising the minimum wage and better distributing the tax burden. Democratic candidates appearing on ballots in Warwick will receive an introduction and our thanks should they be willing to fill out a questionnaire. A copy of the questionnaire will be available to view at the event.

*An asterisk indicates that these candidates have been endorsed by RIPDA. Please note that the Warwick Progressive Democrats does not have a PAC and will not endorse candidates in 2014, and that RIPDA, with its own PAC, has its own endorsement process. This event should not be construed as an endorsement – all candidates will be given equal opportunity at this event.

More information is available on our Facebook events page: https://www.facebook.com/events/717030501667044/

I hope that you can join us at our meet & greet!

Best Regards,
Jeremy Rix
City Coordinator, Warwick Progressive Democrats

August 6, 2014August 6, 2014

Taveras tacks away from Raimondo to Pell

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In the TV Commercial War that is the Democratic primary campaign for governor, Angel Taveras has tacked away from his defensive stance against Gina Raimondo to launch an offensive front against Clay Pell.

Watch the commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMtyoqV1lbc

Pell’s campaign, in response, tacked away from what I called it’s positive campaign strategy, saying in an email:

For weeks now, Mayor Taveras and Treasurer Raimondo have been lobbing negative attacks at one another. At the same time, Clay has been focused on one thing — talking with Rhode Islanders about the new ideas and fresh approach he’ll bring as Governor, and his real plan to get our state back on course.

Because of the growing momentum of our grassroots campaign, Mayor Taveras has now turned his mudslinging in our direction. We, however, firmly reject the politics of attack and innuendo. Clay learned from his grandfather that campaigns shouldn’t be about tearing people down, but should be about ideas for the future.

I also wrote that Pell was playing the role of spoiler in this three-way battle. Several respected progressive voices chimed in to correct me. In a comment on that post, Will Collette, publisher of the Progressive Charlestown blog, wrote:

I’ve been hearing this “Clay is a spoiler” line coming from the Taveras camp for weeks and I don’t buy it.

Taveras is running a lack-luster campaign, can’t raise the money and has surrounded himself with more than a few good ole boy synchophants. It bothers me to see guys on the city payroll playing whips and enforcers for the Taveras campaign. I heard one of them, after a particularly ugly incident, tell a colleague why he acted like a jerk, saying “hey, I work for the guy.”

Yeah, the “Headstart to Harvard” line was good when he started the campaign, but what else does he have except whining about how Gina is running ads against him? What did he expect?

That he’s losing ground while Clay is gaining begs the question of who’s the spoiler – Clay or Taveras?

The Mayor said that for people like me, who REALLY don’t want to see Raimondo become Governor, he’s the only choice and that supporting Clay Pell only makes a Raimondo win more likely.

Bullshit.

If Angel Taveras really believes in “anybody but Raimondo,” maybe he ought to consider withdrawing and supporting Clay.

Another commenter put it more poetically.

And ardent Clay Pell supporter Bob Walsh wrote this on a Facebook post:

You will know Angel is in third place when he goes negative on Clay too. Then those who support Angel because they despise Gina will have a choice – sticking with their candidate, who is now in the spoiler position, or joining the people-powered, positive campaign of the only Democrat in the race that no labor or progressive voter can oppose on the issues. The next 5 weeks will be fascinating!

August 4, 2014August 5, 2014

Clay Pell plays spoiler

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In some ways, the Democratic primary for governor is an epic battle between two factions of the party.

Angel Taveras, the progressive mayor of Providence who saved the city from fiscal disaster is in a public slugfest with Gina Raimondo, the well-heeled, Wall Street insider infamous for cutting pensions and investing the savings in hedge fund fees.

After beginning the campaign by negotiating a Peoples’ Pledge, Taveras and Raimondo are now running dueling attack ads on each other. And late last week their feud reached fever pitch when the Raimondo camp accused a Taveras supporter of sneaking into an event and trying to steal her cellphone. (The Taveras campaign apologized for the first transgression and denied the other.)

Such sleaziness would be the bigger news if it wasn’t for Clay Pell. Everyone is most abuzz about his people-powered, positive campaign strategy. Couple that with millions of his own money, and it could prove to be a winning strategy.

Unless it ends up just being the spoiler strategy.

Many expect Pell to make a huge leap in the next round of polling. But few expect it will be big enough to win. He may well best Taveras in the end, but it seems most-likely that Raimondo will beat them both. While Pell and Taveras split the left, Raimondo is drawing new conservatives into the Democratic Party – I know of at least one longtime Republican who plans to vote for Raimondo in the Democratic primary this year. And if Raimondo wins the primary, a swarm of influential liberals will give serious consideration to voting for a Republican.

So even as the drama unfolds between Wall Street and Main Street Democrats, the left’s lack of ability to agree on a candidate may have already guaranteed Rhode Island’s next governor will be a conservative.