Loose Lips Linc

Loose Lips Linc

Hear John DePetro weekday mornings 6-10 am, on GoLocalProv's media partner 630WPRO & 99.7. This morning on 630 WPRO's John DePetro show

Last week on my WPRO radio show, Independent candidate for Governor Lincoln Chafee came on to discuss Curt Schilling's now approved but hotly debated $75 million dollar loan from the state for his video-game venture. He was attempting to articulate why he felt the controversial, generous state loan was a mistake by the EDC. So fine, fire away. He was hardly the first in recent weeks to strongly disagree with the EDC and the Governor's backing of the untested Schilling project.

But rather than opposing the loan arrangement on its merits, Chafee launched into a set of remarks reflective of what has become the troubling hallmark of his behavior in public life. Schilling, Chafee asserted, actually painted the now famous "bloody sock" and it was not blood. He portrayed Schilling as a fraud, who was known to be not liked by his teammates and who could not be trusted. His adolescent putdown against an adored Red Sox legend whose achievements on the field are Hall of Fame-solidified set off national news reaction and his campaign raced to correct the statement.  

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Perhaps what makes the gaffe the most disturbing is that it is far from an isolated incident for Chafee.

Remember Chafee voting for the elder President Bush (41) by writing in his name in the voting booth at the re-election for his son, former President George Bush (43) as a bizarre—and emotionally driven—protest gesture over Bush 43's war policies?

Remember his treatment of Senator and failed presidential contender John McCain? During Chafee's tough and ultimately losing 2006 Senate re-election battle, McCain came into the state and campaigned for Linc. He was repaid for that two years later when Chafee giddily defied all political protocol and ran to the press to announce his endorsement of Obama on the very same day McCain was in Rhode Island with his own Presidential campaign.  Remember his calling McCain's newly minted V.P. Sarah Palin a "cocky wacko"?  Remember when he officially disaffiliated and left the Republican party, he did not contact the state GOP Chairman, Gio Cicione, in advance to at least inform him of his decision before it showed up in the press?  

In the case of Schilling, you can question the size of the loan, the strategic aims of the EDC, the taxpayer risk, etc., but do you need to throw personal (and embarrassing) barbs at the proposal's architect?  

Shortly after Chafee announced for governor, I had him as a guest on WPRO. I asked him about his plan to tax groceries and drugs. He told me he slipped that in at the very last minute because the speech seemed "stale." Seemed like a rather important, large policy statement to be thrown in as an afterthought.  

Linc Chafee talks about being a governor who can work and get along with people,  but to govern, one has to have the maturity to grapple with issues and decisions with people you may disagree with personally and policy-wise. The record of Linc Chafee may suggest otherwise.

John DePetro can be heard weekday mornings 6-10A, on GoLocal media partner 630WPRO & 99.7 FM, and podcasts of show highlights are found at 630wpro.com