Raimondo-Chafee Feud Escalates In Rhode Island

The gloves are officially off between failed Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo and her predecessor Lincoln Chafee. The former Democrat governor is showing no signs of easing his criticism of Raimondo as he stokes speculation of challenging her in 2018. In an interview with WPRO Radio’s Tara Granahan yesterday, Chafee attacked his successor for her long list of failures in leadership, calling her “irresponsible” for leaving Rhode Island to fundraise in Chicago and New York while the state grapples with a $60 million deficit. When asked what letter grade he would give Raimondo, Chafee responded with, “the lowest one,” as the state’s fiscal shape continues to worsen on her watch.

Raimondo struck back at Chafee in the afternoon through her allies at the Rhode Island Democrat Party, who took aim at their party’s former governor in a news release hitting him for his low approval rating at the end of his term. As Raimondo continues to exchange blows with her predecessor, it is becoming increasingly clear that her re-election hopes are facing numerous challenges.

TARA GRANAHAN: “So will you switch parties and go Independent and run for governor? I just repeated the same question.”

LINCOLN CHAFEE: I don’t have an answer, I don’t have an answer for you right here on this day.

TARA GRANAHAN: “Are you looking into it? Are you forming a committee like Joe Trillo?”

LINCOLN CHAFEE: “I’ve been around public service for a long time and all these issues for a long time and if anybody cares about what I say I’m happy to share my thoughts and that’s what’s happening right now. And I am very concerned about the performance of our current governor. I think she’s leaning way too far for the corporate interests. It happened with the hedge funds, it’s happening with the corporate welfare. And I don’t think she’s listening up there in Burrillville to the elected officials, Republicans and Democrats that didn’t want the power plant. That’s one example. And then just getting the trains to run on time. The UHIP, the Cooler and Warmer, it’s just one thing after another. Big huge budget deficit and she said it’s the House’s budget now. We don’t have an action plan. And drops off to fundraisers in Chicago and New York and San Francisco. Doesn’t care about the $60 million hole in the present year that she’s responsible for. And never mind looking ahead to the big deficits looming ahead so that concerns me.”

TARA GRANAHAN: “So you think she’s being irresponsible?”

LINCOLN CHAFEE: “That’s a good word, absolutely. What are you doing in Chicago and New York when we have a budget to put together and there’s a $60 million hole in present year which your responsible for? This is you administration. It’s your department? What’s the action plan? “I don’t have one,” she said. And off to raise the money. That’s irresponsible.”

TARA GRANAHAN: “If you had to give her a grade, A,B,C,D…”

LINCOLN CHAFEE: “I think you asked me that last time. I said the lowest one.”

TARA GRANAHAN: “She hasn’t improved any?”

LINCOLN CHAFEE: “The last time we talked must have been a month? No, if anything, gotten worse.”

TARA GRANAHAN: “So when you see, in your opinion, and you’re critical of Governor Raimondo and you feel that the state is going in the wrong direction, wouldn’t that give you more oomph  to try to jump into the race and want to fix this state or are you gonna pass it on to some fresh blood?”

LINCOLN CHAFEE: “No. It gives me oomph.”

TARA GRANAHAN: “So we’ve got oomph out of you at least.”

LINCOLN CHAFEE: “Yes, yes.”

TARA GRANAHAN: “Alright, Former Governor Lincoln Chafee, I’m gonna keep tormenting you if that’s what we can call it. But I like to hear your ideas, there are a lot of people buzzing.”