No talk radio for Chafee, and on-duty state workers, too

Prov. Journal Bulletin ^ | 1/11/11 | KATHERINE GREGG and RICHARD C. DUJARDIN

[raccoonradio]

PROVIDENCE — No one is likely to confuse new Governor Chafee with his Republican predecessor, Donald L. Carcieri, and now here’s another way to tell them apart: Chafee doesn’t plan to spend his own time on talk radio, and he intends to ban state employees from spending their state work time talking on talk radio, which was Carcieri’s favorite medium and an integral part of his communications operation.

Spokesman Michael Trainor said a directive will go out over the next day or so that reflects that new policy. He said the policy emanates from a belief that talk radio is essentially “ratings-driven, for-profit programming,” and “we don’t think it is appropriate to use taxpayer resources” in the form of state employee work time to “support for-profit, ratings-driven programming.”

Trainor said the new governor will continue to talk to the news reporters for the local radio stations, and the nonprofit local NPR affiliate.

[raccoonradio]

Wikipedia entry on Chafee: >>Chafee was a supporter of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential bid...Chafee is pro-choice...Chafee is a supporter of gay rights...Chafee was one of the few Republicans to vote against allowing drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge...Chafee opposes the death penalty

[raccoonradio]

Election results from Wikipedia; Chafee ran as Ind.

Independent Lincoln Chafee 123,571 36.1%
Republican John Robitaille 114,911 33.6%
Democratic Frank Caprio 78,896 23.0%

[GeronL]

Wouldn’t this be a violation of the first amendment?? Not to mention be used against whistleblowers in one of the few forums thats not pro-government???

[GeronL]

what about for-profit, ratings-driven local TV and newspapers are they banned from being interviewed by them too?

Is this an effort to stop whistleblowers?

[Cboldt]

Sounds like the rule is limited to time “on the clock.” It’s not a blanket prohibition, just a work-rule.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

Chafee was/is a coke head. Is that in Wikipedia?

[raccoonradio]

True, but most local (RI) talk shows would fall into this rule. Most are during the day.

WHJJ: Helen Glover
WPRO: John Depetro, Dan Yorke, Buddy Cianci
(they do have a 6 pm local show with Matt Allen)

Perhaps they could go on with Cianci in the 5-6 pm hour?

[raccoonradio]

Don’t think it did. At least RI no longer has a certain Kennedy representing it in Washington DC...

[raccoonradio]

Current poll on the WHJJ site (they have local talk with Helen Glover but national after that: Beck, Rush, Hannity etc)

By refusing to go on talk radio is Governor Chafee telling conservatives that he does not care what they think?
Yes
90.91 %

No
9.09 %

I voted yes

[kempster]

Great, just Great! This could just put a nail in the coffins of Ed Shultz, Thom Hartman, Stephanie Miller, Bill Press, Rachel Maddow, etc. They are the only ones that would want to talk to him.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Chafee ran as Ind.

Only because he got his ass kicked in the GOP senate race and couldn't stand being out of the club. He has no other way to make a living and is addicted to being one of the 'elite'. He is the consummate POS.

[Blackyce]

What an absolutely detestable human being. It enrages me to think of how much Conservative money went to support people like him over the course of the last decade. Never again. The left likes to think it’s all about them, but, IMO, RNC support for jackasses like Jeffords, Specter and Chafee created the Tea Party movement. Not liberal idiocy in general.

[4Liberty]

Unconstitutional.