Party leaders disagree on accepting the money from the Republican National Committee. A possible primary challenge to Sen. Lincoln Chafee seems at the heart of the battle.

09:43 AM EDT on Tuesday, August 23, 2005

BY SCOTT MacKAY
Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE -- A rift among top Republican Party figures in Rhode Island -- fueled by reports that Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey will challenge GOP Sen. Lincoln Chafee in a primary next year -- has jeopardized a $500,000 contribution from the Republican National Committee to Rhode Island's Republican Party.

The money is designed to help Republicans, traditionally Rhode Island's minority party, build a strong grass-roots organization to challenge Democrats for statewide offices and legislative seats, said Patricia Morgan, of West Warwick, the state GOP chairwoman.

But Robert Manning, of Charlestown, the party's national committeeman, has refused to allow the money to come to Rhode Island because some of it would be used to help Chafee win reelection, Morgan said.

"He [Manning] is very adamant that if any resources are available to Senator Chafee and not Laffey, he won't sign off and we won't get the money," Morgan said yesterday.

Manning, contacted yesterday, acknowledged that he is holding up the money, but declined to say whether he supported Laffey. Manning, a retired banker, was elected GOP national committeeman last year with support from Laffey.

Under the system established by the Republican National Committee, Manning can single-handedly block the money from state GOP coffers by virtue of his position as national committeeman.

Three top state GOP officials -- Manning; Eileen Slocum, of Newport, the Republican National Committeewoman; and Morgan, as state party chairwoman -- must all agree for the money to be spent in Rhode Island. Slocum and Morgan have given their OK, but Manning so far has not.

Yesterday, Manning said no national GOP money should be spent to help Rhode Island candidates until after party members have decided whom the candidates will be.

"The party bosses should not inject themselves in a party primary process," Manning said. "We should let the voters make those choices. I was not elected to disenfranchise the voters."

Manning's position gives more credence to consistent reports among Republicans that Laffey plans to challenge Chafee in what party leaders fear will be a divisive primary for the U.S. Senate nomination that, in the end, would help Democrats capture the seat.

Laffey, Cranston mayor since 2003, has declined to answer specific questions about his political plans, saying only that he is taking the summer to mull things over.

But Morgan said Manning's position on the money issue makes it much more likely that Laffey will enter the race sometime next month.

"If [Manning] really hadn't made a decision [in the Senate primary], I think Rob would sign off and we could get the money," Morgan said. "What would be the big deal?"

"Chafee is the incumbent. The people of Rhode Island and our party endorsed him by electing him five years ago," Morgan said.

National Republican leaders, including those in the U.S. Senate, are supporting Chafee's reelection, but some party conservatives do not like him because he is considered too moderate and not sufficiently supportive of President Bush's agenda.

For example, Chafee voted against giving Mr. Bush authority to pursue the war in Iraq -- the only Republican senator to do so. And Chafee also voted against the Bush tax cuts and said he wrote in Mr. Bush's father -- former President George H.W. Bush -- in the 2004 presidential election, rather than vote to reelect the president.

Morgan said she is most upset because the money would help Republicans prepare voter lists and build an organization for the 2006 election cycle and help counter the Democratic Party's traditional advantage in organization in Rhode Island.

"This would help all candidates from the U.S. Senate on down to the school committee," Morgan said. "The Democrats have always had the unions to organize and help turn out their vote and we are always out-organized. This was meant to get us to where the Democrats already are."

Steve Hourahan, Chafee's spokesman, said it is "unfortunate" that Manning is holding up the contribution. "It is a lot of money that is not on the table. This is money that would help the governor and every other Republican officeholder in the state."

If Laffey runs in a primary, "we will be prepared," Hourahan said.

A spokeswoman for Governor Carcieri said yesterday that he had no comment on the internal feud.