Both men avoided such issues as abortion, same-sex marriage, the Iraq war and presidential censure.

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, April 13, 2006

BY ELIZABETH GUDRAIS
Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island's Republican U.S. senator and the Republican mayor who hopes to unseat him faced off on stage for the first time last night, trading barbs before college Republicans at Johnson & Wales University.

Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee stressed his own ability to work with lawmakers of all political persuasions, while blasting his opponent, Stephen P. Laffey, for donating to Democrats and raising taxes as mayor of Cranston.

When it was Laffey's turn, he took a few swipes at Chafee's privileged background before touting his own record as mayor.

Both candidates avoided such hot-button issues as abortion, same-sex marriage, the Iraq war and presidential censure. Rather than stay around to answer questions, they slipped out while candidates for other offices were speaking.

Chafee mentioned federal money he'd brought into Rhode Island -- $8 million for the Jamestown bridge demolition, scheduled for next week. He said his colleagues in Congress "wouldn't give it to me if they didn't like me, believe me, because I don't vote with them all the time."

"I never miss a lunch with my Republican colleagues in the Senate," he said.

Chafee spent much of his allotted 10 minutes recounting his history in local politics, noting that this is his 10th run for office -- first as a state Constitutional convention delegate, then for the Warwick City Council, Warwick mayor, and, finally, U.S. Senate. He noted that the very building where last night's forum took place -- on the university's Harborside Campus, straddling the Providence-Cranston line -- is next to a federal brownfields site. The university received a federal grant to clean up the site last year, thanks to legislation Chafee authored.

Chafee never mentioned Laffey by name. Instead, he said: "My primary opponent actually contributed to Democrats. I've never done that."

He was referring to contributions Laffey made to Tennessee Democrats' congressional campaigns during his time working for Morgan Keegan, a Memphis investment banking firm.

Laffey just listened, expressionless. Later, in his own remarks, he said he made those contributions because the company chairman asked him to donate. "When he wanted to do it, we did it," Laffey said. "We just did. I'd do it again."

Laffey painted his story as one of rags to riches, growing up "a couple of blocks" from the site of last night's forum, one of five children. "I didn't inherit my money," he said. "I didn't marry my money. I went out and made my money." Now it was Chafee's turn to be expressionless.

When it came to taxes, Chafee again stopped short of mentioning Laffey in particular, but voiced sympathy for the heavy burden that property taxes place on residents. However, Laffey's fiscal record is clearly on the mind of his Republican opponents. One scathing ad, paid for by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Laffey "gave Cranston the highest property taxes in Rhode Island," and that he "raised taxes twice . . . and he admits he may do it again."

Chafee's vague reference to property taxes was apparently clear enough to Laffey, who said he took over a city "in total disarray," a city that was "27, 30 days away from bankruptcy" and "righted the ship." The increase in Cranston's bond rating during his tenure as mayor is "unmatched by any municipality in, we think, recent American history," Laffey said.

Speaking at a breakneck pace, he vowed to fight "big drug companies and big oil companies, people who are corrupting the tax code and weakening the tax code."

Armand Cortellesso, a senior marketing major who heads the Johnson & Wales College Republicans, introduced Chafee as "a man who has proven he is guided by his strong will, and he doesn't give in to pressure." Laffey, in turn, was someone who wants "to bring a strong voice to Rhode Island," a voice that will "resonate across the entire country."

Most in the audience held their cards close to the vest, saying they were just there to listen. Jonathan Ferreira, a 25-year-old Bristol resident who helps his family manage several Dunkin' Donuts stores, wasn't as shy. He said he would support Laffey. Although he is a registered Republican, he said, "I would rather have a Democrat representative who's going to support Democrat issues than a Republican who's going to support Democrat issues."

During his remarks, Chafee addressed the common criticism that he is a "RINO" -- Republican in name only. He said he would "argue all day long" that his pet issues -- "the environment, fiscal responsibility, aversion to foreign entanglements" -- are, or should be, part of the Republican agenda.

The event -- which also featured J. William W. Harsch, candidate for attorney general, Sue Stenhouse, candidate for secretary of state, and Cranston mayoral hopeful Allan Fung -- was held on the first night of Passover. Cortellesso said he realized the inopportune timing when he scheduled the event, but said the Johnson & Wales school year is nearly over. "Anything past this date would have been nearly impossible," he said.

egudrais@projo.com / (401) 277-7045