The Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals has gone public with its first round of endorsements in General Assembly races. So have lots of groups.

What's striking about the union's list: no one on or aligned with House Speaker William J. Murphy 's leadership team is on it.

Federation president Marcia Reback said the endorsements reflect votes on the so-called "pension reforms" of last year that raised the age and work requirements for unvested and newly hired state employees to qualify for a pension and this year's votes for a state budget that provides $1 million in tax credits for corporations that donate to private and parochial schools.

Democrats who sided with the teachers union by opposing both moves -- and by backing reduced pension contributions for affected employees -- got the endorsements which, over time, will come with campaign contributions and plugs for their candidacy in mailings to people who live in their districts, Reback said last week. The union has more than 12,000 active and retired members.

Conspicuously absent from the list: Murphy, D-West Warwick, and his top lieutenant, House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox , D-Providence. Murphy's earlier challenger for the top House leadership post, Rep. John DeSimone , D-Providence, topped the list.

Why? "Because they don't have a good record," Reback said of Murphy and Fox, while DeSimone -- who, as a lawyer at one pointrepresented the teachers in Providence -- has "a 100 percent" voting record on RIFT issues.

Said Murphy: "The leadership team was proud to make some very difficult decisions. Most workers in Rhode Island's private sector have seen their pension systems significantly revised over the past several years. In order to protect the integrity of the state's pension system, we felt that reforms were necessary."

Other endorsed House incumbents include former House Majority Whip Rene Menard , D-Lincoln, and Representatives Peter Wasylyk , D-Providence, and Todd Brien , D-Woonsocket. Only three other House candidates got the nod, all Democrats: former Cranston City Council member Colleen Crudele -- a niece of state AFL-CIO president Frank Montanaro -- for an open Cranston seat; Annette Berarducci , who is seeking an open seat in Johnston; and former Sen. Donna Walsh , a teacher, challenging Rep. Matthew McHugh , D-South Kingstown.

For the record, only four Senate primary candidates have received RIFT endorsements so far: incumbents Frank Ciccone , D-Providence, and Beatrice Lanzi , D-Cranston, and hopefuls Joshua Miller in Cranston and Christopher B. Maselli in Johnston.

PAC tardy on financial report

Among the organizations fined recently for failing to file a quarterly campaign finance report by the July 31 deadline: the political action committee of the Citizens' Foundation of Rhode Island , a self-described nonpartisan, nonprofit corporation that backs candidates who support four core principles -- among them, ethics reform.

Citizens' Foundation president Douglas G. Mancosh said he hadn't operated a PAC before and simply wasn't familiar with the requirements. "It's our first time through this," he said.

(Apparently, the corporation did not seek the advice of one of its board members -- Robert P. Arruda , chairman of Operation Clean Government, which is a stickler for the rules and a critic of politicians who fail to file reports or file them incorrectly.)

Mancosh said he thought the PAC had to receive at least 15 contributions to be required to file. Once informed of the missed deadline, Mancosh said the group sent the form to the state Board of Elections via overnight mail. He said the group also enclosed the $25 late-filing fee.

"It's the price of learning," Mancosh said.

Political action committees that donate to candidates competing in primary contests must file additional reports. Those reports are due 28 days before the primary and 7 days before the primary, respectively.

Although the Citizens' Foundation endorsed candidates who have primary contests, it is unclear whether it has actually contributed to any. Pending the form's posting on the Board of Elections Web site, Mancosh declined to provide The Providence Journal a copy of the form or to describe the number or amount of contributions and expenditures reported.

The foundation -- whose platform also includes voter initiative, tax and spending limits and changes to education policy, including a standardized contract for teachers statewide -- lent its endorsement to 16 General Assembly candidates this month.

The PAC's purpose is to connect businesses with candidates who support their interests, Mancosh said. "Our intent is to take checks from businesspeople and forward them directly to the candidates," he said.

Free voter's manual

In this political season of promises and accusations, there comes a "powerful tool" for every voter "for defending themselves against the hype and spin."

So says Project Vote Smart , a national, nonpartisan research group that has produced the 2006 Voter's Self Defense Manual.

The free, 100-page booklet includes, among other things, the voting records and campaign finance contributions for every U.S. senator and congressman, as well as ratings by special-interest groups.

The manual is free on request by calling (888) VOTESMART or on the group's Web site: www.vote-smart.org

Gubernatorial debate

Common Cause of Rhode Island 's 36th annual meeting, on Monday, Sept. 25, will feature a debate between Rhode Island's candidates for governor. The meeting is open to the public.

It will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Providence Marriott Hotel, 1 Orms St., Providence. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the debate.

Tickets are $45. Tables of 10 can be reserved for $400.

For tickets call (401) 861-2322 or e-mail contact@commoncauseri.org

kgregg@projo.com / (401) 277-7078

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

tmooney@projo.com / (401) 277-7359