Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

By Katherine Gregg
Journal State House Bureau

WEST WARWICK -- While the jockeying to replace ousted Senate president Joseph Montalbano heats up behind the scenes, House Democrats have called a caucus for tomorrow night to re-anoint their own leadership team, from House Speaker William J. Murphy and House Majority Leader Gordon Fox on down.

The closed-door caucus has been scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Murphy's favorite hometown haunt, the West Valley Inn.

The actual election of the House speaker is traditionally held the first week of each new legislative session, with Republicans and Democrats casting their votes. But after picking up seats in yesterday's election, jubilant House Democrats are expected to endorse Murphy for reelection as speaker while reconfirming the rest of their party's current leadership slate.

Final results are still being tallied, but it appears that Republicans lost eight of the 13 House seats they currently hold, and gained one, for a net loss of seven seats. If those unofficial results hold up, the Republicans will be left with only six seats in the 75-member House.

Meanwhile, over in the Senate, potential successors are lining up to replace Montalbano, the 20-year incumbent who was toppled by independent Edward O'Neill.

Among them: the current Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport; William Walaska, D-Warwick, the current chairman of the Senate Corporation Committee, and longshot Sen. Paul Jabour, D-Providence.

In an interview today, Walaska, 63, confirmed that he is actively seeking the Senate presidency on the theme that his years in the banking industry, including his 10 years as administrator of the former Old Stone Bank branch system, and his ownership of an auto-parts business, Tri-State Automotive Warehouse, give him the kind of financial and management background necessary to grapple with the state's struggling economy and budget.

Neither Paiva Weed nor Jabour were immediately available for comment, but Walaska said he would "love to keep'' Paiva Weed as majority leader were he to win the presidency.

"Teresa is a smart woman. She's great lawyer and she's a fine person,'' he said, "but she doesn't have that management background. No disparagement to attorneys, they don't have huge staffs...They are skilled in many other ways but that is not one of them.''

Asked who organized labor was backing in the race, Walaska said: "I want them on my team,'' but "right now that is one of the things that's fluid.''

 Tags  election General Assembly

Comments

kemoosabe said:

We just got rid of two miscreants, Montalbano and Alves. Do we really need another? Walaska is just an extension of the two we just got rid of. He wasn't part of the solution, he was part of the problem.

Link | November 5, 2008 6:51 PM
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Craig said:

Please, not Walaska!

Link | November 5, 2008 7:08 PM
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PaulfromProv said:

I can see all the General Assembly Democrats now. Sleeping with big smiles on their faces, dreaming of what deals they can make for themselves; where their office will be and hoping for one close to the leadership and what business they can steer to their full-time jobs.

I look at the General Assembly with contempt. Instead of making important strides in improving the overall State of the State, they bog down government and conduct buisness as usual.

For now, I savor the removal of Montalbano and alves. Hopefully others will be removed, naturally or not over the next years and RI will enjoy a representative government.

Link | November 6, 2008 3:28 AM
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