Caprio turns contrite on Shoveitgate
October 30th, 2010 at 8:01 pm by Ted Nesi under General Talk
Nearly a week after Frank Caprio told President Obama he could “take his endorsement and really shove it” – and on the eve of a campaign appearance by former president Bill Clinton – the embattled Democratic nominee for governor has offered a new and longer mea culpa.
In a statement e-mailed to reporters Saturday, Caprio said he has “had a lot of time to reflect on my words and I understand the criticism.” Caprio said he respects Obama’s decision not to get involved in the race due to the president’s friendship with Lincoln Chafee, while acknowledging he was surprised when he first learned of the White House’s decision.
“I wish I had chosen different language, but now the focus has to be on what is important to Rhode Islanders,” he said. (WRNI’s Ian Donnis has the full statement.)
At our debate and other forums this week, Caprio had appeared to embrace the controversy. “If it takes telling someone to ‘shove it,’ I am going to tell them to shove it, because I am going to fight for Rhode Islanders every day up at that State House,” he said Tuesday. But as he falls further behind Lincoln Chafee in public opinion polls with just two days before the election, it’s clear the Caprio campaign has decided Shoveitgate is not a positive for them.
Unfortunately for Caprio, it may be too late for him to right the ship between now and Tuesday. (Ian reports that the state’s most prominent Democrats aren’t even going to attend tomorrow’s Clinton rally.) If that’s the case, Republican John Robitaille will need a massive groundswell of support to defeat Chafee on Tuesday – otherwise, the independent ex-Republican stands a good chance of becoming Rhode Island’s next governor.
But as the politicians always remind us, the only poll that really matters will happen Tuesday. Stay tuned.
Tags: campaign 2010, frank caprio, governor's race, john robitaille, lincoln chafee
Nesi's Notes covers politics and the economy in and around Rhode Island for WPRI.com. (Twitter: 
i cant say i like mr caprios statement to the president of the united states, but the real question is, where is party loyalty?
Forget the party loyalty. Im voting for him because he told Obama to shove it. Something I have been saying about Obama since he was elected.
Mr. Caprio should be looked at as an embarrassment to RI. I am a proud Italian American who was born in RI and lived there for the first 35 years of my life. I read about this issue through the news.
I am amazed at how RI tends to go backwards by supporting candidates like Mr. Caprio. Whether you agree with President Obama or not, Mr. Caprio, by his idiotic statement, showed how self centered and uncontrollable he is. If you were at your work place, and you didn’t agree with your superior after he chose not to recommend you for a raise, would you go to him and tell him to “shove it”? If you did, do you think that would help you go further in the company? Is that the way you get ahead? Is that the way you represent your family? Now ask yourself, is that the way a politician should support his state? He should be proud to represent RI and act accordingly, with maturity and class. He is so small town. He is so egotistical and immature. Shame on him. I guess it shows that Harvard can give you the tools, but you have to be smart enough to know how to use them. Mr. Caprio certainly fails. Wake up Rhode Island. Your are a great state and need to shed the “good old boy” candidates. You can do it!
[...] paid a Halloween visit to Veterans Memorial Auditorium yesterday on behalf of Frank Caprio’s struggling campaign, while today Mitt Romney will visit on behalf of Republicans John Loughlin and John Robitaille, and [...]
Don’t you think there is enough channels showing the polls. It sucks to see 6 channels with the same crap. Waste of time. Why couldn’t you wait till 11:00. Pathetic. Your channel is only worth watching from 8pm to 10pm. I hope you politicians burn in Hell. No matter who wins, they will still be puppets and thieves.
How can elections be accurate? In the town of Johnston, they don’t even check your license, I.D. or proof of who you are… anyone can vote!
this is Ridiculous!