Blue is the new Red. Those trying to suss out the reconfigured cast of characters in the new general assembly and the extreme conservative ideology of its democratic leadership should read “Rhode Island Republicans join State House machine” (ProJo 1.14.15) by Sam Bell, state coordinator of the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats.
The explanation lies in the shockingly right-wing views of the machine Democrats who run our state. As speaker, Mattiello leads the machine, making him the most powerful politician in the state. On issue after issue, he sides with the national Republican Party.
You may need a flow chart to help keep things straight. Bell concludes,
With the Republicans folded into the machine, Rhode Islanders who want change have only one option. We must support strong Democratic primary challengers and liberate the Democratic Party from the right-wing Mattiello machine.