By Steve Peoples
Journal staff writer

CRANSTON, R.I. -- Rhode Island's Republican Party has no where to go but up.

That was the message Thursday night at the party's annual convention at the Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, where Governor Carcieri led a pep rally of sorts, encouraging Rhode Island's beleaguered Grand Old Party to move past a dismal November election, fundraising problems, and an apparent identity crisis.

While his approval numbers were reported last month at 34 percent, the lowest level for any governor in 15 years, it was clear that Carcieri was among friends at the Rhodes.

He was greeted by a standing ovation, before opening his remarks this way: "Now I've got a question. Are you ready for a fight? Are you ready for a battle?" the crowd of around 200 cheered wildly. "All right. I am. That's what I'm doing every day. I want you to know -- yeah we had a tough November. I'm not discouraged at all. I'm not."

The party faithful responded by re-electing chairman Giovanni Cicione for another two-year term. He ran unopposed.

Cicione stood at the head of the room as Carcieri spoke, flanked by former representative and National Committee woman Carol Mumford and Rep. Joseph Trillo, the only Republican to have already announced a gubernatorial bid for 2010.

Neither former Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey, nor recently-hired Republican National Committee executive director Ken McKay attended the event. Notable attendees included Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, Cranston Mayor Alan Fung, former Carcieri staffer J.R. Pagliarini, and Rep. John Loughlin, who was the butt of a few jokes for his moderate position on public pensions.

In his 24-minute speech, Carcieri seized on President Obama's economic stimulus plans as a rallying point for Rhode Island Republicans.

"Right now we've got an administration that's taking this country in a direction, God, that we've never seen. And it's going to bankrupt this nation. It's disgraceful what's going on," the governor said. "It's going to be proven a dismal failure, a dismal failure, so the opportunity is here for us, I believe, I really do."

There was little business conducted at the convention aside from the election of party officers.

The group did not address whether to close their primary elections to only registered Republicans, as had been suggested by some members. And erring on the side of inclusiveness, they quickly shot down a proposal to require a membership fee of 30 cents a day to help fill the party's struggling bank account.

The convention did, however, overwhelmingly endorse a resolution condemning a plan to use federal stimulus funds to build a skate park in Pawtucket.

The resolution acknowledges Vice President Joseph Biden's warnings that federal funds shouldn't be used for frivolous projects:

"We the members of the Rhode Island Republican Party do hereby extend an invitation to the Vice President to come to the City of Pawtucket at his earliest convenience and show that he is a man of his word, that his threats are not idle, and declare to the American public that expending $550,000 of stimulus funds on a skateboard park and renovations to tennis and basketball courts is a "stupid idea."