Projo Politics Blog

By Randal Edgar

CRANSTON, R.I. Former Cranston Mayor Stephen P. Laffey has been out of the public eye for the past couple of years, but the one-time candidate for U.S. Senate was back on stage Friday -- literally -- for the long-awaited reopening of Cranston's Park Cinema.

Laffey, a longtime supporter cinema owner Piyush Patel's plan to reopen the 85-year-old building as an upscale theater, joined a slew of local and state officials at the event and even participated, telling the audience that Patel's plan was nothing less than a classic example of the American Dream.

"Here's a guy who has the dream, and we don't know why he has the dream, but this is what he wants to do," he said. "And what government can do is give him his chance to succeed."

Laffey, with his wife and children in tow, recalled going to the old cinema as a youngster and hearing the local commercials, as well as the National Anthem, before each movie.
"Everybody stood," he said.

Afterward, Laffey maintained his question-mark status with regard to the 2010 governor's race, committing to nothing and saying that people will know if anything changes.

"If I have something new to say, only then will I say it," he told Political Scene. "I'll let everybody know."

Laffey told talk radio host Dan Yorke in March that he would not run for governor next year and he reiterated that stance an interview with Political Scene over the summer, saying he was not interested "unless there are a significant number of people willing to change" the state's "crash course to financial death."

While he did not reveal any plans Friday, Laffey did seize the opportunity to air his views on the state's budget woes.

"I am not happy at all with our elected officials. I'm not happy with the fraud with the budget," he said. "When they said they solved last year's budget, they lied."

Laffey's last run for office was in 2006, when he lost a Republican primary to then-U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee. Chafee went on to lose in the general election to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.

Laffey, who still has $97,936 in his campaign fund, says he is now living in Narragansett.

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