Governor Carcieri's communications director has a time conflict this week during what may be the governor's most significant communication with the people of Rhode Island this year.

On Tuesday night at 7 p.m., the term-limited Carcieri will deliver his final State of the State address to a statewide television audience from the House of Representatives. Elected officials from the House and Senate will gather inside the legislative chamber, as will many judges and the governor's cabinet.

John Robitaille will begin the night in the room as well.

But Robitaille, the governor's communications director, is scheduled to deliver a speech to promote his own bid for governor at an event across town set for the same time, according to a statement released by the Providence Republican Party Sunday night.

Robitaille is set to headline a 7 p.m. meeting of announced Republican candidates for statewide and congressional offices at the Holy Rosary Band Society Hall on Gano Street. The city's 7,000 registered Republicans have been invited to listen to the candidates.

The statement makes special note of Robitaille's speech: "This is believed to be his first speech to a GOP city or town committee, since he announced his candidacy."

When asked about the conflict, Robitaille offered a brief response: "I'll be at both."

David Talan, chairman of the Providence Republican City Committee, had a little more to say: "Our meeting had been scheduled long before the State of the State speech was changed to the same night. Due to the difficulty we had finding an available meeting place, on a night that was convenient for all the guest speakers, we decided not to change it. John Robitaille, who might have been the most inconvenienced, is coming after the governor's speech starts, and he will be the last speaker at our event."

But wouldn't the local Republicans wish to watch the final State of the State address from the state's most high-profile Republican?

"That is why they invented VCR's and DVR's," Talan said.