Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee is unfocused

But after Attorney General Peter Neronha announced that the investigation into the ILO group’s contract was officially closed, there was nothing McKee could do about it. He had to dunk the basketball, or spike the football, or yell at the world. He held a press conference that was apparently intended to bring together his family, radio host Dan Yorke and a few staffers who have no control over what he says anyway.

What McKee seemingly forgot was the kind of advice he gave the young basketball players he coached after a sloppy game in which they still came out on top:

Pretend you’ve been there before.

You would never know that McKee, 73, won his first election — to the Cumberland City Council — in 1992, the same year Bill Clinton was elected president. Since then, he has had one of the best win-loss records in Rhode Island politics, both at the ballot box and in getting major legislation across the finish line, such as when he helped establish charter schools for the mayor as mayor.

Last week he acted as if this was the first time he had ever received a political punch in the mouth, all because, he says, his family’s feelings were hurt by the idea that he might have done something inappropriate.

As former Attorney General Arlene Violet said on “A lively experimentLast week on Rhode Island PBS, he “exaggerated his exemption.” In other words, McKee thinks that because he hasn’t been charged, it means the people who investigated him — law enforcement and the media — should pretend nothing happened. Or apologize to him.

To be clear, it is inappropriate to intervene and send a contract to your allies. It’s even worse when the ally who gets the contract writes an email saying, “It’s a firm RFP, but luckily I know who it’s for.” That actually happened.

McKee may have thought he was just blowing off steam by holding last week’s press conference, but he’s done more damage than he realizes. He said he declined to be interviewed for the investigation because he did not trust the people conducting the interview. Apparently you have to pledge your allegiance to McKee before he will talk to you.

He only paid his lawyer — who happens to be a former Speaker of the House of Representatives and one of the top lobbyists in Rhode Island — after reporters started asking questions about their arrangement. (McKee claims attorney Bill Murphy provided limited advice, but… Channel 12 has reported that it was Murphy who contacted the attorney general’s office on March 19 to say McKee declined to be interviewed for the investigation.)

That was over eight months ago.

Instead of continuing, McKee chose to play a game of whataboutism: What about Neronha, who admits that he doesn’t like me and doesn’t think I should be governor, and therefore would essentially investigate me criminally, just to damage my career? Did you even read that? Rhode Island Monthly Profile where he said he voted against me?

There’s no doubt that Neronha has a healthy ego, and I take issue with that his use of social media in the past – which is what McKee suggests Pinocchio’s nose should wear while trick-or-treating was especially rewarding last week, he has proven to be a man of integrity throughout his long career. McKee essentially accused him of corruption.

The most important question now is whether McKee has what it takes to move on and focus on things that really matter, or will he just move on whining about the referees?

The problem with this governor is that he seems more obsessed than ever with the people who wronged him at a time when his administration desperately needs to get it right on so many issues.

Dan McGowan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @danmcgowan.