Lt. Col. John Loughlin USAR (Ret) (R-RI-1) was born in Worcester, Massachusetts and received a BS in Sociology from the State University of New York in 1992.  Rep John Loughlin was elected the Minority Whip in the RI House of Representatives for his leadership skills, and is the owner and operator of Media-Rite LLC.  Lt Col. Loughlin is running against Cong Patrick Kennedy who has been voting in lock step with Pelosi.

John Loughlin enlisted in the Rhode Island National Guard on January 27, 1978 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on August 23, 1982.  For nearly 26 years, Lt. Col. John J. Loughlin served as a helicopter pilot in the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve.  Maj. Loughlin served in the first rotation of Operation Joint Endeavor from 1995 to 1996 in Bosnia Herzegovina and was promoted to Lt. Col on May 26, 1998.  As the Task Force Commander for Task-Force Bristol, he led a team at Ft. Bragg, NC training deploying units from December 2003 to August 2004.   Lt. Col. Loughlin was awarded two Meritorious Service Medals, the Army Commendation Medal and 7 other medals for service and retired in 2004.  

Bishop Tobin of Rhode Island made the following remarks, “Cong. Pat Kennedy’s statement that he can’t understand the Catholic Church’s position on the Health Care Reform Bill is irresponsible and ignorant of the facts.  But the Congressman is correct that “he can’t understand.”  He got that right.”  Bishop Tobin said, “Congressman Kennedy continues to be a disappointment to the Catholic Church and to the citizens of the State of Rhode Island, I believe the Congressman owes us an apology for his irresponsible comments.  It is my fervent hope and prayer that he will find a way to provide more effective and morally responsible leadership for our state.”  Kennedy is impairing the medical welfare of senior citizens in the twilight of their lives by voting for the flawed Socialized Public Health Care Bill that will ration medical care for senior citizens, will cost over $1.064 trillion, raise the deficit and the national debt, has created new hidden taxes, raises insurance premiums for all Americans, fines/taxes Rhode Islanders who can’t afford to purchase health insurance, cuts $500 billion out of MEDICARE to pay for the Health Care Bill that and MEDICARE is already bankrupt, adds new layers of bureaucracy to the bloated government, and provide medical coverage for 20 million Illegal Aliens  (Since it is for Illegals all residents, federal law requires all residents must be covered whether they are legal or Illegal residents). 

Kennedy’s approval rating has dropped to 42% (rising slightly from a low of 38%).  The novelty of having a Kennedy representing Rhode Island in Congress has worn thin, because for many years Kennedy has continued to announce “times outs for hospitalization” due to substance  abuse.  In 2006 Congressman Patrick Kennedy was caught driving “under the influence” when he crashed his car near the United States Capital in the middle of the night.  He admitted cocaine use and has been forced by the court to undergo drug rehab for the past three years; earlier this year Kennedy went back into rehab and missed dozens of crucial votes in Congress.