Rhode Island’s Democratic nominee for governor, Frank Caprio, channels his inner Johnny Paycheck today in discussing his party’s national leader, President Barack Obama.  The Providence Journal reported earlier that Obama would not endorse Caprio in his battle against independent and former Republican US Senator Lincoln Chafee, which angered Caprio to the point of suggesting what Obama could do with his endorsement on WPRO Radio — and ripping Obama for using his state as a campaign-fund ATM:

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio is livid after the Providence Journal reported Monday morning President Obama would not endorse Caprio during his visit to the state today.

“He can take his endorsement and really shove it”, Caprio told John Depetro and the WPRO morning news. Caprio told WPRO he did not seek the President’s endorsement and calls the snub Washington politics.

“We had one of the worst floods in the history of the United States a few months back and President Obama didn’t even do a fly over of Rhode Island. He ignored us and now he’s coming into Rhode Island and treating us like an ATM machine”, said Caprio.

Obama’s stuck in a tough position.  Chafee crossed party lines to endorse Obama over John McCain, and Obama now owes Chafee, although in Rhode Island, the endorsement made little difference.  In Caprio’s case, the Obama endorsement could have made a lot of difference in keeping Democrats in his corner.  Instead, Obama’s abstention will be seen as a tacit dig at Caprio and support of Chafee.

Obama had better hope Chafee beats Caprio.  If not, Rhode Island won’t exactly be friendly territory in the 2012 campaign.