Hours before President Barack Obama was set to arrive in Rhode Island, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio had some less than hospitable words for the leader of the free world.

When asked about the president’s decision not to endorse him in the race for governor, Caprio said Obama could “take his endorsement and shove it” and called the decision “Washington insider politics at its worst.”

President Obama is set to arrive in Rhode Island Monday afternoon, where he is expected to first tour a local company and then attend two fundraisers to benefit congressional candidates David Cicilline and Jim Langevin.

Caprio, who is scheduled to appear with Obama at two events Monday, criticized the president for failing to visit Rhode Rhode Island after historic flooding devastated much of the state back in March.

“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 flyover of Rhode Island,” Caprio said during the radio interview. “He ignored us and now he’s coming into Rhode Island and treating us like an ATM machine.”

Caprio is running neck-and-neck with independent candidate Lincoln Chafee. The former Republican senator endorsed Obama’s presidential run in 2008.

Republican John Robitaille and Moderate Ken Block are also running for Rhode Island governor.

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(Source: WPRI)