April 27, 2006
First off, a big fat
mea culpa--between wrapping up this week's Phoenix story on the
logjam in the State House, putting together an item on
Mitt Romney's Mormon P.R. campaign for
Slate, and moving to lovely Lynn (or Ocean Park, as I like to call it) earlier this week, I've neglected this blog. Criminally, even.
Having said that, let me draw everyone's attention to
Jon Keller's
piece on Deval Patrick in the May issue of Boston Magazine. Like pretty
much everything Jon writes, it's provocative and a great read--but I'm
not not sure I buy some of the story's conclusions.
The story's titled "Saint Patrick and his Devils." In it, Keller
argues that A) Patrick's been an staunch proponent of affirmative
action over the years; B) Patrick's own impressive achievements were
set in motion by an affirmative-action-esque program that brought him
to Milton Academy; C) Patrick's positions on the issue could hurt him
with white independents and conservative Democrats; and D) Patrick's
usual grace vanishes when the subject comes up.
A) seems incontrovertible, and there may be something to B). But C) is another matter. Keller sums up his argument thusly:
In a University of Massachusetts poll eight years back, 40
percent of respondents agreed with the statement that "the government
should not make any special effort to help minotiries because they should help themselves." Only 29 percent believed "government should make every effort to improve the social and economic position of minorities." [Emphasis added]
Couple things here. First, this is an
eight-year-old poll.
Second, look at the way the question's framed. I'm no pollster, but
that's not exactly neutral wording--and despite this, the two totals
aren't really that far off. Affirmative action may yet prove to be
political Kryptonite for Patrick, but these numbers left me unconvinced.
As for D), I'll just quote the conclusion to Keller's article, note
that Jon is an excellent provocateur, and let readers draw their own
conclusions:
Deval Patrick has every right and reason to be especially
invested in issues of race and affirmative action. Given the central
role they've played in his extraordinary life story, he'd be a cipher
to be emotionless about those subjects. But the million-dollar question
for Patrick and his potentially history-making candidacy may well turn
out to be this: Will his formidable cool burn off when blunt questions
about his devotion to race-based remedies come up under the hot
campaign lights, as it does over coffee in the muted confines of Rialto?
"Am I always gonna make the call in favor of the black person? That's
ridiculous," he snaps, the brilliant smile suddenly gone. And without a
trace of irony, Deval Patrick spits out the same angry question his
harshes critics have been asking for years: "Why are we always talking
about race?"
April 26, 2006
[Deirdre Fulton guest-blogging.]
11:43 a.m.: Scapicchio calls the meeting to order --- it's his last city council meeting.
12:01 p.m.: I promise, not one interesting thing has happened. Sorry. All councilors have a copy of Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times on their desks. Was Lincoln so dull?
12:03 p.m.: They're so tired from being so boring that they're taking a recess.
12:09 p.m.: Flaherty puts forth a bid to hold the National League of Cities 2012 conference here in Boston.
12:11 p.m: Scapicchio gets a plaque and a standing ovation. "I will certainly miss being a member of the BCC. It's been a great ride, it's been a great eight years....We're in a really good place in the city, and we've got some great leadership, some great minds --- far greater than mine --- here on this council." The high point of his tenure: getting water fountains fixed in the North End.
12:15 p.m.: Flaherty: "Sadly, the Young Turks just got a little younger."
12:20 p.m.: Council adjourning in memory of former city councilor Tony Crayton (among others).
April 21, 2006
Deval Patrick's campaign just distributed a letter from
their guy to the other Democratic candidates for the Massachusetts
governor's job.
Strategically, this is a good move on Patrick's part. If his suggestions are accepted, he gets
credit for keeping the race clean and helping the
MA Democratic Party out; if they're
rejected, he looks high-minded compared to his opponents. And, of
course, his proposals have substantive appeal as well.
Here's the full text--complete with the original formatting!
----------
Thomas F. Reilly, Democrat for Governor
Tom
Reilly Committee
270
Congress Street, 6th Floor
Boston,
MA 02210
Chris Gabrieli, Democrat for Governor
The Gabrieli Committee
164 Canal
Street, 4th Floor
Boston,
MA 02114
Dear Tom and Chris:
There can be no doubt that our Party’s divisive and late
primaries have contributed to the difficulty Democrats have had in winning the
race for Governor of Massachusetts. I hope you agree that too much is at
stake for our Party, our Commonwealth and, frankly, the Nation for us not to
learn from this history.
Yesterday, at the Victory ’06 launch, our Party chair called
for unity. All three of us stood with him in agreement that if we work
together we can deliver a Democratic victory in November. I believe that.
In that spirit, I am asking you to join me in committing to
a plan to assure a dignified, substantive primary, and a Democratic victory in
November. I propose three parts to the plan:
First, join me in agreeing to actively support the
Democratic nominee — whoever of us it may be —beginning the morning after the
primary vote. To be successful this year, we will not have the luxury of
prolonging our own differences once the primary is over.
Second, join me in a pledge against negative
advertising. Specifically, let’s agree not to name any other Democratic
candidate in any of our respective campaign’s paid advertising. Let’s
keep our focus on substance and vision, on why we, as individuals and as
Democrats, should hold the highest executive office in Massachusetts.
It is what the voters want and deserve.
Third, let's commit to at least one media-sponsored
debate each month between now and the primary. It can be on television,
the radio or the Internet. Let’s do some with Spanish and Portuguese
outlets, as well as in additional languages that may be helpful to
voters. We have real and principled differences in vision and
policy. Let’s give the voters a chance to choose based on substance, not
just rhetoric.
I ask you to join me in these three, simple concepts.
I believe this is a better way to present a spirited and exciting primary to
Democratic primary voters, and to ensure a Democratic victory in November.
I look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Deval L. Patrick
Democratic Candidate for Governor
April 21, 2006
Aaron at Mass Democracy raises an interesting question: is it
better to have a governor who was born in Massachusetts? His answer is
a resounding
yes--but he doesn't back up his argument.
Not to be harsh, but maybe that's because it doesn't make much sense.
Don't get me wrong. If a candidate whose attachment to Massachusetts is
questionable picks our state for expediency's sake (see:
Mitt Romney,
2002), it's valid to point that out. But that doesn't seem to be the
case with Deval Patrick or Chris Gabrieli or Kerry Healey. They all
have deep ties to Massachusetts, and decided to make their lives here
long before opting to run for governor. Does the fact they were born in
IL and NY and FL, respectively, mean they're less emotionally attached
to MA than someone who's lived here their entire life? Or that they're
somehow less capable of understanding the state's problems than a
native?
I just don't get it. But maybe that's because (gasp!) I was born in NH and grew up in MN.
April 20, 2006
I've got
my top ten in this week's Phoenix, but I'm sure I've missed a few. Anyone care to add to the list?
Here's a good one to get the ball rolling: on the campaign trail in
'02, as Romney waxes eloquent about the importance of the MCAS,
Jon Keller asks
the candidate if he knows what "MCAS" stands for. He does not.
April 19, 2006
So, two TV spots from the Wonkish One started running today.
"Change" takes an Erroll Morris-esque tack, with
Gabrieli looking directly at the camera and giving his spiel to voters
(Massachusetts is stuck, he doesn't have all the answers but does have
lots of ideas, etc.). Every few seconds, the screen goes black and a
catch phrase we're supposed to remember about Gabrieli--"Solving
Problems," "New Ideas," and later, in case we missed the point the
first time, "Solves Problems...Gets Results"--appears on screen. Nice
and basic.
At first,
"Principal" feels disappointingly conventional after the
stripped-down feel of "Change." As Mary Russo--Massachusetts principal
of the year in '04!--talks about enlisting Gabrieli's help in setting
up an after-school program, the guitar strumming kicks in, and you're
like, "Oh boy, here comes the cheese-fest." But then, as Gabrieli
talks about the high stakes of education today ("We have to think
differently and smarter for the 21st Century, to give kids the kind of
skills they need"), there's a kick-ass shot of bunch of kids sitting at
their desks and looking back expectantly toward the camera. I know I'm
getting carried away here, but the combo of Gabrieli's comments and
this image totally rules. There's some more stuff toward the end about
Chris Gabrieli and results, or something, but I couldn't stop thinking
about those tots!
GRADE: A. Taken as a package, these two ads are terrific. They portray
Gabrieli as a smart, humble, no-B.S. dude and play up his education
credentials, which might be his best selling point. As an added plus,
they're also quick and punchy.
April 18, 2006
Ladies and gentlemen of the electorate....We have the first big distortion of the governor's race!
In a press release that came out earlier today--issued in conjunction with Republican
Kerry
Healey's photo-op calling for the state income tax to be rolled
back to five percent-- the Healey camp said Democrat
Deval
Patrick "opposes tax relief and wants to increase taxes and state
spending."
Here's the problem: Patrick has
never actually said that he "wants to increase taxes."
A few minutes ago, Healey spokesperson Nate Little gave me his take on
the apparent discrepancy, and cited a Patrick appearance on WRKO last
December--in which Patrick said he was "still looking at" the
possibility of raising the income tax--to help make his case. Here's
what he had to say:
[Patrick] has been quoted, basically, saying that the
rollback is a bad idea. In other remarks, he's alluded to the fact that
he wants to open additional lines ot spending, in order to fund what he
calls 'core programs.' He hasn't come out with his tax increase plan
yet. But he's given no indication in any way that he'll be a friend to
the taxpayer....I think, if he had his druthers, he'd increase taxes.
Sorry, Nate, but this one flunks the smell test. Patrick's refusal to rule
out hiking the income tax should offer the LG (and Patrick's
Democratic rivals) ample material to work with--enough, certainly, that
there's no need to embellish the facts. Early in the campaign, when
nobody's paying attention, this kind of screw-up probably won't hurt
Healey. A few more like this, though, and she'll have herself a
credibility problem.
April 14, 2006
Which bon mot from the
baggage-laden Republican legislative candidate
is your favorite? Let's be interactive here, people!
Here are the
choices, drawn from the aforementioned article and Howie Carr's
complimentary column:
1. "The people will elect Bennett to the Senate because the truth comes out."
2. "I don't see color. There is no such thing as black and white. We live in a gray world and that's the point. I'm about love."
3. "I love everybody!"
4. "I'm about the people, and my blood relations--they're the people, too."
5. "You know, I was going to run for governor this year, but I haven't lived in the state long enough."
I know, I know--they're all so good! But you've got to pick one.
April 14, 2006
Because I'm a shameless slacker, I
just read this week's
Laura Kiritsy column in Bay Windows--and what did I learn?
Samiyah Diaz,
who's challenging incumbent Dianne Wilkerson for the Second Suffolk
state senate seat, says she'll work to repeal the law that
bars out-of-state gay couples from marrying in Massachusetts if she's elected.
Super. Now I have some questions:
1) Why is this woman running as a Republican?
2) Is there any reason to think she'll even make Wilkerson break a sweat this fall?
3) Has any sitting legislator said they'll try to repeal the aforementioned law? If so, who? And if not, why not, dammit?
Thanks in advance for any enlightenment.
April 12, 2006
Odd timing on this one. Here's the press release the Patrick camp just issued:
Byrd to Return to Business Interests
BOSTON-Wednesday,
April 12, 2006—The Deval Patrick campaign today announced that Deputy Campaign
Manager and Communications Director Kahlil Byrd
is leaving his full-time position to return to business and foreign
policy interests he suspended when he joined the campaign. Byrd will
remain a paid senior advisor to the campaign through the convention on June
3rd.
"As
one of the top advisors who has been with us since the beginning, I will miss
Kahlil’s support and advice," said Patrick. "But, as a former corporate
executive, I understand that key business development decisions often can’t
wait and I wish Kahlil well as he pursues his entrepreneurial goals," Patrick
added.
Byrd
joined the campaign in March 2005 and has worked seven-day weeks since then,
providing communications advice and input on strategy and execution of the
overall campaign plan.
"Kahlil
has been a key part of the team that has helped to take Deval from zero name
recognition to the momentum we all now feel about our grassroots success," said
John Walsh, Patrick’s campaign
manager.
Before
joining the campaign Byrd helped launch the US
operations of the African Public Broadcasting Foundation, an
organization focused on creating a viable public service television
network on the continent. He plans to return to this effort, and others,
dedicated to creating sustainable media in the developing world.
Byrd
is also an International Affairs Fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations,
a position he deferred last year to work with the campaign. This
fellowship gives successful mid career professionals the
opportunity to bridge the gap between thought and action in foreign policy.
Former fellows include Samantha Power and Condoleeza Rice.
"I
will be a part of this campaign—either as an advisor or a volunteer—until
election day," he said. "Deval Patrick is the best candidate in this field and
will make a great Governor—he will specifically be a great Governor for those
like me who have an entrepreneurial interest and need someone in the corner
office who knows how to create and keep good jobs in our state."
"My
goal was to help Deval and the campaign team establish a solid
communications foundation and to launch well," Byrd said. "Deval is
inspiring people in the state and I think he has gathered a great team of
professionals to take this campaign through the hard stretch run to
November."
April 12, 2006
It's budget season!
11:43 a.m.: Nine councilors present when the gavel bangs.
11:47 a.m.: Rich Rogers, of the Greater Boston Labor Council brings two labor leaders from New Orleans to the podium, who tell us about workers'-rights abuses in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. "People over there are trying to get their lives back together, and it's very, very hard," says Robert Hammond, president of New Orleans' International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 130. Brenda Mitchell, president of the United Teachers of New Orleans, commends Boston for the degree to which labor and management work together. "We should not have to come back home to make less money than we did before," she says of teachers' plight back home.
11:55 a.m.: Photo op.
12:06 p.m.: This year's budget process begins. Some quick notes:
- $2.14 billion on the table.
- $88 million more than last year, a lot of which comes from health-insurance expense, according to Consalvo (Ways and Means chair).
- Increased money for schools
- Funding for two new police classes
- Affordable-housing trust fund
- Merging municipal police with city police
- New departments and new positions (there will be a special hearing on these "new initiatives.")
12:10 p.m.: The council (which can veto budget items but can't suggest their own) will begin holding public budget on April 24 --- schedule to be posted on council Web site.
12:12 p.m.: Consalvo announces the theme this year --- Where are dollars are, where they're being spent, how they're affecting the delivery of city services. A novel theme for budget season!
12:15 p.m.: For the first time, in an effort to engage more residents and parents, school, police, and youth budget hearings will be held at night.
12:17 p.m.: "The budget before us is not very ambitious," Yancey says. He criticizes the lack of new youth-worker positions, the reduction in funding for some affordable housing program, and the fact that no money is allocated for a new high school (that was promised in 1995). Still, he commends the adminstration for its committment to increasing diversity in city departments.
12:23 p.m.: More crime stats arrive from the administration.
12:33 p.m.: Turner calls for a quick recess. Lots of laughter and merriment, and a huddle up by the podium between Flaherty, Turner, Feeney, and Arroyo.
12:43 p.m.: Back from recess, and two things happen immediately. First, Turner withdraws a resoultion "regarding the controversy between UMass and the College of Public and Community Services." No idea what that would have been about.
12:44 p.m.: Then, Turner calls for a roll-call vote on a different decision (which means he disagrees with how it went down). A funny vingette:
As the clerk starts reading names, Arroyo tries to clarify what a "Yes" vote would mean.
"It would mean you stand with the chair," the clerk explains, pointing to the president's podium.
"Then I guess no," Arroyo says with a smirk at Flaherty, who seems entirely unamused.
12:50 p.m.: Three late-filed matters. One, from Turner, is put forth in support of a House bill (proposed by state rep Peter Koutoujian) regarding building conditions and public-health standards within public buildings, including schools. Resolution adopted.
12:55 p.m.: It's Albert "Dapper" O'Neil's 86th birthday!
April 12, 2006
The best thing I've read today:
this post, by David at Blue Mass Group, arguing that any Democrat who takes part in Mitt Romney's healthcare photo-op at Faneuil Hall is a masochistic bonehead (my words, not his). Great stuff.
April 11, 2006
Want a preview of what anti-Romney Republicans will say in '08? Check out
this item
from the conservative Republican blog RedState.com. Interesting
stuff--and a welcome change of pace from the Romney lovefest that's been
going on the last few days.
p.s.--Seems I posted a bum link earlier, but it should be working now. Mea culpa.
April 11, 2006
So, the Deval Patrick campaign unveiled its first web ad (and the first video ad of the governor's race) a few
minutes ago. My quick take: leading with the bio is a nice swipe at Tom
Reilly; swelling synth music sounds too much like the
theme from St. Elmo's Fire;
the "Less focused on right and left...more focused on right and wrong"
line should play well with independents who make it that far. A little
schmaltzy for my taste, but not a bad intro. Grade: B+.
April 10, 2006
Not that that's his motivation, necessarily, but
this new poll strongly suggests that Chris Gabrieli is sucking tons of support from Tom Reilly and barely any from Deval Patrick.
Consider: five weeks ago, Reilly led Patrick, 47 percent to 37 percent,
among likely Democratic primary voters. Now Patrick's at 36 percent and
Reilly at 33, with Gabrieli at 19 and undecideds at 11. That's a
14-percentage-point drop for Reilly, compared to just one for Patrick.
These results aren't wildly surprising--back when he was the
frontrunner, I kept hearing that support for Reilly was broad but not
deep, and Patrick's inspired a quasi-religious devotion
among his backers. So here's my question: just how solid is Reilly's
core? My hunch is, Reilly's numbers drop even further if Gabrieli has a few good weeks. But I could be totally wrong.
Thoughts, anyone?
