May 25, 2006
Somebody
really, really, really likes the senior senator from Massachusetts.
May 25, 2006
In this week's
Phoenix, I
assess rumors that the Mass Dems might shed a candidate or two at their convention in Worcester, and consider the keeping-Gabrieli-off-the-ballot-would-be-undemocratic argument. (I don't buy it.)
Also, please feel free to offer additional suggestions for this Democratic state convention
drinking game.
May 24, 2006
If it weren't for the
AP's Glen Johnson*, nobody** would have noticed the pivotal role of race in Barney Frank's recent endorsement of
Deval Patrick. Let's take another look at Frank's race-related commentary, which was excised from Blue Mass. Group's
write-up of the endorsement:
Race is important also for us as Democrats. African
Americans are an indispensable part of the coalition that Democrats
need if we are to be able to win elections and carry out the policies
to which we are committed. Excluding any of
these important groups from the opportunity to win high office is both
unfair and unwise from the political standpoint. No Democrat should be happy at the fact that in America
today, so far only the Republican Party has nominated African Americans
for statewide office at the highest level – for the Governorship in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and for the Senate in Maryland. In
each case, I believe that the Democratic opponents of these men better
represent the interests of all people, including African Americans, and
I would not support any of the three Republicans. But the contrast between the parties does us no good. Were Deval Patrick lacking in ability, or wrong on the issues, this would not count for anything. But
given the impressive qualities and insight he brings to this contest,
then as Democrats I believe we should take into account the consequence
of continuing a policy in which no African American is ever nominated
by us for any office higher than State Senate, as a matter of both
fairness and enlightened self-interest.
So
how about it, readers? Should Massachusetts Democrats take their
party's local and national track records on African-American candidates
into account when they're deciding who to nominate for governor?
*NOTE: And the ever-astute
Jon Keller, whose blog I neglected to read before making making my too-sweeping generalization.
**ANOTHER NOTE: When I said "nobody," I meant "nobody except for Jon Keller, and the Herald's
Kim Atkins, and maybe one or two other people I've missed." Please treat any subsequent sweeping statements with appropriate skepticism.
May 23, 2006
In this week's
Phoenix, I offer a
pretty critical assessment
of Samiyah Diaz, the woman who would replace state senator Dianne
Wilkerson. Which is why, when I bumped into Diaz at last night's LG
forum at Suffolk Law School, I felt a bit awkward. Plenty of local
politicians bristle at even gentle criticism, and my story really
whacks Diaz. Also, while it's easy for reporters and commentators to
criticize people in print, seeing them afterward is always
uncomfortable. (I think there's some kind of aphorism about reporters
not being thin-skinned, but having
no skin.)
My point, as I come dangerously close to
sounding like Larry King?
Only that Diaz handled our encounter quite
professionally. For that alone I have to give her credit. I also think
it's commendable that she's hitting events like this one (sponsored by
the Second Suffolk Democrats), where she's sure to be treated
skeptically and may even encounter some outright hostility.
Now, if she could just loosen up a bit...
May 22, 2006
Chalk it up to low name recognition, but Mitt
clearly has a lot of work to do before he's a viable national candidate.
May 22, 2006
It's
Richard Chacon, the
Globe's soon-to-be-former ombudsman. Kudos to my
Phoenix colleague Mark Jurkowitz for
breaking the story.
I don't know Chacon at all, and he may perform admirably. That said,
why would Patrick hire a total greenhorn for this key role--especially this
late in the campaign?
May 19, 2006
There's already a ton of good commentary on last night's gov
debate at the Kennedy School--I recommend the postings at
Blue Mass
Group and
.08 Acres, as well as
this write-up by the
Globe's Lisa
Wangsness, who nails the weirdness of Christy Mihos's presentation.
That said, in the spirit of
Dan Payne and Wayne Woodlief, I'd like to
offer everyone but Kerry Healey some unsolicited suggestions for the next
time they rumble, heavy on the superficial but with an occasional bit of substance.
Christy Mihos: Expand your range--nobody likes tolls and taxes,
but you talk about them way, way too much. Cross your legs. Don't look
at the camera when you're talking. Don't praise Mitt Romney's disaster
management skills. Skip the tanning booth next
time. See Suggestion 2 for Reilly, below.
Tom Reilly: Don't dodge questions so much. Sometimes it's OK not
to smile. Don't tell Massachusetts voters we can just build LNG
facilities somewhere else in New England. The word "ideas" is
pronounced like this: "Eye-DEE-uhs." When the next debate ends, count
to three before getting out of your chair.
Deval Patrick: Repeat after me: "I am the
only candidate
who supports the wind farm in Nantucket Sound." Relax a bit--you're a
much better speaker than your stage mates last night, but that didn't
come through on TV.
Chris Gabrieli: See Suggestion 1 for Mihos, above. You love stem-cell research!
We get it!!!
Finally, you're better than any other Democrat at highlighting the
downside of the Governor v. Legislature dynamic the GOP keeps running
on. Mention it every single chance you get.
May 17, 2006
Mark your calendars--unlike tomorrow night's scrum, WB-56's May 25 debate will be a strictly Democratic affair.
Here's the full press release. Got to love the concept, and the potshots at other media outlets add some welcome zest:
BOSTON'S WB ANNOUNCES THE PEOPLE'S DEBATE: DEMOCRATIC DEBATE FOR GOVERNOR
THURSDAY, MAY 25 AT 10:30 P.M.
No Wonky Policy Gibberish. Real People - Real Questions.
BOSTON, Wed., May 17, 2006 - WLVI-TV (Boston's WB) will air a "People's
Debate" between the Democratic candidates for Governor of Massachusetts on
Thurs., May 25 at 10:30 p.m., with simulcast on 96.9 FM Talk radio. The
one-hour debate will be taped in the Boston's WB studio on Wed., May 24 at 4
p.m.
"The People's Debate: Democratic Debate for Governor" will be moderated by
Boston's WB Anchor Karen Marinella and will include the three candidates for
the Democratic nomination: Boston businessman Chris Gabrieli, lawyer Deval
Patrick and Attorney General Thomas Reilly.
Instead of philosophical questions from journalists, Boston's WB reporters
will spend the next week soliciting debate questions directly from
Massachusetts voters who want to know how these candidates' views will
effect their everyday lives. Boston's WB is sending camera crews across the
state, from gas stations to playgrounds, to gather input on what voters feel
are the important issues they'd like to see addressed. Questions for the
candidates may also be submitted on-line at www.bostonswb.com.
96.9 FM Talk will have host Margery Eagan field questions for the debate
from listeners during "Eagan and Braude" on Tuesday, May 23 from 12 p.m. - 1
p.m. Boston's WB will be inside the 96.9 FM Talk studio to videotape the
program for a segment which will appear in the debate.
"The style of this debate will be relaxed and informal, yet the content will
be important and interesting for people who want to hear the candidates talk
about topics that matter," says Pam Johnston, news director, Boston's WB.
The debate will take place around a table, not at podiums. Ample
opportunity will be afforded for rebuttal and direct debate among the
candidates in response to all questions. Candidates will be able to ask one
question to an opponent, and each will provide closing (but no opening)
remarks. The debate will air at 10:30 p.m., giving viewers a better chance
to fit watching it into their busy schedules.
"We're committed to local political coverage and chose to air our debate at
10:30 p.m. because many working families are not home or available to watch
debates that air in the morning or early evening," said Vinnie Manzi, vice
president / general manager, Boston's WB.
May 17, 2006
Would I be pissed off if I paid $90 to park by Fenway and the game got canceled? Absolutely. Does this mean city council president Michael Flaherty's plan to have
parking lots give vouchers for canceled games is a good idea? Not a chance.
Think about it: parking rates are obscenely high for Sox games, and traffic in the Fenway is nightmarish. What the city should be doing is creating
disincentives to drive in--say, by offering subway and commuter rail discounts. This would A) restore some sanity to the neighborhood and B) bring prices down for those who still insist on driving. By mandating vouchers, though, the city would actually be removing one of those disincentives--i.e., the fear that you'll spend a shitload to park for a game that never takes place.
The voucher plan was pretty popular at today's council meeting. No surprise there--it's just the kind of thing that promises to play well come election time. Credit Sam Yoon, though, for drawing a connection between affordable-housing issues and Flaherty's voucher plan. As Yoon correctly noted, Flaherty's proposal is based on a conviction that the city has a right to regulate transactions involving private property. And credit Yoon as well for noting that housing issues should probably be taking priority over protecting boneheads who inexplicably insist on driving to Sox games. (Those are my words, not his; what Sam actually said was, "My heart bleeds more, I guess, for others that are similarly feeling the effects of not having land. The root causes are the same--lack of space.")
May 15, 2006
You knew it was coming, folks...Here's Tom Reilly's take on Deval Patrick's Ameriquest exit.
A question to ponder: if you were Patrick's campaign manager, would you
tell him to follow through on his recent promise to
disclose his board
compensation? Discuss! (I say yes, but I'm no political operative.)
STATEMENT FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM REILLY ON DEVAL PATRICK'S RESIGNATION FROM BOARD OF AMERIQUEST
"One of the major differences between Deval Patrick and me comes down
to one word - Ameriquest. While I fought them and helped get
millions of dollars back for Massachusetts residents who were scammed
by this predatory company, he was on their payroll.
"I find his "mission accomplished" declaration very troubling because
there is no evidence that this predatory company has changed.
Today's announcement by Mr. Patrick doesn't end the need for him to
disclose fully the specifics of his financial relationship with
Ameriquest."
May 15, 2006
I mean Tom, obviously.
Andy at Mass Revolution says Deval Patrick's resignation from the board of directors of Ameriquest's parent company is a
testimony to Patrick's leadership.
But I've got to respectfully disagree. This is a victory for Tom
Reilly, plain and simple. The AG made Patrick uncomfortable by
hammering away at this issue, and now he gets to spin Patrick's exit as
proof he was right--i.e., that Patrick's relationship with Ameriquest
was sketchy.
Also, let me just acknowledge that unlike David at Blue Mass Group, I'm not much of a prognosticator.
Here's the latest spin from the Patrick camp. As you read it, ask
yourself: would Patrick be leaving if Tom Reilly hadn't turned this
into a campaign issue?
BOSTON—Monday, May 15, 2006—Deval
Patrick, saying “the company is on the right path now” to prevent future
lending missteps, today said he would leave the board of Ameriquest’s parent
company, ACC Capital Holdings, by July 1st.
Patrick said he was pleased with
the company’s progress in implementing new procedures necessary to prevent
future abuses. A special monitor, Michael Moore, the former
Attorney General of Mississippi, is now overseeing compliance with the
agreement reached among attorneys general and the company.
In addition, Patrick worked with
company officials over the past two weeks to bring a special pilot program to
Massachusetts that will help overextended borrowers avoid home foreclosures.
Mayor Thomas Menino last Tuesday announced the start of discussions concerning
that program in Boston.
“I said all along I would stay on
the board until I was satisfied that reforms to correct past practices and
prevent future missteps were in place and underway. That is now the
case. Ameriquest is on a path to be a better, more responsible company
now. If they keep at it, they will be a model for the industry,” Patrick
said. “I am proud of my role in helping to set a better course.”
“I understood from the outset that
my work with Ameriquest would make some people uncomfortable.
Progressives are sometimes uncomfortable in principle with people who work for
companies. Political rivals try to make it an issue. But I still
believe that lasting reform requires the effort of good people both outside and
inside. Whether at Texaco, Coca-Cola or Ameriquest, I have never left my
conscience at the door. “
“Unfortunately,
that spirit is largely missing from our current political culture. Many
of our political leaders prefer to concentrate on getting and keeping office
rather than performing the hard work of devising real solutions to our most
difficult challenges. That's why we need a change,” Patrick added.
Patrick personally worked with
Ameriquest to bring credit counseling and foreclosure avoidance programs to
Massachusetts that Ameriquest has used successfully elsewhere. He also
helped to arrange placement opportunities with a competing financial services
company for all Ameriquest employees who were recently laid off in
Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
“Leadership
is more than grand announcements. It's more than press conferences and
photo ops. Sometimes leadership is the slow, steady, unglamorous work of
making reform real,” Patrick said.
May 12, 2006
"This shows that Romney probably doesn't have what it takes to
run the country if he can't even make a decision about this."
--Anti-gay activist Brian Camenker, discussing Mitt Romney's flip-flop
on
abolishing the state's advisory commission on gay and lesbian youth,
in today's
Globe. Camenker also termed Romney's quick switch "pure cowardice on the governor's part."
Priceless.
Also, when I read that Romney was pissed about a news release for this
weekend's Youth Pride parade going out on official gubernatorial
stationary, I couldn't help thinking of this (thanks to the good people at
Bay Windows):
Quite a chameleon, our governor.
May 11, 2006
In this week's Phoenix, I argue that emulating JFK
won't do the trick for the governor.
For the sake of comparison, here's a write-up of Mitt's recent appearance at an
Iowa Christian Alliance house party that suggests I might be wrong.
May 09, 2006
It's official--Kathleen O'Toole is
off to Ireland.
Nice timing, what with those homicide-friendly summer months just
around the corner. Then again, O'Toole's tenure hasn't exactly been
dazzling. So maybe her successor will be an upgrade.
As O'Toole rides off into the sunset, it's worth pondering these truly bizarre lines from the
Globe's February 2006 profile of the commish:
O'Toole, who is protective of the department's image, starts her days
at 6 a.m. at her home in South Boston, where she types three key terms
into the search engines on the websites for The Boston Globe and Boston
Herald: "Boston Police," "O'Toole," and "Menino," "to determine whether
it's safe to leave the house or not," she said, chuckling. She talks to
Menino on the phone, and heads to City Hall for meetings.
Midmorning, at police headquarters in Roxbury, she pores over
paperwork, such as staff changes and punishments recommended by the
internal affairs unit. Occasionally, she sits in on intelligence
briefings. She lets others decide which units go where and rarely
inquires about investigations, waiting for deputies to provide updates.
I'm all for delegating, but that sounds like borderline neglect.
May 09, 2006
This just in, courtesy of
Bay Windows: House majority leader
John Rogers--a former anti-same sex marriage stalwart--will
oppose the latest push to ban gay marriage at this year's Constitutional Convention.
As Laura Kiritsy notes, Rogers' shift follows similar moves by Democrat Gene O'Flaherty and Republican Brad Hill.
Signs of the times.
