Deval the insider?

Romney's gay anxiety

Amazing Grace

16 Comments

• Media Watch said:

  Adam -- As the quote goes, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing". And after all these years in the wilderness, good for someone who reaches out and gets on the phone with rank and file, as well as leadership. He's the head of the Democratic ticket (or just below Ted). He can respect the legislative leadership without kowtowing to anyone. MW
  September 29, 2006 6:45 PM

• Ernie Boch,III said:

  Thanks for not noticing my post, Adam
  September 29, 2006 7:33 PM

• David said:

  "Maybe that's because, if you're a devoted Patrick partisan, you can't just pan the story as B.S." Or, maybe that's because most bloggers (including yours truly) have real jobs that occasionally require them to be away from their computer for a few hours. The most I could manage this morning was to get Kerry Healey's MCAS flip-flop (http://www.bluemassgroup.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4240) up on the site before heading out. So give me a break - I'm getting to it! Not everyone gets paid for this gig, you know! As for your "obvious" question, seems to me it contains an obviously false premise: Patrick isn't "relying" on Sal & Trav to get elected. More when I get my own post up.
  September 29, 2006 7:48 PM

• Adam said:

  Dang! Ernie, should I class you with the pro-Patrick die-hards? And David: point taken about the day job, but there are (I think) five new BMG posts today. The heart of the Globe piece deserves to be taken seriously: Patrick likes to knock Beacon Hill (a smart electoral strategy), but he's also shoring up support from key Democratic leaders in advance of the general (also a smart electoral strategy). Problem is, there's a tension between the two--and Kerry Healey's going to maximize it in next week's debate.
  September 29, 2006 7:59 PM

• Andy said:

  May I ditto David? I was absolutely going to mention it when I had time to post. I actually wanted to highlight the article because I think it is actually a positive for Patrick. One major problem Romney and his ilk have had is an utter determination to buck the leg whenever possible. I think reaching out and building an alliance is good for Deval, that shows the leadership he is talking about. As much as we would like to think otherwise, the legislature isn't going anywhere and we do need to work with it because it legislates! Plus this morning I was too busy picking on the Boston Herald! http://www.massrevolutionnow.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=545 (Hey if David can plug so can I!)
  September 29, 2006 8:50 PM

• David said:

  First, Adam, I know this isn't your fault, but I really hate whatever platform this site runs on. I just wrote up a comment and entered the anti-robot code, but now it's gone. And it's not the first time that's happened. Second, here's Scot Lehigh way back in April of 2005, when Patrick had just announced and everyone was assuming that Tom Reilly was waltzing into the Democratic nomination: "So if Patrick is to make his run real, he'll need to chart a more disciplined course [than Reich did].... He'll need to demonstrate that he's politically adept enough to work with State House Democrats, but that he has the backbone to stand up to them as well." (http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/04/15/in_reillys_shortcomings_an_opening_for_patrick/) Seems to me that's pretty much what Patrick has been doing, and what this meeting was about. If a Gov of whichever party can't work with the legislature to at least some extent, he or she cannot get anything done.
  September 29, 2006 9:32 PM

• David said:

  *sigh* Yes, I killed the page with an overly-long URL. Sorry. If the damn site accepted HTML this wouldn't be a problem.
  September 29, 2006 9:33 PM

• Tony Schinella said:

  Nailed it right on the head Adam.
  September 29, 2006 9:45 PM

• Ernie Boch,III said:

  Adam, what the hell are you doin'? You really hit a nerve. And I don't get paid to tell you this.
  September 30, 2006 3:05 PM

• chris smith said:

  Adam, how could Deval be an insider? He missed so many opportunities to vote here in the Commonwealth ( out of town, was he with Mitt?)who could ever call him a insider, dont you at least have to be near Beacon Hill to have that label?
  September 30, 2006 3:26 PM

• Lynne said:

  This post was totally beneath you, Adam...SOME of us are out there "offline" walking the streets and making phone calls for the Democrats and yes, hitting deadlines for clients so we can make money to pay the rent. Good lord. I haven't had one f-ing spare minute to myself lately, every night I have phone banking or campaign stuff, family stuff, other meetings. And every bit of energy I spend blogging or working for Deval or whatever is time away from my business and my husband. For god's sake, I didn't even HEAR about this until this afternoon. Not to mention your whole damned premises is so flawed, you can drive a truck through it...oh no, Deval is meeting with Beacon Hill insiders. Yup, just one meeting, and he's gonna ditch 2 years of campaigning at the grassroots and ignore the people who really are doing the work. Yeesh. I like you Adam, but this was seriously insulting.
  September 30, 2006 8:33 PM

• Lynne said:

  Oh and on this: "Deval, how can you rein in the Legislature if you're relying on it to get you elected?" Can I make one comment? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Never read ANYthing so funny in my life! Right. Trav is gonna deliver this for Deval. Hi-lar-ious. No, no the thousands of us talking to voters one at a time, like I did today with my volunteers. Cynical much?
  September 30, 2006 8:40 PM

• Tony Schinella said:

  Lynne, realistically, Patrick needs Sal and Trav to win. Seriously. Scott Harshbarger had thousands of volunteers, millions of dollars, a great platform and years and years in public service, he won his convention easily, and he lost a tight election because of Finneran, Trav, Scappichio, and others who openly backed Celluch and pulled support from him. If Deval is smart - and we know he is - he needs to keep the leaders in the Legislature from abandoning his cause or else you'll be seeing Kerry Muffy Healey in the corner office in January.
  October 1, 2006 1:55 AM

• Patrick said:

  Scott Harshbarger's failed bid in 1998 proved its very difficult to win the corner office as a Democrat without wide support from the party's insiders. Back then Tom, Tom and Tom were all perfectly content to let Celluch slide in for another term rather than share their pie with the good government AG. This sentiment led to SH's poor showing in many urban, Democratic strongholds, and ultimately to his demise. So Patrick must tip toe the line between maintaining his outsider image and letting these folks know their gravy train won't stop when he takes office. Otherwise there will be a lot of under-utilized phone banks, sign holders, and all around good will for the Dems come election day.
  October 1, 2006 2:04 AM

• Patrick said:

  And don't think KMH isn't playing the same game. I am sure she's making backroom deals with these folks as we post. Can you imagine what's being waved in front of the Dan Conley's of the world to start wispering about Deval's unwillingness to play the game.
  October 1, 2006 2:11 AM

• Ryan said:

  I gotta go with David and Adam's excuse =p That said, of course Deval is going to reach out to the legislature. There's a difference between wanting to clean up the Big Dig culture and "slamming" the state legislature. Deval seeks to walk the thin line between bowing down to and working with the state legilsature. It involves compromising, keeping good relations and mostly not belittling the state legislature left and right. Like regular people, I think *most* congressmen are *mostly* good (in Massachusetts). Cleaning up the Big Dig culture and politics-as-usual means having a positive working relationship - instead of cynical - as well as cleaning up the dirty few (guys like Baddourd).
  October 4, 2006 1:52 PM

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