--MassGOP chair Peter Torkildsen will hold a press conference tomorrow to try to keep the heat on Sal DiMasi's ethics charges. Meanwhile
Casey Ross names names of legislators returning to the "who replaces Sal" battle. This is not the kind of spotlight the chamber wants as they're playing the annual game of eramark-stuffing with the budget.
--And yesterday, in
updating the phantom-voting scandal, Ross reported that Charles Murphy, who was caught casting votes in the chamber while on vacation in the Virgin Islands, "insisted he did not direct anyone to vote for him." Perhaps I'm missing something, but if Rep. Murphy is telling the truth, then whoever cast his votes was committing outright fraud, no? Well, I'm sure the leadership will get to the bottom of it.
--It's been almost two weeks since Donovan Slack's byline has been in the
Globe. Either she's getting awfully tan somewhere, or somebody's about to have their dirtiest laundry aired in a special report. What do you think, BFD or DSS?
--Yesterday was the deadline for state legislative candidates to submit signatures, although it will be a while before they get forwarded to the state, vetted, and we get a full list. Dianne Wilkerson, who was humiliated and nearly lost her state senate seat two years ago when she failed to turn in the necessary 300, sent out a press release today saying that she submitted 3200.
--Gov. Patrick makes a speech at the Chamber of Commerce tomorrow
morning, usually an occasion to introduce Big Plans; I'm told there
will be a couple of interesting items.
--Didja check out Rev. Eugene Rivers making the rounds of the morning talk shows today, to say that Rev. Jeremiah Wright does not represent black churchgoers? Sounds like someone's a little jealous of the attention........