Friday, September 29, 2006

Deval the insider?

Interesting to note what kind of response the Globe's top-of-B1 story on Deval Patrick's private meeting with House Speaker Sal DiMasi and Senate Prez Robert Travaglini has generated out there in pro-Deval land--namely, nada. Nothing on Blue Mass. Group. Nothing on Mass Revolution. Nothing on the Deval Experience. Nothing on Ryan's Take. Etc.

Maybe that's because, if you're a devoted Patrick partisan, you can't just pan the story as B.S. That Patrick met yesterday with DiMasi and Travaglini (and has solicited help from other legislators) is no surprise; to win in November, he probably needs to have the state's Democratic power brokers helping him out. But as Frank Phillips and Andrea Estes aptly note, it's hard to square Patrick's courtship of Beacon Hill bigwigs with the harsh anti-Beacon Hill rhetoric he's been using on the campaign trail.

As for Patrick adviser Doug Rubin's explanation of this disconnect--"A lot of that [rhetoric] is directed to the current leadership in the executive office"--let's just say it couldn't be less convincing. If Deval wanted to criticize the Romney-Healey Administration, there's an obvious phrase to use: it's "the Romney-Healey Administration." When Deval rips Beacon Hill, people think he's ripping the Legislature. And that's precisely the point.

Healey's going to be all over this in Monday night's debate, so Patrick had better figure out how to spin the issue more effectively than Rubin did. Otherwise, Healey can just dust off Mitt Romney's "Gang of Three" critique from '02. The question is obvious: Deval, how can you rein in the Legislature if you're relying on it to get you elected?

9/29/2006 1:57:44 PM by Adam Reilly | Comments [16] |
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Friday, September 29, 2006 1:45:37 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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

Media Watch

Friday, September 29, 2006 2:33:51 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Thanks for not noticing my post, Adam

Ernie Boch,III

Friday, September 29, 2006 2:48:34 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

"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.

David

Friday, September 29, 2006 2:59:27 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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.

Adam

Friday, September 29, 2006 3:50:19 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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!)

Andy

Friday, September 29, 2006 4:32:37 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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.

David

Friday, September 29, 2006 4:33:44 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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

David

Friday, September 29, 2006 4:45:33 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Nailed it right on the head Adam.

Tony Schinella

Saturday, September 30, 2006 10:05:34 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Adam, what the hell are you doin'? You really hit a nerve.
And I don't get paid to tell you this.

Ernie Boch,III

Saturday, September 30, 2006 10:26:15 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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?

chris smith

Saturday, September 30, 2006 3:33:13 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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.

Lynne

Saturday, September 30, 2006 3:40:02 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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?

Lynne

Saturday, September 30, 2006 8:55:21 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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.

Tony Schinella

Saturday, September 30, 2006 9:04:26 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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.

Patrick

Saturday, September 30, 2006 9:11:43 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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.

Patrick

Wednesday, October 04, 2006 8:52:57 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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).

Ryan

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