Is Patrick losing the netroots?
Quick--guess the source of the following blog commentary:
Post #1: It really makes me physically nauseous to read stuff like this:
Her title was chief of staff, but she had no staff and
reported to no one. That did not prevent Carol Aloisi from collecting a
$60,000 State House salary for six months, until a state representative
found her--literally--sitting in his new office and put her to work.
Aloisi,
the sister of state Transportation Secretary James Aloisi Jr., was
assigned in August by House leaders to the onetime office of former
state representative Rachel Kaprielian months after Kaprielian had
vacated her post to head up the state Registry of Motor Vehicles.
The idea that Jim Aloisi (pre-Sec. of Transportation) had nothing
to do with [his sister's do-nothing State House job] would really stretch credibility, wouldn't it? Between
this and Mr. Aloisi's own impolitic behavior, maybe the idea of hiring
a Big Dig Culture dude to dismantle the Big Dig Culture hasn't really
worked out so well just yet. The Patrick administration's political
skills and approaches need to have a thorough evaluation.
Post #2: The furor over [Marian Walsh's new job]...continues to mount. This one is more symbolic than real, since the job itself is not state-funded. Nonetheless, the symbolism is terrible, and especially in times like
these, symbolism matters. I did love this line from Adrian Walker's
column:
It is no secret that Walsh has been trying to bail
out of the Senate ever since her bid to become its president was
rebuffed. Somehow, actually leaving government doesn't seem to have
ever occurred to her.
Seems exactly right. It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic.
[Also, o]ver at the Turnpike Authority, somehow they can't manage to lay off a single toll-taker, while at the same time they apparently...desperately needed two new high-priced staffers. Words fail me.
What's that? You think it's Red Mass. Group?
Au contraire, my friend. Both posts are actually from Blue Mass. Group You know, the staunchly progressive outfit that endorsed Patrick in the 2006 Democratic primary, and has been a sympathetic--though not uncritical--observer of his efforts over the past two years.
My title was intentionally hyperbolic: assuming that Patrick runs again in '10, I'd bet against Blue Mass. Group endorsing his Republican opponent, whoever it is.
That said, Patrick has to be concerned that--halfway through his first term--some of his earliest, staunchest supporters are this frustrated about state of state government. And if he's not, he should be.
