Last week was usually
my favorite week of the year: Valentine’s Day, my birthday;
chocolate candy, chocolate cake. Preferably both of those events
happened before Ash Wednesday, which, because of childhood Catholic
habit, remains a good time to give up sweets and lose weight. Last
year even President’s Day with its cherry pie came before Lent.
But, this year only
Lincoln’s birthday slipped in before Ash Wednesday on February 13th,
and it has no goodies connected to it unless one attends a
Republican Lincoln Day dinner, which I’ve done in the past as a
guest speaker and don’t do anymore.
Now that the earth has
traveled around the sun seventy times since my birth, I’ve retired
from public speaking, though not from political activism. I continue
to work with Citizens for Limited Taxation to make sure nothing
happens to Proposition 2½, making my someday-retirement cottage
unaffordable.
My mentor Howard Jarvis
led the ballot battle for California’s property tax limit, Prop 13,
in 1978 when he was 76; his bust sits on my bookcase, reminding me
that one is never too old to cause trouble for government, or at
least enjoy the attempt.
This year’s Lincoln’s
birthday seemed to feature Massachusetts Republicans assassinating
their party’s chances in the coming U.S. Senate race. I thought they
should be getting behind the one candidate who had actually made up
his mind to run, as of the beginning of the week. Dan Winslow needs
10,000 signatures of Republicans and Independents by the February 27
deadline. Instead of helping with this difficult task, some
Republican activists were urging former U.S. Attorney Michael
Sullivan to run too.
The special election,
caused by Senator Kerry’s move to Secretary of State, does leave
time for a divisive primary for Democrats; Congressman Lynch and
Markey are already battling. But with Scott Brown waiting until he
saw his February shadow to announce he wouldn’t run for the seat,
Republicans have no room for their traditionally unpleasant primary
games.
Both Winslow and
Sullivan have been among my favorite Republicans; I could happily
support either one but planned to support whoever announced first,
in this case Winslow. I understand that others, including state
senator Bruce Tarr and author/psychiatrist Keith Ablow, were willing
to run if no one else stepped forward; I can relate to that, having
offered to run for Congress in my youth when it looked as if Michael
Harrington would be unopposed. Fortunately someone else volunteered
then, as Dan Winslow did this time – in this case preventing an easy
win for one of the Democrats who have 15% (Markey) and 12% (Lynch)
ratings with the National Taxpayers Union.
Scott Brown had a 60%
rating, which was fine, considering; but not so fine that I’d want
him for governor when I could have Charlie Baker. The rumor that
Brown might run for governor is another Republicide thing that
interfered with my usually carefree birthday week.
I’m with Charlie,
Scott. Hope Massachusetts voters are looking for executive
experience in their next governor. Our present governor thinks that
having 47,000 welfare recipients without a mailing address, who
exist only at the bank account where taxpayer money appears for
them, is just a “leakage” problem. The management “leakage” has
become a substantial flow, Governor Patrick.
The governor’s blizzard
leadership was interesting. First we’re all ordered by the state to
stay off the highways or face a year in jail, then some residents
were ordered by their local government to evacuate. People were
asking, on talk shows and facebook, which order should prevail. I
never heard this clarified, but our governor was highly praised for
being calm during the storm, as if panic would have been a possible
alternative.
This reminded me of
Bill Weld telling Chris Matthews in 2008 that he supported Barack
Obama for president because he is calm. Matthews responded,
“Chauncey Gardiner in Being There was calm.” This recollection would
be funnier if Matthews hadn’t later admitted to an Obama-inspired
tingle up his leg.
Anyhow, more
Republicans have entered the U.S. Senate race. There’s a Cohasset
businessman, former Navy SEAL, political newcomer named Gabriel
Gomez. Thank you for your service, and, beware Washington-based
consultants who see you as a money-magnet; it’s a tough race for a
newbie.
Former U.S. Attorney
Michael Sullivan has been collecting signatures for weeks, and Sean
Bielat is considering a candidacy too. Hope if there’s a primary
their supporters can avoid attacking the other candidate thereby
giving ammunition to the Democrats. Hope someone talks Dan Fishman
out of running as a Libertarian again as he did in the 6th
Congressional District last year, thereby electing the statist
Democrat.
Another thing
interfering with my perfect week: Obama’s state of the union address
on Tuesday night, in which he was still campaigning against the
things that aren’t working in America and hoping no one noticed he’s
been in charge for four years now. I admit I fell asleep between his
proposal for a $9 minimum wage and new gun control legislation. I’ve
heard this all before from Democrats who don’t understand economics
or the Second Amendment.
Retirement for the Pope
this month, but not for me!
