CLT UPDATE
Thursday, September 24, 2009
State Senators also toss us the Beacon Hill Middle
Finger Salute
“The hypocrisy is staggering”
Legislation enabling Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint an
interim U.S. senator to serve until a Jan. 19 special election won
Senate approval Tuesday 24-16, and is now just a few procedural steps
away from becoming law.
Senators from both parties opposed the bill, but 24 Democrats, including
Senate President Therese Murray, provided enough support. The proposal
would allow Patrick to fill the seat left vacant when Sen. Edward
Kennedy died on Aug. 25....
In 2004, the Legislature stripped Republican Gov. Mitt Romney of the
power to appoint a senator in the event of a vacancy and established a
special election procedure. The legislation speeding towards the
governor would reverse that appointment power, for interim senators,
while retaining the special election.
Although the bill must still receive an enactment vote in each branch of
the Legislature, the focus has already begun turning to who the governor
will appoint....
Under the Massachusetts Constitution, laws take effect 90 days after
they are signed by the governor; however, the Legislature routinely
appends "emergency preambles" that put laws into effect immediately.
However, such emergency preambles require the support of two-thirds of
the members of the House and Senate. Neither branch passed the bill with
a two-thirds majority. However, the Constitution also empowers the
governor to bypass the Legislature by submitting a letter to the
secretary of state declaring the law to be an emergency measure to
protect "public peace, health, safety or convenience."
Tisei said that if the governor used the rarely deployed power, "I think
people would be even more outraged."
State House News Service
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Senate passes bill for interim U.S. Senator,
paving way to enactment
The state Senate approved the measure by a
24-to-16 vote, just five days after the House had voted 95 to 58 to change
Massachusetts election law and allow the appointment of an interim US senator.
Both chambers are planning to give a final procedural endorsement to the measure
and to send it to the governor’s desk today; the only potential hurdle is that
Republicans are contemplating a last-ditch legal challenge in an effort to
derail the legislation.
News of the vote reverberated yesterday from Beacon Hill to Washington, where US
Senate majority leader Harry Reid, informed of the news when a note was passed
to him, pumped his fist into the air and cracked a small smile, according to an
aide....
It is Dukakis’s name that has received the most widespread attention so far,
with some Democrats privately pushing for his appointment, others anxious over
how he might be received by the general public, and Republicans nearly gleeful
as they contemplate his political resurrection.
“Talk about back to the future,’’ state Senate minority leader Richard R. Tisei
said yesterday. “Good grief!’’
Following the vote, state Senate Republicans said they are considering
challenging the interim appointment legislation in court, arguing that the new
law should not become effective for 90 days because the legislation did not have
the two-thirds majority required for immediate implementation.
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Senate OK’s Kennedy successor bill
Governor could name interim pick tomorrow
It was a heartening sight yesterday when 11
Senate Democrats joined five Republicans in voting against a bill to allow the
governor to name a place-holder for the seat held by the late Sen. Edward M.
Kennedy.
A Boston Herald editorial
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Gutsy vote on the Hill
The Legislature granted Gov. Deval Patrick
permission Wednesday to name an interim U.S. senator and lawmakers expect him to
exercise rarely used constitutional powers to make his appointment this week,
after leadership failed to muster sufficient support Wednesday to render the
controversial bill immediately effective.
After balking and confusion in the Legislature, the bill headed to Patrick's
desk late Wednesday afternoon, presenting him the opportunity to choose
personally the temporary successor to the late Edward Kennedy and grant U.S.
Senate Democrats a filibuster-proof majority of 60 members.
By a 95-57 vote, short of the two thirds needed, the House failed at 3:11 p.m.
to attach an emergency preamble to the bill. The House enacted the bill at 3:45
p.m., and the Senate enacted it at 4:15 p.m. House Republicans moved that the
House reconsider the enactment vote and House Democrats immediately moved to
launch a "new legislative day" in order to whisk the bill to Patrick....
Late Wednesday, four House Republicans, all lawyers, delivered a letter to
Patrick's office asking him to seek an advisory opinion from the state's highest
court on whether he had the authority to declare an emergency in order to make
the appointment.
"We think there's an open question as to whether the governor has the standing
to declare an emergency for this appointment," said Rep. Karyn Polito
(R-Shrewsbury).
The Republican lawmakers, including Reps. Jeffrey Perry of Sandwich, Daniel
Webster of Pembroke, and Lewis Evangelidis of Holden, cited case law and the
fact that the House had affirmatively rejected an emergency preamble as issues
that raised questions.
"This is an open question if he wants his appointment to be legitimate," said
Perry, who said he'd been in contact with national Republican attorneys. "It's a
unique narrow case."
If Patrick makes the appointment without seeking an advisory opinion, Perry
said, "then we'll have to explore what legal options we have."...
Democrats were frustrated before the vote Wednesday, having already taken a vote
on the bill last week that members privately acknowledged would likely prove
politically costly.
State House News Service
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Legislature sends Patrick appointment authority bill
When in 1779 John Adams helped draft the
Massachusetts Constitution, his guiding principle was to create a "government of
laws and not of men."
Adams recognized a fundamental truth first expressed by the ancient Greeks: that
sound government must be based on laws that apply to all, not on the whims of
despots, tyrants or even well-meaning kings.
The Massachusetts Legislature's Democratic majority has once again shown its
contempt for Adams, the world's oldest operating constitution and the people of
this state by turning the rule of law on its head....
The lie legislators tell to soothe their consciences is that Massachusetts must
be represented at all times by two senators. The truth is that legislators
expressed no such concern over representation while Sen. John Kerry missed
dozens of votes while running for president in 2004 or when Sen. Kennedy missed
nearly all votes during the final months of his illness.
The truth is that this is all about political power....
Now, it seems, interim senatorial appointments are vital to the continued
survival of democracy in this state. The hypocrisy is staggering.
An Eagle-Tribune editorial
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Kennedy successor vote about nothing but power
Governor Deval Patrick huddled with a small
group of trusted advisers last night to finalize his choice for an interim US
senator, with indications pointing to former Democratic National Committee
chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr., who has the strong backing of the immediate family of
the late Edward M. Kennedy, as the overwhelming favorite.
A person with knowledge of the process said last night that former governor
Michael S. Dukakis, considered a leading candidate for the appointment, was
unlikely to be chosen. At the same time, senior Democrats in Washington told The
New York Times that they were certain Kirk would be the choice....
The governor will announce the appointment at an 11 a.m. press conference today
at the State House....
Supporters of the bill failed to muster enough votes to include an emergency
provision that would make the law effective immediately. The governor has the
authority to implement the law immediately upon his signature, as long as he
sends a procedural letter to Secretary of State William F. Galvin. Four House
Republicans sent a letter last night asking the Supreme Judicial Court to issue
an advisory opinion on whether Patrick has the power to put the law in place
immediately, though Galvin said that has been relatively routine.
The Boston Globe
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Signs point to Kirk for interim senator
The Kennedy-backed pick for interim senator -
a Beltway insider who could enjoy a lifetime pass to the Senate floor - has deep
ties to special interests, sitting on a board that oversees a health-insurance
provider and having lobbied for the pharmaceutical industry, the Herald has
learned.
“Obviously, this is a conflict of interest and raises serious concerns,” Craig
Holman of the non-partisan watchdog Public Citizen, said of the potential
appointment of Paul G. Kirk Jr. to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s seat. “It is
distressing. There were many qualified people.” ...
Kirk, 71, a retired lobbyist and lawyer who lives on Cape Cod, raked in a
whopping $250,942 in salary and stock options as a board member for Hartford
Financial Services, the umbrella for The Hartford, which sells health coverage
to retirees.
Until a successor is elected in January, Kirk would wield a critical vote in
health insurance and financial industry reforms, raising concerns about
potential conflicts.
“Why in the world would they choose someone who has close ties to the insurance
industry?” asked Wendell Potter, a former health insurance
exec-turned-whistleblower. He noted the health insurance industry has much to
gain in the current reform package, especially if coverage is mandated without
competition from a government insurance option, as a bill now before the Senate
finance committee proposes....
A former partner at the politically wired Hub law firm Sullivan & Worcester,
Kirk lobbied for pharmaceutical giants Hoechst Marion Roussel and Aventis in
1998 and 1999, records show.
The plum appointment would guarantee Kirk Senate floor privileges and a D.C.
parking space for life - along with the ability to go back to lobbying in two
years.
The Boston Herald
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Deval Patrick’s likely Senate pick raises ‘serious concerns’
The pressure is building for Patrick to
appoint Paul G. Kirk Jr. as Ted Kennedy’s interim successor. Kennedy’s widow,
Victoria Reggie Kennedy, is lobbying for Kirk, and Kennedy’s sons, Patrick and
Edward M. Kennedy Jr., also told Patrick that Kirk is their choice.
If it’s Kirk, Patrick is picking a Kennedy foot soldier and political insider
who is well-known inside Washington’s power circles - but is virtually unknown
to Massachusetts voters.
If it’s Kirk, Patrick is rejecting Michael S. Dukakis, who served three terms as
governor of Massachusetts and won his party’s presidential nomination, fighting
all the while for core Democratic values....
Pushing Kirk as the temporary bearer of the Kennedy torch is typical backroom
politics. And, it’s being done with typically sharp Kennedy elbows.
The Boston Globe
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Backroom politics over Kennedy’s seat
By Joan Vennochi
Chip Ford's CLT
Commentary
Another shocking vote --
NOT: Following the House of Reprehensibles' lead, the
Massachusetts Senate's Democrat majority also voted to change
the law once again -- the same law they changed just five years ago when
it was to their advantage. This was done to benefit the Democrat Party
and their masters in Washington, over those who voted for and put them
in office.
"News of the vote
reverberated yesterday from Beacon Hill to Washington, where US Senate
majority leader Harry Reid, informed of the news when a note was passed
to him, pumped his fist into the air and cracked a small smile,
according to an aide," the Boston Globe reported. "Patrick said last
week that President Obama spoke with him about changing the law at
Kennedy’s funeral last month. White House senior adviser David Axelrod
and Reid have also lobbied Massachusetts lawmakers to change the law."
"President Obama's
political operation again applied pressure to the state Senate on
Monday, urging supporters in an email to call their senators 'right now'
to demand they support a proposal enabling Patrick to appoint a
temporary successor to Sen. Edward Kennedy," the State House News
Service reported on Monday ["Senate president: 'We'll see tomorrow'
if appointee bill has senate support"]. "'The Massachusetts State
Senate could vote as soon as tomorrow -- so be sure to call today,'
wrote John Spears, Massachusetts state director for Obama for America."
The only ones going unheard
by most of the entrenched Democrat machine are Massachusetts citizens
and voters, cavalierly dismissed as petty nuisances in their shamelessly
hypocritical partisan power grab.
The Democrat machine has
steamrolled over the citizens of Massachusetts once again, and the
Kennedy Clan has apparently steamrolled over the Democrat machine once
again as well, though "Camelot" his become but a fading memory to most.
This morning it's
anticipated that it will be the clan's survivors who will independently
choose the dubious interim senator, one of their own. Paul Kirk, a
longtime family functionary -- and well-heeled health insurance lobbyist
-- is expected to be anointed as that 'all-important and immediately
necessary' second US Senator to represent Massachusetts during this
critical moment in Washington and in American history.
This is but the latest
tawdry example of politics-as-usual and the people be damned in the
People's Republic of Taxachusetts, the laughingstock of the nation, a
bewilderment to citizens beyond our borders.
Remember in November, come
The Second American Revolution.
 |
 |
|
Chip Ford |
State House News Service
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Senate passes bill for interim U.S. Senator,
paving way to enactment
By Kyle Cheney and Jim O'Sullivan
Legislation enabling Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint an interim U.S.
senator to serve until a Jan. 19 special election won Senate approval
Tuesday 24-16, and is now just a few procedural steps away from becoming
law.
Senators from both parties opposed the bill, but 24 Democrats, including
Senate President Therese Murray, provided enough support. The proposal
would allow Patrick to fill the seat left vacant when Sen. Edward
Kennedy died on Aug. 25.
The House and Senate both meet in formal sessions Wednesday, when the
branches could send the Senate appointee bill to Gov. Deval Patrick. The
House approved the bill 97-58 last week.
In 2004, the Legislature stripped Republican Gov. Mitt Romney of the
power to appoint a senator in the event of a vacancy and established a
special election procedure. The legislation speeding towards the
governor would reverse that appointment power, for interim senators,
while retaining the special election.
Although the bill must still receive an enactment vote in each branch of
the Legislature, the focus has already begun turning to who the governor
will appoint. Speaking to reporters, Murray said she "made it very clear
I will not participate in any discussions about an interim appointment."
She said the Senate's discussion of the bill was "an excellent debate, a
lot of passion on both sides."
Patrick hasn't indicated who he might appoint, but early speculation has
focused on former Gov. Michael Dukakis, who declined to comment recently
when asked if he was interested in serving, former Lt. Gov. Evelyn
Murphy, former DNC Chairman Paul Kirk Jr., and former Senate President
Robert Travaglini.
During a late-August press conference, Patrick said he intends to
appoint someone already familiar or easily-brought-up-to-speed on health
care, climate change and job creation policy. At the time, Patrick
called it "enormously important" that a Democrat succeed Kennedy.
After the Senate session, Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei raised
the possibility that the bill wouldn't take effect for months, but
lawmakers said Patrick could exercise his constitutional prerogative to
make the bill take effect upon its signing.
Under the Massachusetts Constitution, laws take effect 90 days after
they are signed by the governor; however, the Legislature routinely
appends "emergency preambles" that put laws into effect immediately.
However, such emergency preambles require the support of two-thirds of
the members of the House and Senate. Neither branch passed the bill with
a two-thirds majority. However, the Constitution also empowers the
governor to bypass the Legislature by submitting a letter to the
secretary of state declaring the law to be an emergency measure to
protect "public peace, health, safety or convenience."
Tisei said that if the governor used the rarely deployed power, "I think
people would be even more outraged." If the governor waited the full 90
day for the law to take effect, Massachusetts would have a vacant Senate
seat until December 21, less than a month before voters elect a
replacement. Supporters of the bill hope it will gain final passage this
week and that Patrick will announce his pick shortly afterwards.
One House leader indicated that lawmakers were unlikely to pass an
emergency preamble, which would leave it to the governor to use his
constitutional authority to implement the law immediately.
"We don't need it," said Assistant House Majority Leader Ronald Mariano.
"We're not taking another vote."
Asked when Patrick would appoint a successor, he replied "I hope as soon
as possible."
"Obviously, the more time it takes, the less reason there was for us to
do it," said Mariano.
Patrick offered no clues Tuesday as to how he would address the lack of
an emergency preamble, issuing only a statement through a spokesman
praising the Senate for approving the bill.
"The Governor looks forward to final action on the bill," said Patrick
spokesman Kyle Sullivan.
The governor has previously urged lawmakers to pass the bill quickly so
he can appoint a senator.
All five Senate Republicans - Tisei, Bruce Tarr of Gloucester, Scott
Brown of Wrentham, Michael Knapik of Westfield and Robert Hedlund of
Weymouth - opposed the bill and they were joined by Sens. Stephen Brewer
(D-Barre), Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster), Jack Hart (D-South Boston),
Brian Joyce (D-Milton), Michael Moore (D-Millbury), Richard Moore
(D-Uxbridge), Michael Morrissey (D-Quincy), Steven Panagiotakos
(D-Lowell), James Timilty (D-Walpole), Susan Tucker (D-Andover) and
Steven Baddour (D-Methuen).
Backers of the bill in the Senate argued that an interim senator is
essential to ensure Massachusetts has a say in a slew of appropriations
bills coming up in Washington, as well as on health reform, climate
change and transportation legislation. They also said an interim senator
could pick up where Kennedy left off on constituent service issues, such
as helping Massachusetts veterans receive benefits or solving complex
Medicare and Medicaid issues.
"I have three constituents on average a week that I defer to my U.S.
colleagues in the delegation," said Sen. Thomas Kennedy (D-Brockton),
co-chair of the Election Laws Committee. "I'm sure all of you have that
many and more. Kennedy's office was masterful in solving those problems.
But the staff is still there. They're just as masterful without their
leader. We need them."
Republicans said constituent services could easily be handled by the
rest of the Congressional delegation, Sen. John Kerry and members of the
state Legislature. They also said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
could change Senate rules to allow Kennedy's staff to continue providing
services to constituents until the special election.
Republicans also characterized Senate Democrats' position as kowtowing
to the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress, who have pressed
local lawmakers to pass the bill. For Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,
the vacant seat represents a 60th Democratic vote, the number needed to
cut off a potential Republican filibuster. Democrats highlighted the
importance of a single Senate vote, noting that it could be the
difference on whether a national health reform package gets done or not.
Sen. Scott Brown (R-Wrentham), who is running in the special election,
wondered why Massachusetts Democrats would seek to get behind a national
health reform plan that could end up leaving Massachusetts worse off.
"Why are we selling out to the special interests?" he said during floor
debate. "[The national health plan] would affect us in a negative way."
Earlier in the day, Panagiotakos, chair of the Senate Ways and Means
Committee, said he believes Kerry "can carry the ball for us" on several
appropriations bills pending in Congress. He said the seat was not a
Democratic or a Republican seat and that it was the citizens' seat to
fill. "If that means that we are going to have a vacancy for a few
months, then so be it," he said.
Panagiotakos's opposition evidenced a rare split among Senate
leadership, which some senators said they hadn't seen since a 2007 vote
on a proposed gay marriage ban.
Senators cast aside three amendments that would've allowed for an
interim appointment after the special election process is complete. They
also defeated a Republican amendment that would've required all of the
governor's communications on naming an interim senator to be publicly
available.
Republicans argued that recent examples of controversial emails sent by
Patrick's education secretary Paul Reville highlighted the need for a
full accounting of how the interim appointee is selected.
Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei said the administration seemed
"pretty sneaky right now," prompting a sly smile from Senate President
Murray.
But Democrats countered that such a requirement could force all
discussion of the pros and cons of potential appointees to be up for
public consumption. "It doesn't seem right to me," Sen. Thomas Kennedy
said.
Like the House, the Senate adopted a resolution declaring the body to be
against the interim appointee running in the special election. Although
some lawmakers had pushed for such a provision to be in the bill, others
worried that such a prohibition could be unconstitutional.
Republicans continued to hammer on the point that Democrats changed the
law in 2004 to keep appointment power away from Republican Gov. Mitt
Romney at a time when it appeared Sen. John Kerry could win the
presidency. Back then, Democrats approved a bill for a special election
process but rejected Republican proposals for an interim senator.
Legislative Democrats also cast aside proposals for an interim senator
in 2006, as well.
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Senate OK’s Kennedy successor bill
Governor could name interim pick tomorrow
By Matt Viser
The state Senate approved a bill yesterday that would let Governor Deval
Patrick appoint an interim successor to Edward M. Kennedy, paving the
way for the appointment of a new US senator as early as tomorrow and
providing Democrats in Washington the potential 60th vote they have been
seeking to pass a health care overhaul.
The state Senate approved the measure by a 24-to-16 vote, just five days
after the House had voted 95 to 58 to change Massachusetts election law
and allow the appointment of an interim US senator. Both chambers are
planning to give a final procedural endorsement to the measure and to
send it to the governor’s desk today; the only potential hurdle is that
Republicans are contemplating a last-ditch legal challenge in an effort
to derail the legislation.
News of the vote reverberated yesterday from Beacon Hill to Washington,
where US Senate majority leader Harry Reid, informed of the news when a
note was passed to him, pumped his fist into the air and cracked a small
smile, according to an aide.
All attention now turns to Patrick, who has been weighing the
appointment options with a close circle of advisers in recent days,
asking them to cast a wide net, according to a person with knowledge of
the process who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the
discussions. It has been an “extensive vetting process,’’ but the
governor is still mulling over candidates, the person said.
The governor is hoping to be able to appoint someone tomorrow or Friday,
the person said.
Mindful of recent controversies over interim US Senate appointments in
New York and Illinois, Patrick administration officials have declined to
release the names of those under consideration.
“The governor appreciates the support voiced in the Senate today and the
action taken by the House last week to ensure Massachusetts has full
representation in the Congress,’’ Patrick’s spokesman, Kyle Sullivan,
said in a statement.
The interim senator appointed by Patrick would serve until voters elect
a new senator in a Jan. 19 special election. That senator would serve
the remaining three years of Kennedy’s term.
Kennedy’s two sons, US Representative Patrick J. Kennedy of Rhode Island
and businessman Edward M. Kennedy Jr., have told Governor Patrick that
their first choice for an interim senator is former Democratic National
Committee chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr., according to a Kennedy family
associate.
Kirk, an attorney who lives on Cape Cod, worked as a special assistant
to Senator Kennedy from 1969 to 1977, is currently the chairman of the
John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, and last month served as master of
ceremonies at a widely watched memorial service the night before Senator
Kennedy’s funeral.
Kirk, 71, has not returned several calls seeking comment.
Among the other names frequently mentioned by observers are former
governor Michael S. Dukakis, Harvard Law School professor Charles J.
Ogletree, and former lieutenant governor Evelyn Murphy.
It is Dukakis’s name that has received the most widespread attention so
far, with some Democrats privately pushing for his appointment, others
anxious over how he might be received by the general public, and
Republicans nearly gleeful as they contemplate his political
resurrection.
“Talk about back to the future,’’ state Senate minority leader Richard
R. Tisei said yesterday. “Good grief!’’
Following the vote, state Senate Republicans said they are considering
challenging the interim appointment legislation in court, arguing that
the new law should not become effective for 90 days because the
legislation did not have the two-thirds majority required for immediate
implementation.
But the state constitution also allows the governor to send a letter to
the secretary of state requesting early implementation of a law.
Republicans say that provision is meant to apply to other instances, but
a spokesman for Secretary of State William F. Galvin said the procedure
has been used in other instances, as recently as last year.
The legislation approved by the state House and Senate does not legally
bind the appointee from seeking the seat permanently, but both chambers
have passed resolutions requesting that Patrick choose a person who
agrees not to run in the general election. Patrick has also said he
would secure that commitment.
During the state Senate debate yesterday, which followed several days of
parliamentary delays, Democrats argued that the state needs a second
senator to represent its citizens.
Republicans argued that the move is hypocritical, given that the
Legislature rejected the same approach when the governor was a
Republican. Republicans led several attempts to add restrictions or
modifications to the legislation, but they were outvoted.
“It was an excellent debate on both sides, a lot of passion on both
sides,’’ said state Senate President Therese Murray, who voted for the
change, but was bucked by some top Democrats who didn’t support it.
Several state senators changed their votes from the last time the issue
came up in 2004, when the Legislature, controlled by Democrats, changed
the law to provide for a special election process to prevent Governor
Mitt Romney, a Republican, from appointing a successor to US Senator
John F. Kerry if Kerry had won the presidency.
“I think I made a mistake then,’’ said state Senator Steven A. Tolman, a
Brighton Democrat. “This is politics, right? Sure it’s politics.’’
And state Senator Karen E. Spilka, an Ashland Democrat, said, “We should
have done this then. . . . This to me is not a Democrat issue at this
point. It’s not a Republican issue. It’s a Massachusetts issue.’’
Eleven Democrats joined all five Republicans in voting against the
measure.
“It’s wrong to change the rules depending on who’s in power,’’ said
state Senator Brian A. Joyce, a Milton Democrat who was a key architect
of the legislation to establish special elections to fill Senate
vacancies in 2004. “We shouldn’t change the rules by which we govern our
democracy depending upon who the governor is.’’
Patrick would be making the fourth such appointment since US senators
started being elected by popular vote in 1913.
The others were William M. Butler, appointed in 1924 after the death of
Henry Cabot Lodge; Sinclair Weeks, appointed in 1944 after the
resignation of Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.; and Benjamin Smith, appointed in
1960 when Senator John F. Kennedy resigned after being elected
president.
The Senate vote yesterday capped a furious lobbying campaign by national
Democrats that began shortly after Kennedy’s death last month.
Patrick said last week that President Obama spoke with him about
changing the law at Kennedy’s funeral last month. White House senior
adviser David Axelrod and Reid have also lobbied Massachusetts lawmakers
to change the law.
“Today’s vote gives the people a voice in the Senate until they exercise
that choice,’’ Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, said yesterday in a
statement.
“This is what Ted Kennedy wanted, what Governor Patrick and I wanted,
and I firmly believe it’s what people in Massachusetts want, because big
votes on everything from health care to climate change are being taken
now, not in five months.’’
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
A Boston Herald editorial
Gutsy vote on the Hill
Courage on Beacon Hill isn’t dead.
It was a heartening sight yesterday when 11 Senate Democrats joined five
Republicans in voting against a bill to allow the governor to name a
place-holder for the seat held by the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
Sens. Steve Baddour, Stephen Brewer, Jennifer Flanagan, Jack Hart, Brian
Joyce, Michael Moore, Richard Moore, Michael Morrissey, Steven
Panagiotakos, James Timilty, and Susan Tucker showed an independence of
spirit that is all too rare on Beacon Hill.
Prior to the vote, Pangiotakos told State House News Service that the
seat belonged to the voters to fill.
“If that means that we are going to have a vacancy for a few months,
then so be it,” the Lowell Democrat said.
Meanwhile, we don’t envy the job of Gov. Deval Patrick to whom it will
fall to fill the post. Sure, any fool with a “D” after his name can pull
the lever the way Senate majority leader Harry Reid tells him to. And no
one warming that seat will be able to carry on the kind of negotiations
Sen. Kennedy might have.
The best Massachusetts can expect is an appointee who can keep Kennedy’s
superb staff in place and focused through the end of the year doing the
jobs they have done so well for so very long.
State House News Service
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Legislature sends Patrick appointment authority bill
The Legislature granted Gov. Deval Patrick permission Wednesday to name
an interim U.S. senator and lawmakers expect him to exercise rarely used
constitutional powers to make his appointment this week, after
leadership failed to muster sufficient support Wednesday to render the
controversial bill immediately effective.
After balking and confusion in the Legislature, the bill headed to
Patrick's desk late Wednesday afternoon, presenting him the opportunity
to choose personally the temporary successor to the late Edward Kennedy
and grant U.S. Senate Democrats a filibuster-proof majority of 60
members.
By a 95-57 vote, short of the two thirds needed, the House failed at
3:11 p.m. to attach an emergency preamble to the bill. The House enacted
the bill at 3:45 p.m., and the Senate enacted it at 4:15 p.m. House
Republicans moved that the House reconsider the enactment vote and House
Democrats immediately moved to launch a "new legislative day" in order
to whisk the bill to Patrick.
Without an emergency preamble, the law would not take effect for 90 days
after the governor signs it. But Patrick can use his constitutional
prerogative to bypass the Legislature by declaring in a letter to
Secretary of State William Galvin that the law is emergency in nature,
which would put it into effect immediately.
Lt. Gov. Tim Murray said Wednesday morning that the governor was
prepared to submit that letter in the next day or two.
Murray told reporters there were "a whole bunch of names in the mix" for
the seat. Multiple outlets reported Wednesday that the Kennedy family
had lobbied for Paul Kirk, the former Democratic National Committee
chair and current head of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. In the
State House, some Democrats said they preferred former Gov. Michael
Dukakis.
Late Wednesday, four House Republicans, all lawyers, delivered a letter
to Patrick's office asking him to seek an advisory opinion from the
state's highest court on whether he had the authority to declare an
emergency in order to make the appointment.
"We think there's an open question as to whether the governor has the
standing to declare an emergency for this appointment," said Rep. Karyn
Polito (R-Shrewsbury).
The Republican lawmakers, including Reps. Jeffrey Perry of Sandwich,
Daniel Webster of Pembroke, and Lewis Evangelidis of Holden, cited case
law and the fact that the House had affirmatively rejected an emergency
preamble as issues that raised questions.
"This is an open question if he wants his appointment to be legitimate,"
said Perry, who said he'd been in contact with national Republican
attorneys. "It's a unique narrow case."
If Patrick makes the appointment without seeking an advisory opinion,
Perry said, "then we'll have to explore what legal options we have."
Perry added that he believed Democrats made errors drafting the bill,
putting an emergency preamble in and miscalculating what would be
necessary to remove it.
Final passage of the bill, clouded by legal and procedural concerns,
comes after state lawmakers have endured heavy pressure from prominent
Democrats, including Patrick and President Barack Obama, to pass the
bill, while facing local criticism for what many called an unseemly
change to state election law.
"Massachusetts Democrats are changing the same laws they put in place
just five years ago to stymie a Republican governor so they can have a
Democrat in place to rubber-stamp the president's health care plan,"
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said in a
statement. "It's hard to tell which aspect is more astonishing about
this blatant political ploy: the brazen arrogance or the sheer
hypocrisy."
Democrats were frustrated before the vote Wednesday, having already
taken a vote on the bill last week that members privately acknowledged
would likely prove politically costly. Many of the bill's supporters
switched their votes from 2004, when, with Sen. John Kerry the
Democratic presidential nominee, they voted to strip appointment power
from Republican Gov. Mitt Romney.
"Making public policy does not always go smoothly," said Rep. Vincent
Pedone, chair of the Bills in Third Reading Committee. "And people who
are opposed to this are doing everything they can to bring all the
political plays they can muster into this debate. When it's all said and
done, we will have two United States senators, and if the opposition to
this continues to muddy the water and demagogue, then they've
accomplished their task."
Senate President Therese Murray and other lawmakers expressed relief on
Wednesday that the bill was off their docket. Murray said other bills
are "backed up" and awaiting action in the Upper Chamber.
"This is a very important issue, but it's time for us to move on," added
Sen. Harriette Chandler, Worcester Democrat and assistant vice chair on
the Senate Ways and Means Committee. "We're very concerned about what's
going to happen with September (revenues). So far, September doesn't
look too good."
Murray added: "But I'm also glad the bill passed. I think the debate
over the past two days made very clear that we need to have two votes in
the U.S. Senate." There are grant and federal stimulus requests in Sen.
Kennedy's office, awaiting action, she said.
"With the governor appointing someone, those things will move forward,"
she said. Murray said she expects the governor to "deliberate and choose
wisely" in picking a successor. She said she has not had discussions
with the governor on the topic, adding, "I do not want any input."
Two-thirds of the members of the House and Senate must vote to approve
an emergency preamble for it to take effect, and although the bill won
approval in both branches, it failed to secure two-thirds support.
Under state law, members in each branch must take a separate vote on an
emergency preamble, which had already been written into the bill.
The first five hours of Wednesday's sessions were shrouded in a state of
confusion over procedural problems presented by the bill in the form
lawmakers had initially approved it.
Rep. Brad Hill (R-Ipswich), an opponent of the bill, told a gaggle of
reporters that the bill, before the emergency preamble was excised, was
unconstitutional because it contained an emergency preamble and lacked
the requisite two thirds support for such a provision. Hill said House
Democrats were mulling over plans to strike the preamble from the bill
or an alternative plan to substitute a new bill that does not include a
preamble, an alternative that a senior House Democrat confirmed was
under consideration.
Legislators were confused about the votes required to amend the bill at
the enactment stage - it had cleared the House 97-58 last Thursday and
the Senate 24-16 on Tuesday.
Rep. Paul Donato played down problems with the bill. But when asked to
specify the problems, Donato said, "What do you think they are? We don't
have enough votes."
House Assistant Minority Leader George Peterson threw another twist into
the debate, telling the News Service that some lawyers in the
Legislature, including Taunton Democrat Rep. James Fagan, were
suggesting that if the bill arrives on Patrick's desk without an
emergency preamble and the governor deploys his constitutional
prerogative to write a letter to make the law take effect immediately,
that Patrick would still need to wait 30 days to make his appointment.
If Patrick made an appointment sooner, Peterson said, there was
speculation an injunction could be filed.
According to the Secretary of State's William Galvin's office, the last
time Patrick invoked his authority to bypass the Legislature and
institute an emergency law was to expedite the implementation of a 2008
proposal by then-Sen. Dianne Wilkerson.
Wilkerson's bill was an attempt to speed development at Hynes Convention
Center. Under a 1982 law, any expenditure of more than $1 million on the
convention center must be preceded by a feasibility study. Wilkerson's
bill permitted a 2006 study to fulfill that requirement without the need
for a new study.
The Boston Democrat is awaiting trial on public corruption charges that
she took money for using her position to influence legislation.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos emailed supporters on
Wednesday, blasting Kirk, whose name is being bandied about as the
potential interim appointee.
"His rumored appointee, Paul Kirk, is a registered lobbyist, a campaign
financier, and a Democratic insider who defines everything that is wrong
with government today," Mihos wrote. "Lobbyist Paul Kirk, if appointed,
will blend in perfectly with the special interests in Washington who are
spending us into a debt that both Massachusetts and the United States
may never escape from. Even if he only joins the Senate for five months,
my fear is that Kirk will put his political and lobbying interests
before those of Massachusetts families."
The Eagle-Tribune
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
An Eagle-Tribune editorial
Kennedy successor vote about nothing but power
When in 1779 John Adams helped draft the Massachusetts Constitution, his
guiding principle was to create a "government of laws and not of men."
Adams recognized a fundamental truth first expressed by the ancient
Greeks: that sound government must be based on laws that apply to all,
not on the whims of despots, tyrants or even well-meaning kings.
The Massachusetts Legislature's Democratic majority has once again shown
its contempt for Adams, the world's oldest operating constitution and
the people of this state by turning the rule of law on its head.
The people of Massachusetts may still be ruled by the law. But our
legislators feel free to change the law to suit their needs at any given
point in time. And so we are ruled, as Adams sought to avoid, by the
whims of men — legislators who bend and shift the law to serve
themselves, not the people.
Adding insult to injury, they do so while proclaiming loudly and falsely
that they are acting only in our best interest.
And so it is with the bill concerning the U.S. Senate vacancy created by
the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy. The state Senate yesterday, as did the
House last week, approved a measure to allow Gov. Deval Patrick to
appoint an interim senator who will serve until a special election is
held Jan. 19.
The lie legislators tell to soothe their consciences is that
Massachusetts must be represented at all times by two senators. The
truth is that legislators expressed no such concern over representation
while Sen. John Kerry missed dozens of votes while running for president
in 2004 or when Sen. Kennedy missed nearly all votes during the final
months of his illness.
The truth is that this is all about political power. Local state Sens.
Steven Baddour, D-Methuen, Susan Tucker, D-Andover, and Bruce Tarr,
R-Gloucester, voted against the bill. Last week, state Reps. David
Torrisi, D-North Andover, Brian Dempsey, D-Haverhill, Linda Dean
Campbell, D-Methuen and Bradley H. Jones Jr., R-North Reading, voted
against the measure in the House.
Kudos to those senators and representatives for standing up for the rule
of law.
Prior to 2004, the governor of Massachusetts had the power to appoint a
senator to fill a vacant seat. But the state's Democratic legislators
could not stomach the possibility of Republican Gov. Mitt Romney's
appointing a successor to Sen. Kerry if Kerry were to win the
presidency.
So legislators in 2004 made all sorts of noble-sounding pronouncements
about the right of the people to elect their representatives and
stripped Romney of his appointment power. Senate vacancies must now be
filled through an election held within five months of the vacancy.
When the state's handful of Republican legislators suggested that the
governor could appoint an interim — precisely the law before the
Legislature today — Democrats shot them down. But now a Democrat is in
the governor's office. And a 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority in the
U.S. Senate is at stake. Now, it seems, interim senatorial appointments
are vital to the continued survival of democracy in this state. The
hypocrisy is staggering.
The Boston Globe
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Signs point to Kirk for interim senator
By Matt Viser and Frank Phillips
Governor Deval Patrick huddled with a small group of trusted advisers
last night to finalize his choice for an interim US senator, with
indications pointing to former Democratic National Committee chairman
Paul G. Kirk Jr., who has the strong backing of the immediate family of
the late Edward M. Kennedy, as the overwhelming favorite.
A person with knowledge of the process said last night that former
governor Michael S. Dukakis, considered a leading candidate for the
appointment, was unlikely to be chosen. At the same time, senior
Democrats in Washington told The New York Times that they were certain
Kirk would be the choice.
Patrick remained mum about his selection. Speaking to reporters in
Boston last night, he declined to disclose whether he had settled on an
appointee, saying only: “This is a very serious and important decision.
I expect to make it very, very soon.’’
The governor will announce the appointment at an 11 a.m. press
conference today at the State House.
Patrick was expected to begin making phone calls last night to the
candidates he chose not to appoint, with members of the state’s
congressional delegation being told of his choice this morning.
For weeks, it has been clear that this is not a choice that Patrick
relishes making and not one that either he or his aides believe will
benefit him politically. Some advisers and observers believe that,
regardless of whom he chooses, he will anger key elements of the
Democratic establishment. Further, many moderates and independents do
not believe Patrick should even have the power to pick someone.
Such ill will is a heavy price to pay, some believe, for an appointment
that will last only a few months. Voters will choose a new senator in a
special election Jan. 19.
“It’s an unenviable task,’’ said Mary Anne Marsh, a Democratic
strategist, “a great opportunity fraught with peril.’’
Patrick gained the power to appoint a temporary senator yesterday, with
the Massachusetts Legislature giving final approval to a controversial
bill that changes the state’s election law for the second time in five
years. The change, which Kennedy urged shortly before his death, will
allow Patrick, once he signs the bill, to appoint someone to Kennedy’s
seat until a special election is held Jan. 19.
The interim senator could be sworn in within days after the secretary of
the US Senate receives a certification of appointment from the governor,
according to Beth Provenzano, a spokeswoman for the secretary’s office.
The new senator could begin assembling a staff almost immediately, she
said.
Patrick has been conferring in recent days with a small group of his
closest advisers, including Doug Rubin, his campaign strategist and
former chief of staff; Arthur Bernard, his current chief of staff; John
Walsh, chairman of the state Democratic Party; and William M. Cowen, an
attorney at Mintz Levin and a close confidant.
But the governor is getting an earful from well beyond his inner circle.
He has been fielding phone calls from a wide array of competing
political interests eager to influence his decision.
Kennedy’s widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, has weighed in, telling the
governor that she prefers Kirk, according to a Kennedy family associate.
Her views add further pressure to fill the interim appointment with the
longtime Kennedy friend and former staff member, a man so close to the
family he was chosen as master of ceremonies at Kennedy’s memorial
service the night before the funeral last month.
The Globe reported yesterday that Kennedy’s two sons, US Representative
Patrick J. Kennedy of Rhode Island and Edward M. Kennedy Jr., have also
told Patrick that Kirk is their first choice.
“Paul Kirk cares enormously about our state, and that’s why he’s been
such a trusted friend to the Kennedy family and to me,’’ Senator John F.
Kerry said yesterday. “But this is the governor’s decision now, just as
it’s the peoples’ choice in January, and I’m not engaging in the
speculation game.’’
Though there remained the possibility last night that Patrick would
choose someone else, Kirk would be an obvious choice for sentimental
reasons, political observers say.
Kirk, a 71-year-old attorney who lives on Cape Cod, worked as a special
assistant to Senator Kennedy from 1969 to 1977, and is currently the
chairman of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. He is familiar with
many on Kennedy’s former staff and could help smooth the transition.
Kirk was registered as a lobbyist a decade ago. He was paid $35,000 to
represent the pharmaceutical company Hoechst Marion Roussel on
legislation before the US Senate in 1999, according to federal
disclosure records. He is currently on the board of directors of the
Hartford Insurance Group.
But choosing Kirk could alienate a core group of Patrick’s supporters
who remain loyal to Dukakis. The former governor had been filling out
paperwork as part of the vetting process by Patrick advisers, according
to a second person familiar with the process.
Patrick is facing lobbying on Dukakis’s behalf from political associates
of the onetime presidential candidate, erstwhile members of his inner
circle, and party activists, all of whom make up a part of the
Democratic Party that was central to Patrick’s 2006 campaign and,
according to some analysts, would be very important to his struggling
reelection bid.
Patrick “needs to have those people feel enthusiastic about his
reelection,’’ said Democratic strategist Dan Payne, who worked for
Dukakis campaigns in the 1980s. “If he doesn’t choose Dukakis, they will
sit on their hands, and he can’t afford that.’’
Some Kennedy insiders who support Kirk’s appointment, though, have
argued that Dukakis is too outspoken on health care issues, espousing
liberal positions that could complicate Democrats’ attempts in
Washington to moderate their approach on the legislation.
Among other names mentioned by observers are Harvard Law School
professor Charles J. Ogletree and former lieutenant governor Evelyn
Murphy.
The Massachusetts bill giving Patrick appointment powers was enacted
yesterday by the House, 95 to 59, and by the Senate, 24 to 16, after
only brief speeches.
“I’m glad the bill is finally passed,’’ Senate President Therese Murray
told reporters after the vote. “I think the debate over the last two
days made it very clear that we need two votes in the US Senate.’’
She insisted that she has no preference on the appointment.
“I do not want any input,’’ she said. “I’m sure he will deliberate and
choose wisely.’’
Republicans had been contemplating a last-ditch legal challenge, but
have backed away.
“There’s no need to delay for the sake of delay at this point,’’ Senate
minority leader Richard Tisei told reporters after the vote. “The vote’s
been cast, and I hope the governor picks somebody who can represent the
state well for the next couple of months.’’
Supporters of the bill failed to muster enough votes to include an
emergency provision that would make the law effective immediately. The
governor has the authority to implement the law immediately upon his
signature, as long as he sends a procedural letter to Secretary of State
William F. Galvin. Four House Republicans sent a letter last night
asking the Supreme Judicial Court to issue an advisory opinion on
whether Patrick has the power to put the law in place immediately,
though Galvin said that has been relatively routine.
Proponents have argued that the state needs two senators in Washington
when crucial issues are being debated, chief among them President
Obama’s plans for overhauling health care. Critics, including
Republicans and some Democrats, argued that the move was hypocritical,
because the Legislature rejected the notion of gubernatorial appointment
power in 2004 when the governor was a Republican.
“It is stunning how quick Bay State Democrats were to bow to political
pressure from Washington,’’ Republican National Committee chairman
Michael Steele said in a statement.
Not that Patrick enjoys being in this position.
“You want me to be honest?’’ the governor told reporters three weeks
ago. “I don’t need this headache.’’
Joseph Williams of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
The Boston Herald
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Deval Patrick’s likely Senate pick raises ‘serious concerns’
By Jessica Van Sack and Hillary Chabot
The Kennedy-backed pick for interim senator - a Beltway insider who
could enjoy a lifetime pass to the Senate floor - has deep ties to
special interests, sitting on a board that oversees a health-insurance
provider and having lobbied for the pharmaceutical industry, the Herald
has learned.
“Obviously, this is a conflict of interest and raises serious concerns,”
Craig Holman of the non-partisan watchdog Public Citizen, said of the
potential appointment of Paul G. Kirk Jr. to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s
seat. “It is distressing. There were many qualified people.”
Former Gov. Michael S. Dukakis is also considered a leading candidate,
though critics say he carries political baggage that could reflect
poorly on Gov. Deval Patrick in his own 2010 race. Last night, Patrick
refused to tip his hand on his choice for the job. But Patrick confirmed
he is submitting a letter to Secretary of State William Galvin declaring
an emergency so he can act now instead of waiting 90 days for the law to
take effect. He declined to comment on Republican protests that there is
no emergency.
“I recognize the gravity of this decision and I will make it very, very
soon,” Patrick said.
The governor’s schedule, released last night, indicated he will announce
his choice this morning at 11.
The push for Kirk gained momentum yesterday after the late senator’s
widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, and sons Patrick and Ted Jr. urged the
governor to appoint Kirk to the temporary post, a source close to the
Kennedys said. The governor confirmed hearing from Vicki Kennedy
“multiple times” on the matter but declined to elaborate.
Kirk, 71, a retired lobbyist and lawyer who lives on Cape Cod, raked in
a whopping $250,942 in salary and stock options as a board member for
Hartford Financial Services, the umbrella for The Hartford, which sells
health coverage to retirees.
Until a successor is elected in January, Kirk would wield a critical
vote in health insurance and financial industry reforms, raising
concerns about potential conflicts.
“Why in the world would they choose someone who has close ties to the
insurance industry?” asked Wendell Potter, a former health insurance
exec-turned-whistleblower. He noted the health insurance industry has
much to gain in the current reform package, especially if coverage is
mandated without competition from a government insurance option, as a
bill now before the Senate finance committee proposes.
“This would represent an enormous new revenue stream for the insurance
industry,” Potter said, adding of Kirk, “On one hand, he certainly would
be knowledgeable of insurance issues, and on the other hand . . . there
are going to be questions about his objectivity.”
Kirk did not return numerous phone calls yesterday. A former partner at
the politically wired Hub law firm Sullivan & Worcester, Kirk lobbied
for pharmaceutical giants Hoechst Marion Roussel and Aventis in 1998 and
1999, records show.
The plum appointment would guarantee Kirk Senate floor privileges and a
D.C. parking space for life - along with the ability to go back to
lobbying in two years.
Holman predicted Kirk would resign from Hartford Financial if appointed,
but added, “Clearly that’s going to be a temporary resignation with a
wink and a nod . . . Everything he learns in the Senate he is free to
profit from.”
The Boston Globe
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Backroom politics over Kennedy’s seat
By Joan Vennochi
This is turning into a test of Camelot’s clout and Governor Deval
Patrick’s loyalties.
The pressure is building for Patrick to appoint Paul G. Kirk Jr. as Ted
Kennedy’s interim successor. Kennedy’s widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy,
is lobbying for Kirk, and Kennedy’s sons, Patrick and Edward M. Kennedy
Jr., also told Patrick that Kirk is their choice.
If it’s Kirk, Patrick is picking a Kennedy foot soldier and political
insider who is well-known inside Washington’s power circles - but is
virtually unknown to Massachusetts voters.
If it’s Kirk, Patrick is rejecting Michael S. Dukakis, who served three
terms as governor of Massachusetts and won his party’s presidential
nomination, fighting all the while for core Democratic values. The
Dukakis loss to George H.W. Bush in the 1988 presidential race is an
unpleasant reminder of Democratic failure. But it is also an example of
Dukakis’s unwavering commitment to key Democratic principles, including
health care reform.
Dukakis’s wife, Kitty, was also an early and avid Patrick supporter, who
stood behind his bid for governor when other Democrats wrote it off.
Kennedy’s wish for an interim replacement is being framed as a noble
desire to retain two votes for Massachusetts, and especially to deliver
a vote on health care legislation in the US Senate.
It’s also about keeping Kennedy’s office staff in Washington as long as
possible. Given the Kennedy staff reputation for excellence, there’s
nothing wrong with that goal and there’s nothing terrible about choosing
Kirk to carry it out. He’s a good man for the interim job. But let’s not
overwrap it in Camelot’s gauze. Pushing Kirk as the temporary bearer of
the Kennedy torch is typical backroom politics. And, it’s being done
with typically sharp Kennedy elbows.
Kirk, a lawyer and onetime chairman of the Democratic National
Committee, served as a special assistant to Kennedy from 1969 to 1977.
He is chairman of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. He will do
exactly what Kennedy would want him to do on health care reform and
other issues that come up in the limited time of his interim
appointment.
But so would Dukakis. Or maybe he wouldn’t. Is that so bad?
Why must Kirk be promoted at Dukakis’s expense, by painting the former
governor as a stubborn, aging, trash-collecting eccentric?
It’s pathetic to read the whispers of unnamed party officials who
suggest that “an independent streak’’ makes Dukakis unsuitable for
Washington. It’s sad to hear the 20-year-old jokes about a politician
who left office to teach college students, not make millions in lobbyist
fees; who walked away from elective office but stayed in the fight for
public policy; who knows what he believes in and isn’t afraid to state
it; and who has a humble side, at odds with the over-inflated political
ego that is a Washington staple.
In New York, Caroline Kennedy tried and failed to win appointment as
Hillary Clinton’s replacement, after the former first lady and
presidential candidate left the Senate to become secretary of state.
But in Massachusetts, the Kennedy legacy has more staying power and the
Kennedy family thinks it should have more to say about who carries it
forward. Ted Kennedy’s temporary replacement must reflect Kennedy’s
values and embody his spirit, as they define it. The interim senator
will hold the job only until a new senator is elected on Jan. 19. But
the person should be more than a seat-warmer, not that either Kirk or
Dukakis fits that description.
As James Michael Curley once said, “Every time you do a favor for a
constituent, you make nine enemies and one ingrate.’’
Camelot’s last hurrah is a dilemma for Patrick.
If it’s a last hurrah. One of Joe Kennedy’s twin sons supposedly covets
the Eighth Congressional District seat that his father once held. Its
current occupant, Representative Michael Capuano, is running to replace
Ted Kennedy in January’s special election. A Capuano win would leave an
opening for another Kennedy-for-Congress campaign.
The torch may yet be passed to another Kennedy generation. No one wants
to get burned.
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