As you know I stay out of politics. I did tip my toe into it with an article before the primary based on a conversation with my son: Martha, Maura and My Son. I had no intention of doing another one. But here it is and my motivations for doing it will be explained as I go along.
First let me get one thing out of the way which is Maura Healey’s candidacy for attorney general. She is gutsy and adventurous, after graduating from Harvard she went off to Europe to play professional basketball for two years; and a truly dedicated public servant who stepped down from a high paying position at one of Boston’s top legal firms, I used to know it as Hale and Dorr, to join the Attorney General’s office where she has worked for 7 years. My favorite story about her is that during her victory party after the primaries a group of the poorest among us, those with severe disabilities, arrived. She stopped what she was doing and immediately went to them. She hugged and conversed with each one.
That is the type of person, intelligent, compassionate and who participated in team sports, who belongs in the attorney generals office. We know where her heart is. She doesn’t need my endorsement, I assume she will win easily. Her opponent cannot articulate any reason to vote for him. I would not have written about her at all except I wanted to keep the symmetry with my prior post. The real intent of this post is to discuss Martha Coakley.
I do that because some have told me they voted for Martha and Maura in the primary based on my recommendation but hesitate to vote for Martha in the final. They are upset about the prosecutions of Cahill and O’Brien. Irish amnesia is at work.
I want to remind them to look at the big picture. The people who are the enemies of Martha are people they have learned to mistrust. They should not let their amnesia block that out.
Her candidacy is being undermined by unfair and untruthful actions seeking to undermine it. There is the outlier poll which resulted in the headline : “Baker Clobbering Coakley in Latest Globe Poll.” That headline shouted out loud and clear that Martha was washed up – one could hear Thomas Gray’s “dirges due in sad array” for her candidacy.
I’ve noted the poll made no sense. It changed the identity of people polled in such a manner as to give Baker a bigger lead. Among Independents polled those who leaned toward Democrats were 13% whereas before they were 15%; those who leaned Republican were 17% where before they were 16%, a twist of 3% toward Baker. MA enrollment breakdown in 2012 is Democratic 35.9% and Republican 11.35%. The Globe’s poll is Democrat 36% and Republican 14%, again skewing toward the Republicans by 3%. These were little changes but all slanted in the direction of Charlie Baker to produce a significantly more favorable result.
The Globe has endorsed Baker. So has the Herald. This is quite a gang-up on Coakley. We shouldn’t let it pass. If you judge Coakley by her enemies, then surely you’ll want to vote for her. She’s not going to be serving their special interests as we’ve seen so many other governors do.
I know you’ve all heard Martha referred to as Marsha. That’s been hammered out by Howie Carr for several years. Anyone who knows Howie knows his stock in trade is to demean good people. Recall how he continually besmirched the reputation of Billy Bulger. I’d think anyone would have a repulsion to supporting anyone he backs.
He plays to the worst instincts of people. Voting the way he wants will further empower him to spread his evil talk. He has little regard for the truth. We’ve seen it in his books. He is only interested in his own personal aggrandizement.
Seriously, if you tend to think you’ll vote against Coakley, think of what you will be voting for. If you think Coakley was wrong in prosecuting O’Brien or Cahill and plan to vote against her for that, consider the Howie was a prominent voice in condemning them also. Howie and his people, including Baker, would have had no trouble prosecuting them.
Aside from his scandalous treatment of Billy Bulger and other politicians who have come from the common folk, think of this. Carr has partnered with one of the worst people to ever to live in our area, John Martorano. He and Martorano wrote a book, Hitman, where they have made tons of money by bragging about murdering people. The families of those victims suffer additional hurt while Carr stuffs his pockets with money dripping with their blood. If you want to follow him he will lead you to perdition.
Remember how close he was to the last Republican governor Romney, who also supports Baker. Romney was going to appoint to the Board of Trustees at the University of Massachusetts Howie Carr, Alan Dershowitz and Judge George Daher for the explicit purpose of doing a hit on Billy Bulger.
Don’t let Irish amnesia let you forget that people like Baker empower the haters like Howie Carr and use them to undermine good people. Martha Coakley is a good person. She needs your vote.
Howie Carr’s calling Martha as “Marsha” is his way of calling our attention to a four year old gaffe by Patrick Kennedy – January 17th, 2010:
“It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt. This long held quote could be attached to many political nitwits over the years. ”
“Will there ever be a more classic example of political ineptitude than that delivered yesterday by Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) in support of the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, Martha Coakley? ”
“For those who missed it, Kennedy spoke yesterday at a political rally for the Massachusetts Democrat. After the rally in speaking with reporters, Kennedy continually identified the Democratic candidate as ‘Marcia’ Coakley.”
http://www.senseoncents.com/tag/patrick-kennedy-and-marsha-coakley/
Henry:
Thanks for the trip back in history. Too bad that wasn’t Kenney’s only blunder.
Why would anyone vote for Nifong or Wyshak? Two people who engaged in false prosecutions. Coakley is guilty of the same crime. No one should pay attention to Globe polls. A week before she fell to Brown the Globe said she had a 15 point lead. Citizens should be informed when they vote. No one should cast a ballot based on a tv ad or a newspaper endorsement. If the Globe and Herald advise us to eat fruits and vegetables should we do the opposite because we generally dislike those papers? The position of a newspaper should be irrelevant.2. Your, Baker’s and Bill’s position on Connolly deserve great praise.
Matt et al :
I loathe hypocrisy. I get a prickly feeling of having the self-righteous lecture to me about their virtue even as, as politicians do, they try to steal more of my silver. It is then I take Ralph Waldo Emerson’s advice : ” The more they talked of their virtue, the faster we counted our spoons. ” Howie Carr is not a candidate. Maura Hennigan is indeed the cat’s meow in divers respects. And Martha/Marsha’s own Inspector General alleges to Carr and the Globies, talk about unholy alliances, that Martha tried to silence hik when he was about to frame criminal charges against Sal DiMasi : They brought him up to the ” Old Boys” conference room where Martha, Old Boy Numero Uno, berated him subtly for launching the probe, and told him DiMasi’s actions ” do not cross the BRIGHT LINE OF CRIMINALITY, ” in ” Our Opinion .” Well there is bright and not too bright at all when it comes to these shenanigans in Mass politics. And the FEDS listen very closely, Always! !!! Long/short, they closed him down by taking the reins of his investigation. They ostracized him. They slandered him, a lifelong Democratic operative with impeccable Party credentials, by bandying it about that he was a fifth columnist for the Republicans . And he settled their hash by referring it all to the US Attorney. We know the resr.
As far as Carr goes Matt you offer him as a red herring here and soak him in the blood for profit of his ” Friend Martorano. ” Give it a rest. Many have cashed in or attempted to cash in on the blood of the victims and not so victims, of the Whitey Saga. This includes you Matt as my words bounce UP FROM YOUR TRIAL OF WHITEY BULGER BLOG to your honest blue eyes. I presume they are blue anyway. You are a sort of blue eyed assassin in my friendly and patiently humorous assessment. Tell me Matt , if Martha gets in and your, I have no doubt fully professional and accomplished Son, gets a peachy post in state government, due in some part to your peachy Martha POSTS, will you call this patronage ? Will you denounce yourself for profiting from victim’s sufferings as you enploy your WHITEY BLOG as a cover for unabashed political shilling for your candidate? Will you refer yourself, even self- referentially, for prosecution?
Personally Matt, I smell hypocrisy and opportunism here, bur no ” Bright line of criminality ” gleams forth. But let us call a spade a spade, in Howie Carr’s hands or your own !!!!!!!!!
“A vote against Martha is a vote for Howie Carr.” WHAT ???
I hate Martha over the Cahill O ‘Neil thing but from the gutter to Howie is not up. She has my vote.