Ward Representation Circus Gets Goofier

SPRINGFIELD - A former black city councilor and a veteran campaign worker for black political candidates today told a federal judge they received chilly receptions from white voters during election years.

Carol Lewis-Caulton, who served on the council from 2001 to 2003, and Democratic City Committee Chairman E. Henry Twiggs, were among witnesses testifying in an ongoing voting rights trial in U.S. District Court.

"The feeling was pretty much .¤.¤. people did not make eye contact with you. They did not come over and chat with you," Lewis-Caulton said, referring to her experience at mostly white campaign events.

Twiggs testified he and longtime state Rep. Benjamin Swan, D-Springfield, were occasionally ordered off white voters' property when the two went door-to-door.

The court battle over ward representation, which appears on its face to be about simple numbers, has effectively called into question two decades of race relations in Springfield. According to plaintiffs suing the city to swap at-large City Council and School Committee seats for a district-based system, political opportunities for blacks and Latinos are sorely lacking.

But lawyers for the city have argued local politics are open to hard-working candidates of all races and ethnic backgrounds, holding up a handful of crossover candidates as success stories.

A jury-waived trial began Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor. Testimony will continue Monday.

Credit: Masslive.com

This 'trial' or whatever they want to call it has gone from absurd to plain ridiculous. Is this the undisputable evidence these people are talking about?

Carol Louis-Caulton was voted off the city council because she was a crappy city councilor. The question that isn't answered however, is that if her skin color was an issue during her re-election bid, then how come it wasn't when she WON election? Does she have polling data to back that up?


Then our good old friend E. Henry Twiggs, chairman of the Springfield city Democrats, said he and State Representative Ben Swan were chased off of white people's property. If Ben Swan came on my property, i'd chase him off too. The reason being that he's a crook and there are a ton of folks who know it. I'd chase Billy Bulger off my front lawn and about three quarters of the Massachusetts State Legislature. The difference between Swan and everyone else though, is that half his family is in jail, all as a result of being a little too free-wheeling with taxpayer money.

So as far as i'm concerned, there's really no case here. Nothing is documented, nothing is supported by data, evidence or anything. All it is is unadulterated whining over the fact that these candidates of this particular political bent can't get the job done and that they want the government to step in and set quotas to make sure they have a seat at the table no matter what.

Patrick to illegals: "Make a baby, you can stay"

Governor Deval Patrick has a few things to say about the illegal immigrants rounded up yesterday in New Bedford.

The plight of families affected by a New Bedford immigration raid is a "humanitarian crisis" and it's not over, Gov. Deval Patrick said Friday.

The governor's description of the fallout from Tuesday's raid on the Michael Bianco Inc. factory came as he announced that some detainees who are being held out of state are being released and returned to Massachusetts.

Five children and two mothers are among the people being released Friday, he said.

"Our focus is on the children and those other vulnerable people who were affected by this," he said. "It is a humanitarian crisis and it is not over yet."

Wow, a 'humanitarian crisis'!? Isn't that a little over-dramatic, Deval? These people broke the law. If they cared about their kids, they wouldn't have ever put themselves , especially their children, in that kind of a situation to begin with, but bah! Who needs responsibility? We arrest parents all over the United States every day for all sorts of crimes. Many of them are found guilty. Now illegals get to stay with their kids just because they're ILLEGAL?

Memo from Patrick to Illegals: "Want to Stay? Make Babies. TONS of 'em". Did he mention he'll pay for their college tuition too? My only question is: Does each one come with a free credit card?

Patrick apparently said during the campaign that illegal immigration was a federal issue. So why is he making phone calls trying to insure that hundreds of law-breakers are being permitted to stay in the state? This was mere weeks after Patrick announced he was not going to allow state troopers to cooperate with immigration officials.

Despite all of this rhetoric and pseudo chest-thumping, Patrick knew this raid was going to occur. He was told by Federal Officials it was going to happen. He let it happen. But then Deval realized something:


Nothing gets mini-scandals off the front page of a newspaper like starting a little race-fight!

We've all heard the story before: The evil honkeys and some uncle toms too, again, coming in and unjustly rounding up all the 'undocumented' workers and shipping them back to their country because we're all spiteful and racist for enforcing our laws. It will galvanize Deval's base, make him look like a champion of minority rights. Then he could go back to Pod-Casts and possibly open up a chain of taxpayer-funded Coffee Shops and we can all forget about those rocky days in early March.

This, ladies and gentleman, is our Governor. Next time, please vote for an adult.

Upcoming Events and Other Fun

UP COMING STUFF

The MassGOP campaign school
Saturday, March 10, 2007,
10:00-3:00 p.m. at the Quincy Marriott.
For more information, contact Rob
Willington at 1-617-523-5005; Ext. 228, or via e-mail at
Rwillington@massgop.com.


The Western Massachusetts Republicans will host its annual Calvin
Coolidge Banquet
Thursday, March 22, 5:30 p.m. at The Log Cabin Restaurant,
500 Easthampton Rd., Holyoke.
Dinner served at 6:15.
For more information, contact Marcia Evans at 1-413-221-7577

Obama's Audacity (Or Lack Thereof)

Philosopher Hanna Arendt always like to say that “politics is not the nursery”, but if one was to take a quick look at today’s political climate, one will see this proved untrue if not undeniably false. Triangulatio, which is the practice of playing opposing forces against one another lest by any chance one’s own principles be considered “offensive”, is now widely practiced in political campaigns.

Politicians like Barak Obama and our own Deval Patrick. who subscribe to this rhetoric, insist that arguments between opposing points of view creates more problems than solutions. It polarizes anyone who dares stand anywhere that isn’t the middle. This goes against the very point of politics and the process that surrounds it. Politics and government exist to help humanity better solve disputes amongst ourselves. Denying the necessary fact that politics deals solely in disagreements as opposed to agreements tends to produce a chilling effect against folks who don’t stand squarely in the center. If you take a stance, you’re deemed ‘controversial’ or ‘extreme’.

The simple fact is that in times of conflict, the center cannot hold, and if the best of the best lack conviction, it gives way. To borrow (or continue to ) from William Butler Yeats- to the worst, which are full of passionate intensity.

So now we’ve got Barack Obama, whose autobiography, “The Audacity of Hope” has become a neo-manifesto for ‘progressives’. My Father-In-Law leant me the book to read, and as I didn’t pay for it, I felt it wouldn’t hurt to give it a read. As far as I could tell from my own reading, Obama shows a tendency, even an outright eagerness, to take positions not conspicuous, let’s say, for their audacity. Perhaps his most prominent position in this regard is his ‘stand’ against genocide in Darfur, which really isn’t a ‘stand’ against or for anything, seeing as there is no such thing as a pro-genocide movement to ‘stand’ against.

In fact, Obama seems to be full of this sort of blather. When Obama declared he was running for the Presidency in Springfield, IL., he roused up the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858, in which, as he told it, Lincoln “called on a divided house to stand together.”

It would have been awesome is Lincoln had, well, actually ever said that. What Lincoln did argue, actually and implicitly, was that the house would ‘cease to be divided,’ which is not quite the same. All the previous compromises made by moderate governments had amplified the danger of complacency. When Lincoln judged that a reckoning of some kind was coming no matter what, it was an attack on the establishment, moderate government, which, far from being too adversarial, had been complacent about those who wanted to split the country for far too long.

Harry Jaffa, a leading, if not THE leading historian on the subject, claimed that Lincoln represented a ‘great link in the chain of events that led to secession and civil war.’ So rather than Obama’s preference for a common front, its more in line with common sense to accept, as Lincoln did, that politics is division by definition.

This 100%, testosterone-free ‘rising star’ of the Democratic party is aiming, like Deval Patrick did here in Massachusetts, to turn the political arena into a nursery. Like Governor Patrick, Obama’s supporters would likely struggle to name his greatest accomplishment, aside of course, from his impeccable dental hygene and making the initials “B.O.” not be so gross anymore. One hopes this juvenile attempt will miss it’s mark, if only because it has little to offer it in a time when, with actual enemies presenting themselves against western civilization as a whole, politics in the western world’s leading country should be serious business. Obama’s triangulation politics, in contrast, are meant for show, and they ought to be regarded and treated as such.

After all, as Ann Coulter said in a column; “If Obama's biggest asset is his inexperience, then if by the slightest chance he were elected and were to run for a second term, he will have to claim he didn't learn anything the first four years.”

Heroes Rescue Man in Burning Building

Because people don't talk about the good going on in Springfield. In a time when it's hard to crack a smile, stories like this are refreshing.

Coakley-Rivera Testimony a Coincidence?

In a story found on the Springfield Republican's website, State Representative Cheryl Coakley-Rivera (D-Springfield) painted a 'dismal picture of Racial Equality in Springfield'.

Que political grand standing at it's worst in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

State Rep. Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera, D-Springfield, who is of Irish and Puerto Rican descent, testified she believes her Anglo roots have helped her win white votes over the past several elections.

"My mother is from County Cork. I think that's made a difference. ... People have said that to me," the legislator said under questioning from a lawyer for plaintiffs in a ward representation lawsuit against the city.

Civil rights groups and individuals who brought the suit have argued Springfield's at-large voting for City Council and School Committee largely shuts out black and Latino candidates who face fund-raising and networking challenges in a racially splintered city.

Well this is as big a surprise as the sun coming up in the morning. Rivera's always looking for a fight, whether it's punching someone in the face on the house floor, or screaming about Trash Fees, she's never far from the headlines.

It's the end of the story that's the telling part of this.

Coakley-Rivera did not testify publicly about allegations in her sworn statement about Mayor Charles V. Ryan's former chief of staff, Michelle Webber.

Coakley-Rivera submitted an affidavit last month for trial that detailed alleged racist statements made by Webber at City Hall, including calling a man of Muslim descent a "towel head."

Webber denied making the statements, but ultimately resigned after the legislator's allegations became public.

Of course, this little snippet was tossed in the story for good measure and its worth mentioning because, by now, it should strike no one as a mere coincidence.

What's more convenient than anything are the names and identities of the folks who are being left out of this story, the Ryan Staffers who accused Webber of making these statements. I find it beyond a coincidence that these two staffers were former staffers to Cheryl Rivera once upon a time.

Meddle much?

She's clearly attempting to galvanize the minority vote by showing up to testify in this trial just as much like she probably was during the whole Ryan-Weber 'scandal'. This is a third, very clear shot across the bow of the S.S. Charlie Ryan Steamship.

Cheryl Rivera wants to be Mayor, and she's willing to blatantly use the race card to do it.

It's no secret Ryan and Rivera, who've traditionally been pretty formidable allies, aren't on the same page the way they used to be. The coincidences and timing here stink worse than a burning bag of dog poo.

The message is clear: get out of the way.

Teachers and (S)Extra Credit

More teachers are diddling kids these days, but no one seems to really care. At least not with the kind of outrage and gusto in fighting the problem in the Catholic Church. So where is it? Where's the Outrage? Because they don't invoke God, does it somehow make them less fun to go after?


Here's A Principal in Long Island, some diddling in Peoria, IL and last but never least, a New York City school teacher who just couldn't keep herself from raping one of her students.

Dateline should do a "To Catch a Predator" episode on this crap.

MassGOP Primary a Hurdle for Romney?

When I tell people I'm from Massachusetts and Republican, their first reaction is usually one of shock. After a little while the look at me like I'm some sort of ice man that was just found in Switzerland and give me the old 'I didn't know those existed'.

Lately, the statement that follows that is "SO, whatcha think of this Mitt Romney guy eh? You supporting him?"

When I say I haven't decided yet, they're quite puzzled. But I don't seem to be the only guy not completely buying into the Mitt Romney candidacy. According to an article that ran in the Boston Globe today, I'm not the only one.

Of course, the Globe wouldn't ever pass up an opportunity to hammer Romney and certainly didn't here. I would get worked up if it weren't true.

Instead, Zykofsky, of Lynn, backs Rudolph W. Giuliani, believing that of the major candidates, the former New York mayor is the one "most capable of handling the job of president at such a difficult time."

Zykofsky is one of a number of active Republicans in the region who either are supporting others or keeping their options open. Other Giuliani backers include state Senate minority leader Richard R. Tisei of Wakefield, state Senator Bruce E. Tarr of Gloucester, and former Massachusetts Republican Party chairman Brian Cresta of Middleton.

Key local Republicans supporting Romney's run include House minority leader Bradley Jones of North Reading, state Representative Brad Hill of Ipswich, and former lieutenant governor Kerry Healey of Beverly.

Among former Republican governors in the state, Jane Swift supports Arizona Senator John McCain, Paul Cellucci has endorsed Giuliani, and William F. Weld is backing Romney.

Massachusetts is going to be a tough hurdle for Mitt Romney to overcome both in the primary and in the general election.

Not winning your home state can be seen as quite an embarrassment. Just ask former Vice President Al Gore, who lost his home state of Tennessee in 2000-- a state that could have put him in the White House if his friends and neighbors had actually voted for their hometown boy. Romney certainly wants to avoid that kind of blemish in any way possible.

Dads swing back.

Here's a great piece on Fathers by Jack Dunphy in this week's National Review. Great stuff.

The far left has done a pretty good demolition job on Dads in the past 30 years or so. To be a single mom is praised by the media, particularly television. Unfortunately, what is shown and praised are single moms that are successful. The reality is very few are successful.

It's not to say us Dads and To-Be Dads are not to blame. We shouldn't neglect our responsibilities to wife and family. Just because we are fed dribble from mentally stunted population that Fathers aren't essential to a family unit, doesn't mean it's true. I love my father very much but part of that love stems from the very healthy fear every child should have of Good Ole' Dad's 'tough love'. Communities are important to providing the kind of positive environment in which our children can be raised, but are no replacement for good mothers and father at home.

Springfield Ward "Representation"

After a few failed attempts, advocates of Ward Representation in Springfield have gone to the courts, suing the city on the basis that the current at-large voting system used to elect city councilors has rigged the system to work against minority voters.

Hopefully, someone lays the smack-down on this before it causes serious, if not irreparable damage to democratic government in the city of Springfield.

Usually, I hate doing this “post a quote, post a response” method of doing things, but it’s late.

Springfield Urban League President Henry M. Thomas III told a judge that whites, for example, have more access to schmooze-ready venues, such as Rotary Club meetings and Catholic churches - both popular mines for politicians.

You mean to tell me that an Afro-American candidate wouldn’t be allowed to attend the Old Hill Citizens Council meeting? Or the Pine Point Citizens Council? They have access; they just need to do a better job of doing something WITH that access.

No one can do this stuff for them. If they want to make it easier, hire a consultant.

"Not everybody's like me," Thomas, long a political force, told U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor. "I have been able to transcend those artificial boundaries ... but not everyone can."

But that’s the point. Not everyone can have a seat on the city council. Not everyone can have health care, not everyone can have a personal jet, and not everyone can play in the NHL. Thomas broke the glass ceiling by competing and taking the right steps to insure he’d win and/or be successful.

Plaintiffs suing to change the composition of the City Council and School Committee have called former and contemporary political candidates, plus seasoned campaign workers, to support their argument that few minorities can penetrate the "white bloc" vote in Springfield.

But WHY is that? It’s awfully presumptive to assume that the underlying reason in this is all because of someone’s skin color. What issues do they support? Have they reached out? How much reaching out have they done in comparison to others? What are they asking for? What are they offering? These are all questions that aren’t being asked because it’s a great opportunity for a group to politically grand stand.

Civil rights groups and a handful of black and Latino residents sued the city in U.S. District Court in 2005.

The lawsuit followed several failed attempts to change the so-called "at-large" City Council, which requires candidates to run citywide for nine seats, to a district-based system. The plaintiffs also want to alter the at-large School Committee to include ward representatives.

The lawsuit contends the at-large system is stacked against minority candidates, violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965. A jury-waived trial began on Tuesday after mediation talks fizzled.

The Plaintiffs in this case are worth mentioning, but as per the usual in the Repubican these days, they conveniently omitted their names. The first two players in this are two groups which endorsed the socialist party’s nominee for the Presidency; ARISE for Social Justice and Oiste? The third is an old friend of ours, the NAACP.

I’m sure they’re miffed about all of this. Save for 2 Republicans on the council in the last 10-15 years or so, the Council has been almost entirely stocked full of Liberal Democrats. Apparently, they’re not liberal enough. That’s the problem here, don’t kid yourselves. Smells like a quota system to me.

Believe you me, it’s not about the minority candidates not getting elected, it’s about the TYPE of minority candidates not being elected. I’ll bet my life ARISE and company wouldn’t be supporting a Republican or Hispanic minority candidate for dog catcher, let alone school board or city council.

The 90% Democratic city council saw through it, so they went to the courts to have un-elected officials make the decision for everyone, which is usually par for the course with groups such as these.

Lawyers for the city argue the political climate in Springfield is ripe for any hard-working candidate. City Solicitor Edward M. Pikula has argued ward representation will promote clannish thinking among neighborhood representatives.

Thomas, a former police commissioner and member of the state Board of Education, today testified ward representation could entice "disconnected" voters.

Springfield residents are thinking three things these days:

1.) They hate needless Taxes. The city council loves needless taxes. See Trash.
2.) They are tired of government waste and unresponsiveness. The City Council depends on it to keep their jobs. Thanks to them, a finance control board is in place to make sure they don’t drink their own pee.
3.) Springfield Residents are moderately conservative on social issues. Most on the City Council aren’t.

So sure, the climate is definitely pointing at a big change, which might come as soon as this fall, if Springfield residents bother to vote.

The problem with this from ARISE, Oiste and the NAACP’s standpoint, is that it’s not the kind of change THEY’RE seeking. They want the city council to increase taxes. They want the size and scope of what the city government can do to be much larger than it is now. They are also radically to the left on social issues.

Again, it’s political, not out of good will.

Thomas also told Ponsor minority candidates have difficulty raising money and winning endorsements from prominent whites.

Thomas also told Ponsor minority candidates have difficulty raising money and winning endorsements from prominent whites.

Idali Torres, a city resident and public health professor at the University of Massachusetts, testified she has worked on campaigns for two women of color: former School Committee member Carmen Rosa and former City Councilor Carol J. Lewis-Caulton.

Lewis-Caulton became the first black woman to win a council seat in 1999. She lost a bid for re-election in 2001. Torres said fund-raising and wooing endorsements proved difficult.

Raising funds are difficult. It’s not easy for candidates who aren’t incumbents to raise cash. Caulton lost her seat because the voters didn’t feel she was fit to stay there, not because she was a minority. She shared different views from the voting public. If there are folks out there who share and support her views, the onus is on her to activate those voters and make sure they show up at the polls.

When people don’t share your policy stances, finding money and support IS difficult. But in a REPRESENTATIVE democracy, that’s sort of what you need to do; represent the interests of the people who elected you, not the people who don’t care enough to vote in the first place. Our government’s success hinges on the quality of participation on the part of its citizens. If they’re not going to contribute to the discussion or debate, then they shouldn’t expect to get anything out of it.

Rosa, on the other hand, won a School Committee seat by a landslide in 1993, after two years of knocking on doors and campaigning full-time. Torres also testified that Rosa, a Latina, does not look Hispanic.

"People used to ask if she was Italian," Torres said, adding she believes crossover candidates - City Councilors Jose F. Tosado and Bud L. Williams - have political connections that appeal to white voters.

This is precisely the point. What did Bud Williams do that made him different from the other black candidates that ran for city council? What did (Former City Council President, I might add) Jose Tosado do differently from other Hispanic candidates?


Politics isn’t Little League, where everyone, including the kid wearing the hockey helmet at the end of the bench, gets to play. If someone can’t activate enough voters to support his campaign in order to finish 9th place in an election, then I don’t want them on my city council. This is the test. You can’t just stuff the ballot boxes all you want until you get the desired outcome you please.

Receiving 25 votes in one ward and winning an election doesn’t speak to the concerns of the entire community, which is what the City Council should do. Instead of one representative, you have nine. Instead of 25 people making a decision that will effect thousands, thousands are making decisions for the 25.

If you’re considering running for city council or any elected office, you first need to figure out whether or not you’re a good candidate. Do your views line up with the population? What issues will resonate with voters? Do you have the money? Are you willing to spend everyone else’s money? These are all questions that should be asked before you even take out your papers at city hall. If the answer is no to most, all or even a few of those questions, then you are not a viable candidate and it would be a waste of your time and other people’s money to run. If you’re exceptionally committed, start campaigning and begin to set in motion the wheels of change. But just because you WANT to run, doesn’t mean you’re ENTITLED to win.

Heck, you need to come in NINTH place to win.

I understand and can even appreciate the arguments behind Ward Representation. In fact, if you’re looking at the two systems, the Ward system is entirely more appealing to me from a philosophical standpoint, but it HAS to be for the right reasons and it should be glaringly clear to all that the folks seeking ‘equal representation’ aren’t seeking ‘equal representation’. That’s the issue here that I think many advocates of Ward Representation are overlooking. It’s not the ‘what’, it’s the ‘who’s behind it and why’.

To the folks in ARISE, Oiste and at the NAACP, it’s about forcefully establishing a take over of the city government by people they choose and that they feel will better advocate for issues important to them. It is special interest at it’s most loathsome. It’s about insuring that their brand of politics is slammed down everyone’s throats, not through the Democratic process, but via un elected Judicial Activists in the Court System. To these people, it doesn’t matter if it breeds clansmanship in the city amongst neighborhoods. Socialists already operate that way. In their worldview, everyone is lumped into nice, neat little categories: gay clan, the lesbian clan, the Hispanic clan, the black clan, the white clan, the sub clans and we don’t need anymore. That’s what they want. They want irresponsible voters coming to the polls because it means they don’t have to be held accountable for their loony antics like supporting socialist candidates for the US Presidency, setting up tent cities in the major tourist areas of the city and being flat out odd.

This isn’t being done in the name of democracy, it’s being done in the name of replacing democracy with THEIR form of Democracy and that’s shameful. They’re willing to waste taxpayer dollars to prove it, too.

For once, the City Council did something good and ignored this lunacy. You should, too.

Mass GOP Demands Investigation of Governor Deval Patrick

Looks like the Governor is in a little more trouble than he bargained for.

The following was reported on masslive.com:

BURLINGTON, Mass. (AP) — Gov. Deval Patrick, a day after saying he regrets making a phone call to Citigroup on behalf of a struggling lending company on whose board he once served, said "don't give up on me," as the state Republican Party called for an ethics investigation.

"I will make mistakes, but don't give up on me, because I don't intend to give up on Massachusetts," Patrick, a Democrat, said Wednesday morning after an appearance at the Massachusetts High Technology Council annual meeting.

Patrick urged the public to look past his gaffes, which last month included disclosure of an expensive upgrade of his state car to a Cadillac.

The state Republican Party filed a request Wednesday with the state Ethics Commission, asking the panel to investigate the phone call.

The Massachusetts State Republican Party issues the following release for those of you interested:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Brian Dodge

March 7, 2007 (617) 523-5005

Massachusetts Republicans File Ethics Complaint AGAINST GOVERNOR PATRICK

Boston, MA - Today, the Massachusetts Republican Party submitted a letter to the Massachusetts Ethics Commission requesting an investigation into the actions of Governor Deval Patrick taken on behalf of ACC Capital Holdings.

The letter to the Ethics Commission cites a February 20th call placed by Governor Patrick to a Citigroup Senior Executive at the request of the Vice Chairman of ACC Capital Holdings. The call was made as ACC Capital was requesting substantial financial assistance from Citigroup.

"Governor Patrick's effort to influence a business transaction at the request of his former employer raises serious ethical questions," said Brian Dodge, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Republican Party. "Therefore, it is only appropriate to ask the Ethics Commission to investigate this matter further."

And finally, here's the copy of the letter faxed to the Massachusetts Ethics Commission:

TEXT OF LETTER FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS REPUBLICAN PARTY TO THE MASSACHUSETTS ETHICS COMMISSION

March 7, 2007

State Ethics Commission
Enforcement Division
One Ashburton Place, Room 619
Boston, Massachusetts 02108

Dear Commissioners:

According to a March 6th story in the Boston Globe headlined, Governor made call on behalf of lender, Governor Deval Patrick contacted Robert Rubin, Director and Chairman of the Executive Committee for Citigroup, Inc. on February 20, 2007 regarding a financial matter. The call was at the behest of ACC Capital Holdings, the parent company of Governor Patrick’s former employer, Ameriquest. The intent of the call was to weigh in on behalf of ACC Capital Holdings as they sought significant financial assistance from Citigroup.

Citigroup, Inc. and ACC Capital Holdings have sizable business interests in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A personal phone call from the state’s highest elected official to Citigroup’s Executive Committee Chairman at the request of ACC Capital’s Vice Chairman constitutes influence of the highest order.

According to Chapter 268A:23 of the Massachusetts General Laws, public officials must not:

(2) use or attempt to use his official position to secure for himself or others unwarranted privileges or exemptions which are of substantial value and which are not properly available to similarly situated individuals;

(3) act in a manner which would cause a reasonable person, having knowledge of the relevant circumstances, to conclude that any person can improperly influence or unduly enjoy his favor in the performance of his official duties, or that he is likely to act or fail to act as a result of kinship, rank, position or undue influence of any party or person. It shall be unreasonable to so conclude if such officer or employee has disclosed in writing to his appointing authority or, if no appointing authority exists, discloses in a manner which is public in nature, the facts which would otherwise lead to such a conclusion.

Governor Patrick’s actions are in direct violation of this statute.

The mission of the Massachusetts Ethics Commission is to foster integrity in government and promote public trust. It is for those reasons and the reasons laid out above that I request an immediate investigation into Governor Patrick’s activities on behalf of ACC Capital Holdings.

Sincerely,

Brian A. Dodge

Executive Director

Rudy Giuliani at CPAC

This video's a nice highlight reel of Republican Presidential Candidate Rudy Giuliani's speech at CPAC. This is a really great piece.

Yay For Ads

Just when you thought they were gone, they're baaaaack!

Here's Mitt Romney's first snipet:



And the Democrats don't want to be left out. Senator Barack Obama's version of a 1984 Apple Computer commercial.

Meda: Comments made by Comedian=Big Deal. Comments Made by elected offical= Not a Big Deal

More from the land of teenage-style gossip:

Where's the conservative response to Congressman Barney Frank's (Guess Which party-MA) ridiculous comments on HBO's "Real Time" with Bill Maher? Yeah we know Bill Maher hates George Bush and no one should really care what he says but an elected public official?

The Bomb was wasted

It never ceases to amaze me how the media goes for the left-wing comment that is coming from a guy I could care less about, but then turn around and completely ignore the hate spewing from the mouth of an elected official.



So much for tolerance and diversity I suppose.

Deval tell Vets to Stick a Grenade Up Their......

Yes, Deval Patrick has made it known that race-baiting, paying his wife, curtains, Cadillacs, phone calls on behalf of companies, and helicopters should all be a part of his administration. The well being of Military Veterans... not so much.

Patrick apparently doesn't think that taking care of military veterans in a time of war is well, as important as say, taking care of unions. Like the ones that lined the pockets of his campaign.

Let me guess, this is Deval keeping his promise of 'fiscal restraint'. One would even have to question the timing of announcing this decision at the same time that we have military veterans testifying in front of congress about Walter Reed Medical Hospital.

This is right up there with that time the legislature 'forgot' to fund those much needed college tuition breaks for Military Veterans.

Yes....Another Deval Patrick Scandal-Thingy

I want to have one week where Governor Deval Patrick isn't involved in something ridiculous. It is truly the gift that keeps on giving:

Facing another withering controversy, Gov. Deval Patrick apologized yesterday for intervening in a financial deal involving an embattled mortgage lender - a mea culpa that came as the Herald learned that the Ameriquest official who requested his help was also a campaign donor.

Patrick made a phone call to a top Citigroup official at the urging of Adam Bass, a top Ameriquest lawyer who gave a maximum $500 donation to Patrick’s campaign in February 2006, financial records show. Patrick previously served as a director for the mortgage company, which has faced accusations of predatory lending.

The governor’s intervention occurred despite a January memo approved by Patrick that warned administration officials of potential conflicts when dealing with ACC Capital, the firm that owns Ameriquest and employs Bass.

And so the apologies keep on coming....

“Even though I made this call solely as a former board member . . . I appreciate that I should not have made the call,” Patrick said. “I regret the mistake.”

That's Deval-Speak for "I know I shouldn't have done it, but I did it anyways. So sorry....I guess".

Here's the full story from the Boston Herald

What about Tony Blair?

An Interesting Article for you Fed-Heads to Digest from the National Review Online Regarding a foreign phenominon to us, Tony Blair Hate.

CPAC Politics Get Dirty

So you thought the Ann Coulter stirred the pot at CPAC this past weekend....

Late last night, I was crashing around the internet and checked my email. I received a message from an old college Republican friend of mine from years past. He had received an email from someone that was sort of one of those chain email deals, but instead of the 'pass this on or your dog dies tonight' stuff, it was a video that was supposedly accusing Mitt Romney and his campaign of rigging the recent straw poll held at the CPAC conference in Washington, D.C. with a link to the always popular and fun You Tube.

Two things passed through my head.

1) Mitt Romney and his staff rigged the 2007 Conservative Political Action Conference Straw Poll with paid College Republican votes.

-or-

2) A shameless person is attempting to smear the good name of the Mitt Romney and his campaign.

You decide.

The video is suggesting that there's some sort of voter fraud going on here. I will report this as I see it. In the video, Ryan Bilodeau, who is the chairman of the University of Rhode Island College Republicans and an organizer for the Mitt Romney for President Campaign, is seen rummaging through a box of materials that supposedly look similar to the bags that were given to the official CPAC registrants. Jordan Sekulow, a Romney staffer, is seen walking quickly through the Exhibition hall with a handfull of CPAC badges to give volunteers. Sekulow is the son of syndicated radio host, Jay Sekulow and organized the "Students for Bush" Campaign in 2004.

The video itself, makes a poor attempt at linking the actions of Dilodeau to Sekulow. They look pretty innocent, but you decide. If you love watching people walk, you'll love this. For me, it didn't do a heck of a lot.



Rumors have been floating around that the Romney campaign spent a boat load of money to pack the room at CPAC this year. Travel, registration fees and all the good stuff were covered so long as they volunteered for the weekend and at a reception after the conference. Apparently, 24 hours a day, folks could see the Romney army of College Republicans in the hotel lobby, exhibition halls, stairwells, elevators, restaurants, bathrooms and of course the local bars. To say the Romney campaign was everywhere was an understatement.

Apparently the Romney campaign wasn't messing around with the poll. They out-worked and even out paid (I wish I had known this when I was a college student) other campaigns like Brownback, Gilmore, and Tancredo for the College Republican boost. The Romney campaign felt winning the poll was a small, but important step in winning the nomination. Romney's strong showing certainly verifies him as a top tier candidate.

Regardless of how I feel about kids being paid to come to a political conference and sway results, videos like this are an example of how over the top the new You Tube Society has become. One thing is for sure. Some form of corruption exists here. Either someone's attempting to lambaste a qualified candidate or someone's trying to point out something that should be disturbing to all of us. Hopefully, this adds up to a lot of nothing and just some political hack trying to get some attention. Regardless, you decide.

Stuff The Media Wants You to Think About the Libby Trial That Really Isn't True

It’s probably a little ridiculous to have to state this, but after reading the deplorable 'coverage' (which constitutes ripping a story off the AP wire that reads more like an opinion piece) by the Springfield Republican regarding this story, some things need to be pointed out.

The only thing this story means is that in the eyes of the jury, he lied about what he told prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.

It does not mean:
1. That one iota of intelligence was in any way manipulated in the run up to Iraq.
2. That Joe Wilson has been vindicated in any way.
3. That Valerie Plame was "covert". She was an analyst.
4. That the Bush White House had anything to worry about from Wilson/Plame.

Don't be fooled by all the spin-sters attempting to turn this into the Watergate of the Bush era. It's not.

And everyone knows it...

Lewis "Scooter" Libby Convicted on 4 of 5 Counts

Well, Scooter Libby has been convicted. Before people panic or begin to celebrate, it is good to remember a few things... a refresher course if you will.

1.) Let us remember that Bill Clinton was taped in the act of committing perjury. It's almost impossible to imagine something more convincing than a video tape. Yet somehow, the special prosecutor declines to pursue the case any further. Who wants to bet it was out of fear that he couldn't get a jury in Washington D.C. to convict?

2.) Consider that the Democrats voted in near complete and total lock step not to convict President Clinton at his impeachment trial. Perjury didn't seem all that important to anyone on the left then. Now that Libby's been convicted, it's a high crime. Bleh.

3.) You've got to bring in the question the sort of justice Republicans can get in Washington D.C. when Sandy Berger was given a slap on the wrist for not only stealing highly classified documents (as in like 10 people could see them), but also hid them in a place where someone else could have found them.

4.) Consider the fact that Harry Reid's anger and dismay when he discovered that top secret documents were covered in Sandy Berger's ball sweat and wasn't prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Wait, you don't remember him getting angry. Hmm, neither do I.

If the Republican media outlets out there handle this right and don't plunge into silliness, the Libby Verdict and the fallout from it could be the best thing to happen to everyone on our side of the aisle, minus Libby himself.

While we try and mind our P's and Q's, it doesn't take away from the fact that the legal ethics system has one more shiner to put ice on. We can't have two systems of justice anywhere, but it's pretty obvious that we do in Washington, D.C.

A Ding Dang Do!

I'm utterly speechless at how people can support either one of these clowns. There is no limit to the pandering. How people cheer people that are almost mocking them to their face is completely beyond me. Had this been a Republican.. oh boy. Hellfire and brimstone folks.

Is America Really Divided?

A recent article in the Washington Post talks a little about the divide in political leanings in our country today. It's not a friendly little bump, but a bit spike running right up your backside.

Crappy News, Culture, and Why You Should Care

I'm through watching the 'news'. I'm done. They air nothing that is of any importance to me other than the occasional weather report, which, by the way, doesn't really need to take up 20 minutes of a half hour news cast every night.

I used to talk about the liberal bias in the media, which still exists on the networks, but not so much 24-hour news which is just cluttered with garbage. To be honest, I miss the days of liberal bias. I really do. You can't be biased about the latest tug of war over Anna Nichole's intestines. Stuff like Brittany's baldness, Ann Coulter called John Edwards a f-bomb, Anna Nichole's wormy body, Anna Nichole's wormier boy friends, and more videos of kids sticking their wangs in light sockets just doesn't constitute entertainment or even low brow entertainment for me anymore, much less be something I considered 'news'. I yearn for Dan Rather.

This, all coming from the guy who religiously watches Pro Wrestling more than two nights a week, should say something.

The political correctness in our culture is just utterly out of control. We've had a Jew, a black guy and female all 'convicted' of being homophobes or racists or whatever and two of them are in rehab...or something. It's really not news. I'll be taking bets on who gets to wear the white hood of hilarity next. Today, apparently every one's a target. By the way, am I the only one who finds irony in the fact that the gay community, whose behavior was deemed as a psychological disorder in the 1970s, are now making the same diagnosis of those who don't subscribe to their liberal fundamentalist (see Homophobe) views?

I'm completely tired and done with Anna Nichole Smith. I loved the Playboy issues and what not, but I'm just tired of it all. I'm tired of Greta Van Sustern and Nancy Grace popping up out of her rectum with exclusive pictures of exactly what flavor of Slim Fast she ate before she went belly up in her hotel room. I don't care about the fight over a kid whose entire life at this point, is guaranteed to out do even her mother's, in it's level of train-wreck-ness. I don't care about the kid, nor did I ever care about the sewer that was Anna Nichole's entire life. Her life should be a lesson to the insanely stupid and nothing more, not another excuse for Wolfie Blitzer to hop on into the 'Situation Room'.

Evidently the genius that thought up the whole idea for 24-hour news never considered the fact that 24 hours is just a lot of freaking time to fill up. Stuff that really would never be considered news is now, well, news.

The Print Media is really trying to make sure they're not outdone in their level of non-newsworthy stuff. I mean really trying. Just look at our beloved Springfield Republican Newspaper which today ran a story on Ibuprofen being the best pain killer for kids. If that story doesn't win the earth is flat award, "Cries and Whispers" the most 'un-funny' and non-newsworthy part of the paper, would in a heartbeat. This morning, I learned what Police Commissioner Flynn's favorite comic strip is and that some kid from Westfield State played palm tree no. 624 once on an episode of 'Lost'. Really, the only reason for it's existence is so that the elites in downtown can continue to pretend to be celebrities.

And to think, people honestly wonder why we're so hated in the world. We're not hated because of who we did or didn't colonize five million years ago. We're not hated because we like oil. We're not hated because we like baseball and think soccer is for wussies. We're hated because our country has become a complete and total moral sewer of stupidity where anything is worth talking about, from someone shaving their head, or flashing their genitals in public, to mourning for a situation in where the mother of a child ate a few hundred pills a day and slept with so many men, we don't know who the father is.

Arab terrorists don't hate us for our freedom. They hate us for how we abuse it and make a mockery out of it only to turn around and claim the moral high ground. That's what makes the stories of Michael Richards, Ann Coulter and the black guy from that hospital show thing, so preposterous. The very people who act as loudly inappropriate as they wish are attempting to accuse others of, well, acting as inappropriately as they wish.

Yes, we are in a culture war of sorts, but that may be a little mellow dramatic. That would mean functionally retarded people are moving organized and in unison against the tide of normalcy. People that wear helmets and flash their Pee-Pee's usually aren't capable of such acts, so I try not to give them too much credit. We have some absolutely insane human beings in this country who are getting all the attention and their ridiculous behavior, while probably not inspiring our kids to grab guns and shoot each other in the cha-cha, is inspiring other people to really hate us in other countries and want to shoot us in the cha-cha. Maybe if we were a little less obsessed with our cha-chas, and a little more concerned with how we conduct ourselves as adults, we wouldn't have half the arab world looking to slay the infidel.

I was watching the Grammys a few weeks ago and of course the Dixie Chicks swept the awards because they're totally the best at hating George Bush. In Lead Singer Natalie Mains' acceptance speech she said 'I bet a lot of people are changing the channel'. She then continued to snidely toss her gold record player in everyone's face talking about how courageous she was and how she stood up to us all. Then it sort of dawned on me that the only one who's talking about people talking about Natalie Mains is Natalie Mains, which brings me to the point of this entire rant.

Idiots love attention any way they can get it. To insure you'll keep watching, they'll say more stupid things or remind you of all the stupid things they said before. Unfortunately today, the more retarded you act, the more likely you are to be on TV. The problem is, when we keep letting functionally retarded and emotionally stunted human beings speak for normal folks, it gives you a bad name and it gives me a bad name. It gives our country and our culture a bad name. It's not good for us as people nor as a country. So do yourself a favor and turn these idiots off when they come on TV. The life span of a news story is dictated by the ratings they receive. Hit 'em where it hurts.

Do what I do. Watch pro wrestling.