Tomorrow is a very big day in the former colony of Massachusetts. If you are one who relies on the New York Times for all the news that is fit to print, you might not be aware that the Republican candidate has taken a lead in the tightly fought race for the Senate seat that Democratic candidate Martha Coakley said Ted Kennedy would want her to have. I am pretty sure brothers John and Robert spoke through dead talker and fraud psychic John Edward to voice their spiritual approval of the state's attorney general and die hard Sox's fan.
Reports from the commonwealth are coming in faster than my addled brain can digest them and cover everything from Brown's once posing provacatively in a woman's magazine to how everything is still George Bush's fault.
This election is being touted as a referendum on Obama in general and health care reform in particular. Republican enthusiasm is running high while democrats seem resigned to lose... or cheat.
Of all the turns of events in this momentous campaign, none caught my eye more than the fitting support shown to Ms. Coakely by the son of the seat's rightful owner, Patrick Kennedy. It seems mispronouncing names is a Kennedy trait. Just like daddy mangled the president's name during his campaign, his son doesn't even know the name of the candidate he is endorsing.
This is going to be an interesting few days. As I blogged before, the Dems are ready to slow the swearing in of Brown should he win. Let me go on record now and predict a recount being called for before the polls even close!
Showing posts with label Massachusetts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Massachusetts. Show all posts
Monday, January 18, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Time waits for no mandate
At the end of each work day, I ask myself if I feel I earned my pay in what I did for the company that day. Fortunately, being in a low paid position has it's advantages as my goals are somewhat reduced from those of your average fry flipper in a paper hat. Even with this self imposed benchmark, I find some projects delayed well past my personal point of comfort. In the world of private business, that is very bad. In the world of government, I hope for this to be a frequent occurrence.
I am one for whom the idea of governmental gridlock is a good thing. The less done by these slaves to the power of the ballot box the better off we all are. This goes for the federal, state and local levels of public service.
It is therefore somewhat unsettling for me to complain about a situation of possible governmental delay. Next week the voters (and quite possibly a few illegal aliens) of the state of Massachusetts will head to the polls to decide on an elected replacement to fill the senatorial seat vacated when Ted Kennedy joined Mary Jo Kopechne for that final car ride in the sky. The polls are showing a very close race and it is quite possible a Republican could win the seat. If that happens, the Democrats super majority of 60 votes will disappear quicker than a reality show about the Jackson family sans Michael.
Should Republican Scott Brown win the seat, MA Secretary of State William Galvin has the ability to wait 10 days for absentee ballots to arrive and another five to then file the paperwork. He could probably schedule a few days vacation but that might be pushing the envelope a bit too far. This delay would enable the interim seat holder, Paul Kirk, Jr, to vote yeah on the healthcare bill and make sure he has two weeks notice to give on his apartment in DC.
This normal and legal waiting period would not give me pause were it not for the fact Galvin bypassed these same rules way back in 2007 to seat a fellow Democrat in the House who joined in overriding a veto by then President and still hated George W Bush.
As it typical in government, politics overrides doing what is right. Or even doing what is consistent. At the end of the day I hope Mr Galvin asks himself if he earned his civil servant's six figure paycheck. Or if he earned only the respect of pundits while sacrificing ethics.
S2
I am one for whom the idea of governmental gridlock is a good thing. The less done by these slaves to the power of the ballot box the better off we all are. This goes for the federal, state and local levels of public service.
It is therefore somewhat unsettling for me to complain about a situation of possible governmental delay. Next week the voters (and quite possibly a few illegal aliens) of the state of Massachusetts will head to the polls to decide on an elected replacement to fill the senatorial seat vacated when Ted Kennedy joined Mary Jo Kopechne for that final car ride in the sky. The polls are showing a very close race and it is quite possible a Republican could win the seat. If that happens, the Democrats super majority of 60 votes will disappear quicker than a reality show about the Jackson family sans Michael.
Should Republican Scott Brown win the seat, MA Secretary of State William Galvin has the ability to wait 10 days for absentee ballots to arrive and another five to then file the paperwork. He could probably schedule a few days vacation but that might be pushing the envelope a bit too far. This delay would enable the interim seat holder, Paul Kirk, Jr, to vote yeah on the healthcare bill and make sure he has two weeks notice to give on his apartment in DC.
This normal and legal waiting period would not give me pause were it not for the fact Galvin bypassed these same rules way back in 2007 to seat a fellow Democrat in the House who joined in overriding a veto by then President and still hated George W Bush.
As it typical in government, politics overrides doing what is right. Or even doing what is consistent. At the end of the day I hope Mr Galvin asks himself if he earned his civil servant's six figure paycheck. Or if he earned only the respect of pundits while sacrificing ethics.
S2
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