Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Big Dig Culture: Could this be more pathetic?

By

Isn’t this just more and more astonishing? Mitt chucks ‘Pike chief and all-around good-guy John Cogliano under the bus:

Gov. Mitt Romney is blaming transportation secretary John Cogliano’s haste to reopen Big Dig tunnels after July’s fatal collapse for the move to allow contractor Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff a role in inspecting tunnel repairs.

“I think Secretary Cogliano made a mistake,” Romney said this morning at a press conference to show his support for Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey’s gubernatorial campaign. “He said ‘I need all hands on deck as quickly as I can.’ ”

Romney called the move a mistake, one he would not have made himself.

“John wanted to get those tunnels open as fast as he could, and he got as many engineers as he could in there to help out, and he got in six from Bechtel,” Romney said. “I wouldn’t have done that. I think it was a mistake. And he acknowledges that that was a mistake and has asked the Bechtel people not to be involved in it.”

Just let that sink in: “I wouldn’t have done that.” You know, like, if Mitt were governor, he’d have done things differently. Got that?

I mean, that just defies commentary. Anyone else wanna write this blog? I got nothing. Mitt has left me slack-jawed and speechless.

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0

Comments

  1. In which His Expediency, true to his name, calls a national press conference to explain how he would be in the lead if he were running against Patrick. At which point Healy’s head literally caves in, like a bathysphere that goes too deep, from the pressure.

  2.   “We’re watching Bechtel with the eye of an eagle,” Romney added. “We’re being very careful. We do not have a cozy, friendly relationship with Bechtel. Instead it’s a very arms-length, professional relationship.”

    <

    p>
    $900K donaton to Romney’s Republican Governors Association??  Passing the check is apparently within an arms length.

  3. didn’t Romney take over the big dig investigation–is he giving up responsibility based on this comment. I hope this follows him to his presidential campaign.

    • Mark My Words: the Republican candidates for President are going to jump all over the Big Dig. Between the Big Dig, being in Massachusetts and passing “universal healthcare,” Mitt Romney has no chance to get through a Republican Primary. However, nothing will be as damaging as the Big Dig… they’re going to tie that around his neck and throw him in the Charles.

  4. I’ll find the exact quote, but didn’t skippy have a complete Al Haig “I am in control” mode during the big dig mess?  A sort of “I have personally inspected the tunnels” press conference?  Maybe he should have been checking IDs while he was “inspecting” the tunnel (probably from the SUV…)

  7. Mitt is all about Don’t Blame Me.

    <

    p>
    Take a look at a post yesterday on the Herald’s “Daily Briefing” Politics Blog run by Kim Atkins:

    <

    p>

    “Well, actually the job of Republican Governors Association chairman is to raise money. It’s a finance job. And I’ve been doing my best to raise money. I’ve been pleased with the record amounts of funding we’ve been able to raise. But we don’t run anyone’s campaigns. We don’t choose their campaign managers or advise them on campaigns. We don’t write their ads. We don’t even write our own ads, they have to be done by independent expenditure committees.

    “So were not going to take the credit for any wins we get, nor will we take the blame for loses we suffer. And I expect that, you know, the numbers are set up against us. It’s not by any fault of any one person. It’s just we have nine Republicans not running for reelection, and only one Democrat not running for reelection.

    <

    p>
    Mitt will do ANYTHING to avoid blame.  Throw his Lt. Gov. under a bus, throw his agency heads under a bus, throw his fellow GOP Governors under a bus.  ANYTHING.

  8. In the same article, Mitt actually says Bechtel is still going to be involved in the completion of the Big Dig!  Did you all notice this part:

    <

    p>

    But Romney added that although he doesn’t want the Big Dig contractor to have any role in the tunnel inspections or the stem-to-stern review of the project, the firm will still be involved with completing the massive construction project. Pulling them out now, he said, could spell more trouble down the line.

      “Bechtel continues to be a major contractor associated with the Big Dig,” Romney said. “And removing Bechtel as the overall engineering consultant and manager of the completion of the Big Dig would have serious consequences for the timetable and potential legal liability that might occur.

    <

    p>
    Slackjawed and speechless, yes.  What’s next from these people?  Have they ever heard of telling it like it is the first time?  (e.g. “we don’t know anything about those orange jumpsuit people.”) 

  9. I guess all you guys have forgotten that Deval Patrick has accepted Bechtel campaign contributions.

    <

    p>
    This means that he too will protect Bechtel, just as Romney, Swift, Cellucci and Weld did.

    <

    p>
    Patrick won’t do a damn thing about scrutininzing the Big Dig.

    <

    p>
    And he will raise our taxes on top of it and give it to the lazy people who are unwilling to work.

    <

    p>
    He wants our taxes, our money, our hard earned money, to pay for the college tuition for illeglal immigrants.

    <

    p>
    THAT REALLY PISSES ME OFF.

    <

    p>
    Thomas Jefferson
    Lowell, MA.

    • He has done no such thing. He has indeed accepted contributions from O’Neil and Associates, which is the lobbyist for Bechtel — and no, I’m not happy about that, either — but he specifically rejected any contributions from any Big Dig contractor.

      <

      p>
      Look beyond the inflammatory headline of this very story, and you’ll find this paragraph:

      <

      p>

      Paven said that at Patrick’s request, no one associated with the consortium nor any other Big Dig contractor was invited to the Oct. 3 fund-raiser or allowed to contribute. He said that he is the only person at O’Neill and Associates who works with Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff and that he did not attend.

    • And the Romney administration hasn’t raised taxes? What about the hike in fees and property taxes that have hurt the poor and middle class? Rolling back the income tax will help the wealthiest people, and save us average folks a few hundred bucks at most. Meanwhile, our property taxes go up every year to make up for the aid cuts to city and towns. So just exactly how has a Republican governor saved us money?

  10. Everyone please remember Governor Romney said that taking over RESPONSIBILITY for the tunnel problems. It now seems he deleated this to someone he appointed, who is now irresponsible. If the Governor was not distracted by his Presidential run he would have done it differently. But his crony will not be fired. Does this sound familiar?
    Fire the incompetants, Bechtel, Cogliano and Romney!

Archives