Blue Mass Group

We’re very pleased to welcome Charlie Baker, CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and ex-A&F and Human Services Secretary under Welducci, to the blogosphere.  (Thanks to Paul Levy for noting this development.)  Baker has inaugurated a blog on the HPHC website on which he’ll be talking health policy and who knows what else — and it allows comments! So head on over and tell him what’s on your mind in the wide wide world of health care.  Be nice — he’s already staking out a civility policy. We hope this site can give anyone who’s got an idea or a question about health insurance and/or health care an opportunity to share it with us, and with anyone else who chooses to participate in “lets talk health care.” The rules on the site are pretty simple – keep it simple, keep it clean, and while it’s perfectly fine to be tough-minded on the topics we’re discussing, let’s try to be easy on each other. Disagreeing without being disagreeable is our watchword here. Two chief executives from major Massachusetts health care organizations are blogging.  How cool is that?

An FYI on the Suburban Legislators Coalition’s efforts to support closing corporate tax loopholes. As of Wednesday, the Suburban Coalition is in further discussion on corporate tax loopholes, the Municipal Partnership Act, and the telecom bill.  We are reaching out to House members to get a sense of support of these important ways to raise revenues for towns and cities. Once again, I appreciate any and all efforts to support these efforts.  – Jamie

I went to see the new documentary “An Unreasonable Man“, about Ralph Nader, and found it quite compelling.  The movie is so multifaceted, it is difficult for this amateur to write an adequate review!  It addresses Nader’s history and motivations; the reality of working on consumer affairs in a two party system when both parties have been purchased by Big Business concerns; the rationale for Nader’s prez runs; the smear campaign against this reputed “egomaniacal spoiler” and how that moniker is patently rediculous. This movie is likely to spark some interesting conversation.  Something Nader said in the movie really resonated with me (and I paraphrase): Dear Progressives, the Dems are taking you for a ride granted and will continue to do so until you demonstrate that you are willing to withold your vote and cash.  The truth of this sentiment has become apparent to me as I’ve watched the parade of politicians through the decades campaign as “friend of the gays”, yet shit on us at first opportunity (present governor excepted? time will tell).  What do you think, Progressives?  Are you and your pet issues being strung along by the mainline pols too (health care, fair employment and wages, decent [...]

Hey All, This next election is too important for us as a country. So I have set up November08.com http://www.november0… as a digg styled site to submit political news and views. This site is specifically for the 08 election and only news of the 08 election so everything is relevant and no digging through other topics, stories to find relevant issues. Please check it out!

In today’s NYT, Paul Krugman (sorry, TimesSelect) talks about the effect of the Little Lie on media discourse and perceptions of an administration: The Clinton years were a parade of fake scandals: Whitewater, Troopergate, Travelgate, Filegate, Christmas-card-gate. At the end, there were false claims that Clinton staff members trashed the White House on their way out. Each pseudoscandal got headlines, air time and finger-wagging from the talking heads. The eventual discovery in each case that there was no there there, if reported at all, received far less attention. The effect was to make an administration that was, in fact, pretty honest and well run — especially compared with its successor — seem mired in scandal. And indeed, that’s part of what happened with the hazing of Deval Patrick the first few months. I have not, nor am I going to claim he and his staff have done everything right. But there has indeed been a drip-drip-drip of fake scandal pumped out by the media, full of insinuations with no follow-up. Have we heard any follow-up on that oh-so-shady Mr. Buckley, who’s trying to weasel his way into a pension by actually working three more years, up to age 73? Any [...]

cross-posted at Blue New Hampshire

Last Monday night I attended a Town Hall meeting on the UNH campus in Durham, NH. Both John and Elizabeth Edwards were there to talk and take questions from a group of about 500 attendees. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) was there and received a very warm reception from all in attendance. When I left she was in a circle of at least 15 kids discussing her current work in DC as the US Rep from their district (NH-01.)

The questions were tough, but I think fair. This is NH after all and these voters are very savvy to say the least. They were there to hear the candidate speak, but they also had a lot to say to the Edwardses and those that asked a question generally conveyed their concerns in doing so.

Most people do not want to speak on camera at all and as I canvassed the crowd before the event I told many of those on line that I do this because I don’t think the media gets it right, everyone agreed.

Despite a late bid by long time a-hole activist Jarrett Barrios, Ernie Boch, III supporters turned out and crowned him BMG A-hole. The unofficial tally is 22 to 9. With a grass root organization and an early campaign start EB3 ran a high profile pro-active campaign from the get go. “It was important to identify the most likely voters and then go from there” said Boch 3. (Boch is not related to Ernie Boch, Jr. but not sure about his relationship to the late Ernie Boch. He is hoping to be in Ernie Jr.’s will) The race started out touch and go. The first vote was cast by Ernie who took advantage of the rule enacted this year and voted for himself. “I’m not sure if Barrios knew he could vote for himself,” Ernie said. “At ther early stages of a race like this a 2 vote swing can change momentum. Everyone wants to be with a winner.” Political analysts agree that a Ernie’s late drive can be attributed to Lynne from Lowell chastising him for asking Eileen Donohue how much money she lent her campaign. Lynn came storming in like Mandy Pepperidge on steroids and extolled “Do you have [...]

Crossposted at The Eisenthal Report In a story in this morning’s edition, The Boston Globe released more polling numbers on Massachusetts voter attitudes as we approach the 100th day of the Patrick Administration. In that poll, 56 percent of those surveyed supported closing the corporate tax loopholes. According to the Globe, “the poll’s findings “could provide some political cover to get behind Patrick’s ideas.” Some have already downplayed the numbers. Andrew E. Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, was quoted as saying “you would expect that (support) to be in 60 to 70 percent range.” (Smith also noted that support for closing the loopholes split along party lines – 69 percent of Democrats support closing the loopholes compared with 29 percent of Republicans.) I believe that Smith is simply wrong on this point. Closing corporate tax loopholes has been an issue that has received a disproportionate focus from those who favor the interests of larger businesses; those who might favor it have not been as focused on it. Those larger businesses have also been able to mobilize more resources in opposition to the proposals. It is rather unsurprising, given these facts, that there is not overwhelming [...]

From today’s NYT: Is it too late to bring civility to the Web? The conversational free-for-all on the Internet known as the blogosphere can be a prickly and unpleasant place. Now, a few high-profile figures in high-tech are proposing a blogger code of conduct to clean up the quality of online discourse. Last week, Tim O’Reilly, a conference promoter and book publisher who is credited with coining the term Web 2.0, began working with Jimmy Wales, creator of the communal online encyclopedia Wikipedia, to create a set of guidelines to shape online discussion and debate. Chief among the recommendations is that bloggers consider banning anonymous comments left by visitors to their pages and be able to delete threatening or libelous comments without facing cries of censorship. I think this plan sort of misses the mark. What is needed is not so much G/PG/R ratings for an entire blog (although there is probably no harm in that), or a ban on anonymous posters, but eBay-style trusted-user icons for individual contributors. Incidentally, I found this anecdote quite amusing. Just goes to show what a poor sense of humor I have I suppose: One public bid to improve the quality of dialogue on [...]

I don’t want to completely rehash what’s already been said about the poll on the Patrick Administration, but I think there’s a little context that has been left out.

The Globe makes it clear that Governor Patrick’s approval ratings are high. 3% higher even than during the campaign. It notes that:

Sixty-three percent of the 500 adults surveyed last week view the new Democratic governor favorably, which is comparable to his standing just before his landslide victory in November, when he received a 60 percent favorable rating in a Globe poll.

But despite Patrick’s continued popularity, only 48 percent approved of the way he is handling the job, while 33 percent disapproved — a relatively high number for a governor’s honeymoon period…

Is it? Follow me after the jump to compare Patrick’s poll numbers with Romney’s.