In spite of David’s praise of the Herald’s recent political coverage, I recently remarked to someone that the Herald was the place to read about “potholes in Southie”; I made myself chuckle, but I’m probably wrong. (Lesson: Don’t make yourself chuckle. Ya just look silly.) I still find it hard to get through the hyped-up police blotter stuff and the gossip, i.e. Fox 25 on pulp; and I wouldn’t want to financially support whatever habits Howie Carr has.
In any event, Herald reporter Kimberly Atkins has been earning her keep, with some juicy juicy stuff about who’s giving how much to whom, including, super-duper-intriguingly, $1000 for Patrick from Billy Bulger; Kitty Dukakis and Judith Stephenson (Scott Harshbarger’s wife) put a combined $1500 on Patrick as well. (Thanks to MassMarrier for the steer.)
… And you might enjoy her little Mihos pre-mortem here. sniff… You smell something? Toast?
Oh, and don’t ever miss anything Adam Reilly writes for the Phoenix. Here’s an article about who’s got Tom Reilly’s ear, and who might have been responsible for St. Fleuriasco:
Ultimately, however, the collective importance of these individuals and groups pales in comparison with the influence exerted by three old friends of Reillyâs: former Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce head Fletcher âFlashâ Wiley, former Suffolk County DA Ralph Martin, and â most notably â former US attorney Wayne Budd, who is Reillyâs other campaign co-chair.
… Even if Budd, Martin, and Wiley were the finest political minds around, thereâd be an inherent risk in allowing three individuals not engaged with the day-to-day realities of the campaign to swoop in and undo decisions that had been carefully and methodically made. But thereâs an extra element of jeopardy here. Budd and Martin are Republicans; Wiley is an independent. âThey donât know anything about Democratic Party politics,â complains one Democrat. âTheyâve never worked in the Democratic Party. They donât understand the culture.â
Well, maybe not, but carefully vetting your choice of running mate doesn’t require understanding the ultra-murky waters of MA Democratic Party “culture”. As insider-y as the party is, how much more insider-y does the apparently non-partisan Reilly campaign seem? Insider/outsider politics seems to have been turned inside-out.
Now, I have to say that Reilly’s campaign has sent out some better press releases this week — certainly better than before— talking about education and drug re-importation from Canada, which I support whole-heartedly; although the state itself buying drugs bulk might be preferable. Whatever — get the best deal.
