From the Governor’s office:
First Lady Diane Patrick is being treated for exhaustion and depression. The governor will work a flexible schedule for the next few weeks in order to spend more time with her and his family. The family asks for the prayers and understanding of the public. We also ask respect for the family’s privacy at this difficult time.
Our thoughts are with the Patrick family.
Please share widely!
If we are to respect the family’s privacy, why would they have publicized this? Trying to play the victim card perhaps? Look what the big, bad media is doing to my family?
so if she didn’t show up, the dime droppers would be all over it. also, it is legis to explain why DP’s schedule will be odd for a while.
So you don’t believe in the 11th Commandment that says hands off bad news re: all Republicans & their kin?
I hope Mrs. Patrick gets well soon. That can be a terrible and chronic problem, and I hope she can cope.
<
p>
I imagine the reason that it was publicized is after all the hoop-la about the scheduler, to have her not doing events would be questioned. So an explaination was needed. The same would be true if she broke a leg or needed her gall bladder out.
<
p>
How that relates to problems the Bush twins had in 2001 is beyond me.
Our Republikan Preznit demanded the press ignore his twins lawbreakery via hardly veiled threats to the press. The silence is still deafening several years later. Yet when a local Dem asks that his wife be given time to recoup from an illness, all local Republikans want to do is poke her bruises. How nice. How two-faced.
Their Rum & Retching Rainbow Tour of Latin America made headlines only this year, Peter.
<
p>
I’m sure they were just searching for U.S. Armed Services recruitment offices.
for your relentless doling of 3’s. They always give your whinging about your own negative ratings that extra frisson of amusement.
If they hadn’t said anything, you’d complain “Why is Gov not at work? Slacking?” When it came out later, you’d complain “Why are they not transparent?”
<
p>
All best for her recovery.
…just todays on BMG and you show everyone what kind of person you really are.
You may not like it, but my reaction is going to be the first reaction of many people. I was just trying to keep it real.
<
p>
MCRD belows reaction is similarly cyncial, if not the same reaction.
<
p>
I wish Diane Patrick the best, but he didn’t need to publicize this.
<
p>
As for the comment that Diane Patrick works for the administration, no she works for a Private Law firm. She has had a very limited public schedule.
<
p>
Joe Six Pack doesn’t get to take time off to help his spouse through something like this with pay.
Thus I can’t even rate this one “Worthless” because I’d improve its average.
<
p>
Best wishes and blessings for good health one and all.
Could someone familiar with exhaustion and depression explain what treatment entails?
you can read up here, and many treatments. someone else may want to chime in, but i’d say you’re perhaps asking a bigger question than you realize. one that isn’t easy to answer witout knowing the details. but certainly the remedy for exhaustion can’t be high-stress, long-hours work.
Anyone with a clinical background knows what this is about. Aaach, that’s too bad. I am hopeful she has a decent support system.
and now, I’m having a flashback.
<
p>
Given the collusion between the press and Patrick’s enemies, I briefly wondered whether he would just flip the bird at all of us and abruptly quit for another $400K executive gig. I mean, no one really wants to govern this state.
Exhaustion from what? She has a job at a law firm. So she calls in for a few days. She has a personal secretary.
<
p>
I didn’t see the press release. Is she suffering from clinical depression? If so wouldn’t it be better for her to get a higher level of care at McClean? It’s one of the best psychiatric hospitals in the USA.
<
p>
The governor could keep working and she would have the best psychiatrists in USA managing her psycho-pharm.
<
p>
Why does the governor have to take three weeks off? This could put his governorship right on the rocks and shoals.
I can imagine the Lt Gov. would love to find an excuse to take over—permanently.
Anne Romney had a few episondes of MS while Romney was Governor, but they have a large family and perhaps a better support network with five adult sons and their wives to cover. But there were still times Mitt had to break a committment.
<
p>
As I said – if this were her gall baldder, nobody would queston it.
<
p>
MacLean is an intensive in-patient facilty, and is probably not appropriate.
<
p>
And to me, many of these comments demonstrate a skosh of bigotry against mental and emotional illness.
I will certainly keep her in my prayers. The fact that Massachusetts politics is what is called “a blood sport” cannot have been fully understandable before living with it. There are many folks who are politically involved, and care deeply about issues but who will never serve in elective or appointive office because of “the gold fish bowl effect”, the minute scrutiny, and the loss of privacy. No one who has not experienced this personally can know how stressful it is. And not all of us can manufacture and replace neurotransmitters at the same rate under stress. As with any other medical issue, this is not a moral issue. I sincerely hope that Diane Patrick whom I both like and admire is kind to herself, receives the medical treatment she needs, and regains her full health.
to second-guess Patrick’s needs vis a vis caring for his wife? Why do you think you have adequate information to determine that she requires in-patient care at McLean’s? Why are you crabbing about a flexible schedule for Patrick when our previous governor was MIA for months and months? Why are you in a position to speak to her pharmacological or psychological needs?
<
p>
Are YOU for real?
That’s understandable.
His out-of-state campaign trips are a matter of public record; nobody’s making that up, so I don’t think that counts as an ad hominem attack on Romney, since he and other Republicans in office wear their dismissive attitudes towards public service like badges.
<
p>
Pointing out the commenter’s ill-informed hypocracy — assuming the Commonwealth will descend into chaos while Gov. Patrick attends to his family, while ignoring the above — is legitimate.
of recto-cranial inversion?
Christy!!!! Steverino, thanks for the tangent and the visual.
Clinical depression isn’t treated by hospitalization unless the patient is suicidal. A propensity to clinical depression can be set off by highly stressful life circumstances. The scathing attacks the Governor has had to endure from the press, over trivialities, could easily upset a spouse to the point of triggering a depressive reaction if there’s a predisposition. Exhaustion is a concomitant of depression.
<
p>
Treatment is usually by medication, and takes several weeks to work. The Governor can take work home and still attend to state business, which is what they seem to be saying.
<
p>
I share Peter Porcupine’s distaste for this callous attitude toward mental illness. What do you want from this woman, MCRD?
It’s just too bad that this community includes one or two nasty people who can’t grasp that left untreated, mental illness debilitates and kills. Substitute the word “cancer” for “mental illness” — would you still have this attitude? Or would you want your spouse to stay at the office instead of being there for you if you were seriously ill?
<
p>
I have no idea what Mrs. Patrick’s history of mental illness may be, nor is it any of my or anyone else’s business unless she chooses to make it public. However, a statement of this nature suggests that (1) she is quite seriously ill right now and (2) she has a husband who loves her and is trying to balance her needs against that of his job. When the husband is the governor or other high-profile figure who takes suddenly takes a lot of time off, his press people have to get in front of the story to avoid hurtful speculation.
<
p>
Whatever you may think of her husband’s job performance or politics, take a step back and look at the incredible amount of stress a political spouse endures. Kitty Dukakis recently released a book concerning her experience with electro-convulsive therapy that made it clear that the brickbats thrown at her husband, the demands on his time, and her need as his wife to be publically “on” all the time did nothing for her health. Betty Ford went public with her story of drinking to cope with her life and depression.
<
p>
Further, lawyers as a group have the highest rate of depression of any group of professionals. It’s the nature of the job — you’re never done, you work insane hours, you have to keep your clients happy even when you want to kill them, and you need to work your family’s needs in there somewhere.
<
p>
It’s 8PM on a Saturday night — and this lawyer is still at the office. Get the idea?
…have a grand total of 3 days posting on this site. They are just cold heartless idiots and should be ignored. Which I will do, until one of their friends jobs BMG to kick a family when they are in crisis.
where they comprise 66% of the readership.
<
p>
They’re lonely.
…idea who MCRD is, but EaBoClipper has been a long time, admittedly right wing, intelligent contributor on Hub Politics. He’s generally is more reasonable than his above post would indicate. If he sticks around I expect him to distinguish himself as a credible dissenter.
<
p>
My thoughts are with Mrs. Patrick. I commend her for being so open about her struggle.
<
p>
here and on RMG have been a pure exercise in asshattery.
Just want to make sure we’re talking about the same blog. Because the times I visited and read what that poster wrote I didn’t see many inteligent, reasoned posts. I would say what has been seen here is par for the eabo course.
MCRD,
<
p>
This post really does demonstrate a level of insensitivity that I thought even Red Mass Group members were incapable of. This post is truly worthy of the “Tom Cruise “I’m an Expert on Depression Because I’m a Scientologist” award. You’re not helping.
<
p>
I wish the Patricks all the best as they face this challenging illness. I also hope they provide all state workers and municipal workers with the same level of flexibility while dealing with a difficult illness…’cause it ain’t happening out here in the hinterlands. I know what the rules are, and I am telling you – they are routinely ignored.
husband and wife team, you need look no further than to Deval and Diane. I sincerely wish them the best and ask that everyone give them the privacy they need. As one of my good friends who grew up in a political family says, there is a horrible price paid by wives, husbands and children in politics.
<
p>
If you are an ignorant jerk like a few posters here, please stop. I ask management to please delete any comments according to policy. Thanks.
Globe link
<
p>
<
p>
Possibly puts the scheduler hire in a much more understandable light. Wife begins to feel stress, fatigue during the campaign itself. Depressive symptoms. Husband says “Honey, we’ll find ways to lighten the load.” Trip to S. Africa after the election. Then some well-intentioned person (Gov or staff member) says “Let’s hire some help for her.”
<
p>
If you are someone who wasn’t happy with the scheduler hire, would this version of events make you less critical?
The only thing anyone can be certain of is that we have no idea what they are going through.
<
p>
Aside from from wishing the Patrick family well, speculation of any sort is misguided at best.
<
p>
They have asked for privacy. Let’s give it to them.
The point I was attempting to make that perhaps intensive INPATIENT THERAPY accompanied by intensive psycho-pharm would be more appropriate to wandering around a house!Get her out of the enviroment that is initiating the intense anxiety and resultant failure of coping mechanisms.
<
p>
Kitty Dukakis was inpatient (by the way Governor Dukakis took zero time off) Betty Ford went inpatient. I don’t recall Romney taking time off unless it was to further his presidential aims and then he did it on company time. I can’t see Bill Clinton taking time off if Mrs Clinton became debillitated for anything.I doubt Bush would either.
<
p>
When you become head of government, that becomes your sole obligation. You think people in the service get time off for a sick spouse or CEO’s? Think a neuro surgeon cals in sick for a craniotomy because his wife is having a bad day? If you want to talk about silent suffering talk to a doctors wife. No, the show goes on. When people aspire to these lofty positions they know—or should know, that the job comes first, first and foremost, above all else. Lincoln’s wife was mad as a hatter and he had a child die—did he take time off. No! The world does not stop for a single person.
<
p> My sympathies and condolences for Mrs. Patrick, I sincerely hope her recovery is swift; however, if her present circumstance is due to her husbands job, what in gods name is going to happen when it really gets tough.
The state legislature is about to open up on the governor with a full broadside. You worry about republicans? You should be worrying about the senate president and the house speaker. Two killer whales circling a nice plump seal as we speak. Do you think for two seconds that these two esteemed gentkemen wish him well? They are about to grab every vestige of control in the state. The governor will be absolutely powerless and will spend his time playing pick up sticks in his office for three years and ten months. I learned many years ago, the enemy is not “out there”, the enemy is right “inside these walls”
with us!
<
p>
If Massachusetts gets hit by pandemic flu
you disgusting freak.
<
p>
This is a blog, not a lab report on human/animal breeding experiments.
How does that quote go again?
<
p>
Never argue with an idiot. They’ll bring you down to their level and beat you with their experience.
I don’t know from Adam what caused this or what the best treatment is or any of that. I do remember meeting Diane Patrick and finding a warm, caring, passionate and fiercely committed woman who was a much a force in the recent election as her husband and I liked her right off.
<
p>
My best to the family at this time. My thoughts and prayers are with them and I wish Diane Patrick a speedy recovery and some peace.
of the fact that I’m a Republican, or ashamed of the actions of my fellows (I’m a pro at rationalizing) but I’m ashamed of some of the irreverent, asinine bullshit that my comrades spouted here. If there was a list of reasons that the MASSGop will never flourish again, I can see that callous resentment and lack of compassion as there on the list. I can only hope people like PP will only grow in influence and give some hope to the paltry few that still know conservatives aren’t heartless rocks.
<
p>
My prayers to Mrs. Patrick and my apologies to BMG.
if I remember right, but you seem to be a throwback to a very old school type of Republican.
<
p>
I thought they didn’t make those anymore. Glad they do.
…but the malAdministration of Ronald Reagan cured me of that at the national level. At the state level, I voted for Weld and Cellucci for governor in the 1990s, and probably would have voted for Jane Swift if she had been the nominee in 2002. Romney cured me of my Republicon tendency at the state level.
<
p>
One can put up with Republicon horse manure for only so long.
<
p>
If conservatives want to win in Massachusetts, they should run in the Democratic primary. Republicons aren’t conservative, and that’s where the “con” comes in.
…it’s the Democratic Way!
…do you really believe that I care what a Republicon apologist* thinks of my posts?
<
p>
*For the uninitiated, I am using “apologist” in the religious sense: defender.
You’re lashing out with zeros and threes like a wounded animal lately. You’re at your best when you cut folks a little slack. Each of us is going to read things here we don’t like; it shouldn’t come as a shock when that happens. I’ve been trying to grab every chance to give you a five or six when it’s deserved, and ignore the rest, as what I’ve hoped would be received as a sporting gesture, and to avoid the ratings retaliation death spirals people get into. I’ll continue to do that regardless. Unfortunately, more often than not your colleagues on that side of the aisle leave it all up to you to model civil behavior from that quarter, unfair as that may be. When you give up trying, our stereotypes about whether conservatives can constructively participate in a dialog here mostly go unchallenged.
All the best, Mrs. Patrick. Hang in there. It is important that the Governor focus on his family in this crisis.
Lots of inane crap have been thrown at the Patricks in a short amount of time, including at his wife. I hope that none of it has anything to do with her depression, though I’d bet it does.
<
p>
My thoughts and well wishes go out to the first lady.
My heart is just bleeding inside of me since I received the announcement from the Committee.
<
p>
The Patrick family has sacrificed a great deal, more than we will ever know, because they wanted to work, to strive, to pour their heart, soul and body into improving the welfare of the people of Massachusetts.
<
p>
The wife always sacrifices more. This is a fact.
<
p>
And in return for this sacrifice, what do they get? Howie Carr writing, “I told you so. I told you Deval was going to be a complete disaster.”
<
p>
I was glad the next report I read listed Governor Patrick as the most powerful governor in the country.
<
p>
Do you know, several years ago, I considered applying for such a postion at at Boston teaching hospital, which paid in the $60’s. And that was before negotiation or overtime. And a friend of mine was an exec asst in a high tech company out in Westborough (not Boston), and she made $66K with overtime. So when I heard $72K, I was not at all surprised.
<
p>
Anyhow… I wish Mrs. Patrick knew how many of us love her. We really, really do. And I wish she knew how grateful we are. There is so much affection and support out here for our First Lady and friend.
<
p>
Someone with more tech knowledge than me should start a website, where we can all sign our names and wish our First Lady well.
Wow, some of the comments here from folks I have been reading over many months here on BMG, are extremely ignorant and demonstrate why their is such a bias against mental illness and treatment for mental illness. Stigma clearly reigns here on BMG.
<
p>
Depression is an illness that robs the individual of energy and hope. It sucks the joy out of life and living. It brings despair often to the point of suicide. It makes awakening each day a moment of pain rather than a cause for celebration of possibility. It is truely the experience of being in a dark tunnel and not being able to see or imagine the light at the end. Most people who suffer from depression are never hospitalized. They are often treated with medications and psychotherpy. They need love ones to hold the hope out for them that they can no longer experience or even imagine exists.
<
p>
If you live with depression or have a loved one that does, you might have a better perspective on this. Depression costs this country in productivity, possibly more than any other illness.
<
p>
People often ask what causes depression. Many believe that it is a chemical imbalnce in the brain that can be triggered by a loss or other kind of changes. For some it is seasonal, tending to get depressed in winter, and for some, elated in spring. For some it seems as if it just appears without any clear percipitant. Whatever the cause, it is a painful reality for millions who suffer from it, and those who love them.
…the issue that has to be dealt with is the lingering belief that mental illness is not actually physical illness–that is, that it has physical causes. That is an unfortunate legacy of the psycho-therapy branch of psychiatry.
<
p>
I’m exaggerating, of course, but you get the message. Until illnesses that are classified as “mental” are recognized as being physical (and a few have been), it’s unlikely that a lot of progress will be made in considering those illnesses in the same manner as physical illnesses are considered.
I know because I worked on it.
A friend called me and suggested I comment here. She thought I was qualified to add something about both depression and being “first lady” since I’m a psychologist who grew up in a political family.
<
p>
First, let me address the staffing issue. I haven’t read what’s been posted in the past, so I may speak out of turn here and state the obvious. Forgive me if this has been hashed to death.
<
p>
It is not only common practice for the “first lady” of a large city or a state to have staff positions assigned to her, it’s almost universal. If you check most states, the first lady has at least one staff member and most have more than one. The same is true of the spouses of mayors of large cities.
<
p>
Do people have any idea how much is demanded of these spouses? I do. Spouses receive TONS of mail and phone calls, all of which has to be dealt with by someone. And while it might seem silly to many, it is not silly to the groups that request the attention of “first ladies.” Practically every group in the state wants a visit to cut a ribbon, attend a ceremony, judge a contest, be on their boards, give a speech, etc etc etc.
<
p>
The spouses of these leaders are also sent tons of mail for many reasons, much of it to either praise or damn their spouses. Some of this mail is vile, some even threatening. Is Mrs.. Patrick supposed to sit there during her little free time and read all of this stuff? Is she supposed to sit there at night while her family sleeps and rifle through all of the requests for her time and attention and answer each one on her own? Should she also spend her time answering the 100+ voicemails she’d be left each day? These spouses are not paid to deal with all of this and none of them ran for anything. This is considered to be part of the “job,” one for which there is no compensation save for a little prestige. I suspect many who’ve been there might forgo the prestige for some privacy and normalcy. If she were a “nobody,” she wouldn’t have people dissecting her every bowel movement.
<
p>
The focus on staffing and the misrepresentation of the issue is one created by a biased corporate media.
<
p>
As for the depression issue, let me address a few issues here. First, only 5-10% of people with depression are hospitalized. Hospitalization is used only for those with severe clinical depressions that have proven resistant to treatment. Those resistant to standard treatments are in the minority (roughly around 20% of people with clinical depressions) and newer ideas about treatment for those folks is making hospitalization even less necessary. The other reason for hospitalization is suicidality. Most people with clinical depression have given it a passing thought — even among those who admit to having fleetingly considered suicide most are not hospitalized. It’s those who have specific kinds of histories, thoughts, means & plans and specific kinds of thought/behavior patterns that are most likely to be hospitalized.
<
p>
Depression is one of the most common illnesses in the US. In any given year, about 21 million Americans suffer from some kind of mood disorder. It is also highly treatable. How it is treated depends on the individual. Medication alone may be enough for some people, though it’s certainly not what I would typically recommend. There is much conflicting research out there, but there is a strong argument to be made based on some of the research that cognitive-behavioral therapy is just as effective as medication when treating most depressions and it’s more effective when it comes to preventing relapse. Depression is not only associated with “exhaustion” but also with thought patterns that perpetuate and strengthen the depression, thus the effectiveness of therapy that addresses these patterns. My preference is combination therapy consisting of medication & cognitive behavioral therapy. Traditional MRIs and functional MRIs show that there are changes in brain functioning with both lending support that both are able to correct neurochemical imbalances.
<
p>
There are different kinds of depressions and different causes. Some of the causes include genetics, neurochemical imbalances, situational stress, medication side effects, hormonal imbalances, physical illnesses that change neurochemistry, and on and on. In short, there are biological, social and psychological factors and any given depression can be combinations of all of them or caused by one alone. It’s purely speculative to GUESS at what caused Diane Patrick’s depression. I don’t know about anyone else here, but I for one am tired of such speculation — if I want to see it on any given day, all I need to do is turn on any corporate media TV “news” show.
<
p>
There does, indeed, remain an ignorant stigma associated with illnesses that manifest under labels we continue to call “mental illnesses,” nomenclature that should probably be changed since it can be so misleading and associated with antiquated views about these illnesses. Those who choose to remain ignorant may always do so, but know that you have decided to set up house in a decrepit Victorian district.
The issue to many of us was not that Diane Patrick needed a Chief of Staff, but who was selected. The women selected for the position was one of the Campaign committee chairs responsible for raising the 14 to 15 million dollars during the election. I am fine with her being Chief of Staff, but she is a very wealthy women and does not need $72K as a salary. In keeping with the spirit of this campaign I expected her to defer her salary and work as a volunteer. Many of us did this who are not as wealthy during the campaign.
<
p>
Regarding Diane like everyone my heart goes out to her and her family.
Why on earth should someone work a full time job as a chief of staff and “defer her salary and work as a volunteer” just because she happens to be in a good financial position? That makes no sense to me.
<
p>
Are you saying that anyone of means should work for free? Do you have a problem with Deval Patrick taking a salary? After all, he is quite well off.
<
p>
Someone’s salary should not be commensurate with their net worth.
First the campaign is not over. We are merely in the campaigns second phase right now. Deval and his staff have to campaign to win the support of the state senate and legislature.
<
p>
“Why on earth should someone work a full time job as a chief of staff and “defer her salary and work as a volunteer” just because she happens to be in a good financial position? That makes no sense to me”.
<
p>
Anyone connected to the campaign knew who Amy Gorin was. She did a great job along with her husband raising money for the campaign. The point I am making is if you get elected saying no more politics as usually you cannot then go and give your election committee chair what is perceived as a political pay back so openly. Please note I said perceived political pay back. I am not saying it was but for purely PR reasons Amy’s salary should have been deferred or lessened.
<
p>
“Are you saying that anyone of means should work for free?
<
p>
Absolutely not.
<
p>
“Do you have a problem with Deval Patrick taking a salary? After all, he is quite well off”.
<
p>
Absolutely not.
Sometimes in politics you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. She may well have been criticized even if the position had been filled on a volunteer basis — many would still call it patronage.
<
p>
I don’t understand who should take their salaries and who should not by your standards. Some wealthy politicians do forgo their salaries — Bloomberg & Corzine come to mind. So should all wealthy politicians do the same? If not, then why should wealthy people who work on their staffs?
“Sometimes in politics you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t”. She may well have been criticized even if the position had been filled on a volunteer basis — many would still call it patronage”.
<
p>
You are right, but the perception of selflessness and volunteerism on Amy’s part probably would have lessened the political fall out.
<
p>
“I don’t understand who should take their salaries and who should not by your standards. Some wealthy politicians do forgo their salaries — Bloomberg & Corzine come to mind”.
<
p>
It is my belief when Governors like Bloomberg, Corzine or Romney do not take their salary it is a PR move. If they are all as wealthy as we believe then a governor’s salary is a drop in the bucket to them.
<
p>
“So should all wealthy politicians do the same? If not, then why should wealthy people who work on their staffs?
<
p>
I think your question is too broad. You have to look at each situation individually. In my mind there is no all-encompassing answers.
<
p>
Let me ask you this. Why did Amy Gorin’s appointment make the papers, but Brendan Ryan, David Simas, Suzanne Bump and Betsy Wall’s did not? They were all with the campaign from the beginning, were all inner circle and all received equally high appointments.
leave it alone. Have you no sense of decency? I don’t care who was hired to help Diane. I’m just glad that someone was. Amy Gorin is a lovely person who Diane must trust to help her. Good. If Amy has to deal with insane idiots, like the ones posting here, I suggest the Governor up her salary to a couple million. I cannot believe that anyone, of any political persuasion, would be advocating that someone work in the most hideous of positions for free.
If you had read the posts you would realize Amy Gorin was never attacked personally. In fact she was complemented on the job she did. This was a civil discussion on a great Blog about how situations like this can be handled better so as not to give the impression of impropriety. I respect your support of Amy, but she was never insulted. There were many ways the appointment of Amy could have been handled better and that is what we were discussing. Deval did not want us to follow him blindly and lash out at those who disagree with him. In fact he wanted the opposite.
freaking impropriety! There was no impression of freaking impropriety! There was a slow news day and an absence of stories that didn’t require some research and effort. Arrggghhh!
I do not want to argue any more. We are both on the same side.
This whole diary brings to my mind another class of unhired and unpaid labor: preacher’s wives. I’m a PK, and growing up watched every church that dad pastored at expect my mom to perform “out of love for Christ”. Just by dint of being married to dad, she was expected to set an example of Christian Womanhood for the community, produce 2.5 angelic children (still to this day, dirt won’t stick to me!), and put in endless hours of free labor, all the while not neglecting those angelic children, spotless home and her Man of Christ, of course!.
<
p>
I bring this up only because it seems our society still has this funky expectation that we should get a 2 for 1 deal when hiring men into positions of authority. It is a totally outmoded expectation, and should be trashed. It is completely unfair to the family of the employed person.
“Lots of inane crap have been thrown at the Patricks in a short amount of time, including at his wife. I hope that none of it has anything to do with her depression, though I’d bet it does”
<
p>
Inane crap?
<
p>
What exactly is inane crap?
<
p>
This is a partner in a huge Boston Law firm
<
p>
are you telling me she is depressed over the media
<
p>
or over Deval’s performance
<
p>
Or is this how the Patrick’s get the media off their back?
<
p>
Did she have enough of Deval’s mistakes would be the right way to phrase it.
Re-read your post and you will have your answer.
The public is, in effect, the governor’s boss. It is appropriate that he inform us of his altered work schedule.
<
p>
If any of Ms. Patrick’s troubles are due to her responsibilities as first lady, then I hope the Patricks will reconsider her involvement. She owes us nothing.
<
p>
PP made a comment upthread that if this was her gall bladder, there would be no questions. I disagree. Gall bladder surgery is often minimally invasive. You are out of the hospital within days and back at work within a week.
<
p>
I had unexpected gall bladder surgery two days after getting married. My husband stayed with me in the ER, then again during visiting hours. Distracted though he was, he went to work. If it were her gall bladder, I think there would be more questions if the governor took weeks of flex time.
<
p>
I’ve posted a note on my website.