Here it is, a real mole-hill, hot off flickr. It doesn’t look very impressive, does it, and I predict that as soon as the legislature starts trying to reinsert funding for its gazebo operations and Big Dig roofing contractors the enthusiasm Patrick generated in the campaign will return. After all, he was elected to shake things up:
We have a mandate to change the way we do business on Beacon Hill and to keep the grassroots alive and growing.
The hackocracy is fighting back. One can’t blame them: jobs for friends and relatives are on the line. But all they have so far is a molehill.
The interesting question is whether the Globe etal will be as assiduous in their coverage of the Sith Lords of the Legislature as they have been of the choice of 2-1 of the moderate voters in the Commonwealth.
A speedy nomination and confirmation of a popular new SJC justice would be a good way for Patrick to regain some momentum.
bob, i’ve never seen an actual molehill. but i recently looked at a somerville condo that kinda looked like that. the shopping continues.
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no.
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not a perfect analogy, but: the guy who owned the new bedford sweatshop seems, when you google him, to have made a $250 donation to barney frank.
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if it had been a donation to deval, i suspect we’d have seen some MSM outlet turning that into a story, you know, “WILL YOU RETURN IT?” sort of thing.
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why not with barney frank? i’m guessing b/c there’s not a “previous storyline” to try to “connect it to.” similarly, i don’t expect big MSM push to be “assiduous” with Lege as you wonder above.
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i have a different question.
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presidents’ approval ratings often benefit from keeping a low profile for a while. which is the better course right now for DP — high profile (showing leadership, but inevitably opening up for criticism) or lower profile (let Lege put things forward that can be criticized)?
Interesting question, and you’d think that he’s been keeping a low profile on purpose. Unfortunately, that gives the press some time to dig your grave.
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But whatever. I’m hopeful that the homework he did on the budget will bear fruit in time, since he’ll know the variety of things that can be thrown into a negotiation. I suspect the lege will be impressed with his preparation, and they’ll realize he’s someone to be reckoned with.
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It’s just not too damn glamorous this year. Between the budget and health care, I kinda suspected that.
…and people here threw shoes and carving knives at me!
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One person even asked what good does it do to return money to a criminal, when somebody as nice as Barney has it and will do good with it (a response I am saving up for the next GOP financial scandal).
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So – at least I am more CONSISTENT than the Glob! And yes, I think that DOES demonstrate bias!
…than what they normally throw at you…. đŸ™‚
…we had moles in the back yard, and they did make molehills something like that. The molehills were annoying, and my father tried to get rid of them–to no avail.
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We have moles in our back yard here in Wellesley. I’ve seen them when they sometimes pop out of the ground. No hills, though, and, because no hills, they’re not annoying.
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BTW, I’m just amazed at the diversity of wildlife that we’ve seen here just 12 miles from the center of a major city–turkeys, grouse, skunks, deer run through our back yard. A year or so ago, a male wild turkey was literally terrorizing people at the town dump–it was funny as heck.
and that’s why we elected him as governor. Are there pitfalls when the legislature is not bowed down to and they don’t have their hacks in high positions in Patrick’s staff? Yes. I think we all knew that it was not going to be easy on him, but I didn’t think they’d be after the guy from week 1. It’s going to change and the legislature will be accountable if they don’t pass better education for our kids, adding police to our streets and providing tax relief to our towns. Once they try to stop any of those initiatives to push a new gazebo I think we’ll be on them.
Where’s the money going to come from?
Higher taxation? Tax who? Business? drive more businesses from the state.
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Fidelity is lying through their teeth. They are building a mega complex outside Houston. When they go there goes twenty two thousand jobs and an exponential loss of jobs.
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Just what we need more ignorant cops. Have you considered why the closure rate of murder in Boston is 23%? It’s because the average Boston cop can’t read or write. The entrance exans were too difficult. It’s a cause and effect relationship.
The grassroots has plans to kick up some dust pretty soon…
The Patrick administration’s learning curve had better get sharp or as Eileen McNamara points out in her Globe column today the mole hills are actually lapses in planning. These are worse than than the lapses in judgment about drapes and cars. This administration isn’t stumbling out of the starting of the starting blocks, it’s fallen down at the starting line. That is not a mole hill. It had better pick itself up soon or 16 years of Republicans in the corner office is going to look like a short time.
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St. K
Again, how is the office renovation a “lapse in judgement”, when Romney spent nearly as much right after producing a budget that increased fees across the board and cut vital services like mental health and alcohol/drug treatment?
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The reporting is following a clear double-standard here. Romney got a pass, Patrick is getting beat up for doing the same things.
AA is a wonderful thing and it’s FREE!
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Deval is taking money from the blind—now there is a group who have a large and loud group of advocates. Who amongst you advocates for the blind? Hands anyone?
My professional licensure fee under Romney increased significantly—cost of doing business. I take it off my Fed. 20% rebate.
…what is your comment supposed to mean?