The Globe’s Lisa Wangsness has a big story on Sal DiMasi’s supposed pre-eminence among the three Beacon Hill heavyweights, towering over Gov. Patrick and Senate Prez Murray.
Waaaalll, maybe. First of all, I think the statute of limitations may have run out on Gov. Patrick’s “early stumbles”. I’m not so sure that he’s “weakened” anymore — he’s not acting like it, after all. I’m not sure that had he chosen a Ford Escort to drive that he’d be in any different a situation, here in May of 2007. The position of Speaker is inherently extremely powerful — making legislation is a team game, and if the underlings want their priorities advanced, they have to play ball with the Speaker. (For instance, I’m really curious how different Jim Marzilli’s green energy bill was from the speaker’s — must have been pretty different if it got him demoted.)
Secondly, it’s got to be easier simply to maintain power and crank out status-quo-preserving legislation and spending, at the expense of actually pushing through an ambitious agenda. Lucky for Sal he’s got the governor’s cooperation on his green energy bill, for instance. If he wants anything else major, he’ll have to play ball with Patrick and Terry Murray.
The other thing that will cost DiMasi some prominence is that harsh mistress, arithmetic. Yeah, they decided to blue-ribbon-panel the corporate tax loophole issue, but I cannot imagine that any balanced group of wonks is going to say that the state doesn’t need to fix the revenue problem — quite possibly closing some of the loopholes as proposed by the governor. I just really doubt that outcome is going to look good for DiMasi, because he’s just flat-out wrong on the merits and on the math. I don’t know — maybe the rainy day fund will get depleted into oblivion, because no one lobbies for a rainy day fund — but that’s a terrible way to run government.
I’ll be interested to see how DiMasi reacts to Patrick’s forthcoming plans to reorganize education spending, too. I have little doubt that Patrick’s going to propose some major new revenue streams, to which Sal’s been pretty allergic so far.
Of course, in spite of his intransigence on some issues, we could do (and have done) much, much, much worse than DiMasi. He’s been an out-front progressive on issues from same-sex marriage to health care. But with regard to issues such as revenue, a quote from Georgia might be relevant:
Lobbyist Rusty Paul, a former state GOP chairman, said political giving at the statewide level is “like a compass. It’s always pointed one way ? toward power.”
I have little doubt that every big-money lobbyist is making a beeline for DiMasi, imagining (vainly, I hope) that he’s bound to be their best friend in the Patrick/Terry Murray era.
Charley, you say,
“making legislation is a team game, and if the underlings want their priorities advanced, they have to play ball with the Speaker. For instance, I’m really curious how different Jim Marzilli’s green energy bill was from the speaker’s — must have been pretty different if it got him demoted”
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Marzilli was part of leadership. He was a vice-chairman and part of the leadrrship team. Leadership speaks as one on major legislation. This was major legislation. Marzilli attends leadership meetings. He had plenty of opportunity to voice his opinion to speaker. Leadership came out with the energy bill.)
Marzilli embarrassed leadership (his own team) by filing his own bill. No “I” in T-E-A-M- , Charley. No room for him on a team. Most respectfully, Marzilli got what he had coming. Now he can go back to his constituents and tell them why he lost his leadership position which he worked so hard to get.
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But then again, Marzilli is not known for delivering for his constituents. He and others like him are known for crying that the world is unfair when they do not get their way.
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And don?t forget, the legislature is ONE BRANCH. So everyone does not have equal say with the governor. The branches do.
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As for your lobbyist theory Charley, you are naive. Every big lobbyist has already maxed out with Deval, Terry Murray, and Sal. Not to mention house and senate ways and Means Chairs. Sal isn?t significantly raising any more money because he knows how to screw with Deval and Terry Murray. He?s the Speakah for crissake.
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Finally you say Sal is good for many issues, but you find fault in him because he doesn’t bend over backwards to give Deval everything he wants. He won?t support corporate tax increases. Like a true liberal. That ?what have you done for me lately and if you don?t agree with me 100% you suck? attitude.
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Praise Be Deval
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AMEN
Although a well thinking Rep., Marzilli has been ineffective for years.
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If I am correct wasn’t Marzilli Co-Chair of the Health Care Committee last year and was virtually non existent and absent during Health Care Reform?
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Compare him to former Finneran outcasts Rushing, Balser, Smizik and Kaufman who all hold “Leadership Postions” seem to be doing very well under the new Speaker. They are all members of Leadership and remain true to their liberal beliefs and continue to push for progressive agenda and even the Governor’s tax agenda.
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Having given the chance by DiMasi I had hoped for much more leadership from Marzilli during the past couple of years – but have not seen it.
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is and will remain King of the Hill. The governor and the senate president can not and will not be able to make a move unless they get the approval of the speaker. Remember this is a one party state and the speaker holds ALL the cards. The capo de capo so to speak.
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I would respectfully submit that you go and do some homework on the past speakers in the last forty or so years in MA. Historically speaking, as long as there was a strong speaker (read one not opposed to vindictiveness and pay back)and an overwhelming democrat majority, then the speaker was boss and the governor and the senate president were virtually powerless.
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That’s just the way it it. Speaker Dimasi has been upthere for forty years. He has seen many of his predecessors either go to the can or step on a land mine. Speaker Dimasi will cater to “progressives” to a degree, but his core contintuency are hard line old school folks who believe strongly in apple pie and America. He’s not going to shoot himself in the foot.
Billy Bulger. Learn your history.
But David – Mr. Bulger was an exception, and worked with extraordinarily weak Speakers – Kevarian and Flaherty come to mind.
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The true potential power of a Speaker resides in this sentence – All spending bills originate in the House (I remember a Senate Supplemental budget – varied activists were excitied about it, but it was a poor, weak thing that Mr. Finneran left to die on the cold marble floor awaiting concurrance).
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That said – Madam President is nobody’s patsy, and over time will be more than a match for Sal.
the President holds the gavel.
Show me the $$$$$$$$$$
and allow slimy Finneranesque moves, as Travaglini did in 2004.
Seems fuuny that the Globe would do a profile on DiMasi rather than the new Senate President.Its a typical Globe move to try to start some animosity and jealousy between the three leaders. I think we are luck in the sense that the Gov and the SP are not dumb and that the three actually enjoy a good relationship, regardless of political reporting and nay saying bloggers.
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p.s. Charley, I take exception to the following line in your main post:
“Secondly, it’s got to be easier simply to maintain power and crank out status-quo-preserving legislation and spending, at the expense of actually pushing through an ambitious agenda.”
I do not think that Health Care Reform is status-quo-preserving legisaltion. Neither was the School Building Assistance reform, the Stem Cell bill, the Heating and Energy Bill, Streamlined Permitting legislation or building up the Rainy Day Fund by $600 Million in two years, and even the most recent Film Tax Credit bill.
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Lets get real Charley, et. al. and give credit where credit is due. If I were to reverse your one sided view of
pushing an ambitious agenda I would point out that the GIC piece of the Governor’s Municipal Relief Bill was actually proposed and carried for the last couple of years by Rep Rachel Kaprilien of Watertown, the Chair of the Municpalaties Committee in the House of Reps. But I won’t do that.
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My first question: “Is Deval Patrick still governor?” I have not heard much from him over the last several months nor have I seen much of him.
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My second question: “Who the hell is Senate Prez Murray?” My friend tells me he is quite a guy.