Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

FLOOR FIGHT!! 4th Middlesex Battle Gets Physical on House Floor

By

Senate seat rivals take their beef to House

By State House News Service  |  Friday, October 12, 2007  |  http://www.bostonherald.com |  Local Politics

Two state representatives vying for the same state Senate seat took their rivalry to the House floor yesterday and one allegedly grabbed the other in a dust-up over campaign tactics.

The afternoon scuffle in the back of the chamber between Reps. Charles Murphy (D-Burlington) and Patrick Natale (D-Woburn) disrupted the usually staid House proceedings.

Eyewitnesses differed over the aggressor in the confrontation but agreed that, at one point, Murphy grabbed Natale’s hand. Calls to the homes of Murphy and Natale were not returned last night.

House sources said Murphy was angered by what he said was Natale’s distortion of a campaign poll. A spokesman for Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, who conferred near the rostrum with Murphy after the incident, declined to comment.

Two other Democrats, Rep. James Marzilli and firefighter union official Ken Donnelly, are running in the Tuesday, Nov. 13, primary.

Here’s an excerpt from the more detailed story in the Globe.

Murphy said in an interview after the confrontation that he approached Natale in the back of the chamber to talk to him about the race. But the conversation deteriorated, Murphy said, and Natale began accusing him of “saying things about him.” He said Natale employed a four-letter word or two and poked his finger at him.

Murphy, who served in the US Marines, said that he asked Natale “not to poke at me” and that at one point he pushed Natale’s hand away. But that was the extent of any physical contact during the exchange, Murphy said.

“It wasn’t a fight; it’s not like we threw down,” he said, adding that the episode lasted perhaps 28 seconds. “It was a discussion about an ongoing state Senate race, and we had a disagreement.”

But one witness said Murphy had grabbed Natale’s finger and bent it. A colleague moved in, admonishing them for scuffling in the House chamber, the witness said.

They separated but continued to throw epithets at each across several rows of desks, until a colleague took Murphy outside and advised him to cool off, the witness said.

Fight over a campaign poll?  Hey, that would be great fun on BMG!  What are the numbers?

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0

Comments

    • Which I miss.

      <

      p>
      This latest bit of juvenile chest-thumping may help exlain why there is no more cable coverage of the House…bring back those cable cameras, say I!!

  3. need we proceed with further consideration for either of these two?  i don’t know anything about murphy, but natale isn’t exactly a rocket scientist.  he came into his house seat just a few short years ago, stating visions of showing the old farts how it’s all to be done.  yeesh, what a dweebe.  he may be an effective rep for his district for all i know, but i just can’t see that him representing a whole senatorial district (which includes my old stomping grounds).

    <

    p>
    in contrast, i have always found jim marzilli to be a level-headed, clear-eyed true progressive.  and he’s served long as rep.  he has earned my respect.

      • i already was a Marzilli supporter.  But if I were a fence-sitter, those items would certainly have toppled me over to Jim’s side.  In particular, I can’t believe he supports the death penalty.  Wow.  Sad.

  4. Having interviewed both Reps Natale and Murphy for the Boston Labor Council, I can see that their styles could lead to a clash. Natale is very self-confident and unafriad of speaking his mind. Murphy is very straight forward and knows where he stands. (Note here – Murphy voted for in-state tuition for the children of immigrants, has a strong Labor voting record and I would consider him the more socially progressive of the two).

    <

    p>
    That said a heated exchange on the floor of the House might be a tad rude but doesn’t disqualify them from office. Ask Jim Marzilli about his podium rush and exchange with then speaker Flaherty when Flaherty moved through a vote unexpectedly. I would rather my elected officials have some passion.

    <

    p>
    As a Ken Donnelly supporter (full disclosure – my union has joined the Massachusetts AFL-CIO in endorsing Donnelly for the 4th Middlesex Senate seat), I belieev this race is wide open. Coming a week after November election day, it will come out to GOTV. This is an ID and pull race. Donnelly has progressive and pro-labor positions and root in several of the communities in the District.

    <

    p>

  5. Wicked Local Arlington, the online version of the Arlington Advocate, added this on Friday:

    Murphy, a representative from Burlington, and Natale, a representative from Woburn, said today they had talked in the back of the House chamber about their campaigns.

    “We had a discussion on the floor about the race and it got out of hand,” Murphy said. “It was a lot to do about nothing.”

    But Natale said Murphy “physically put his hands on” him and “snapped his fingers back” during the discussion.

    “I asked him nicely three times to please stay away from me, run his campaign and let me run my campaign and leave it at that, and he refused,” Natale said. “He basically assaulted me.”

    Both Natale and a spokesperson for Murphy chalked up the heated words to a heated race.

    “[Murphy] is a passionate guy when he speaks about the race,” said his campaign spokesperson, Amy Lambiaso. “There was no [ill will] between them.”
    Natale said he is moving on.

    “I’m trying to run a positive campaign and I don’t like the fact that this happened yesterday,” he said. “I’m hoping everything goes away and over next four weeks that I run my campaign and he can run his and not bother me.”

Archives