Today’s Globe brings us further developments on … let’s see, what shall we call it? ThreatGate? Drop your suggestions in the comments.
Anyway, the news is that Sal DiMasi has asked the House Ethics Committee (not to be confused with the State Ethics Commission, an independent entity) to look into the incident. Apparently, such a request is quite unusual, and results are even rarer — the Globe could identify only three instances going back to 1962 in which the House Ethics Committee took action against a rep, and none since 1991. Membership of the House Ethics Committee includes Thomas Petrolati, Lida Harkins, and Eugene O’Flaherty; James Fagan is the chair. Could be interesting.
Also, the Globe has posted the audio of Rep. Callahan’s recounting of the alleged threat on the House floor, along with the Speaker’s gaveling the House into a recess before she could say much about it.
The Globe’s Andrea Estes has sources identifying the rep who made the offending statements to Rep. Callahan:
Two Democratic lawmakers said Callahan told them the colleague who made the remarks was James E. Vallee, a Democrat from Franklin, who is assistant vice chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Vallee is a key backer of Ways and Means chairman Robert DeLeo, who is vying with majority leader John H. Rogers to succeed DiMasi if he should leave.
Maybe she talked to Ernie, who’s been reporting on BMG since Saturday that Vallee was the guy.
Why wouldn’t you just press charges if someone said that to you? I mean, it wouldn’t go anywhere, but that would be the last time THAT would happen.
The Vallee is the place where things roll into. According to the Supreme God Hexla from the Planet Zoltoff a Vallee is where we must first look when searching.
<
p>When searching for the Callahan goon I immediately looked in the valley. When the day arrives when we all leave this planet my faith in Hexla will get me an aisle seat.
<
p>My word. If only more people would listen to the voices in their head.
“Oh yeah? How about you go #@%! yourself, Representative Vallee?”
just another day at the office
The HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ETHICS (who knew?) has been charged with an investigation.
<
p>This is their description:
<
p>
<
p>And these are the mebmers –
<
p>James Fagan – Chair; Martha Walz – Vice-Chair
<
p>Thomas M. Petrolati, Lida E. Harkins, Stephen Tobin,
Eugene L. O’Flaherty, and Michael A. Costello (and a fine collection of caporegimes they are! NOBODY missing!)
<
p>Minority members are Asst. Leader Mary S. Rogeness, Jay Barrows, Jeff Perry, and Minority Whip George Peterson.
Knuckles O’Flaherty and and Old Timer Fagan rolling around the floor in a donnybrook and Lydia Harkins crying “stop you guys” and Petro being too much of a wussy to break it up and the repub members not there becuase they weren’t notified of the committee meeting
will be on the phone with Pat Robertson asking him to intravene and say a few prayers.
It’s like you are there.
Period!
I don’t have the intellectual capacity to distinguish the degrees of “wrong” between a criminal actions and a rude man. Because I cannot I will just lump them all in together and hope it appears that I am taking the high road. I am more ethical than you.
<
p>HMM. C’mon to think of it, that’s what the far lefties do too.
<
p>See how it all relates?
<
p>BTW Peabody, change your name. Your embaressing the Tanners.
I am a fiscallly responsible progressive. I don’t believe the “far Lefties” would have me.
<
p>