Blue Mass Group

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Rep. Jennifer Callahan threatened by another legislator on Beacon Hill

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I’m surprised that I haven’t seen this post yet…

State Representative Jennifer Callahan brought the House proceedings to a hault on Thursday after Sal DiMasi called a recess after comments Callhan made on the House floor.

Those comments relayed a threat she received by what appears to be a tenured legislative member. The exact quote Callahan said was



I want you to know that I’m not only aware of what was said, but I’ve been in this building a long time and I know a lot of people, and that if I want to I could make your life really difficult. I could really hurt you if I wanted to.



DiMasi’s office says that he is “…taking the threat very seriously…” but that they are not commenting on it at this time.

This could be just the way things get done up there on Beacon Hill. If it is, that’s too bad. And I’m glad Callahan made the threat public. Hopefully we’ll find out who the person was and appropriate action will be taken, however, I don’t see that actually happening.  

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  1. mentioned here by me

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    p>and two sides to every story. Those words are spoken more than you think.  She needs a valium.

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    p>But Rogers people will use it with female reps to gain advantage over DeLeo. Vallee is DeLeo/Petro/Murphy/ et all

    • And the right response is that Callahan should take a valium? GMAFB.  That kind of thinking is what’s led to the present pitiful situation. Our Massachusetts legislature is an pathetic, infuriating farce of a government body.

    • What a dolt Jennifer must be…not to know as Ernie informs us that “those words are spoken more than you think”…why didn’t she just take a valium as Ernie suggests. All those hysterical women getting in the way on Beacon Hill!

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      p>If the women were politically smart they would get their 24% of the house together in a room and pledge that they as a group would choose the next Speaker because they would endorse and vote as a group…and when the candidates come to ask for their 24% of the total vote, they would GET SOMETHING in return…like leadership team spots, Chairmanships of important/significant committees…

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      p>The women fritter away any power they might have by not figuring out the oldest rule: strength in numbers…they spend too much time discussing without conclusion and when the pressure is on they wilt to the “powerful (in their own mind)” men and get nothing for their hommage…tsk! tsk!

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      p>Look at Kathi Reinstein…she disses a Revere candidate to curry favor with the Hill Boys, she votes the way she’s told even when it is counter to her communities interests (casino vote) to please the boys…and what did she get for it to show back home in Revere: a whopping $10,000 for the Revere Beach Redevelopment…whoa! That’s appreciation for you!

    • Ernie, you have to be kidding.  This guy basically threatens this woman and SHE needs a valium?  This is 2008, and while the legislature is still the old boys club, there should be at the minimum, some level of professionalism.  Perhaps Mr. Vallee should lose his leadership posts for such boorish behavior.  

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      p>I hope the Rogers crowd does use this to gain advantage.  Such bully boy behavior shouldn’t be rewarded.  

      • she shouldn’t get vredit because she’s woman. That’s what happened here. I mean nobodyh is sayin g she was phnysically threatened. She was told they will fuck with her district/legislation. That’s all.

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        p>Thta;’s why Alice wolf and Ruth Balsar and other women reps were angry at Callahan because thye saw it the wau I see it and jen hurt female reps.

        • I’m not at all clear what you mean by “credit” because she’s a woman?  Sorry, Ernie – I’m not clear what that’s about.  

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          p>I say good for Ms. Callahan for calling out that two-bit goon.  Maybe the goon squad will be on notice that they can’t pull this shite anymore with anyone.  

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          p>And if it’s true that Wolf and Balsar are angry with Callahan for calling out bad behavior – shame on them.  What the hell kind of “progressives” give that BS a pass?  They should be supporting her…not angry with her.  Blaming the victim is another symptom of a toxic culture.  

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          p>

          • In the rough and tumble world of beacon hill a real jerk feeling like a big man may say to another rep during some intemse lobbying for a bill or a speaker os both, You know joe, I could really hurt you.”

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            p>Every rep would immediately think the same thing when hearing this.

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            p>1. This guy is a effin a-hole.

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            p>2. this guy is saying to me that if I don’t vote the way he/they want he/they will screw with things that are important to me. ie. my district. That makes me llok bad.

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            p>3. I have been threatened like this many times before howver it usually is diplomatic and with plausable deniel.

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            p>4. At no time do I believe or intetpretgedthis as a threat against my person.

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            p>5. Politics and legislative nbodies are all about relationships and voting blocks and similiar interests and this jmessage delivered in less direct ways can be legitamte.

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            p>6. I am a rep. I just had a political threat, which are legitamate, given in a tasteless, classless, asshole like manner.

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            p>7. There is no nreason to play woman card.

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            p>8. I may play fuck you card or whoi do you think you are card talking to me, a rep, a human being, like that.

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            p>9. But in noway did that asshole bully me because I am woman. That a-hole TRIED to bully me because he thought I was weak. Like so many make reps. Nothing to do with being a woman.

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            p>10. And only a lame rep would take the floor and complain. Sex is not an issue here.  

            • I think I more than implied that it was more of a bully boy issue, as opposed to a woman thing.  I saw the news reports and I’m still wondering how you think she’s playing the woman card?

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              p>As for taking the floor to complain, let me put it this way.  

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              p>

              “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.”
              –Justice Louis Brandeis

              <

              p>The behaviors and toxic culture at the state house won’t change unless people decide to stop it and that begins with publicity.  I commend Rep. Callahan, because she’s probably going to pay for this in a very big way, but she’s done a tremendous service to both the taxpayers in this Commonwealth and to her colleagues, although they may not know it yet.  What better way to put the “powers that be” on notice that no one is going to take their shit anymore?  

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              p>Sorry, I don’t think Rep. Callahan is lame.  You can’t kill cockroaches like Rep. Vallee, but if you leave the lights on, at least the nasty little bugs like him will stay in the dark little corners where they belong.  Staying silent gives a tacit endorsement to this crap and I’m glad she’s not taking it.  

              • which would have helped rather than hurt her constituents. That’s all.

                • What exactly is a better way to handle a bully?  They generally don’t respond well to “tea and crumpets.”  And I am really interested in the answer, Ernie.  How should Ms. Callahan have handled this guy?

                • Old school rules say you cry to your mom, but you don’t let your mom actually do anything about it, like call the school or the other parent, because that is much worse.  Then you try to hold your head high and hope the bully lightens up on you eventually, out of respect for how you are handling it.  New school rules say you force the police and media to ruin the life of the bully, and hold your head high for not being ashamed at calling mommy.  

                • See my reply to EdPrisby suggestion of criminal charges.  Context Justice, Context.

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                  p>You are an attorney. Do you practice regularly in any District Court. If you are a half descent lawyer you know not to push the judges buttons too often because he will eventually ‘hurt you’. which means hurting your client. The judge didn’t do anything wrong. But the lawyer was told by an experience lawyer, Hey Jen  , you better quit busting Judge Smith’s balls on every other case becasue he will hurt you.

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                  p>Jen is the lawyer, her district and/or her legislative priorities are the client. And the ‘he’ll hurt you” may not be the best phrase to use when someone was attempting to get across a legitamate message.

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                  p>Every day legislators are made aware one way or the other about future consequences for present actions. That is how a legislature works. They did that in Phuladelhia in 1776.

                  <

                  p>Lack of tact is not an ethics violation. It’s bad manners.

    • “But Rogers people will use it with female reps to gain advantage over DeLeo”

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      p>He’ll use them in more ways than one!

  3. Photographic image STATE REPRESENTATIVE JAMES E. VALLEE,
    http://www.mass.gov/legis/memb…

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    p>Pass this contact info on to voters in Rep. Vallee’s Franklin MA Tenth Norfolk district, and to the Mass. Bar Association.

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    p>State House District Office
    Room 238 20 Pleasant Street
    State House Franklin, MA 02038
    Boston, MA 02133
    Telephone: 617-722-2380 508-528-1095
    508-541-2480

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    p>E-Mail: Rep.JamesVallee@hou.state.ma.us
    Party Affiliation – DEMOCRAT

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    p>DISTRICT REPRESENTED: Tenth Norfolk. – Consisting of the town of Franklin, and precincts 2, 3 and 4, of the town of Medway, both in the county of Norfolk.

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    p>EDUCATION: Providence College; New England School of Law; University of Virginia (U.S. Army Judge Advocate General School); U.S. Army Infantry School, Ft. Benning Georgia.

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    p>PROFESSION: Legislator/Attorney/U.S. Army Reserve Officer.

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    p>ORGANIZATIONS: Massachusetts Bar Association; U.S. Army Reserve Officer’s Association.

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    p>PUBLIC OFFICE: Mass. House (1994-Present).

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    p>Committees on which the legislator serves:
    House Committee on Ways and Means, (Assistant Vice-Chairperson)     [surprise, surprise]

    <

    p>http://www.mass.gov/legis/memb…

    • Isn’t it his job to move along a certain agenda?  Isn’t he elected by his constituents specifically because he can twist arms to get something passed?

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      p>If he just sits at his bench and votes yea or nay as the bills go by, he’s pretty much a dud of a legislator, isn’t he?

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      p>Isn’t the entire notion of party politics that party members can be compelled to vote a certain way on certain matters, either by horse-trading carrots, or punitive sticks?  Why do parties have a position called the “whip”?

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      p>Sounds like the guy was doing his job.  If his constituents don’t like the agenda he is pushing, then they should vote for someone else.  But if they do, why should they admonish him for doing it well?

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      p>So far, there appears to be zero evidence that he made a physical threat, and all available evidence points to a political threat, which is, you know, how politics works.

  4. The problem with the State House is that virtually none of the solons face any likelihood of challenge, this year or ever.  With the filling deadline just past, as usual, there are only a handful of real races, nearly all for open seats.  

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    p>Because legislators are not held accountable, year after year,  over time their performance, both substantively and stylistically, has degraded to its current farcical level.

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    p>Massachusetts has some of the lowest rates of incumbency turnover — and serious challenges — in the US.  We also lack a second type of accountability.  Because the Democratic Party faces no threat whatsoever of losing control of the House of the Senate, neither the Senate President nor the Speaker have much incentive to make sure their bodies perform.

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    p>While I’m no Republican and no Green, I would prefer to see some semblance of competitive politics in at the State House — it would improve the behavior of all concerned — and probably lead to better legislative outcomes.

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