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Threats in the House; DeLeo on record wanting Speakership

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Matt Viser picks up on the story Casey alluded to yesterday (hooray for the two-paper town!), about Rep. Jennifer Callahan being threatened by an unnamed supporter of Bob DeLeo's now-public candidacy for Speaker. It must have been pretty nasty stuff:

As state Representative Jennifer M. Callahan listened to a budget debate on the House floor on Thursday, a fellow Democrat approached her and told her he was upset about comments she had previously made about his role in the possible succession of Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi.

Then, she said, he threatened her, saying: “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.”

… “The words used were very unnerving, made me uncomfortable, and I couldn't sleep that night,” she said. 

You know, it's funny: Rep. Callahan could make the unnamed rep's life very difficult indeed, just by naming him. Bluff — called.

Rep. DeLeo's spokesman uses some funny circular logic in distancing his boss from such tactics, to wit: Why would we do that? That would make us look bad! Well, only if someone found out about it, right?

“If Chairman DeLeo is interested in becoming speaker, why would he ever condone such tactics?” Eisenberg said. “Any suggestion that Chairman DeLeo would have condoned such tactics doesn't make any sense. He is certainly interested in becoming speaker, but it doesn't quite add up.”

My emphasis — well, now it can be told. 

PS: Good to see much of the Globe State House staff working this story; kudos to them.

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Comments

  1. your headline is a false tease. eLeo’s aide said “if”. No admission. Jesus Christ man.

    <

    p>And as for calling the bluff. Because she hasn’t named the name publically?

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    p>Everyone knows who it is and this is an internal matter.

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    p>And a red herring btw.

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    p>B ut again. It’s JIM VALLEE

    • Look again at the quote:

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      p>

      He is certainly interested in becoming speaker

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      p>How much more specific do you require?  No ifs, ands, or buts in there.

      <

      p>Plus, come on.  Of course he’s interested.  McMorrow’s got him dead to rights, if nothing else.

      • Sorry Charley, How did i miss that? I owe you one now.

        <

        p>Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn

        <

        p>Wait. Love means never having to say your sorry.

        <

        p>So I’m not sorry.

    • If these are the types of people DeLeo is going to surround himself with, that bodes very poorly.  Are these are only choices — Rogers who is (a la Finneran) trying to make deals with Republicans and DeLeo surrounded by hacks and thugs?  Where are the progressives in this?

  2. He’s just being a good little soldier.

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    p>And I’ve been under the impression that Jen was on DeLeo’s side.

  3. Is this the way business is done on Beacon Hill?

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    p>If it is, then it is Cheasea all over again.  It is said that Mayor Joel Pressman would look to business to do the right thing.  That was why the lot from the Great Chelsea Fire remained vacant for so long.

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    p>Business wasn’t willing to pay and the space remained empty.  Joel ran for lieutenanat governor,  Chelsea went bankrpt and ended up in state receivership.

    <

    p>Que sera ?!?

    <

    p>

      • “Ernie Boch III:”

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        p>I do not have the honor of ever hailing from Chelsea.  I believe that goes to Tom Birmingham, Richie Voke, and others.

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        p>Lots of good and well has come from Chelsea!  Chelsea is just across the Mystic River from Boston.  Not just Admiral’s Hill, the old Chelsea Naval Hospital, is high rent now.

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        p>”Ernie” don’t be jealous that me and you can’t be from Chelsea.

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        p>I am a  mere observant participant.  If something stinks in the House, we should clean it up or clean it out!

        <

        p>

  4. Do we really need to compliment the Globe for covering this kind of a story? Isn’t it the most basic kind of state house story that they’d have to cover? Even if they only have part-timers occupying the state house at this point in time? Furthermore, isn’t this story essentially a political if-it-bleeds-it-leads kind of thing?

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    p>Yes. It is.

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    p>I’ll compliment the Globe when they run prominent stories on the renewable energy bill, bond bills and work the dynamics of the issues that matter beyond the political theater of these Speaker stories.  

      • I said renewable energy bill and bond bill. That’s not exactly the creation of a new license plate, or something, they’re two hugely significant bills that will cost the citizens of Massachusetts collectively billions to fund, albeit potentially saving us far more. One would think bills of those magnitudes would warrant huge and detailed coverage by papers such as the Globe. One would be wrong.  

  5. I’m not a total ignoramus, but I’m not the most connected person either.  I read about the threat.  I read that DeLeo is making a move for the job.  But where do you draw the connection?  I don’t see it at this time.

    • http://vps28478.inmotionhosting.com/~bluema24/s…

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      p>*[new]  Rep. Jim Vallee Was the Goon…
      trying to muscle Callahan.

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      p>On behalf of Petro. I mean DeLeo.

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      p>I think the tomorrow’s Herald will be all over Vallee

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      p>ernieboch3@hotmail dot com
      by: Ernie Boch, III @ Sat May 03, 2008 at 21:25:56 PM EDT

      <

      p>——

      <

      p>nothing about this up on the Herald as of 5/4/08 10pm….  

    • Petro et al. need a candidate sor speaker. THey had Rob Mariano but dropped him like a hot potato a few months back and switched to DeLeo. DeLeo was basically told, “you’re our new candiate.”

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      p>Thet aren’t a loyal bunch and just decided to shut Mariano down, even though they created him.

      <

      p>Petros puppet is perception of DeLeo.

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