WBUR’s Radio Boston devoted its show this week to interviews with the four candidates for Mayor of Boston: Tom Menino, Michael Flaherty, Kevin McCrea, and Sam Yoon. It was an interesting listen. Thanks to WBUR for doing it. You can hear the whole show here.
Please share widely!
WBUR is to be praised for actually attempting to cover this race but accommodating the incumbent mayor’s desire not to take call-in questions from the public is not fair to the other candidates.
<
p>He is the mayor, he can change or adjust his schedule at will…and surely Jane Clayson could have adjusted hers to make a live call-in for the mayor happen.
Letting the mayor off the hook while keeping the other candidates on the hook, is not my idea of a level playing field. Just another benefit of being an incumbent.
<
p>No one should be “Mayor for Life” but it can happen when elections are not fully and fairly covered.
After not appearing and taking any phone calls on WBUR at 1PM on Friday, Mayor Menino suddenly appeared for over an hour with Michelle McPhee on WTKK all of 6 hours later. At no time during the hour long infomercial for the Menino campaign did McPhee ever say that the other candidates where invited, or would be invited to a future show, and the only question taken was about a parking meter from a woman from the South Shore.
<
p>In my opinion, this is such a blatent campaign contribution violation, exceed the $500 limit more than a 100 times over, that it should be investigated by the SOS. While I understand that if the Mayor had restricted his comments to the current business of Boston, this would not have been an issue, but at no time during the hour long lovefest was there any discussion of current business. It was about the campaign, about debates, about the other candidates, and about how much McPhee LOVES Menino.
<
p>For someone who has been in politics for over 30 years, this was such a pathetic “rookie” mistake, it makes me embarassed and ashamed for this man.
HL — That afternoon, the Mayor was attending a ceremony at which his wife was receiving an honorary degree.
<
p>The Mayor does a number of call-in shows regularly, not just Michelle McPhee’s, but a number of ‘BZ shows and others. It is probably fair to say he’s been on more call-in shows than his opponents, and taken many, many calls from admirers, non-admirers and interested citizens.
It has been clearly established that if an incumbent who is running for reelection is appearing on a program in his current role, that is fine. It has also been clearly established that if an incumbent who is running for reelection is appearing on a program about his or her reelection campaign WITHOUT his or her opponent(s), then that amounts to an “in-kind” donation to the campaign.
<
p>During the hour that Menino was on with McPhee, my estimate would be that 95% of the conversation was about the campaign and 5% was about him in his current role as Mayor. As such, this is a BLATENT campaign contribution well in excess (many times over) of the campaign limit and should be investigated.
<
p>Even FOX News made it clear that had Huckabee be put forward as Vice President for McCain, he would have to suspend his show on Fox. If Fox knows the rules, why doesn’t Menino?
of fair play on the public airways, there is no such law or regulation. To even remember such an old fashion policy you must be about my age.
<
p>The Democrats have discussed bringing back the “Fairness Doctrine”, but the Republicans scream “Free Speech”.