I find it funny how the media is playing the probation trial as if it were a hearing before the state ethics commission rather than giving it the proportionality federal RICO indictments deserve.
The fact that this production, I mean trial, was partly written by the Boston Globe should cause Globe competitors to be suspect. Great opportunity for media outlet to up its reporting by taking on the the biggest guy in the bar. The facts are there. The story writes itself. What is there to be afraid of?
Other than occasional reporting of remarks by Judge Young one would think the defendants were getting their asses kicked everyday.
Guess what, they are not. In fact Judge Young has ended every day so far by telling the jury they have not yet heard any evidence of a crime, everything so far is “background”.
And Judge Young has been pushing Fred Dog Wyshak to show him another case where the same theories were used successfully. The judge has made it clear he’s having a tough time buying what Freddie is selling.
There’s even talk of directed verdicts.
So why isn’t the abuse of Fred Wyshak, Carmen Ortiz, and the U.S. Attorneys office reported on? Judge Young seems pretty pissed about it.
How about reporting on the SJC’s role in this and its abuse of power? The trial is detailing a pissy little sissy fight between upper lever managers, O’Brein and Mulligan/SJC. The SJC worked with Globe to report a one-sided narrative which was nothing more than propaganda for which the newspaper was happier than happy to oblige.
Imagine if the other side in your office politics squabble had God-like powers when it came to the law and labeled you a criminal so as to win the little fight.
This is the story. The patronage and shit are the interesting details but the nefarious actions are not state reps writing letters and making calls. Fucking dog bites man if there ever was one.
It’s all that went in to the Globe Spotlight Series and how the Globe was manipulated by the SJC or conspired with it. That’s serious shit and they need to be called out on it.
And Fred Wyshak using the power of the Justice Department to scratch his personal itch of hate is a much higher abuse that calls for his removal.
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I’m in the camp that say’s Martha Coakley’s big lead in the polls is made of straw and after the convention the lead will melt like the Red Sox.
Martha’s organization is thinner than people think and Steve-O is building up a nice one. It’s only May and the convention is around the corner. Different story come Labor Day.
seamusromney says
I agree about Coakley’s weakness, but Steve Grossman’s field operation is definitely being hampered by his campaign’s charter school mentality. A friend who is currently a senior staffer on a downballot statewide race tells me the Grossman campaign contacted him trying to set up an interview for a Regional Field Director position. That would have been a big demotion, working for a boss far less experienced than he himself is, and they’re not even paying market rate salaries for the position. He says his girlfriend, who has several legislators knocking down her door to manage their campaigns, got a similar call about an even lower position. They’re both insulted by the campaign asking them to take serious demotions for shit pay just because “OMG Steve-O!” So their recruitment process is definitely off. That’s two votes Grossman has lost right there because his campaign staffers were such insolent dicks.
This probably relates to the fact that their Field Director, Matt Garcia, and Deputy Field Director, Rahul Kale, were recruited from Democrats for Education Reform, a shadow group focused on shoving charter schools down everyone’s throats. So they have the charter school strategy of “let’s hire inexperienced ivy league grads for low pay by claiming the position has prestige and then drive down the wages of more experienced people by telling them how little the gullible Harvard kids are getting”.
Plus Marty Walsh has to be wicked pissed that Grossman has welcomed DFER with open arms after all the shady stuff they did for Connolly in the Mayor’s race. If I were Marty I’d support Coakley just to give the finger to Grossman for that. And I say this as someone who despises Coakley and wouldn’t dream of voting for her.
I’ve been a delegate many times over the years and Kayyem’s campaign was the first to reach out to me, back in October. No one else called me till December. The fact that two statewide electeds are behind a newbie in their outreach by several months says a lot about all three campaigns.
Christopher says
…why I didn’t know Garcia and Kale before this campaign and I’ve been around enough to usually know the people at that level.
Disclosure: I hold a master’s in political management and have been seeking similar campaign work, including inquiring about those positions on the Grossman campaign.
jconway says
And I don’t have the MA like you do. There are far more applicants than open positions from the sounds of it.
I’m still in the running for Legislative Aide with two state senators-hopefully one of them works out.
seamusromney says
or Dan Hunt. DFER loses a lot of elections. So I imagine Grossman made a lot of enemies by picking DFER to run his campaign.
thinkliberally says
…and how thin Coakley’s support, it’s still hard to fathom this field making up a 44 point difference. Grossman will bounce from the convention, but let’s face it: He’s no Deval Patrick. He will win the convention, maybe on the first ballot, but where does that take him? To 20%? 25 maybe?
seamus, I’d very much appreciate any links to verify the DFER info. I find it troubling but would like something more to go on.
lisagee says
I’d also like to know about any DFER connections Grossman might have. I’ve been seriously considering him as my second choice and have liked a lot of what I’ve heard with him. Alignment with DFER would be an immediate disqualifier for me.
eb3-fka-ernie-boch-iii says
Charter schools could be a factor in people going with Steve rather than Martha come September. After the convention I expect voters’ education on all things Martha to increase.
You with me Steve? You need to challenge her on specific decisions she’s made as A.G.. Fells acre – put it into perspective with all the daycare prosecutions around the country.
Paint her as a hypocrite.
Her brother-inlaw working as the librarian in the AG’s office. Her letter writing to probation for jobs.
Her huge p.r. staff yet she goes after Tim Cahill.
Now do we really want Martha and her discretionary powers to increase a thousand times? No, of course not. What rational person would?
seamusromney says
You’ll need to be logged in, but if you don’t have Linkedin already it’s free.
Matt Garcia’s profile, and Rahul Kale’s
Christopher says
they also both have OFA on their resumes. I’m not convinced that we should necessarily hold a couple of young activists looking for work responsible for all the views of the organization they work for.
seamusromney says
Interns just looking to show they can work hard, sure, forgive them for working for bad people. These guys were leading the charge.