Full Disclosure: I am the field director for the United Independent Party
See you all at Saloon on Wednesday! We can trade contacts or barbs in person over great drinks!
It’s stories like this one that convinced me something is profoundly broken about our state’s democratic and yes, Democratic system of government. Adrian Walker talked a look at Senator Brian Joyce’s (D-Milton) ethical foibles.
From Adrian Walker in today’s Globe:
Brian Joyce, a Beacon Hill fixture, has been the subject of multiple recent ethics probes, and he probably isn’t done being investigated (emphasis mine-JC). In a lengthy telephone interview Thursday, he insisted that he had never violated the state’s frankly lax ethical standards and predicted full exoneration. But he was contrite as well, admitting that he had, at times, been guilty of lousy judgment.
At the center of the most recent investigation was a graduation party Joyce threw for his son. Of the $5,200 cost of the party, $3,367 was paid by his campaign finance committee. Joyce has agreed to pay back the money billed to his committee, which will be donated to the Massachusetts Hospital School, a Canton-based facility for people with special needs.
To add insult to injury another Boston pol lower in the Beacon Hill foodchain had his career destroyed over far less:
By comparison, Wallace was indicted for failing to properly document $51,000 in campaign expenditures and $6,345 in contributions, in a case that was ultimately resolved in fines and pre-trial probation. He narrowly escaped jail time.
Now 65, he works part time at the Norfolk County House of Correction, writing books on the side. He marvels, bitterly, at his former colleague’s penchant for escaping consequences.
Two lessons I learned from Chicago that I’ve add to the North Cambridge lexicon I grew up with (all politics is local/people hahve to be ahsked)
-You can’t beat somebody with nobody
-We don’t want nobody nobody sent
You can’t beat somebody with nobody is pretty self explanatory, we can’t beat a loser like Joyce who has filed bills mostly of the post office variety and literally has loads of dirty laundry.
The second quote, attributed by Abner Mikva to a machine pol unwilling to accept him as a Stevenson volunteer, reminds us that the MA Democratic party, barring the lovely people here, is uninterested in dealing with, disciplining, or even primarying a guy like Joyce. They actually like Joyce, they’ve given him leadership positions in the past. Can’t beat him in a low turnout primary, but you can beat him in a general. If you or somebody you know, knows somebody willing to beat this nobody please let me know (jconway@unitedindependent.org). If you got a local nobody of your own, give me somebody. All it takes is 150 signatures and he or she can be on your ballot line in November. An alternative is waiting-the choice to select one is up to you.
Details on The Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth District Brian Joyce occupied here courtesy of stomv.
Christopher says
…that someone you can’t beat in a primary is somehow beatable by the same or similar candidate in the general. Also, what am I missing about Joyce? I’m having a hard time getting worked up over the transgression you described, especially since it looks like action was taken to make it right.
stomv says
The Dem turnout in a primary is far lower than the Dem turnout in the general. Importantly, the kind of Dems who turnout in a primary are different than the kinds in a general.
You beat a lousy Dem (or GOP) in a two person race by running a clean centrist in the general, to take votes from the “minority” side, the middle, and the goo-goos from the Dem (or GOP) party. Three person race? Totally different and chaotic dynamics.
What I don’t buy is the idea that trolling for candidates at BMG for a specific senate district is effective. But if I was going to do just that, I’d also (a) include the Senator’s first name, at least once, (b) list his senate district (Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth), and include a high res map of the senate districts or, even better, a detailed map of his district with a little map key indicating where N-B-P is on the map. Note that N-B-P is directly south of Boston — if you can find Milton, Canton, Randolph, or Stoughton on the map above, you’ve found it!
jconway says
BMG can handle a wonkier post. And I’ve been talking to contacts in the district, I just thought this was a fun illustration of what we are up to. Interesting to see how the specials play out today, and if my theory on how to impact them is proven correct. And I’ll be happy to bore anyone with the details tomorrow night.