Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

  • Shop
  • Subscribe to BMG
  • Contact
  • Log In
  • Front Page
  • All Posts
  • About
  • Rules
  • Events
  • Register on BMG

Front Page Posts

This site (will be disabled on) December 31, 2022

December 5, 2022 By Charley on the MTA

UPDATE: A slight reprieve. The new date for shutdown will be 12/31/22.

Plans are afoot for the site to be thoroughly crawled and archived. It won’t just disappear. The site will stay up, at least for a while, but for the purpose of archiving, commenting and posting will be disabled on 12/31/22.


Hello friends —

Last call.

Sadly, for those who are remaining on this site, I am taking the site down on December 6, 2022. That is the day that the LLC that gives me some legal protections is dissolved by the Secretary of State; the cost of keeping the LLC ($525/year) for a mostly-moribund site is prohibitive for me right now. It’s a shame that the archive of content will come down; it’s an illuminating history of an era. But such is the way of things; most state-level political blogs of our vintage have vanished. I’ll keep a copy of the archive, of course.

I hope that our readers and participants have long since found satisfactory outlets for their political thoughts and activities. It seems that what constitutes “political activity” will be radically re-shaped in the next 24 months, in any event. All best of luck and good courage to all.

Merrick Garland nails the coffin of the rule of law

November 18, 2022 By SomervilleTom

Merrick Garland announced today that he is appointing a “Special Counsel”.

He’s decided to run out the clock rather than fight to save the rule of law. Two years after widespread evidence of a long list of crimes, Mr. Garland chooses to do nothing.

The rule of law in America is dead.

 

Election Day Open Thread

November 8, 2022 By SomervilleTom

For perhaps the last time, here is the traditional election day open thread.

I invite you to share whatever you like about your vote and polling place.

I’m particularly interested in our collective response to the ballot questions.

 

Primary Day is Upon Us!

September 5, 2022 By Christopher

It wouldn’t be BMG without a primary day open thread so I figured I would start.  One of my favorite political websites has taken a nothing-to-see-here attitude, but there are other contested races.  For the statewide races my votes were for Chang-Diaz, Gouveia, Galvin, Palfrey, and DiZoglio.  I’m also supporting Tara Hong’s primary challenge to my State Representative and helping my friend Eunice Zeigler in her race to succeed Diana DiZoglio in the Senate.  I invite others to weigh in with their preferences, predictions, and observations.

Eric Lesser for Lieutenant Governor

August 28, 2022 By Mark L. Bail

I support candidates first based on what they do or will do.

Who they are comes after.

What Eric has accomplished as state senator is nothing short of amazing. You can look up his record on Wikipedia or his website. Those sources, however, can’t tell you what kind of person Eric is.

I think I can.

Eric was literally a kid when I first met him. He was a high school debater for Longmeadow when I was president of the high school debate league. My East Longmeadow team shared a bus with them. I got to know him talking about school and politics on the bus.

One day, I was reviewing judges’ ballots when Eric and his debate partner Amos came to see me in the judges’ room. Debate judges varied in quality. Some actually understood the stock issues of debate. Others qualified because they had a pulse. Eric and Amos had one of the pulse judges and were handed a loss to a team that had no idea what it was doing.

As a senior, Eric Lesser and his partner won the Connecticut Valley Debate League championship. (Left to Right, Amos Shemesh, Mark Bail, and Eric Lesser)

They told me the story. I looked at the ballot. I knew it was a bad beat. What I still remember was Eric’s gratefulness. They had reason to be angry. Other kids would have lost it. I remember the parent of one irate debater threatening to tell Dan York, a local talk show host, about the unfairness of a debate lost. Eric was thankful that I looked at their ballot, confirmed that they were right, and had been unjustly dealt a loss. Eric excelled at debate, but even then, he stuck out for his appreciation of the situation.

I followed Eric’s post-high school career in the Springfield Republican. He famously joined the Obama campaign, managed the luggage for a dozen people on dozens of airplane flights. (He never lost a bag). He graduated from the campaign to the White House and worked for the President’s advisor David Axelrod and on the Council of Economic Advisors. Read More…

Progressive Mass Shouldn’t Back Stupid Primaries

August 12, 2022 By jconway

Our own Tommy Vitolo (stomv) was a long time climate activist, systems engineer, and wonk blogger right here at BMG before he got into the state house. Since that time he has accumulated a lot of legislative accomplishments on housing, climate, and LGBT issues by working with House leadership and his more moderate colleagues to get things done. This seems to me to be the mark of a reality based approach to progressive lawmaking.

That record of pragmatic progressivism has apparently invited a primary challenge to his left from Raul Fernandez who, like Tommy, is a Brookline selectman and fellow policy wonk (in this case education policy at my graduate alma mater BU Wheelock). This is the rare primary where I happen to know and like both candidates on a personal level, so by no means is this post a dig against Fernandez. I just question the wisdom, timing, and target of his primary challenge.

To Raul’s credit his critique is mostly substantive and wonky hitting Tommy for specific votes around improving transparency on Beacon Hill. I’ve long been on the record here bemoaning our lax rate of permanent incumbency and uncompetitive elections for the legislature. I’ve even been critical of Tommy for votes I disagreed with him on including voting for DeLeo’s last re-election, yet these are not the disqualifying votes begging for a  primary challenger Raul makes them out to be. Particularly one as well financed and staffed as Raul’s.

Tommy does not have a 100% rating from Progressive Mass, which is apparently the main reason the organization is backing this primary which has attracted a lot of outside funding and campaign energy that could be better spent on the Fair Share amendment, protecting undocumented immigrants, and electing a Democrat to the Corner Office. There are also critical elections for Suffolk DA, Auditor, Attorney General, and Lieutenant Governor. Not to mention critical competitive congressional elections in NH, CT, and RI. Any of these efforts would be a better use of time.

At a time when outright anti-democracy candidates are on the ballot in neighboring states and avowed election deniers will win the Republican nominations for constitutional offices in our own state, I question the wisdom of targeting a reliable progressive just because he voted for Ron Mariano. Using that logic previous PM endorsed candidates like Mike Connolly should also be challenged by the organization.

If anything this primary gives truth to the reality that too many progressives cluster in the blue bubbles even within our own state. My own state representative in purple Wakefield is a relatively conservative Republican who is not even getting opposed. His office has yet to get back to me with his abortion stance, although I know from digging he voted against the Roe Act multiple times. I have no idea if PM has even bothered trying to create chapters in districts that routinely send conservative Democrats or Republicans to the statehouse, but this seems like an effort where we are eating one of our own. No offense to PM organizers who are doing important work I largely no longer have time to do, and no offense to Raul Fernandez who is a dedicated educator and activist who should be in the statehouse, but this primary seems really dumb.

More Posts from this Category

Of trees and menorahs

December 3, 2004 By David

Every December, there's a huge fight somewhere over "holiday displays" on public property (hat tip to How Appealing for the link).  The argument usually runs something like this:Can we have a Christmas tree?  If we have … [Read more...]

Filed Under: User Tagged With: national

Let the people wait

December 2, 2004 By David

As you'll recall, the rallying cry for the anti-gay marriage crowd during the constitutional convention earlier this year was not so much "we hate gays" (that might be seen as intolerant and likely to turn off moderates), but … [Read more...]

Filed Under: User Tagged With: massachusetts

We’re already paying for it

December 2, 2004 By Charley on the MTA

One of the major points of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation report on covering the uninsured in MA is that many people could be newly insured by the same money that we're now spending on Uncompensated Care, e.g. when an uninsured … [Read more...]

Filed Under: User Tagged With: massachusetts

A really bad idea

December 2, 2004 By David

The Globe reports that state transportation secretary Dan Grabauskas floated the idea of a "use tax" for cars - that is, a tax that is tied to how many miles you drive your car.  Cars would be tracked with global positioning … [Read more...]

Filed Under: User Tagged With: massachusetts

The cowardice is staggering

December 2, 2004 By David

Several major networks have informed the United Church of Christ that they are refusing to air the UCC's new ad, deeming it too "controversial."  The ad is designed to convey the highly divisive message that "like Jesus … [Read more...]

Filed Under: User Tagged With: national

Total chaos

December 1, 2004 By Charley on the MTA

Shhh.... listen closely ... hear that? That's the sound of total freakin' chaos. Right here, in Massachusetts! (No, not that! That's just crickets.)Well, that's what the Liberty Counsel (from FL) told the US Supreme Court would ensue if gay … [Read more...]

Filed Under: User Tagged With: law-and-lawyers

FL Columnist Boosts Romney 08

December 1, 2004 By bo

John Herbert, a regular contributor to Hernando Today in Hernando County, Florida, sums up Romney's appeal to the Hate Party voters he will need if he is to capture the White House in four years. "Even though the state [Massachusetts] has … [Read more...]

Filed Under: User Tagged With: massachusetts

Santa checks list twice, finds out that Pope is naughty

December 1, 2004 By David

ROME - Santa Claus declared the Pope "naughty" for the first time in recent memory, and delivered a large lump of coal to him in time for Christmas.  In what was seen as a particularly harsh move on Santa's part, the coal was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: User Tagged With: random

Ooh – “reform”!

December 1, 2004 By David

As we all know, His Excellency the Governor considers himself quite the "reformer."  We know this because he says so: the Governor's Message accompanying his Fiscal Year 2005 budget proposal uses the word "reform" … [Read more...]

Filed Under: User Tagged With: massachusetts

Prediction: 8-1 on medical marijuana

November 30, 2004 By David

You heard it here first: the Supreme Court will vote 8-1 to reject California's effort to legalize the medical use of marijuana.  Only Justice Clarence Thomas will vote to uphold the California law.  Thomas is the only Justice to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: User Tagged With: law-and-lawyers

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 3415
  • 3416
  • 3417
  • 3418
  • 3419
  • Next Page »

Recommended Posts

  • No posts liked yet.

Recent User Posts

Predictions Open Thread

December 22, 2022 By jconway

This is why I love Joe Biden

December 21, 2022 By fredrichlariccia

Garland’s Word

December 19, 2022 By terrymcginty

Some Parting Thoughts

December 19, 2022 By jconway

Beware the latest grift

December 16, 2022 By fredrichlariccia

Thank you, Blue Mass Group!

December 15, 2022 By methuenprogressive

Recent Comments

  • blueeyes on Beware the latest griftSo where to, then??
  • Christopher on Some Parting ThoughtsI've enjoyed our discussions as well (but we have yet to…
  • Christopher on Beware the latest griftI can't imagine anyone of our ilk not already on Twitter…
  • blueeyes on Beware the latest griftI will miss this site. Where are people going? Twitter?…
  • chrismatth on This site (will be disabled on) December 31, 2022I joined BMG late - 13 years ago next month and three da…
  • SomervilleTom on Geopolitics of FusionEVERY un-designed, un-built, and un-tested technology is…
  • Charley on the MTA on This site (will be disabled on) December 31, 2022That’s a great idea, and I’ll be there on Sunday. It’s a…

Archive

@bluemassgroup on Twitter

#mapoli

legislataapp Legislata @legislataapp ·
3h

Tweet summary for MA State House for 2023-03-23: 155 tweets from 55 legislators. Top words: local, ramadan, month, housing, breakfast, plymouth, health, holy, legislative, students. #mapoli

Reply on Twitter 1639161945415897088 Retweet on Twitter 1639161945415897088 Like on Twitter 1639161945415897088 Twitter 1639161945415897088
mszafranski413 Matt Szafranski @mszafranski413 ·
4h

Blink and you may have missed it, but Domenic @SarnoforMayor is tiptoeing into actual campaigning. #mapoli #spfldpoli https://www.wmasspi.com/2023/03/once-obscured-sarno-reelection-campaign-begins-to-bloom-openly.html

Reply on Twitter 1639145611663405056 Retweet on Twitter 1639145611663405056 1 Like on Twitter 1639145611663405056 Twitter 1639145611663405056
activate_media Activate Media @activate_media ·
6h

Latenight on Activate Radio M-F
12- Democracy Now
1- Nuclear Hotseat
2- Occupied Nation
3- Economic Update
4- 51%
http://activatemedia.org
#boston #cambridge #worcester #lowell #nyc #manchester #providence #portland #bospoli #mapoli #overnight #radio

Reply on Twitter 1639111799227416577 Retweet on Twitter 1639111799227416577 Like on Twitter 1639111799227416577 Twitter 1639111799227416577
lexseeher LexSeeHer Team @lexseeher ·
7h

Follow @lexseeher for all updates on the 1st monument to recognize women's political, economic, intellectual, social & cultural contributions in #Lexington #mapoli

Lexington Historical Society @LexHistSoc

Exciting news from our partners at @LexSeeHer2! #lexseeher #womenshistory #HERstory #boldwomen #History #women #suffrage #revolutionarywar #modernhistory #art #publicart #publichistory #monument #memorial #statue

https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/lexington-minuteman/2021/06/22/site-chosen-new-monument-honoring-lexington-women/5296708001/ (@WickedLocalLex)

Reply on Twitter 1639109004000411649 Retweet on Twitter 1639109004000411649 Like on Twitter 1639109004000411649 Twitter 1639109004000411649
occupied_nation Occupied Nation @occupied_nation ·
7h

My Son's Hair is Part of a Thousand-Year-Old Tribal Culture. His School Called it a 'Fad.' | ACLU https://buff.ly/3JNxNZo
#boston #cambridge #worcester #lowell #nyc #manchester #providence #portland #bospoli #mapoli #IndigenousPeoples #Leland #SouthCarolina #CharterSchool

Reply on Twitter 1639095014528806912 Retweet on Twitter 1639095014528806912 Like on Twitter 1639095014528806912 1 Twitter 1639095014528806912
rwwatchma Trump's election fraud hoax undermines democracy @rwwatchma ·
7h

TN legislated against drag, not against drag for kids who don't have parental consent.

FL legislated against AP African-American history and banned Anne Frank's Diary in public schools, for all not just kids whose parents oppose it.

Parental rights are a lie #mapoli #nhpolitics

The Recount @therecount

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) goes off on House GOP proposing a “Parents Bill of Rights”:

“They wanna ban books about Black and brown people ... about LGBTQI+ people. It is sick. It is hateful … You don’t get to tell the rest of us parents what our kids should be allowed to read.”

Reply on Twitter 1639094583689719808 Retweet on Twitter 1639094583689719808 Like on Twitter 1639094583689719808 Twitter 1639094583689719808
Load More

From our sponsors




Google Calendar







Search

Archives

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter




Copyright © 2023 Owned and operated by BMG Media Empire LLC. Read the terms of use. Some rights reserved.