Politics Etc.

What Barncoat Brown doesn't want you to know [Politics]

Proud of his pick-em-up truck and Barncoat

Brown also has 6 homes, millions in the bank and a Washington Lifestyle

By Walter Brooks

Harvard teach Elizabeth Warren may have a good life as well, but she isn't trying to convince you otherwise.

The State Democratic Party is already assuming Ms. Warren is the candidate and released the viodeo above today.

Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair John Walsh says, "When Scott Brown went to Washington, Massachusetts families barely knew him. Now, it’s clear there’s a millionaire under that $675 barn jacket, with as much as $100,000 in big oil and big bank stocks and real estate estimate estimated at more than $1.6 million.”

Benjamin F. Baker [Politics]

It's always easier to hide behind the people

And who the hell is this guy Benjamin F. Baker* anyway?

Last night, one by one, the Selectmen of Dennis recounted their discomfort at having to hear constituents voice their opposition to the naming of the Bass River Bridge for US Marine Corporal Nicholas G. Xiarhos.  None of the Selectmen at meeting actually said they were against the naming personally. But yet they voted to send a letter to the legislature asking them not to pass the bill to re-name the bridge.

At the Selectmens meeting, Representative Cleon Turner (D-Dennis), who was politically singed by the same effort a couple of years ago, said he was opposing it by also invoking the will of the people.

In politics, it's always easier to hide behind the people.

Supporters of the effort to name the bridge in honor of a fallen soldier knew that this attempt, like the previous one, was not going to be easy. If it was going to be easy, they would have had Rep. Turner file the bill again. As it is, Rep. Demetrius Atsalis, (D-Yarmouth) agreed to file it for the petitioners, knowing full well that it would be harder to do the right thing.

At the Selectmens meeting, two private citizens voiced the same opinion, that it was not appropriate to name the bridge after this young man, while suggesting instead that the bridge be named after Dennis' own Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, whom they did not mention by name.

In politics, it's always easier to be parochial. 

The selectmen were cautioned by another public official that taking a vote without giving all the residents an opportunity to speak to the naming before they voted, would only alienate supporters of the bill.  That’s why the legislature holds public hearings on bills.

Instead they chose to invoke their personal prerogative on behalf of the whole of the town.  It’s easier to take a vote when there is no one in the room except for a selected few to hide behind. 

In politics, it's always easier to take the path of least resistance. 

Bass River does not have a Yarmouth bridge or a Dennis bridge or a DY bridge. The bridge doesn’t belong to either or both towns or its residents.  It belongs to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  As such, all Massachusetts citizens have a right to exercise an opinion on naming the bridge, which is why the matter rests with the state’s legislature.

Had there been a genuine interest in honoring another war hero by re-naming this bridge for him, that bill would have been proposed many years ago. The time for that came and passed and as a result very few in will ever know the name of  Benjamin F. Baker.*  The proponents of adding the name US Marine Corporal Nicholas G. Xiarhos to the Bass River Bridge want to make sure that does not happen again.

In the end, the Selectmen of Dennis voted to send the Committee on Transportation a letter stating that the Town of Dennis opposes re-naming of the Bass River Bridge.

In politics, its always easier to be against something.

It may not come to pass that this bridge is named for this particular soldier, but the Selectmen of Dennis have made sure that it will never be named for any individual by acting in the manner that they did on behalf of a few residents of the town who do not support the effort.

Representative Turner will instead turn his attention to naming a state highway overpass after the native son.

*Benjamin F. Baker was born in 1862 at Dennis Port. He served in the Spanish-American War on board USS Nashville. On May 11, 1898, while serving as a Coxswain, he was one of several men who took part in a boat expedition that cut the underwater telegraph cable off Cienfuegos, Cuba. For his "extraordinary bravery and coolness" under enemy fire during this operation, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He reportedly later attained the rank of Chief Master-at-Arms. Benjamin F. Baker died in 1927 at Dennis Port, and was buried at Swan Lake Cemetery. (wikipedia)

Sutter was cheating the state; Sanctioned by Bar Ethics Committee [Politics]

The man who would be our Congressman stole services from his own DA's office

Accepted free services from a law firm he was paid to fight in court

By Walter Brooks

Bristol County District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter's present problem of jeopardizing the murder case against Jonathan Niemic is still simmering as new evidence is discovered of perhaps even worse ethical violations in this recent past.

"I take great pride in my 
  integrity and probity."
            - C. Samuel Sutter
While he answered Friday's charges by saying, "If Bill Keating wants to make this campaign about my record as district attorney against his record as district attorney and if he wants to make it about my integrity against his integrity, I would be happy to do that," his wish may to be diminished as his past comes back to haunt him.

A dozen years ago while serving as Assistant District Attorney in the same Bristol County DA's office, Sutter admitted to violating a state conflict of interest law in a case in which a defendant was represented by a private firm with which the prosecutor was doing business.

Invite Sam to dinner, but count the silverware after.Sutter admitted to the violation in a recently released legal settlement with the State Ethics Commission. The incident stemmed from his service as an Assistant DA before being elected to that office.

Then there's the money he and his wife improperly received as DA.

In 2009, the same year as the ethics violation above, Sutter's wife was forced to return $4,000 she was given as a present from a convicted embezzler.

Bottom line, Sam Sutter has several ethical blind spot and has trouble with telling the truth, telling the press this week, "I take great pride in my integrity and probity."

That word is defined as "adherence to the highest principles and ideals."

The complete text of his ethics violation sanction is below:

STATE ETHICS COMMISSION

Sutter, C. Samuel Docket No. 581

Docket No. 581

In the Matter of C. Samuel Sutter

Date: January 20, 1999 State Ethics Commission.

DISPOSITION AGREEMENT

This Disposition Agreement ("Agreement")is entered into between the State Ethics Commission ("Commission") and C. Samuel Sutter ("Sutter") pursuant to Section 5 of the Commission's Enforcement Procedures. This Agreement constitutes a consented to final order enforceable in the Superior Court, pursuant to G.L. c. 268B, s.40).

On February 10, 1998, the Commission initiated, pursuant to G.L. c. 268B, s.4(a), a preliminary inquiry into possible violations of the conflict of interest law, G.L. c. 268A, by
Sutter. The Commission has concluded its inquiry and, on July 22, 1998, found reasonable cause to believe that Sutter violated G.L. c. 268A.

The Commission and Sutter now agree to the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

1. 1. Sutter was, during the time relevant, a Bristol County assistant district attorney ("ADA").[1/] As such, Sutter was a state employee as that term is defined in G.L. c. 268A, s.1.
2. Casey & Thompson P.C. is a law firm practicing inBristol County. John Casey ("Casey")and Bruce Thompson ("Thompson")are shareholders in the firm.[2/]
3. In December 1994, Sutter solicited legal advice fromCasey concerning his recent separation from his wife.[3/] BetweenDecember 1994 and March 14, 1995, Sutter and Casey consulted onseveral occasions regarding this matter.
4. On March 14, 1995, Sutter as an ADA represented the Commonwealth regarding a motion to dismiss in the district court asto which Thompson represented the defendant.[4/]
5. As of March 14, 1995, Sutter was still consulting withCasey regarding the above-described personal matter, and he expected that the law firm of Casey & Thompson would represent himon that matter if it continued. [5/]
6. Sutter did not disclose to his appointing authority, the District Attorney ("the DA"), his private relationship with thelaw firm of Casey & Thompson.
7. General laws chapter 268A, s.23(b)(3) prohibits astate employee from acting in a manner which would cause areasonable person, having knowledge of the relevant circumstances,to conclude that any person can improperly influence him or undulyenjoy his favor in the performance of his official duties, or thathe is likely to act or fail to act as a result of kinship, rank,position or undue influence of any party or person.
8. By participating as an ADA in a matter in which thelaw firm of Casey & Thompson had an interest at a time when he had through his dealings with Casey a private relationship with Casey & Thompson in a personal matter, Sutter acted in a manner which would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of all the relevant circumstances to conclude that the attorneys at Casey &Thompson could improperly influence Sutter or unduly enjoy his favor in the performance of Sutter's official duties, thereby violating G.L. c. 268A, s.23(b)(3). [6/ 7/]
9. By way of mitigation, Sutter notes that on March 14, 1995, he was filling in the district court, received several files scheduled for hearing or trial for that day for the first time on that morning, and had no prior knowledge that Thompson would be representing the defendant until shortly before the hearing began.
      According to Sutter, due to the time pressures of handling several cases that day on short notice and because he had been dealing only with Casey about his personal matter, it did not occur to him that his litigating a matter with Thompson would create an appearance problem.The Commission is not unmindful of the difficulties faced by an ADA in district court session and does find these circumstances to be somewhat mitigating. Nevertheless, it concludes that he had the opportunity and obligation to inform the judge that he had a conflict, obtain a continuance for the purpose of disclosing the conflict to the District Attorney, and have the District Attorney decide who should handle the matter.[8/]
10. Sutter cooperated with the Commission's investigation.

In view of the foregoing violation of G.L. c. 268A by Sutter, the Commission has determined that the public interest would be served by the disposition of this matter without further
civil penalty. In disposing of this matter by this disposition agreement, Sutter waives all rights to contest the findings of fact, conclusions of law and terms and conditions contained in this Agreement in this or any other related administrative or judicial proceedings to which the Commission is or may be a party.

---------------------

[1/] From January 1994, to February 6, 1995, Sutter was the
Supervisory ADA at the Attleboro District Court. On February 6,
1995, Sutter was transferred to Superior Court. He continued to
appear in the Attleboro District Court to fill in for ADAs who were
ill or on vacation, but anew Supervisory ADA was appointed for the
Attleboro District Court.

[2/] The other major shareholder of the firm is not relevant
to these proceedings.

[3/] They had no prior attorney-client relationship.

[4/] The defendant was being prosecuted for operating under
the influence of alcohol. On February 28, 1995, Thompson filed a
motion to dismiss the case on various grounds. On March 14, 1995,
Sutter and Thompson engaged in an evidentiary hearing which
involved presenting witnesses and making oral arguments regarding
the motion. After the hearing, the judge took the matter under
advisement. While the matter was under advisement. Sutter took
steps so that the matter would be appealed in the event that the
judge allowed the motion. The judge did allow the motion to
dismiss, the Commonwealth did appeal, and the judge's decision was
eventually reversed by the Appeals Court and the case was remanded
back to the district court.

[5/] The law firm of Casey & Thompson did continue to
represent Sutter. Sutter has paid for a substantial portion of
these services and intends to pay the outstanding balance.

[6/] Section 23(b)(3) provides in relevant part: "It shall be
unreasonable to so conclude if such officer or employee has
disclosed in writing to his appointing authority or, if no
appointing authority exists, discloses in a manner which is public
in nature, the facts which would otherwise lead to such a
conclusion."

[7/] There is no evidence to indicate that Sutter provided
Casey & Thompson with any preferential treatment or that he
conducted himself other than in a professional manner regarding the
above described evidentiary hearing-

[8/] As a matter of public policy it is important that public
officials not engage in activity which creates the appearance that
their integrity has been undermined. In a recent decision and
order, In re Scaccia. 1996 SEC 838, the Commission stated its
position:

"Section 23(b)(3) is concerned with the appearance of a
conflict of interest as viewed by the reasonable person,
not whether the [public employee or official] actually
gave preferential treatment. The Legislature, in passing
this standard of conduct, focused on the perceptions of
the citizens of the community, not the perceptions of the
players in the situation." In re Hebert, 1996 SEC 800.
[I]n applying s.23(b)(3) to a public employee, [the
Commission] will evaluate whether, 'due to his private
relationship or interest, an appearance arises that the
integrity of the public official's action might be
undermined by the relationship or interest.' In re
Flanagan, 1996 SEC 757. See also In re Antonelli, 1982
SEC 10 1, 110 (evaluating precursor of s.23(b)(3),
Commission indicated major purpose of section to prohibit
public employee from engaging in conduct which will raise
questions over impartiality or credibility of his work).
Id. at 848.

This policy concern is especially applicable to our criminal
justice system where appearances of conflict of interest must be
avoided if our citizens' confidence in the integrity of the system
is to be maintained.

Page 927

End of Decision

Sutter: A lousy beginning [Politics]

C. Samuel Sutter misstates opponent's record twice as he starts campaign

Violates Reagan's 11th Commandment as he tries to unseat fellow Democrat

By Walter Brooks

Sam Sutter admits he's "tech challenged" so maybe William Delahunt could show him how to read the Congressional Record before he makes another "misstatement".The South Shore, Cape Cod and the Islands new Congressman Bill Keating has been in office barely a year, when the Machiavellian hand of his predecessor and lobbyist William Delahunt reached out twice to destroy him. Massachusetts Democrats haven't seen chicanery like this since Francis X. Bellotti ran against his own party's incumbent governor which resulted in Republican John Volpe defeating Endicott Peabody in 1964.

William Delahunt is the brains (pardon the exaggeration) behind Sam Sutter's run. Delahunt had also tried to get Rob O'Leary to run against Keating for the nomination, but O'Leary dropped out when he found out how little support he had with local party activists.

Sam Sutter kicked off his campaign yesterday in Provincetown and four other 9th District towns. In his talks he mentioned Bill Keating's voting record.

Specifically, he mentioned two votes about which he is flat out wrong. 

Distort to voters once, shame on you.
Distort to voters twice, shame on voters.

Sutter stated that Keating voted against an amendment that would have granted $510 million to firefighters.  That is false; Keating voted in favor of that amendment.  Here's the vote tally.

He also stated that Bill Keating abstained from a Planned Parenthood vote in February 2011 and implied he isn't as supportive of women's rights as he should be. 

Keating has a 100% voting record from Planned Parenthood and NARA. 

Keating the only Mass. Congressman with A rating from  NARAL

Moreover, NARAL distinguished Keating for going above and beyond on family planning services.  He's the only one in the delegation to have received an A in that category.

VOTE in our POLL
Which do you support?Hopefully none of the voters at yesterday's announcements believed those gross misstatements at best, direct lies at worse.

Several onlookers reported to us that many of those attending the five speeches were employees in his Bristol County District Attorney office. 

That's a huge problem for Sutter unless they all took a day off, and even if they did, who's running the office?

Maybe Sam is running as a Democrat since running as a Republican would put him in conflict with Reagan's  11th Commandment, "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican."

Brown vs. Warren: Deja vu all over again?

 
   Will the Warren campaign end like Martha Coakley's?

Running for President in 2016 instead of for Senator in 2012

Today's poll has Brown 49 percent, Warren 40 percent

By Walter Brooks

The poll this morning has Scott Brown ahead of Elizabeth Warren 49 percent to 40 percent. Our own front page poll has the incumbent Republican ahead by two to one.

"Is it too late for Patrick to throw his hat in the ring?
I don't think Warren has a prayer of unseating Brown."The Suffolk University/7News poll, which was released last night while a poll in December had the Democratic challenger ahead by 7 percent, a 16 percent flip in only two months. The latest poll shows that only 3 percent haven't heard of Brown while two recent polls say between 13 and 29 percent have never heard of Warren.

A conservative, Republican friend who despises Brown over the way he cashed in on the Cape Good News horror without naming his abuser asked me last night, "Is it too late for the Governor to throw his hat in the ring for Senate?  I don't think Warren has a prayer of unseating Brown."

A Coakley-style campaign may be the reason

It's time to rethink the entire thrust of the Warren campaign whose campaign strategist Doug Rubin has impressive creds, but his past success for Governor Deval Patrick and State Treasurer Steve Grossman seem to have gone to his head to the extent he now thinks that he is the candidate.

A Democratic insider told me John Kerry is pumping to be Secretary of State since Hillary Clinton is leaving which would open up his seat for Patrick or Grossman.

Perhaps  Rubin would do better to recall his fiasco running the Diane Wilkerson campaign instead.

Humble beats hubris every time, and he has turned off local activists big time.

At present there are several major things wrong with the Warren campaign:

• Warren's website is a bust, Brown's is a blast.
• Warren's staff is ignoring local town chairs and running a "national" campaign.

Meanwhile from the Berkshires and Pioneer Valley

A prominent Democrat writes me:
It is clear that Rubin does not have the experience to do strategy for a campaign of this magnitude. IMHO,only an idiot would have made the deal with Scott Brown over handling the SuperPac ads. It is crazy. Brown (with help from Karl Rove) will empty her coffers.
   Rubin is correct about their building the statewide network. It is based solely on "give me your email address and money".
   But we have been given:
No materials to work with.
No bumper stickers to hand out.
No brochures about her candidacy.
No local radio shows so that new people will be inspired to contact the locals.
   This is when you want to begin getting the leaders, the coordinators from around the state together to get acquainted and to give feedback to the honchos in Boston.

Kerry Kerfuffle?

   I suspect that she is getting her Foreign Policy advice from Kerry. It makes me want to puke. If he is giving campaign advice, then it will be a disaster because Kerry ran terrible campaigns.
  I know. I worked on at least one.Tip O'Neil reminded us that "all politics is local," but the Warren campaign is ignoring them and in a some case insulting their intelligence. Last year when Elizabeth Warren announced her candidacy a Boston Globe article said she criticized special interests and the role they play in setting policy in Washington in an essay on BlueMassGroup.

And yet her campaign chair Doug Rubin operates Northwind Strategies whose clients have included the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, Bay State beer makers, and a lottery technology company, GTECH Corp. which does work for the state lottery commission.

The Globe reports that Rubin founded Northwind after serving as Governor Deval Patrick’s campaign strategist, then his chief of staff. He also worked for Tim Cahill’s campaign for treasurer in 2002, then worked for Cahill overseeing the state lottery and the state’s $40 billion pension fund. He was also senior strategist for Treasurer Steve Grossman’s 2010 campaign.

Sugar works better than vinegar

I have spoken to local town committee chairs who are so put-off by the Warren staff that they are sitting out her campaign and spending their time working "for people I like," as one put it to me.

The Warren campaign staff gets paid. Local town chairs and activists work for free. No one works for free for someone unless they like them, and that ain't happening here for Elizabeth Warren.

Here's what the Warren staff asked unpaid Cape Codders to do last week in 20-degree weather:

Canvassing door to door may work in urban areas, but it is anathema in the boonies where older and more affluent voters live.

As one town chair told the Warren staff, "Barnstable County has the largest number of seniors in the state. You need to think through what campaign activities might work best for volunteers whose average age is in their seventies. I have a real problem sending seniors out in the Winter to canvas."

Successful campaigns ordinarily get their network leaders and field coordinators together to discuss problems, etc. That needs to happen with Warren to deal with the problem about sending seniors out into the cold. What would an alternative strategy be? Top-down, buttoned up campaigns don’t see the necessity to do this because they know-it-all, but they don't. Ask Tip O'Neil's ghost.

Deval's promise to Barack

Deval Patrick should pick up the phone today and ask
James Carville to take-overDemocratic insiders tell us that the governor has promised his bro in the White House that he can deliver a new Democratic Senator to him this November 6th.

Patrick's place in the next Obama cabinet depends on his fulfilling that promise.

The failure of the Warren campaign locally is evident in yesterday's NECN poll where about a third of voters polled don’t know who she is or don’t have an opinion of her. And Brown is popular. Fifty percent of the voters polled think favorably of him, compared to 39 percent who say the same about Warren.

Deval Patrick is a good and wise man. He should pick up the phone today and ask James Carville to take-over, or ask David Axelrod for some suggestions.

Brown is winning the winning the battle for "middle class" votes

The NECN report further states

At a time when the middle class feels under siege, much of this Senate race has been about who is more “middle class.” And, according to pollster Steve Koczela, Brown is winning that competition.

“He has managed to put a little bit of daylight between himself and his opponent as far who is actually from the middle class,” Koczela said.

And when NECN asked voters who would better represent the needs of regular people, Brown led Warren 33 to 30 percent.

Needs to do well in usual Democratic strongholds, but she isn't

The Boston Herald reports that Warren is viewed favorably by only 36 percent of voters in the district being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, the poll reveals. Nearly one in five voters has an unfavorable view of the Harvard Law professor, while nearly three in 10 say they don’t know or haven’t heard of her.

Those numbers are similar to the favorable ratings Warren got in a statewide UMass Lowell/Herald poll in December, an indication her momentum has stalled. The 4th District, redrawn by state lawmakers last year, is still heavily Democratic, and Warren needs to do well there to counter Brown’s strength among independents, and he is viewed favorably by 53 percent of voters in the 4th District.

Rob O'Leary gives up race against Bill Keating

TODAY's quote: "It was painful to make this decision."
- Rob O'Leary.

Delahunt cabal fails, O'Leary withdrawal ruins Sutter challenge as well

Rob O'Leary decided not to "pull a Bellotti" after all

By Walter Brooks

A year ago Bill Delahunt(center) beamed as Rob O'Leary (right) pledged his support to Bill Keating (left). Paul Rifkin photo.

Amonth ago the Barnstable pol threw his hat in the ring to try to usurp the Democratic Party nomination for Congress in this district away from the incumbent Bill Keating who lives in Bourne and a fellow Democrat.

Former State Senator Rob O'Leary called in his chips a couple weeks ago from those he assumed would support his second run for Congress, but he discovered he was decidedly old news and that his former supporters were quite smitten with incumbent Congressman Bill Keating who has already raised over a half mil in his reelection bid.

He probably missed the political history chapter about how a party reacts to members who run against popular incumbents who are certain to win reelection. Such moves usually end up poorly for the party as happened here when Francis X. Bellotti ran against his own sitting Governor exactly fifty years ago in 1962 which cost the Democrats the governor's chair.

Delahunt's other "Bellotti" just lost his challenge as well

As we first reported here a month ago, our longtime now-retired Congressman William Delahunt was conniving to unseat his successor from his own party, a move which his party collectively turned their noses up at.

Bill Keating will have enough trouble fighting off another challenge from another Democrat who lives in a section of Fall River which is just outside the new district borders.

E. Samuel Sutter was lured into the race against his own party's incumbent by the seriously tarnished former U.S. Congressman William "I can get an earmark for you" Delahunt who managed to test Congressional ethics rules enough to get him a $170,000 lobbyist fee from our our Mashpee Indians Tribe since he served on the D.C. subcommittee on Indian affairs for years on our dime.

Sam Sutter’s race for the Democratic nomination in the new 9th Congressional district just hit a brick wall with Rob O’Leary out of the race.

Bill Keating is an honest, law and order man, and Bill Delahunt is something else.To be sure, Representative Bill Keating was always going to be the favorite in this race.  He is an incumbent member of Congress (though not an incumbent of the new 9th, technically speaking) and if there is anything the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee dislikes, it’s intra-party skirmishes.

The new 9th district has three distinct and different political pockets: the South Shore, the South Coast and Cape Cod & the Islands.

Sutter is strong on the South Coast where he is a county District Attorney, Keating's original strength was the South Shore as Norfolk County D.A., and O'Leary's strength was on the Cape & Islands where he was the State Senator for years.

Now O'Leary old stronghold has fallen to Bill Keating, and we should see Sutter end his bid before he damages his own party any further.

Read the previous stories about Delahunt's cabal below.

• Town and Tribe--What do Hull and the Wampanoags have in common?
• Globe weighs in on Delahunt's sabotage
• Delahunt pay-off delayed; JFK's last tapes
• Hypocrisy thy name is Delahunt
• Romney, Delahunt, Hugo Chavez and wind money
• Bristol County DA Sutter wants to change the atmosphere in DC
  

Scott Brown: Working for Massachusetts? [Mary Wentworth]

or Working for Wall Street?

   Scott Brown made promises when he beat Martha Coakley - did he keep many? Any?

Guest columnist deconstructs one of “Wall Street’s Favorite Senators”

By Mary Wentworth, My Day.

On the night of his upset win over Martha Coakley two years ago, Brown pledged “to go to Washington as the representative of no faction or special interest, but to answer only to my conscience and to you, the people.”

You can tell a lot about aman by his friends like Jeff Perry who he campaigned for, or by his opponents like Elizabeth WarrenYet an examination of his record reveals that he has not lived up to that pledge. He carries the water for very special interests, giving rise to his being one of “Wall Street’s Favorite Senators.”

Kennedy’s death in August 2009 gave the Republicans an opportunity to grab an all-important 41st vote, making it possible for them to filibuster without facing cloture, which requires 60 votes. Consequently, Wall Street firms along with Koch Industries poured money into the truck driver’s campaign.

Within six months of Brown’s election their investment paid off. The Dodd/Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act went to a conference committee to iron out differences between the two bodies.

Brown got to work. He leveraged his 41st vote position to force changes to the ban on proprietary trading, a form of trading that allows firms to buy and sell for direct gain rather than doing it for customer commissions. Thanks to Brown, banks are still allowed to trade in hedge funds and private equity funds as well as other entities like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

Our junior senator has had to inch his way along a re-election tight rope, trying to keep wealthy supporters happy without alienating Massachusetts supporters.

Thanks to Brown, banks can still trade in hedge funds.He took some criticism from conservatives for allowing gay men and women to serve openly in the military by voting to repeal Clinton’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.

It is hard to imagine, though, that Brown’s contributors like Goldman Sachs, General Electric, Barclay’s, Bain Capital, FMR Corp, Pfizer, Bank of New York Mellon, or Morgan Stanley gave a rat’s ass about this vote. They understand that the Republican Party has to use hot-button social issues to distract Americans from voting their pocket books. Not a problem for them if Brown had to cast a vote for “liberal” Massachusetts.

Warren's entrance makes it easier for Brown to move to the center

In a way, Elizabeth Warren’s entry into this race has made life easier for him. He can make his move toward the center for re-election purposes without undue concern that it will offend the financial industry since his defeat would mean that their most despised adversary would replace him.

In Brown’s case, Party leaders, knowing that his re-election is a requirement for their dreams of gaining control of the Senate in November, are also willing to forgive him if he strays from the fold. Thus, he could cast the only Republican vote for Richard Cordray’s appointment as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that was his opponent’s brainchild.

Brown sides with the coal company over asthma sufferersHowever, when Brown had to choose between the interests of Murray Energy, the largest privately-owned coal company in the US and one of Brown’s top twenty contributors, and the health of his constituents who, in increasing numbers, suffer from asthma, he sided with the coal company. Brown supported Republican attempts to take away the Environmental Protection Agency’s power to regulate greenhouse gases as well as fuel economy standards.

The 1 % gets what it wants from its pocketed pol

Brown would be more honest if he left the barn coat in the closet and campaigned in a dark blue, pinstripe suit.Brown’s record is littered with votes that show the divide between what many Americans need and what the 1% want. A sampling:

• Holding fast to tax cuts for the rich because he opposes “job-killing tax increases at a time when the nation’s economy is so weak.” (DHG-8/11/11)

• Rejection of Rebuild America Jobs Act to provide $245 billion in tax incentives and $100 billion for state aid and new infrastructure spending to be paid for with a 5.6% increase in taxes for upper-income folks. Would have brought thousands of jobs to Massachusetts. Makes his Job Fairs look rather phony.

• Supported an amendment that would have excluded airport security screeners from having collective bargaining rights like other Federal employees.

• Rejected an amendment that would allow OSHA regulations to apply to aircrews.

• Supported a series of failed attempts by Republicans to tie extension of unemployment benefits to the repeal of the estate tax or to pay for them with economic stimulus money or by selling surplus government property.

This time around, Scott Brown would be more honest if he left the barn coat in the closet and campaigned in a dark blue, pinstripe suit.

Plymouth State Rep. ordered to pay Rockland Trust $191,106.95

Rep. Daniel Webster (R) defaults on court appearance in Rockland Trust suit

And his weekly newspaper publisher opponent Josh Cutler (D) catches a break

By Walter Brooks


State Rep. Webster holding on to his Beacon Hill Desk.The Plymouth 6th District State Rep. Daniel K. Webster (R) was sued by Rockland Trust Company in a complaint which arose from a real estate transaction at a property on Packet Landing in Pembroke.

Webster was named both as an individual and as a trustee for the condominium property.

Condos in that development run around $200,000 give or take.

Superior Court docket entries show that the case was filed August 17, 2010, and Webster defaulted on a scheduled appearance in November of 2010, resulting in a judgment against him.  

Another hearing for “Rockland Trust v. Webster” was scheduled for yesterday, February 13 at 2:00 p.m. in Brockton Superior Courtroom 5, and this time Webster was again not present, and a severe financial judgement was entered against him.

If Webster was planning this for his retirement home, it's too bad he lost it, because with press like this, he may need one sooner than he thought. In any case, he'll probably cancel his subscription to the Duxbury Clipper whose publisher, Josh Cutler, will oppose him this November.

What a local State Rep must pay the bank

Local wags think Webster is a Herman Munster look-alike. Others say that insults the beloved actor.The Plaintiff, Rockland Trust Company, received a judgement against the defendant, Daniel K. Webster, individually and as Trustee of the Ridge Road Trust, for the sum of $125, 135.07, together with interest at a rate of 18% in the amount of $4,614.47 for the period of 10/14/11 through 2/13/12, costs in the amount of $29,889.91 and attorney's fees in the amount of $31,467.50 for a total judgment of $191,106.95 plus post-judgment interest and costs. (Hely, J.) cc: 2/13/12 according to court documents filed.

The worst politicians your money can pay for

Rep. Webster is known as a tough law and order conservative, a member of the party which talks a lot about law and order, but this may finally be the error which ends this conservative's political career. His tarnished reputation includes:

• Having the worst attendance record of any State Rep missing 41 of 362 roll calls a couple sessions ago.
• Having his law license suspended and charged with "non-compliance."
• Running the kind of campaign which had his supporters destroying his opponent's signs.

Daniel Webster was first elected ten years ago and is expected to run again against Duxbury Clipper Publisher Josh Cutler, a Democrat. In this era of newspaper doom and gloom, it's nice to see one newspaper owner catch a break like this.

The official trial statement is below.

Read the rest of our recent political stories here.

Warren for President in 2016; Confessions of a liberal; Keating kool

TODAY's quote: "There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody. You built a factory out there - good for you. But I want to be clear. You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate. You were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn't have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory. You built a factory and it turned into something terrific or a great idea. Keep a Big Hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along." - Elizabeth Warren.

New York Times: Warren possible 2016 Presidential candidate, touts YouTube

By Walter Brooks

  Confessions of a liberal

Back in the day, Kurt Vonnegut (left) and I (right) founded a local anti-war group named "Citizens for Participation in Politics" and picketed our then-Republican Rep. Hastings Keith over his support for the Vietnam War. It was the 1970s and we were all so young.
      Naive lefties that we were, we didn't notice our group's initials bore an obvious resemblance to Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, or the CCCP of Soviet Union fame.  - Walter Brooks

She has yet to win the Democratic Party's nomination for the U.S. Senate to oppose Republican Scott Brown, and still the Sunday New York Times mentions Elizabeth Warren as one of the possible candidates for the Democrats to run for President in  four years.

The newspaper reports, "plausible newcomer for 2016, Democrats say, is Elizabeth Warren, who advised Mr. Obama on the creation of a consumer-protection bureau for financial products and is now running to be a senator from Massachusetts (against Scott P. Brown, the incumbent and a Republican hero).

"She can deliver a punchy case for economic fairness, which has already made her a YouTube sensation. Obviously, she first would need to unseat Mr. Brown."

Worse campaign in state history

Despite all her publicity in the national media, her campaign is the worse one I've ever seen - worse than John Kerry's forgettable 2004 campaign. One would have to go back to the Endicott "Chub" Peabody debacle in 1964 to see one worse, and remember what happened to Chub.

Her website sucks, Brown's is great, her staff is unreachable, and this writer is confused how anyone as sharp as MS. Warren isn't aware of how poorly she's being served.

Her staff may still snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Read the New York Times story here.

Bill Keating left Quincy at the right time

Congressman Bill Keating moved recently from Quincy to his longtime summer home in Bourne to be a resident in the newly formed 9th "Coastal" District which replaces his present 10th District plus the additional South Shore towns from Wareham to Fall River.

Stephen Lynch (D) on left has an opponent, Matt Temperly (R), in the 8th District.His former hometown, Quincy was removed from his old district and added to the the newly constituted 8th Congressional District.

The Patriot Ledger reports that Matias Temperley, a 30-year-old a native of Argentina who lives in Quincy and is an Iraq war veteran, has announced he will challenge U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch in November.

Lynch has represented the area for a decade and was unopposed in his bid for reelection to a full term in 2002 after defeating a nominal challenger in the Democratic primary.

He has been reelected four times since then, running unopposed in 2004 and 2008, and defeating a nominal Republican challenger in 2006. Lynch was challenged by Mac D'Alessandro, New England political director of SEIU in the 2010 Democratic primary, Independent Phil Dunkelbarger (who challenged Lynch in 2006 and 2010), and Republican Vernon Harrisson in the November General Election. Lynch won the Democratic Primary Election of 2010 in spite of the Boston Globe's endorsement of D'Alessandro. 

Read the Ledger story here.

To read all the Politics Etc. column in chronological order click here.
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Rose Kennedy Conservancy probe; Ayla Brown sings for dad

Scott Brown pays his daughter to sing with campaign funds

   Scott's daughter Ayla singing at the July Fourth Esplanade concert. She should be singing in the Super Bowl instead of Xtina.

Ayla is so good she might convince even me to vote for her dad

By Walter Brooks

It's all over the media, from CNN, the New York Times, Fox News, to the Boston Globe and Herald, that Scott Brown's re-election campaign has paid his daughter Ayla Brown $9,500 for performing at three campaign events.

Ayla Brown also likes pickup trucks.It's legal, but fattening, at least to Elizabeth Warren's popularity, because nepotism is never taken well by the electorate.

On the other hand

After hearing Christina Aguilera singing our national anthem at last year's Super Bowl, and cringing as Stephen Tyler screeched it two weeks ago, I just listened to Ayla singing it at the Boston Pops July Fourth concert in the video above, and I think Scott should let his daughter sing at every event.

Her voice and rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" was superb.

She'll bring chills up the coldest Democrat's back, and have liberals signing up to fight the Taliban.

What he did

The three paid events, listed as payments to Ambient Entertainment LLC, go back to December 2010 and include a pair of Christmas parties.

Brown's campaign manager Jim Barnett told the Globe that Ayla and her band were paid to avoid asking her fellow musicians to effectively endorse candidate Brown by volunteering at his official events.

The frugal Kennedy matriarch would be appalled at the waste

State Rep. questions spending $650,000 a year to pay 5 people for a 15 acre park

Rose Kennedy, the matriarch of the Kennedy Clan, died 16 years ago last month, and just last week the Kennedy Institute announced that her wish to her son Ted was for her beloved home in Hyannisport to be given to charity.

Now we learn that the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, named in her honor, has perhaps become a typical Beacon Hill money pot for pols, at least according to a Republican State Rep. from Spencer.

Was it a "rash" decision?

Spencer is to Worcester what Buzzards Bay is to Cape Cod, and it the town where on April 25, 2007, it was discovered that a hazardous amount of sodium hydroxide (lye) was released into the town's water supply. Dozens of Spencerites received medical treatment for "burning sensations and skin rashes" which is not thought to be the reason for their local state rep's charges last week.

“I question the need to pay 5 people over $650,000 collectively each year, not including bonuses, to manage a park that is only 15 acres.”
    - State Rep. Peter DurantPeter Durant (R-Spencer) has called for an investigation into the public funding of the nonprofit Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy.

As reported first in both the Boston Herald and Boston Globe, the Conservancy is responsible for oversight and management of the 15-acre public park linking the North End to Downtown Boston.  It has been reported that five executives of the Conservancy now make in excess of $100,000 annually, with hefty bonuses and vacation time also available.

“I question the need to pay 5 people over $650,000 collectively each year, not including bonuses, to manage a park that is only 15 acres.” Durant said. “I understand the economic benefit this park provides for North End businesses, and if it was a completely privately-funded entity, as was originally intended, the amount the Conservancy pays its personnel wouldn't be an issue."

"You can always tell a guy
 from Spencer - but you can't 
 tell him much."The Spencer Republican went on to say, "The fact is that this organization, by its own admission, relies heavily on public funding and has the audacity to believe there should be no oversight or accountability of how the public's money is spent."

Durant added, "This is simply unacceptable.  The oversight alone of this parcel totals almost $45 thousand per acre and that does not include the salaries of the other 35 employees of the conservancy employed in the maintenance of the park.”

State Rep. Peter Durant
State House, Room 33,Boston, MA 02133
t: (617)-722-2060
e: peter.durant@mahouse.gov
or joseph.mckenna@mahouse.govRepresentative Durant has been in touch with Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Richard Davey as well as the chairs of the Joint Committee of Transportation requesting additional copies of the financial statements of the Rose Kennedy Conservancy.

When asked about the Spencer Rep., a prominent Dennis Democrat said, "You can always tell a guy from Spencer - but you can't tell him much."

It is hoped that if Rep. Durant succeeds in annoying at least a half dozen Democrats, his rash will disappear.

To read all the Politics Etc. column in chronological order click here.
To write a Letter to the Editor click here.