Shake Up In Deval’s House
The State House, that is.
His governorship has been closely resembling the candidacy of former Attorney General Tom Reilly, and now Governor Deval Patrick has a new chief of staff has he begins to move out of the so-called “honeymoon period” and on passed his first 100 days.
Governor Deval Patrick has tapped his top campaign adviser, Doug Rubin, to replace Joan Wallace-Benjamin as his chief of staff, a move aimed at ramping up his senior staff with politically and media savvy aides, senior administration sources said yesterday.
Patrick is shuffling his staff as he tries to recover from a tumultuous first 100 days in office, during which he made a number of missteps that have weakened his political position on Beacon Hill and damaged public confidence in his ability to handle the job.
Rubin’s appointment as chief of staff, which takes effect Tuesday, will give Patrick what many of his critics and supporters say has been lacking in the governor’s office in the critical first months in office: a strong hand to guide him through the political minefields on Beacon Hill and to shape the administration’s media operations.
Rubin will serve in the top post at least through the budget season, which generally ends in July, and perhaps into the fall. His tenure will depend on how much he is needed and how quickly he can get Patrick’s inner circle working effectively, an administration source said.
Ramping up his senior staff with politically and media savvy aides… Yeah, that’s a good idea, those are your two weakest areas.
Deval Patrick Watch notes a recent phone call made to Deval Patrick, and no, not another shady Ameriquest phone call.
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TAGS: budget, Deval Patrick, Deval Patrick Watch, Doug Rubin, IRS.
Aaron Margolis is a life long resident of the Bay State, and works at an architectural firm north of Boston. Aaron has a Master of Architecture Degree from Boston Architectural College and is currently in the process of becoming of a Registered Architect.
Does anyone know if the young “Rubin” is related to the older “Rubin” in the AmeriQuest phone-call story?
Deval’s quite a judge of talent isn’t he? His 100 day disaster proves he really wasn’t/isn’t an executive leader. Luck trumphed competence and experience in 2006. Hold on, the roller coaster has a long ways to go…at least until January, 2009 when Deval hears Hillary’s trumpets in Washington and for the good of the country (and for the Commonwealth?)must leave to become the Attorney General. Hello Governor Murray!
Good question Marc. Robert Rubin has two sons, but I couldn’t find any link between the two.
Robert Rubin is a brilliant guy, by the way (politics aside).
I thought Deval was supposed to be “No Ordinary Leader” and was supposed to change the culture of Beacon Hill. All I have seen so far is the fact that he has no leadership skills what so ever, he lies alot, and that is staff is incompetent. I didn’t know hiring Traviglinis ex Aide and a media savy spin doctor was changing Beacon Hill. I want to find every bratty trustfund baby with a degree from Tufts who yelled at me for not supporting this guy and laugh in their face. I think Deval should change his name to Defraud.
Rubin is a lucky guy, wavemaker, his brilliance remains to be seen. What evidence do you have “almighty wave” that he is brilliant? Did he go to Harvard?
Well when governing fails, just keep on campaigning, which is what he’ll do. We’ll hear all about how he’s black, and really, really black and black black black, and then when he’s done with that he’ll talk about new leadership, say some fuzzy things… I bet he’ll have some neat-o new techno tool for us to use. Maybe a decal for our blue tooth thingys, or a daily V-cast we can download onto our cell phones. Maybe he’ll put something up on X-Box live so even video gamers can have fun and ‘participate’ too! I bet he’ll set up more web pages where you have to give up your information to participate. I’m sure he’s got all sorts of stuff to NOT do.
Really in the end, all the cute catch phrases, techno toold and all his blackness is no replacement for actually knowing what the F-ck he’s doing. I’m already tired of him. Again, i’d love to take a swipe at this guy idelogically, but he just doesn’t possess the basic skills required to put together a bill or an agenda to outline what it is he wants to, you know, actually DO. Until then, all I can do is watch him try and figure out where his office is.
Get used to it though. We’ve got plenty of this going around the political system these days. At this rate, we’ll nominate a jowly white Republican to run against the vagina wielder or the other black guy (but is he black enough?). I’m glad we take the important things into consideration. You know, like skin color and genitals.
Rubin senior, the guy to whom Deval Patrick originally made the Ameriquest phone call, not only went to Harvard but has been one of the members of the Harvard trustees (board of overseers). He brought in Larry Summers to Harvard. Rubin and Summers worked together under and with Greenspan. I don’t know if the Rubin in the story about the governor’s new top aide is related to the senior Rubin. That’s what we’re trying to figure out. If there is such a thing as genius, however, Rubin senior is probably it.