Democrats Still Divided After Bitter Primary

Ever since Scott Brown won the People’s Seat, Democrats all across the country seem to be getting nervous-maybe even a little crazy. Take for instance last week’s special state Senate primary for the seat formerly held by Scott Brown, where Rep. Harkins is being a bit of a sore loser.

Rep. Lida Harkins, defeated in a special state Senate primary last week, ripped former opponent Peter Smulowitz as “slanderous” and accused party officials of not refereeing the Democratic contest.

Harkins, a longtime House leader who was back-benched by Speaker Robert DeLeo, said Smulowitz, a Needham physician, painted her as a criminal by implicating her as beholden to three former speakers accused of violating federal law. Smulowitz now faces off with GOP Rep. Richard Ross, vying to take the seat opened by Scott Brown’s election to the U.S. Senate.

“He not only went negative, he went slanderous,” Harkins said.

“Losing is easy. Restoring your reputation is not,” Harkins told the News Service. “He went out of his way to destroy my reputation, to make me sound like Dianne Wilkerson.”

Smulowitz beat Harkins by fewer than 200 votes, after linking her to former House speakers Salvatore DiMasi, Thomas Finneran, and Charles Flaherty all of whom left office amid criminal investigations. Flaherty pleaded guilty to tax evasion. Finneran pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice after testifying in a redistricting case. DiMasi has pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges.

Smulowitz knocked Harkins during the campaign for accepting political donations from “corrupt politicians,” including the former speakers. Smulowitz circulated a flier that Harkins said damaged her outside her Needham power base. At Saturday’s committee meeting, Harkins read a list of other Democratic officeholders who had received money from the speakers.

Legislative leaders maintain campaign accounts to fund candidates from their own party.

“I do not think that my opponent played very fair,” Harkins said. “I’m not really thrilled with the tactics.”

I’m not sure what her problem is, or if she understands that she’s in the world of politics. Seems to me she’s being nothing but a sore loser, and giving a poor impression of the state of the Massachusetts Democratic Party being far from a unified front heading into general election. Compare this to the ‘beer summit’ between Charlie Baker and Christy Mihos, and you can see a huge difference. Republicans are showing class, and Rep. Harkins is making herself, and her party, look really, really bad.

Does it mean anything? Maybe not… but with Rep. Harkins claiming her former opponent was slanderous, and bashing the Democrat Party for letting her opponent a big mean bully, well, I’m not impressed. Get over yourself. Just because you’re a Democrat doesn’t mean you are entitled to anything…even in Massachusetts (remember January 19th?).

Is this a sign of Post-Scott Brown Special Election Derangement Syndrome (more popularly known as PSBSEDS)?

Money Grab

Nothing Gov. Patrick does can surprise us anymore.

Gov. Deval Patrick – impatiently demanding that lawmakers pass “meaningful reforms” – yesterday took advantage of a loophole that allows him to raise more than 10 times the legal limit in campaign contributions.

A group of heavy-hitting lawyers – including disgraced ex-state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson’s former defense attorney Cheryl Cronin – hosted a fund-raiser for Patrick’s political committee at the Union Club on Beacon Hill last night.

The fund-raiser’s invitation encourages those “who feel inclined to make a donation larger than $500” to give to the Seventy-First Fund. The group – so named because Patrick is the 71st governor – allows contributors to donate $5,500, which is split between the state Democratic Party and Patrick’s political committee.

The party then uses most of the money to pay off Patrick’s campaign bills. Party chairman John Walsh said the fund complies with current state campaign laws.

UPDATE: More from the Globe.

SECOND UPDATE: More from the Barnstable Patriot, the Globe and Herald.

THIRD UPDATE: From the Herald, Holly Robichaud and Scot Lehigh.

The State of Massachusetts

Governor Deval Patrick delivered his State of the State address last night. Much like President-elect Barack Obama, his address was one of hope, but lacking in substance.

Patrick, in his second televised address, also defiantly retained his mantle of change and challenged citizens to aim high despite the bleak fiscal outlook.

“I still believe that together we can,” he said, echoing his ’06 campaign mantra. “Hunkering down may be good advice in a hurricane, but it is not leadership. I choose a politics less about tactics and more about a vision for how to help ordinary people achieve their potential even when times are tough.”

He chooses a politics less about getting things done, rather, hoping stuff will just happen.

Patrick declined to say how deep he intends to slash local aid but said state and local governments will have to make hard choices as they face cuts in police and fire departments, and education.

“We are doing no more in state government than the people of the commonwealth are having to do in their own lives – to make do with less, to trim down wherever we can to get through to a better time,” the governor said.

Patrick, who has faced strong public and legislative criticism on his plan to hike tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike, also urged lawmakers to help him pass a comprehensive transportation plan.

“Let’s radically simplify our transportation system and set it on a sustainable path by enacting meaningful transportation reform,” he said.

Governor Patrick acknowledged that even though the legislature did a few things he asked them to do, their business is far from finished. That’s putting it lightly, but yes, more work to be done.

Patrick outlined reform packages he would like see enacted in the spring, starting with a vague plan on transportation reform–on a path toward sustainability. I think you had best table the discussion about sustainability until you solve the “cluster of tangled knots,’ as you put it. What’s the plan, Governor?

Reforming the pension system is absolutely necessary, but Governor Patrick is being a bit naive if he thinks “the abuses of a few cast a shadow on the worthiness of the whole.” Patrick is foolish to think that beyond Bill Bulger there aren’t still abuses to the pension system.

I know it make you feel good, but this idea of let’s “prevent crime” and pass an “Anti-Crime Bill” is just another way of saying “gun control laws.” Hands off our guns, Governor.

And of course, ethics and lobbying reform…yawn. Look are you, Governor, Chuck Turner and Diane Wilkerson are the tip of the iceberg.

Patrick says these reforms “will make our communities stronger and our government better.” Enough with the messages of hope–tell us the “how.” In a world without magic wands and genies, you have to do more than just hope for it.

Chuck Turner Arrested In Connection With Wilkerson Bribery Case

The dominos keep falling… Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner is next.

In a second alleged bribery bombshell, City Councilor Chuck Turner was arrested this morning at City Hall on federal charges he took a $1,000 cash bribe to help secure a liquor license for a Roxbury nightclub, according to a federal affidavit.

The arrest is in connection with the expanding federal case against disgraced state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, who was indicted this week on charges that she accepted $23,500 in cash bribes to help the Dejavu club secure the same liquor license, which was to be located in Turner and Wilkerson’s districts.

Turner is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon on one count of attempted extortion and two counts of making false statements.

We all know Chuck Turner has a history of false statements.

According to an affidavit in Worcester Federal Court, Turner was snared in the same FBI undercover sting operation that brought down Wilkerson and the illegal bribe was caught on tape.

During an August 2007 meeting at Turner’s Roxbury district office, a witness cooperating with the FBI in the sting who was pushing for Turner’s help to secure the Dejavu license, allegedly handed Turner $1,000 in cash in exchange for Turner’s support and back-room dealing at City Hall.

“The (witness) handed Turner $1,000 in cash and said, “you take the wife to dinner and … have some fun,” according to the 12-page affidavit.

Turner accepted the bribe, “while smiling and nodding his head and responded, “okay,” according to the affidavit. The entire transaction was videotaped and caught on audio, according to the affidavit.

At the time, Turner was working to set up a city council hearing on the Dejavu liquor license. Turner scheduled the hearing, but later canceled it because, through Wilkerson’s efforts, Dejavu had received its liquor license, according to the affidavit.

Despite the investigation into Wilkerson, Turner said he was standing behind her. We can see why… but I think he’ll be standing next to her in court now.

Shall we start taking bets on who will be the next to fall victim in this case?

Or better yet, how long before Turner alleges racism?

Wilkerson Resigns

Former State Senator Dianne Wilkerson…finally.

Disgraced state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, who was indicted yesterday on eight counts of attempted extortion, resigned today from her 2nd Suffolk seat.

The eight-term senator from Roxbury stated in a handwritten letter to Senate President Therese Murray that she quits as of today:

“Please accept this communication as formal notice of my intention to resign my position as the State Senator from the Second Suffolk District in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This resignation shall be effective today, November 19, 2008. Regards, Dianne Wilkerson.”

Wilkerson’s resignation comes as the Senate Ethics Committee was poised to release their report on her tomorrow.

“Everybody is breathing a sigh of relief,” said state Sen. Richard Tisie, who said the ethics report may not be unveiled tomorrow now that Wilkerson has quit.

“She had a lot of chances,” the Wakefield Republican added.

For more remarks by state Senator Tisei, check out Scaling The Hill.