David (R) vs. Goliath (D): Republicans Take Down DiMasi

Everyone loves to see the underdog win.

House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi is set to become the latest to leave the top post under a cloud of controversy, setting the stage for a bitter power struggle with his announcement last night that he is ending his 30-year political career, effective tomorrow.

DiMasi, reeling from ethics probes connected to his former campaign treasurer, ended months of speculation during which his subordinates have openly campaigned to replace him.

DiMasi, who also will give up his North End representative’s seat, follows Charles Flaherty and Thomas Finneran as the third consecutive House speaker to leave amid scandal. DiMasi has been under investigation for receiving a loan from a friend who was seeking support for a ticket-scalping bill.

With the departure of House Speaker Sal DiMasi–wow, three in a row, what an accomplishment–one can not underestimate the power the minority party had in making it possible. The Republican Party, a small spec of red in an ocean of blue, with its tiny slingshot, was able to put the wheels in motion (via ethics complaints and fact finding) to bring DiMasi down. If you’d to give credit where credit is due, thank the Massachusetts Republican Party.

Despite the truth behind DiMasi’s departure, he’s playing it off like he’s leaving is due to natural causes; as if in his mind, it’s just time to move on.

“I am excited on the one hand to move on to other challenges and new opportunities. I am sad to leave the House of Representatives,” DiMasi wrote. He has faced mounting pressure and revelations of potential impropriety. Despite widespread rumors he may be directly implicated, he has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

While this state is virtually under one party rule, the resignation of DiMasi and his predecessors is testament to the fact that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and we should be weary of any political party holding 90% of the legislative seats on Beacon Hill.

Let’s hope that DiMasi’s resignation signals a change in this state.

Senate President Lets Marzilli Keep Chairmanship, Stipend

Senator Bob Hedlund (R-Weymouth) asked Senate President Therese Murray to take away Senator James Marzilli’s chairmanship, citing that he is “clearly incapable of fulfulling his duties as chairman…I cannot think of a single argument why the taxpayers of Massachusetts should be paying for a chairmanship stipend to a senator who is incapable of fulfilling his duties and who has announced he does not plan to return to the Senate.”

Sounds reasonable, but Murray will do no such thing, and Marzilli will continue to take his $7,500 tax-payer funded stipend.

“The Senate has a process in place through its Committee on Ethics and Rules to discipline a senator if and when a legal matter is resolved,” said Murray spokesman David Falcone when asked about Hedlund’s letter yesterday.

The Senate Ethics Committee is investigating whether Marzilli (D-Arlington) should be removed from office but won’t make findings public until after the charges against him are settled in court.

Marzilli will have a tough time fulfilling his chairmanship duties from McLean Hospital, let alone his duties as a state senator. Seeing as Marzilli was caught trying to grab several woman and ask them for sex, it’s not going out on a limb to suggest that this is political backscratching.

Considering this is Senator Marzilli, maybe there is more than backscratching going on…

The Case Against Marzilli

Read it for yourself… (Approx. 6MB)

Marzilli Pleads Not Guilty

The Boston Heraldalso reports on the existence of surveillance video of Marzilli…

State Sen. James “Jim” Marzilli, 50, pleaded not guilty in Lowell Superior Court to four counts of annoying and accosting a person of the opposite sex and one count each of attempting to commit indecent assault and battery, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, all from an alleged June 3 career-ending carnal cruise of the city.

The Herald has learned that prosecutors have building surveillance video of Marzilli on Middle Street, where one of the attacks is alleged to have occurred. They declined to comment on what the video shows Marzilli doing. There also exists a DVD of photos of Marzilli’s car parked on Hurd Street in Lowell, also on the day of the alleged assaults.

Court papers released today also state one of the alleged victims was a 60-year-old grandmother who walked with a cane and was so unnerved by Marzilli’s alleged advances, she fell down after boarding a bus.

In response to the arraingment, MassGOP Chairman Rob Willington said, “Today, the taxpayers of Massachusetts paid Jim Marzilli $159.55.”

Continuing coverage of the Marzilli scandal at Marzilli Watch…

Howie: Is WRKO Hiring?

You gotta love Howie Carr’s column about the Marzilli scandal…

And so the reputed moonbat masher, Sen. Jim Marzilli, pulls an even quicker Eliot Spitzer than Eliot Spitzer himself. Doesn’t quit – wants to get that one day on the payroll in 2009 for the extra year on his pension. But he won’t seek re-election.

As always, the dodgy pol is retiring due to ill health. The voters got sick of him. And sure enough, a couple of hours after doing the Spitzer, Marzilli took the logical next step. He checked himself into a booby hatch, McLean Hospital.

Repeat after me, Senator: “One grope is too many, and a thousand are not enough.”

Perhaps the socialist solon can write a book about his affliction and promote it on “Oprah.” Suggested title: “The Audacity of Grope.”

You know that Marzilli’s amen chorus, the Arlington moonbats, are blaming the vast right-wing conspiracy for their hero’s downfall. Weeping bitter tears into their lattes, they’re still saying the lewd dude’s pinch is a “tragedy,” and indeed it is. It’s tragic that the foot chase through the garage, after he gave the false name, did not end in a Tasering of the Senate chairman of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.

Usually it takes two or three terms in the Senate before they slap on the handcuffs and read you your Miranda rights. Marzilli sets a new record here – six months in, and now he’s on his way out.

But the best part is the end..

What will he do, after his case is broomed (again)? Well, he maxed out to Gov. Deval Patrick’s campaign, and he is a (nonpracticing) lawyer, so I’d say a state judgeship could definitely be in the works. Or he could become a DPW drawbridge operator.

Or he could ask the eternal question all disgraced, talentless pols eventually pose:

Is WRKO hiring?

Personally, given Gerry Studds unhampered career following his illegal sex-capades with an underage congressional page, Marzilli could probably still have a future in politics… if only in Massachusetts.