Deval Patrick’s decision to join the race late looks to me like an expression of determination that I share. Patrick, a two-term governor of Massachusetts, understands American politics, which is to say, he understands the necessity of practical, non-ideological, political leadership. I think Governor Patrick, Senator Warren, and even Governor Weld are determined to take…
Month: November 2019
Walton Family Political Front Disrupts Elizabeth Warren Speech
Last night a southern unit of the Walton family’s national private political operation attempted to shut down a speech by Elizabeth Warren. Ostensibly this was about charter schools. Realistically, it was probably about the wealth tax. Not much gets past Central Massachusetts political observer Lance Harris, who tweeted last night that a Walton family political…
On Lt. Col. Vindman’s Brand of Patriotism
Unlike some of you, dear readers, I chose to become an American. Unlike Lt. Col. Vindman, I did not come to the United States as a toddler. By the time I did, I was well-aware of borders and nations–I had already embraced my country of birth’s national myth and my place in it. It is,…
Pioneer Institute Throws Out Welcome Mat for Koch Funded Institute for Justice
It’s getting harder to keep track of the right wing groups operating in Massachusetts but when one interferes in the Green Line extension, dives into cosmetology, and pumps up school privatization, take notice. That’s the Institute for Justice, and when you’re an out of state libertarian law firm you need a friend; that would be…
Day One: Impeachable Offenses
Every American should be watching the impeachment investigation. The realities of jobs, family, and other responsibilities preclude that for most. And that’s too bad because when it comes to the health of this American democracy the importance of this hearing cannot be overstated. This is a test for our democratic experiment. Can Americans put on…
The 2019 Bolivian Crisis – A Brief Explainer
What did we just see happen overnight in Bolivia? The answer is complicated, so let me give some background. Evo Morales, the Bolivian President who resigned last night, was first elected in 2006. At the time, his elevation to the highest office was hailed as a major victory because he was the first indigenous person…
Charlie Baker Is Trapped. Will His Escape Be a Traditional Conservative Party, or a Charlie Party?
The Boston Globe’s Adrian Walker recently made a good case that Governor Charlie Baker should leave the Republican Party. My colleague Professor Ubertaccio responded with some solid reasons for the governor to stay home. They’re both right. Charlie Baker is trapped. His escape hatch may be a new party, but what kind of party? Walker’s…
Education Funding and the Wal-Mart/State Street Axis
As House and Senate members work out their differences on the education funding bill my thoughts are drawn back to Pioneer Institute Introduces the Beamer vs. Beater Theory of Democracy. That concerned a proposal by Pioneer to keep poor and minority communities from having the same say in their schools as wealthier and whiter communities….
New Revelations from the World of Dark Money
Two recently released documents offer insight into dark money sources that reach into Massachusetts. Let’s take a look at the donor list from the Koch Brothers’ Americans for Job Security and to the program from the annual meeting of the right wing State Policy Network. After years of legal battles the Center for Responsibility and…
Annals of Money in Politics: Wayfair Breaks No Politics Policy with Checkbook Activism
The Massachusetts Majority Independent Expenditure PAC is getting some attention as a beard for the political interests of Governor Charlie Baker. So who’s giving? At the top of the list are Wayfair’s founders at $50,000 each. What’s the politics policy over there, anyway? I ask because Wayfair CEO Niraj Shah declared in September that he’d…