One big factor in yesterday's loss that most people here are ignorant of

[cali]

Here's a story from a year and a bit ago:

Waves of scandal rattle Beacon Hill

Beacon Hill is awash in charges of political corruption. Some fear Senator Dianne Wilkerson (left) could give up additional information to seek a lighter sentence. House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi is accused of ethical failings, and Senate President Therese Murray was subpoenaed. Beacon Hill is awash in charges of political corruption. Some fear Senator Dianne Wilkerson (left) could give up additional information to seek a lighter sentence. House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi is accused of ethical failings, and Senate President Therese Murray was subpoenaed.
By Matt Viser and Frank Phillips
Globe Staff / November 2, 2008


Senator Dianne Wilkerson seemed to think last week that her Senate colleagues would go easy on her. And she had reason. All her past indiscretions had been overlooked, and the collegial body that meets in a powder-blue room with cushy chairs has never tried to oust one of its own before a conviction for a crime.

"I trust that you will act consistent with prior practice," Wilkerson wrote in a letter to the Senate president.

But Wilkerson clearly misjudged the size of the shock wave her arrest on bribery charges triggered on Beacon Hill.

Members of the House and Senate - and the Massachusetts public - have already been subjected to a stream of news about the alleged ethical failings of House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi and his close friends. As the taint of corruption settled deeply over the State House last week and subpoenas from the US attorney's office were delivered to top-ranking state officials by the hour, Wilkerson's Senate colleagues quickly moved to purge her.

Beacon Hill is once again awash in charges of political corruption, cronyism, and influence peddling, a spate of scandals that seasoned observers describe as perhaps the worst in three decades. And the sense that shoddy or criminal behavior has become pervasive is peaking just as the state confronts its worst financial crisis in years and needs strong leadership from its elected officials.

"It's really other-worldly, honestly," Senator Mark C. Montigny, a New Bedford Democrat, said of the current atmosphere on Beacon Hill. "What happens at a time like this is it reinforces the worst and the most cynical in politics. And the worst thing a politician can feel is that the public thinks everyone is on the take. Who knows how long we're going to be in the aftermath."

<snip>

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/11/02/waves_of_scandal_rattle_beacon_hill/

And here's a more recent article:

<snip>

Take, for instance, the cases Coakley didn't prosecute as AG. Though she's gone after public officials, the three biggest public-corruption cases of the past three years—the only three that anyone remembers—saw her sitting on the sidelines. The indictment of former House Speaker Sal DiMasi for allegedly receiving payments for state software contracts that he helped push through; the indictments of state Senator Dianne Wilkerson and Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner for allegedly accepting bribe money from undercover FBI agents—Coakley didn't charge any of these people with crimes. The U.S. Attorney's Office did. The FBI had video proof of Wilkerson stuffing bribe money into her bra. Coakley did nothing. The Globe and Secretary of State William Galvin hammered DiMasi and his 
(allegedly) shady friends for 14 months. And the best Coakley could do was indict DiMasi's golfing buddy Richard Vitale? On misdemeanor charges?

Coakley knows that pouncing on big-name prey (like Goldman Sachs) will score headlines and position her as a tough prosecutor. But she also knows toughness will get her only so far. As AG, Scott Harshbarger nailed all sorts of public officials in the 1990s, and paid the price: When he ran for governor in 1998, he did it without the help of state Democrats, many of whom he'd angered at some point. Harshbarger lost.

Coakley has done an intricate little dance these past few years, avoiding Harshbarger's missteps. When the big-name prey wields statewide political clout (DiMasi), or represents a key minority group (Wilkerson), Coakley defers, staying popular at the State House in the process. Today more than 80 state legislators have lent her their full support.

<snip>

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/running_scared_martha_coakley/page2

local stuff. potent local stuff.

[Captain Hilts]

1. Boston Globe sportswriter Bob Ryan mentioned Dems' problems in the capital.

He talked about this on the Tony Kornheiser radio show.

[cali]

4. dem corruption and Coakley's lack of response to it has been a big story

in MA and the perception of MA statehouse dems being corrupt and Martha turning her head away from it, hurt her.

[Captain Hilts]

7. As AG, has she had any role in the problem? Errors of omission or commission? nt

[cali]

9. yes. she turned a blind eye to it.

that's the perception anyway. read the boston mag piece.

[Peregrine Took]

2. Interesting. I had no idea. This must have been what Axelrod was

referring to when he spoke about local problems were, also, a factor in the outcome.

[Captain Hilts]

3. Yes. This is a legitimate issue. nt

[cali]

6. Oh, yeah. I've been listening to my very dem brother

from Boxford MA, go on about this for over a year. he kept telling me that this was going to be a factor.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

5. K&R

:dem:

[shawcomm]

8. From the outside looking in,

it looked like she didn't really try. It looked like she thought she had it in the bag merely because of the D next to her name. Of course I'm not familiar with these local problems she may have had.

[Gregorian]

10. It's never simple.

It should be simple. The same goes for just about everything. We've made our lives too complicated. Or maybe that's just the nature of life.

I had a suspicion. Thanks for posting.

[BeFree]

11. TIN FOIL ALERT!

You will find anything you can to track folks away from the corrupted voting machines?

The republicans are 10 times more corrupt.