Charlie Murphy (D-Burlington), often times cited as a "good-government" Democrat, shows us that he's just a run of the mill Massachusetts Democrat. That is, he's fond of gaming the system for his own personal benefit. You see, Murphy resigned his seat in the House of Representatives, and since he has a new full time job was going to do so at the end of formal sessions. Well he's now decided the prospect of five months extra pay for "constituent service" is too tough to pass up. State House News Service has the story:
Rep. Charles Murphy has had a change of heart and will remain in office through the end of the year after announcing a little over a month ago he would resign when formal sessions concluded in July to pursue a new job in the private sector.
Murphy started working Aug. 3 as vice president of public policy and government affairs at Arcadia Solutions, a Burlington-based health care information technology consulting company, according to a spokesperson.
In late June, Murphy indicated that he planned to resign after the House finished its formal business on July 31 to start his new job. His is the only name on the ballot in the 21st Middlesex District, but two Democrats and one Republican have already launched sticker campaigns.
2. Hide the Big Gulps, Bloomberg is coming to town
Medford native, and gazillionaire, Michael Bloomberg is coming to Boston to take part in a forum on immigration with Rupert Murdoch. The forum, according to State House News Service will take place at the Seaport Hotel. The Seaport Hotel is a stones throw from a Seven Eleven. This could get ugly....
File under, "You'll take this big gulp from my cold dead hands"
3. Erskine Bowles, of the Bowles Simpson Commission offers praise of Ryan Budget
Erskine Bowles, the Democratic co-chairman of President Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, called the Paul Ryan budget "sensible, straightforward, serious" at a speech given at the University of North Carolina last September. The video of the speech, first reported at HotAir via Morgen Richmond, provides a compelling case that a growing number of independents and Democrats are acknowledging President Obama has failed to offer a serious solution to our expanding fiscal crisis.
Warren and Deval Patrick and the rest of the Massachusetts Democratic Party have a very consistent position when it comes to compliance with the state's laws.
If the law increases Democrat turnout, it is absolutely mandatory that it be enforced, costs be damned.
If the statute adversely impacts any Democats - say, illegal aliens - then said law should be ignored, not to mention denounced as racist and/or nativist.
5. There's a lot to like about Scott Brown
Scott Brown got a very warm reception from pols in Lowell this past week. Including from the woman who could be mayor for life if she wanted to, Rita Mercier. For those who are not familiar with the City, that is the center of the universe, Mercier was historically the top vote getter in just about every City Council race she ran in. We're talking mad popularity here. She went out of her way to praise our boy Scotto:
Nangle isn't the only local Democrat gravitating toward Brown. At the Senior Center event, Lowell City Councilor Rita Mercier took to the microphone and gave an enthusiastic endorsement to Brown.
"He's a Republican that said, 'That Democrat had a good idea, I'm going to support that,' and I admire that," said Mercier, of Brown.
