| 3. LG Murray's Buddy Mike McLaughlin in deeper trouble
The Boston Globe has uncovered that Mike McGlaughlin, the illegal fundraiser for Tim Murray, diverted federal money for his own use. The Boston Globe has the story.
Former Chelsea housing chief Michael E. McLaughlin appears to have diverted millions in federal money from construction projects for low-income family and elderly housing, records show, freeing up an enormous slush fund that benefited himself, his family, and his friends, while leaving tenants to make do in dreary apartments that have not been updated in 50 years or more.
A Globe review of almost $9 million in federal funding paid to McLaughlin's agency since 2002 found that more than $3.5 million of it was slated for projects that were not done, despite written promises to use the money to pay for new kitchen cabinets, baseboard heating, boilers, elevators, waterproofing, and other capital improvements.
Instead money went to lavish salaries and travel, to poorly documented everyday expenditures such as $530,000 paid to the city of Chelsea for trash pickup, and more unusual expenses such as the $165,000 the authority paid a social service agency that hired McLaughlin's son Matthew to oversee maintenance work at the authority.
I wonder if Blue Mass Group thinks you gotta Vote Murray. You just gotta?
4. Lowell continues to be the center of the universe
Ask any Lowellian they'll tell you, Lowell is the de facto center of the universe. And last night it certainly was and the Lowell Sun has the story.
As U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, a Lowell Democrat, put it late Monday: "Lowell was the center of the universe tonight."
Gregory's colleague, NBC News' Capitol Hill correspondent Kelly O'Donnell, tweeted photos of the crowd surrounding the arena before the debate. "Biggest pre debate crowd for senate race I've seen," O'Donnell tweeted from the account @KellyO.
Local political figures could be seen among the hundreds outside, with Lowell City Councilors Marty Lorrey and Vesna Nuon rallying the troops for Warren.
Niki, not just last night but every night.
5. Globe: Romney overcame similar deficit in 2002
A very good story in today's Boston Globe regarding the 2002 Romney race and how his debate performnces closed the gap.
There are many ways in which Romney's flagging 2012 presidential campaign is different from his gubernatorial race of a decade ago. He's fighting on multiple fronts, in multiple states, with an electoral map to victory that veers from difficult to daunting. And he's facing an incumbent president with ample political skills and resources.
Yet, the parallels can be instructive.
Several weeks after Romney, with no primary opponent, officially became the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2002, a late September poll showed he had not only lost his lead but had slipped six points behind his Democratic opponent, state Treasurer Shannon O'Brien. |
