New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, along with other business big wigs like Jack Connors of Partners Health Care and Suffolk Construction owner John Fish are meeting with Gov. Deval Patrick and Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Robert DeLeo.

Kraft and others are part of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership and they meet with Patrick and legislative leaders occasionally to discuss how the government can help businesses create jobs, said Patrick spokesman Kyle Sullivan.

Bay State residents will have to wait until after the hotly contested gubernatorial election to read Gov. Deval Patrick’s book titled “A Reason to Believe” – but they can get a sneak peak here: http://amzn.to/9jO4BT

The hardcover copy is a steal at $14.95 and is available February of 2011. Go to Random House, (which strangely categorizes the book as autobiography and self help) and you’re shelling out $40 big ones for the CD.

http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307878083

This time it was a Democrat who held up the embattled casino bill in the state senate Monday – with Sen. Susan Fargo (D-Lincoln) using a rare objection to bring business to a halt. The action also — according to a few people present — ticked off Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth), who adjourned session shortly after.

Fargo — who objected because she wants to prevent casino operators from handing out free booze — told the Daily Briefing she doesn’t plan on gumming up the works Tuesday when senators will reconvene.

 The delay is the fourth time the senate blocked debate on a controversial bill to legalize three resort casinos. Both Republicans — who want to use the bill to force a vote on rolling back taxes — and a handful of Democrats who oppose expanded gaming have forced delays.

Several senators believe  the measure — which the majority of members support — will be taken up and likely passed this week. The hold-ups highlight the high stakes nature of the legislation and has heightened the possibility for surprises, said Minority Leader Richard Tisei (R-Wakefield).

“I couldn’t tell you what’s going to happen tomorrow,” said Tisei, who is running for lieutenant governor on the same ticket as GOP gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker.

Facing heavy lobbying by the restaurateurs and unions, senators also gave up on a push to reverse a smoking ban in casinos that passed last week.

GOP Congressional candidate Joe Malone is pulling out the big guns tomorrow — hauling former New York Mayor and conservative folk hero Rudy Giuliani out in Quincy to boost his candidacy for the seat soon to be vacated by U.S. Rep. William Delahunt.

The move seemed to work for U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who walked the streets of the North End with Giuliani on a cold Friday in January and went on to win the election.

“America’s Mayor” will press the flesh at a fundraiser at the Granite Links Golf Club in Quincy tomorrow at 8:30 a.m., then they’ll hold a press conference at 9:30 a.m.

Malone is running against state Rep. Jeffrey Perry (R-Sandwich) in the primary, the winner will go on the face either state Sen. Robert O’Leary (D-Barnstable) or William Keating, a Democratic Norfolk District Attorney.

A botched legislative vote today on Gov. Deval Patrick’s gun crackdown in the Bay State means the bill is on hold once again.

The legislation, sparked by gun violence in the Hub, would limit gun purchases to one a month per person. Lawmakers were supposed to vote the bill out of the judiciary committee today — but the committee failed to count two late votes, meaning members must vote again.

The bill faces an uphill battle in both the House and Senate because some lawmakers aren’t sure if it targets the street violence it’s meant to curb.

“The only way to tackle gang violence is by having aggressive law enforcement, not a feel-good piece of legislation,” said Sen. Steve Baddour (D-Methuen), who is vice chair of the legislative judiciary committee that axed the measure.

Patrick recently called for passage of the legislation after 14-year-old Jaewon Martin honors student was gunned last month as he and a friend were playing at a basketball court at the Bromley-Heath housing project.

The governor the filed legislation last year. It’s meant to tackle the problems of violence and illegal firearms following a series of recent shootings in the Bay State. The bill would also ensure no one but a machine gun’s owner or police can handle the automatic weapon after 8-year-old Christopher Bizilj lost control of the Uzi in his hands and died at an Oct. 2008 gun show.

Many lawmakers were concerned that the bill was a violation of basic constitutional freedoms.

“I’d like to vote for a bill which would have a direct and immediate impact on gun violence, but I have concerns … (about) whether the gun law is constitutional,” said Sen. Gail Candaras (D-Wilbraham), who also sits on the judiciary committee.

Katie Carlin contributed to this report