Yesterday, Governor Patrick floated the idea that he wanted to follow in Scott Brown’s foot steps by going to talk radio.  What the Governor does not get it is the message not the forum.  He can go on talk radio all across the Commonwealth, but he needs a believable message.  No one is falling for the phony property tax cut promise again.

Today Patrick says he will appear on talk radio if people “play nice.”  Let me explain what that means.  When I was co-hosting on WRKO, the Governor graced us with a visit twice.  There were rules!  The first time I was only allowed to say, “Hello.”  I was told my microphone would be shut off if I challenged the Governor.  The second time they let me ask one question but no follow ups.    From my experience “play nice” means throw the Governor only softball questions. 

Our Governor should either defend his record with no pre-conditions or hide in his corner office until November.

Did you see Congressman Patrick Kennedy’s tirade yesterday?  Who would have ever believed that a Kennedy would be complaining about the press?  I feel like I am living in an alternative reality.

Kennedy took to the House floor to admonish the press for failing to cover the Afghanistan war.  Normally I would think an outgoing Congressman is making statements to set himself up for their next job.  Certainly Eric Massa must be looking for a reality tv show.  But who would hire Kennedy after that meltdown yesterday?  His opportunities had to have diminished yesterday.  Well there is always Moveon.org.  Or maybe  Joe for oil? 

This afternoon in Missouri President Obama is making another speech on passing Obamacare.  His aides say this is the last speech he is going to make attempting to pass the health care bill no one wants.  Do you believe them?  Is this the final speech?   Is this his closing argument?

He’ll be back!

Are you believing Congressman Eric Massa?  Some of his comments ring true about the White House bullying, but I think we can all agree that the country is better off with him out of office. 

Did you hear Matel has a new doll coming out?  Tickle me Massa.

What’s in the drinking water in New York?  The state seems to be plagued with unethical Democrat officials from Governor Paterson to Congressman Eric Massa.  Both Paterson and Massa have done the right thing by bowing out.  Isn’t it too bad that Congressman Charles Rangel does not follow in their footsteps and call it a career?

On February 26th the House Ethics Committee issued a report concluding that Rangel’s Caribbean jaunt was in violation of House gift rules.  It did cost him his Chairmanship, but as we all know there are still other outstanding ethics investigations and tax controversies.  He is accused of failing to report income on a villa he owns in the Dominican Republican.  There are large accounting discrepancies on his financial reports. And  the House is investigating his use of four rent-stabilized apartments.  I could go on.

Shouldn’t Rangel be asked to leave Congress?  What ever happened to the Pelosi promise to have the most ethical Congress?

Whether it is a Republican or Democrat, we should have zero tolerance.

Update: Does Pelosi’s management remind you of Therese Murray’s running of the Senate in Massachusetts?

Here is a brief cut of our campaign school last Saturday.

Do you remember what happened one year ago this week?  It is the anniversary of Governor Patrick’s attempt to appoint Senator Marian Walsh to a $175,000 job that had been vacant for 12 years.  It was his way of bringing change to ‘Bacon Hill.’  What lesson did our Governor learn from this blunder?  None.  He has continued grow to the state payroll, recycle bad ideas like the sugar tax, and look for ways to penalize drivers.

Yesterday Michael Graham and I had another successful campaign school.  Over hundred enthusiastic people sat in an auditorium to learn how to campaign on the first nice Saturday we have had in months.  People are very excited about taking on the status quo.  Watch out Beacon Hill.  We are going to remember in November.

 I would like to give a special thanks to Harold Hubschman, Mike Sullivan, and Corey Whalen for helping out!

Congressman Bill Delahunt is calling it a career.  He finally saw the writing on the wall and it started with the name Bishop.  Don’t feel sorry for him.  He will be living off of two pensions–one state and one federal.

This week we have also seen Rep. Brian Wallace and Senator Susan Tucker bow out of their re-election campaigns.  It got me to wondering what would happen if John Kerry was up for re-election to the Senate.  Would he survive?

Certainly Kerry has some egg on his face as more scandals emerge about his Vice Presidential choice, John Edwards.  Can you imagine if the Kerry ticket had won and Edwards was Vice President?

How about Kerry having to attend a town hall meeting?  Do you see him answering questions from average people? 

Would John Kerry lost if he were on the ballot in 2010?

Today President Obama will release another version of Obamacare.  (I wonder if it will details so that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) can estimate costs. )  The new plan is supposed to now include a couple of Republican proposals. 

Throwing the GOP a few crumbs from the table that don’t address the overall flawed plan does not fool anyone.  Seriously why would any Republican vote for potentially $1 trillion in new federal government spending for expanding the medical malpractice reform pilot program?  They would be nuts to do it.  That’s like being convinced to buy a car when the dealer offers to give you a penny off the price. 

So what happens when the GOP scoffs at the Presidential crumbs?  The Democrats claim they are justified in going nuclear. 

And let me set the facts straight on reconciliation.

It has NOT been traditionally used as a partisan tactic. 

“The misuse of the arcane process of reconciliation  — a process intended for deficit reduction — to enact substantive policy changes is an undemocratic disservice to our people and the the Senate’s institutional role.”  “Tactics that ignore the means in the pursuit of the ends are wrong when the outcome affects Americans’ health and economic security.”  –Senator Reobert Byrd (D-WV) Washington Post 3.9.09

Nineteen bills enacted via reconciliation were passed by more than 60 votes, not 51.  The other 5 bills had bipartisan support. Only 2 bills were partisan enough where members did cross the isle in support.  One was the 1993 budget reconciliation act of 1993 and the other was the 2005 deficit reduction act.

None of the bills come close to the magnitude of Obamacare.