'Round the Bubblah 03-10-2010

Yesterday, Scott Brown announced that the government was failing to learn the lesson of his election two months ago.  According to Matt Viser in the Political Intelligence blog, Brown insists that his election was a referendum on health care reform.  Which is simply untrue.  As I said after the election, Brown's victory was a complicated affair, with a number of factors.  To simplify the narrative to be about healthcare means that Brown is believing his own hype machine.  Consider his remarks in Viser's Globe article:

He cast himself as the leader on breaking the logjam, although it’s highly unusual for members in the clubby US Senate to follow a new senator.

“I think a lot of them look and see what I do,’’ Brown said in the Senate reception room, nursing a lollipop before the vote. “You know, which is OK.’’

While it's true that the GOP is certainly going to look at Brown's win for campaign strategy, I think it's a bit presumptuous to claim that experienced Senators are looking at the new guy to see how to vote.


Stephanie Vallejo blogs in Political Intelligence that Brown has a 70% approval rating in Massachusetts, according to the latest numbers from Rasmussen.  The Herald's Hillary Chabot also crunches the numbers, including my favorite bit of every poll ever: "Congress sucks, my individual Congressperson doesn't."

The AP's Hillel Italie reports that Scott Brown's memoir should hit bookshelves in 2011, right in time for his re-election campaign.

Jeremy Herb wonders in the Globe how kosher it is that Google is lobbying in DC and also powering political campaigns, such as Scott Brown's.

Senator Kerry is in favor of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, according to Fox.

Congressman Stephen Lynch is receiving kudos for letting DC give marriage rights to everyone.  He is the chairman of the committee with DC oversight powers, and DC recently started marrying gay people.  Alan Wirzbicki notes in the Globe that this signifies a shift from Lynch's views on homosexuality a decade ago, but it's been a big decade that's seen the marriage movement come to the forefront.

Kim Carrigan interviews Sen. Steve Baddour (D-Essex 1) on Fox.

Bob Ward talks casinos with Speaker Bob DeLeo (D-Suffolk 19) on Fox, and then he talks pensions with Bristol Sheriff Tom Hodgson.

The AP's Steve LeBlanc reports that the state Senate has voted to bail out Lawrence and has rejected a Republican amendment to appoint an oversight committee for the funds.

Gov. Patrick has put his foot down, rejecting racinos until the first resort casino is built in Massachusetts, reports the Herald's Thomas Grillo.

Candidate for the Galluccio seat Dan Hill has released a position paper on casinos, reports Conor Yunits.

Jay Fitzgerald notes in the Herald that Patrick's proposed caps on rising health care costs are being called unfair to insurers.

Conor Yunits reports that the latest Rasmussen polling has Baker within three points of Patrick.  That's not good news for Patrick, as Baker's been slowly and surely gaining momentum in the polls.  He could pass Patrick by the next one, leaving the incumbent as the underdog.

Patrick may not be so easy to beat, however.  Blue Mass Group's David Kravitz reports that he's won unprecedented concessions from public unions, which is a good talking point.

The RMV is highlighting ways to avoid a branch visit, in a move that most sane people would have considered Plan A, but the RMV chose as Plan B (behind charging people to use the branches).  The AP has the report.

The mayors of Massachusetts, led by Boston's own Tom Menino, are attempting to put a question on the 2012 ballot to address the municipal health care crisis, reports the Globe's Sean Murphy.  The Outraged Liberal is fed up with the mayors and the legislature.  David Bernstein analyzes the issue at length.

The State House News Service's Jim O'Sullivan reports that municipalities could see cuts in statewide aid up to 5%.  It doesn't bode well for local budgets.

Adam Gaffin covers yesterday's budget hearing about closing library branches in the city.

In another follow-up to a recurring story, the developers at the DTX wastes insist that they are not doing this on purpose.  You know, despite stating that staging a deliberate blight was their strategy in New York. The Herald's Thomas Grillo has more.

Kim Carrigan reports that schools may also face a budget crisis this year.  Gee, that might be why the Herald is reporting that 22 BPS cafeterias are skimping on health protocols and failing health inspection.  Richard Weir and Jessica van Slack have more.


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