Saturday, April 02, 2005

Whither Willard?

Just maybe...just...maybe this week...on the QT amidst the deaths of the mighty and the miserable, Willard Mitt Romney might have reached his Waterloo.
Despite a bunch of big scary radio commercials the state legislature blithely wrote and passed it’s own stem cell bill and by veto proof majorities. All the King’s Horse’s and all the King’s Men (or in this case Scot Lehigh and Joan Vennochi) couldn’t pump up Mitt as a player on this issue. Hell, Romney’s been hissing and flapping his arms about stem cells for the past two months and has achieved just exactly nothing, indeed his political position has been visibly eroded.
Willard could’ve come to the table and negotiated in good faith, but alas he did nothing but make threats and sarcastic remarks about the issue and mostly in front of allegedly respectful out-of-state wowsers. Clearly the leadership in the lege read all this and made their plans accordingly. What do they have to fear? I think DiMasi and Travaglini both have Willard’s number, he lacks the patience to govern and thus they flourish when it comes to issues like biotechnology and whatnot. The public is unresponsive to any demagogic appeals on stem cells and Mitt himself has no reach into their home precincts and wards.
Romney wring as much drama out of his veto as possible, but given the Pope’s death and all, the whole thing may get buried. In the end, Romney will look hapless and helpless, which of course is the PERFECT image for a future GOP candidate for President.
If Romney's political career comes to a premature end next year it may have its seeds in the vote that went down this week.

Hapless and Helpless...remember that.

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