You Rate a Pretty Big Obit Indeed...

When you are the only Cowboy a-workin' in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. RIP Rex Trailer, King of the Wide Prairie and of Local Children's Programming.

I am liking what I see of the Governor's proposal

to phase out patronage & graft ridden local housing authorities in favor of regional entities that will hopefully driven by civil service protections. Of course likely it is too good a proposal for the State Lege to pass sans tinkering and other forms of legislative abuse...ah but it is this sort of conflict is the reaon why we elected Patrick Governor in the first place to put some tension into executive-legislative relations in this state. And closing down local housing authorities which are rich sources of patronage, graft and their creepy fast-talking little brother fundraising...is a good start on said tension. As long as the patronage aspect is taken off the table and those in need of public housing gets some simplicity and efficiency in the bargain, I am all for it.

If I had to design a democratic candidate for the US Senate

in the upcoming special, I'd want someone with some notable accomplishments outside the political milieu, someone with a strong populist message (and the rhetoric gifts to make their case if possible), someone with some outsider credibility...someone not necesarily associated with the day to day of democratic party politics. The mood of the electorate is populist and largely unfriendly to corporate financial interests, but that doesn't necessary rebound to the credit of the democrats since the electorate is also famously suspicious of successful "statewide democrats" who are perceived as having a sense ot entitlement towards higher office. Beating some twitchy bum the GOP tossed into the AG's race doesn't make you look like a "candidate of destiny" in the eyes of the voters in other words. Thus a straight matchup with Scott Brown under those circumstances, that aforementioned suspicion will trump policy and party registration to Brown's advantage. So my point is to beat Brown message and messager must lock in metaphoric lock step. As to who this notional democrat would be, yer guess is as good as mine.

Senator Barney Frank?

Could me in, that is if Mike Dukakis is not available. Ahhh but lets face it, making Barney Frank interim US Senator from Massachusetts is just too cool to ever happen for real. Moreover since this is the second iteration of the senate succession law in two years I get the sense that Governor Patrick is very serious about appointing a democrat with a short resume and low profile, someone who would not be tempted to change their minds and start barnstorming the state. Or "Barneystorming" as the case may be. It is interesting however to note that neither the Governor, the Current Junior Senator from Massachusetts or Ex-Congressman Frank have made any endorsements in the upcoming special senate primary election...that murky matrix could we be a factor. So IF the whole thing is still up in the, let me assure the Governor that Humble Elias satisfies all the constitutional requirements to serve as Interim US Senator from Massachusetts....just sayin' thass all.

Dunno kids...

It feels like it might be time to shut er' down. Next month I will have been blogging away here at the Chimes at Midnight for ten very full years. That is a long time to strenuously ride a limited selection of hobbyhorse doncha think? Besides the day of the single combat blogger are effectively over, the good ones have become brands the mediocre or the luckless have simply retreated to social media. Why should Humble Elias persevere in the name of less than a hundred click throughs per day? It has been fun don't get me wrong, lots of fun, but I think I'm starting to repeat myself and that mah frenz is deadly. On the other hand a lot of good local politics is coming up, might be hard to walk away from some potentially big time political brawls. So I'm a bit conflicted, feel free to drop me a line at the addy below if you have something sensible to say...

"Does he even live here anymore?"

Former State Senator Scott Brown wasn't even out of office at all before he started snarking off at his potential competition on talk radio (as usual). This time he was stirring up old canards about Congressman Ed Markey's residency status. This is a lame ass opening gambit to be sure, but Ed Markey and anyone else bidding to run against Brown had best pay heed, Scott Brown is not a nice guy he has demonstrated a preference for devisive wedge issues and the politics of personal destruction. In that he has been well schooled by his favorite source of information, talk radio...his opponents had best work up some sharp responses because they will be sharply used to be sure.

A lot of people are working hard behind the scenes

to make Congressman Ed Markey into a torpedo that can sink the "S.S. Scott Brown"....Their chief idea being make sure Ed has a easy uncluttered primary. The same cannot be said of the down ticket effects of a Markey victory in the 2013 special senate election...a seat would open up in Congress and I can easily see twenty or more politicians piling into that once in a lifetime democratic congressional primary. If it happens it'll be the political fight of a lifetime, a battle not for the heart and soul of the Mass Seventh Congressional District, but a ticket to ride in the nation's safest democratic congressional district. Shee-it I can name something like a dozen state reps and senators from around the district that'll be in with both feet withing ten minutes of a Markey victory. HELL I might run! (My price to get out to be named later of of course, hell is is Massachusetts!) I mean IF Markey wins, and I'm thinking that might not be a done deal by any means....but for the moment it is the season of fantasy up and down the congressional district.