Happy New Year

to all and sundry....

Well...even as the rest of us stagger thru to New Years

Politics keeps ticking away behind the scenes, case in point John Kerry, Victoria Reggie Kennedy and the DSCC have all loudly endorsed Ed Markey's bid to become a US Senator in the upcoming special senate election....assuming of course, John Kerry is confirmed as Secretary of State. Taken all together, and we can deduce that there is a concerted effort going on behind the scenes to keep the democratic senatorial primary as restricted as possible so as to give the presumptive nominee Ed Markey some momentum and maneuvering room agin' the GOP's presumptive Colonel Scott Brown. Of course this is just the sort of "concerted effort" that piss off someone somewheres and touch off a free-fer-all democratic primary... Kerry's endorsement I get, he has always been pretty free with his support (he once reached waaay down to a special state senate election in the Fourth Middlesex to gin up Ken Donnelly back in the day)...the others though, clearly smack of some strong politicking behind the scenes, likely by State Chair John Walsh. I'm sorta curious to see where Citizen Warren lands in all this, by June 2013 she could be the Senior Senator from Massachusetts, you'd think her endorsement would be a sought after thing in the above matrix. That much bears observation going forward.

Ah spoke too soon...

Looks like Congressman Ed Markey is piling in to the special senate election with both feet. I'd still like to know why he stayed out in 2010 though... And for that fact does his internal polling really reveal that his "Republican War on the Poor" meme will play in North Brookfield. Ah but I snark, I do think Ed might be enough of a yeti to keep his congressional colleagues out of the Senate Race...but then again that might not be a good thing regardless of any fears of a "bloody primary donnybrook". And if Ed does get the nomination then I'd just like to casually advise him that Scott Brown is a better debater than he seems...and if Congressman Markey starts up with his "GOP war on the poor" mantra Brown's likely response will be "My opponent has had over thirty years to solve this problem with little to show for it..." In other words Congressman Markey had better figure out how to turn a long liberal record in public life to his advantages, because trust me, it'll be the first thing turned against him in the General Election. And don't look to the Boston Globe for any help either, that lot has a vested interest in chaos on the campaign trail and nice close election....nothing more. Nonetheless, I wish the Congressman well, he is articulate able and well intentioned, but he has to transcend if he wants to win.

So Far So Little

Teddy Kennedy Jr. doesn't wanna run for the US Senate (which is good he would be a tough sell for a number of reasons) Ben Affleck doesn't wanna run either....Both these guys have high name recognition, presumed fundraising chops and short political resumes...on the other hand they have some baggage and baggage is a thing to avoid I think as the next special senate election looms. So far no one has announced or done anything except signal a vague desire to run, and yet for all that the Boston Globe more or less assumes that the democrats will offer up a newspaper-pleasin' firefight of a primary. So far I don't see it, but that can change. Mostly I'm just wondering why suddenly Ed Markey is interested in the sinecure? He bailed on it in 2010 leaving Mike Capuano to hold high the banner of the US House....must be sick of being in the minority in John Boehner's Chamber... Of course if the dems wanna hold the seat, I'd say they need someone with some fundraising chops, an interesting message who comes with a short political resume, preferably with some bona fides outside state politics. But this is but a sketch as to who fills that bill yer guess is as good as mine. But if we want a pure celebrity driven candidacy, I'd mark out hard if comedienne Sarah Silverman made the race, hell her baggage is picturesque and makes Ben Affleck's baggage look like an empty gym bag....

Michael Graham's contract at WTKK

has not been renewed and consequently Friday last was his last public broadcast. Ahem... Give me a moment here... HAR HAR!!! Excuse me I had to do that. Well just think in just twenty six weeks, once unemployment runs out poor Mike will be on WELFARE. Now that will be a Youtube moment to be sure....Michael gets enrolled among "The Takers"....

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas, a Joyous Channukah & Felicitous Kwanzaa and a festive Festivus... *** It is a sociable time of the year, lots of family and friends and hopefully glad tidings. Nonetheless, do take a moment to take stock of yourself, give thanks, get off alone, take your shoes off, wash your feet, look at the Moon And Try To Get Close To God. And when you are done with all that, log onto the internet and read the Chimes at Midnight, because if my stats are any indications, MAN do I need the mouse clix! :D Happy Holidays, better times are coming...

Congrats to Senator Kerry

on grabbing off the Big Brass Ring at Foggy Bottom, I wish him well. (I've lost the argument, I was never IN the argument lets face it, have to man up and move on sez Humble Elias). Meanwhile, seven out of nine local congressman have awoken to see a Future US Senator in the shaving mirror... among them: Ed Markey the long serving Rep in the Seventh Congressional District, tall reasonably articulate, well entrenched in a safe district with tons of cash on hand...he'd be an immediate front runner if and when he piles in. On the other hand representing the safest democratic district since Adam means he has never had to run any kind of a real campaign in a general election, Ed tend to being a doctrinaire liberal and while that plays well at the Lexington Elks Club the message may be more problematic in North Brookfield. Finally, while I like Ed, he lacks a sense of whimsy, he grinds when he should stop smile and laugh a little, no sure how he'd play statewide. Mike Capuano: passionate, Passionate, PASSIONATE, did I mention how PASSIONATE Mike Capuano is?? He is also almost impossibly honest by all accounts out of Somerville, the Spartans love him even if they are bound in loyalty to Ed Markey and that is no small thing. However, I worry about Mike's judgement, he got schooled by Martha Coakley in that primary back in 2010, I sometimes wonder if Mike is so eager to return fire he'll shoot himself in the foot? Steve Lynch: Steve is what passes for a conservative democrat in Massachusetts Politics, by all accounts he ought to be angling to succeed Menino, but for some stupid reason he wants to run for Senator....Ghod knows why. Outside his own district he won't do much business either with moderates (who won't cotton to his chummy clubby Southie bona fides) and he certainly won't wear well among suburban liberals. But then again, let a hundred flowers bloom and all like that, the man has a right to make his case in a fair and open primary and once again Humble Elias is a lonely voice for a primary where all factions within the party and consulted & debated. But whoever gets the nomination, lets just remember that Scott Brown is no pushover he will wolverine gone mad on crystal meth to get his old job back, count on it.