Pacheco column – part 2
I have another go at Senator Marc Pacheco in this week’s Gazette column.
Two weeks ago I blasted Senator Pacheco for a small litany of sins. Last week Pacheco gave a point by point defense of my criticisms. I’ll give Pacheco credit that his arguments sound very plausible and if I was the only source of criticism it would really resonate and have credibility. Unfortunately for Mr. Pacheco, much of my criticism is based on official investigation of the Probation Department scandal and criticism of the Pacheco law that comes from many sources including that liberal bastion known as the Boston Globe.
But here’s the thing
I criticized Pacheco and he responded. All is fair in love, war, politics, and hackery. This week’s column responds to his response. Overkill – I agree … BUT … I would not have responded to his defense except for one word: Hearsay.
To bring you the reader up to date: In my first column, I wrote that State Rep candidate Allin Frawley called Senator Pacheco to ask for his support. According to what I was told by Allin – an honest standup guy and good friend of mine – Pacheco told him that he wanted to see who else was running because he didn’t appreciate Allin asking him tough questions in public. When I heard that – it was like a red flag to a bull. If Pacheco wants to support someone else – that’s fine and is his right. But that reason – that reason – demands a response. In his response to my column Pacheco said
That word – hearsay is Politicianese for “Nyah, Nyah – you can’t prove that I said that”. Pacheco did not confirm or deny the statement. In my column and in this post I call for him to do so. A worthy leader stands up, admits mistakes, tells the truth, and accepts the consequences.
Mr. Pacheco: Did you or did you not tell Allin Frawley in a phone conversation that you would not support him – that you wanted to see who else was running because you did not appreciate him asking you tough questions in public
YES OR NO
You see Senator, as my friend Bogo says – it’s the little things. You have a lot of good legislation under your belt. You are a good liberal and I would say that if we took politics and influence out of the discussion, you and I would probably agree on almost every issue. But let’s face it: What you said to Allin was wrong on so many levels and exactly the sort of thing a bad politician would say. The Pacheco law is union hackery pure and simple. All that said – come to my Flat Iron Show and enjoy the good people of Middleboro. I’ll be busy playing and won’t have time to chat but you’d still be welcome. Politics is one thing .. and then there is real life.
You could even apologize to Allin. That’s what a real leader and real man would do.
Themocracy
Mark,
Pachecho was never waiting “but for” the one. He and all the unon bosses anointed Brunelle as soon as Canessa announced his new lobby gig. He and the Democratic leadership are in the driver’s seat. When Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset) Speaker Pro Tempore calls candidates and says that the campaign is being taken over if the candidate wins, you know who has the power and it isn’t the people or the candidate. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Brunelle is a puppet for them.
You can always stick it to “the man” and have all your liberal friends in the 12th Bristol to vote for Keiko Orrall and not let “the party” dictate to you what candiate is good for you. She is independent and will not even follow the Republican Party line. She was not their unannounced choice.
I know it is a shameless plug. But you really need to stick it to Pachecho.
I like Keiko’s fiscal sensibilities but I have the feeling that she is ultra-rightwing socially (same sex marriage, abortion, religion). I’d like to see here positions on those issues since they are litmus test issues that I usually look at.
Her social positions are meaningless in Massachusetts and have zero play. I doubt if the evangelical right will provide anything more that hysterical sidelights for us. Same sex marriage and abortion are a done deal in this state. It is all about fiscal sanity. This will be a very difficult seat to pry away from the business as usual crowd. Look for the union label and the lock step support from the usual suspects like the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
The MTA paid for two seperate mailings, “But for” one and the SEIU one. Allin & Nancy were intentionally black-balled from their union ties. Roger Brunelle Jr. is a puppet.
I’m at the point where I’d be more likely to vote against any issue that a union was urging me to vote for.
@ Carl
My wife and I are retired MTA members and the phone calls were frequent and persistent.
@ Bogo
Were you able to resist the dark side?
@ Carl
I said I was supporting Frawley and one of them got argumentative so I asked what Brunelle’s position was on various educational issues. “Duh.” They wanted to knoe “what issues” and I told them to pick any. “Duh.” LMAO! In fact they the person I spoke with I asked in what county Middleboro was in – “Norfolk” was the response. Love those phone banks and paying some dolt $10 a hour to make calls or hold up a sign. Beer money for the college kids.