Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Neutral Zone Trap
Just when you thought it was safe to be a Republican in Massachusetts....
Last week, Polly Logan (Tory - Cohasset) beat back a challenge by Janet Fogarty (R-Cohasset) and Anne Hilbert (R-Weymouth) and won her seven-hundredth straight election to the Republican State Committee.
Logan received some late assistance from Lightweight LG Sherry Kerry Healey who recorded an auto-call message that was blasted to GOP faithful late in the campaign. (source: Boston Globe, 3/7/2004)
The only problem was … Willard Mitt and Healey promised Fogarty and Hilbert that they would remain neutral and not get involved in the race.
Neutral and not get involved? Sounds a bit like Romney’s promise to stay neutral and not get involved in the lieutenant governor’s way back in 'aught-aught-two.'
(Back then, Romney’s position was succinctly stated by his loathsome (now) $150,000-a-year spokesman who said “(Romney is) 100 percent focused on his own race for governor. He is neutral in the lieutenant governor's race.” (source: Cape Cod Times, 3/21/2002) Which, of course, led to one of our favorite equivocations, when, after flipping and deciding to endorse a candidate, Romney parsed, "I indicated that my plans were not to endorse either one of the candidates; I did not endorse either one of the candidates." (source: Boston Herald, 4/4/2002))
So Romney lied, and lent a hand to Polly Logan, after pledging not to lend a hand to Polly Logan. The question is, 'why did he hurt Fogarty and Hilbert?'
The answer is … follow the money.
Records indicate that in May 2002, Janet Fogarty and Anne Hilbert gave campaign contributions to … Gentleman Jim Rappaport. (source: OCPF)
Fogarty gave $100. Hilbert gave $25.
And they say politicians don't notice small donations.
After Rappapport lost his campaign to Healey, he did the adult thing and endorsed Team Reform, saying, "(Willard) Mitt is the type of leader who reaches across the political divide and will attract to his administration folks of all political stripes." (source: Boston Globe, 9/30/2002)
Provided, of course, they are not of your stripe, Jim.
Just when you thought it was safe to be a Republican in Massachusetts....
Last week, Polly Logan (Tory - Cohasset) beat back a challenge by Janet Fogarty (R-Cohasset) and Anne Hilbert (R-Weymouth) and won her seven-hundredth straight election to the Republican State Committee.
Logan received some late assistance from Lightweight LG Sherry Kerry Healey who recorded an auto-call message that was blasted to GOP faithful late in the campaign. (source: Boston Globe, 3/7/2004)
The only problem was … Willard Mitt and Healey promised Fogarty and Hilbert that they would remain neutral and not get involved in the race.
Neutral and not get involved? Sounds a bit like Romney’s promise to stay neutral and not get involved in the lieutenant governor’s way back in 'aught-aught-two.'
(Back then, Romney’s position was succinctly stated by his loathsome (now) $150,000-a-year spokesman who said “(Romney is) 100 percent focused on his own race for governor. He is neutral in the lieutenant governor's race.” (source: Cape Cod Times, 3/21/2002) Which, of course, led to one of our favorite equivocations, when, after flipping and deciding to endorse a candidate, Romney parsed, "I indicated that my plans were not to endorse either one of the candidates; I did not endorse either one of the candidates." (source: Boston Herald, 4/4/2002))
So Romney lied, and lent a hand to Polly Logan, after pledging not to lend a hand to Polly Logan. The question is, 'why did he hurt Fogarty and Hilbert?'
The answer is … follow the money.
Records indicate that in May 2002, Janet Fogarty and Anne Hilbert gave campaign contributions to … Gentleman Jim Rappaport. (source: OCPF)
Fogarty gave $100. Hilbert gave $25.
And they say politicians don't notice small donations.
After Rappapport lost his campaign to Healey, he did the adult thing and endorsed Team Reform, saying, "(Willard) Mitt is the type of leader who reaches across the political divide and will attract to his administration folks of all political stripes." (source: Boston Globe, 9/30/2002)
Provided, of course, they are not of your stripe, Jim.
