Monday, April 18, 2005
Stout ...
Looks like Team Reform just got a new campaign theme song.
The flack formerly known as the stout, Reese Witherspoon-wannabe dye-job aide to Romney’s loathsome $150,000-a-year spokesman announced that she is on the glide path to a real job, saying "it's time to take the skills I've learned in politics over the last nine years and apply them to a new challenge." (source: Boston Herald, 4/16/2005)
Bully.
Setting aside that dubious reference to "skills she learned in politics", we wish her the best.
And an explanation.
The word 'stout' means many things. Stout can mean forceful, powerful, bold, or stubborn. Describing someone as stout does not necessarily mean they are thickset, corpulent, big-boned, or prone to wearing Chester Atkins-sized suits.
We decided to hang 'stout' on said Flack after she needlessly threw Sen. Ted Kennedy under the bus while explaining Willard Mitt's endorsement of Arnold "Horndog" Swartzenegger. (source: RiaF) Its use was meant to draw attention to her willingness to change her personality to suit her new masters. It was not a comment on her Hillaryesque calves or bandy-legged stature.
We used "Stout" as a political badge of respect; we mourn her passing.
So long, Stumpy.
... and Out
Just as Stumpy (the former flack formerly known as the stout Reese Witherspoon-wannabe dye-job aide to Romney’s loathsome $150,000-a-year spokesman) no longer cares about Team Reform, we figure it's time to admit that we don't either.
Willard Mitt's time is ka-put; his footprint looks to be as lasting as a gull's at low-tide.
Besides, we're sleepy. And have decided to take a wee break.
If you want a quick note when we decide to reactivate this goofy site drop us a note.
Until then, thanks for reading. Thanks for writing. (And thank you to our patient and willing e-mail intermediaries.)
We're headed to the back forty to build our house, chop our wood and make our garden grow. (Correctly guess the allusion and win a Meat Pie. But not from us. Remember, we're taking a break!)
Any questions?
April, 2003
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October, 2004
November, 2004
December, 2004
January, 2005
February, 2005
March, 2005
April, 2005
Push-Back
Here we go again.
Willard Mitt last week criticized Deval Patrick as being open to tax increases because "his new Democratic rival" did not immediately support rolling back the income tax to the Paul Cellucci 'this won't hurt a bit' voter mandated five percent rate.
"The citizens have given us our budget. It's time to honor their wishes," Romney said. (source: Boston Herald, 4/16/2005)
Patrick whispered back that Willard Mitt's policies had resulted in property tax hikes throughout the Commonwealth. (source: Boston Globe, 4/16/2005)
Nice.
But you'd think that someone who had hired "the state's top political opposition researcher" (source: Boston Globe, 4/7/2005) would have 'remembered' that Romney is guilty of his own tax misdirection.
Back when he was just the Fraud Candidate the General Court passed a $1.2 billion tax package to balance the state budget. Willard Mitt's response was to pledge that if he were elected (fraud) governor, he would 'roll back all of the tax increases' in the package. (source: Boston Globe, 5/8/2002)
Unfortunately, since becoming Fraud Governor, the only thing Romney has done with the 2002 tax package is spend the monies it brings in. Three years later, the cigarette tax hike is still in effect, as is the capital gains tax hike and virtually every other increase that was enacted back during 'the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.'
We can understand Romney failing to honor his pledge with regard to the cigarette tax roll-back. But the capital gains tax is another thing. After all, this is a tax that Romney himself seemed to try to beat.
Back in 1994, Willard Mitt donated $200,000 worth of Staples stock to the Church of Latter Day Saints. Then, on the last trading day of the year, he bought $189,000 worth of Staples stock, effectively replenishing his investment.
Romney explained his actions to local media, saying "I contributed all of my Staples shares to meet my charitable contribution target. I wanted to replace a substantial portion of them. I'm in the same position I was in before." (source: Boston Herald, 1/18/1995)
Maybe he was in the same position. And maybe he donated then replenished his Staples stock to dodge the capital gains liability of the donated shares.
But whatever the rationale, Romney was seemingly finagling a tax that he has since failed to roll-back despite pledging to do so in 2002.
Hey Willard Mitt, once you start honoring your own words, we'll listen to your blather about honoring the tax-payers wishes.
Looks like Team Reform just got a new campaign theme song.
The flack formerly known as the stout, Reese Witherspoon-wannabe dye-job aide to Romney’s loathsome $150,000-a-year spokesman announced that she is on the glide path to a real job, saying "it's time to take the skills I've learned in politics over the last nine years and apply them to a new challenge." (source: Boston Herald, 4/16/2005)
Bully.
Setting aside that dubious reference to "skills she learned in politics", we wish her the best.
And an explanation.
The word 'stout' means many things. Stout can mean forceful, powerful, bold, or stubborn. Describing someone as stout does not necessarily mean they are thickset, corpulent, big-boned, or prone to wearing Chester Atkins-sized suits.
We decided to hang 'stout' on said Flack after she needlessly threw Sen. Ted Kennedy under the bus while explaining Willard Mitt's endorsement of Arnold "Horndog" Swartzenegger. (source: RiaF) Its use was meant to draw attention to her willingness to change her personality to suit her new masters. It was not a comment on her Hillaryesque calves or bandy-legged stature.
We used "Stout" as a political badge of respect; we mourn her passing.
So long, Stumpy.
... and Out
Just as Stumpy (the former flack formerly known as the stout Reese Witherspoon-wannabe dye-job aide to Romney’s loathsome $150,000-a-year spokesman) no longer cares about Team Reform, we figure it's time to admit that we don't either.
Willard Mitt's time is ka-put; his footprint looks to be as lasting as a gull's at low-tide.
Besides, we're sleepy. And have decided to take a wee break.
If you want a quick note when we decide to reactivate this goofy site drop us a note.
Until then, thanks for reading. Thanks for writing. (And thank you to our patient and willing e-mail intermediaries.)
We're headed to the back forty to build our house, chop our wood and make our garden grow. (Correctly guess the allusion and win a Meat Pie. But not from us. Remember, we're taking a break!)
Any questions?
April, 2003
May, 2003
June, 2003
July, 2003
August, 2003
September, 2003
October, 2003
November, 2003
December, 2003
January, 2004
February, 2004
March, 2004
April, 2004
May, 2004
June, 2004
July, 2004
August, 2004
September, 2004
October, 2004
November, 2004
December, 2004
January, 2005
February, 2005
March, 2005
April, 2005
Push-Back
Here we go again.
Willard Mitt last week criticized Deval Patrick as being open to tax increases because "his new Democratic rival" did not immediately support rolling back the income tax to the Paul Cellucci 'this won't hurt a bit' voter mandated five percent rate.
"The citizens have given us our budget. It's time to honor their wishes," Romney said. (source: Boston Herald, 4/16/2005)
Patrick whispered back that Willard Mitt's policies had resulted in property tax hikes throughout the Commonwealth. (source: Boston Globe, 4/16/2005)
Nice.
But you'd think that someone who had hired "the state's top political opposition researcher" (source: Boston Globe, 4/7/2005) would have 'remembered' that Romney is guilty of his own tax misdirection.
Back when he was just the Fraud Candidate the General Court passed a $1.2 billion tax package to balance the state budget. Willard Mitt's response was to pledge that if he were elected (fraud) governor, he would 'roll back all of the tax increases' in the package. (source: Boston Globe, 5/8/2002)
Unfortunately, since becoming Fraud Governor, the only thing Romney has done with the 2002 tax package is spend the monies it brings in. Three years later, the cigarette tax hike is still in effect, as is the capital gains tax hike and virtually every other increase that was enacted back during 'the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.'
We can understand Romney failing to honor his pledge with regard to the cigarette tax roll-back. But the capital gains tax is another thing. After all, this is a tax that Romney himself seemed to try to beat.
Back in 1994, Willard Mitt donated $200,000 worth of Staples stock to the Church of Latter Day Saints. Then, on the last trading day of the year, he bought $189,000 worth of Staples stock, effectively replenishing his investment.
Romney explained his actions to local media, saying "I contributed all of my Staples shares to meet my charitable contribution target. I wanted to replace a substantial portion of them. I'm in the same position I was in before." (source: Boston Herald, 1/18/1995)
Maybe he was in the same position. And maybe he donated then replenished his Staples stock to dodge the capital gains liability of the donated shares.
But whatever the rationale, Romney was seemingly finagling a tax that he has since failed to roll-back despite pledging to do so in 2002.
Hey Willard Mitt, once you start honoring your own words, we'll listen to your blather about honoring the tax-payers wishes.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Good-Bye, Mr. Chieps
Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. It's official. Charles Chieppo, once a respected researcher with the Beacon Hill Institute, and Boston Herald columnist, is now but a simple harlot.
A painted barrack hack. A bimmy. A boong-moll. A burlap-buddy. A canvas-back. A coffee-grinder. A flag-about. A flash-tail. A chippy. A company-man. A door-keeper. A fast-fanny. A flatbacker. A floosie. A hat-rack. A hunt-about. A lease-piece. A low-heel. A night-jobber. A pavement-prince. A pintle-twister. A raspberry-tart. A receiver-general. A scarlet-sam. A strumpet. A vent-renter. A vice-man. A window-tapper. A zook.
Charlie Chiep is now a public sector public relations hack. Hired to put a decent face on Romney's environmental policies and Convention Center bloviations. His rental price: a middling $10,000. (source: PRWatch.org)
So tell us, Chuck, now that you're officially on the take, how long have you been on the take?
Boy are we dumb. Back in 2002 when Chieppo was with the Pioneer Institute and blowing kisses at Willard Mitt's proposal to sell the Hynes, we thought he was humping Romney's proposal to sell the Hynes. (source: Boston Globe, 6/20/2002) And when he was blowing kisses at Willard Mitt's proposal to overhaul Health and Human Services, we thought he was humping Romney's proposal to overhaul Health and Human Services. (source: Boston Herald, 10/15/2002) And when he was blowing kisses at Willard Mitt's proposal to whack the anti-privatization Pacheco Law we thought he was humping Romney's proposal to whack the Pacheco Law. (source: Boston Herald, 5/26/2003)
But now that he's been given $10,000 to write op-ed pieces for Team Reform (source: Boston Globe, 4/8/2005) it just looks like Chuck was just blowing kisses at Willard Mitt.
David Farrell, please come home. All is forgiven. (source: Boston Globe, 3/7/1986)
Fink
So how do you think this'll play in South Carolina?
Willard Mitt's pollster (source: Boston Herald, 3/21/2002), Arthur J. Finkelstein - aka "The Godfather of Dirty Politics," an ultra-conservative right-wing bag of soft gooey mush that gave a bad name to soft gooey mush, married his male partner of 40-years last December. (source: Boston Globe, 4/10/2005)
Too subtle for you? Howsabout this: Arthur Finkelstein - a Grand Imperial Wizard in the Lost Army of Joe Malone and Willard Mitt's own pollster (source: Boston Herald, 3/21/2002) not only supports gay marriage - he is now IN a gay marriage.
Rot-row.
So what's next: shadowy revelations that Romney's $150,000-a-year Loathsome Spokesman isn't really Loathsome?
Nah.
Some things just can't change.
Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. It's official. Charles Chieppo, once a respected researcher with the Beacon Hill Institute, and Boston Herald columnist, is now but a simple harlot.
A painted barrack hack. A bimmy. A boong-moll. A burlap-buddy. A canvas-back. A coffee-grinder. A flag-about. A flash-tail. A chippy. A company-man. A door-keeper. A fast-fanny. A flatbacker. A floosie. A hat-rack. A hunt-about. A lease-piece. A low-heel. A night-jobber. A pavement-prince. A pintle-twister. A raspberry-tart. A receiver-general. A scarlet-sam. A strumpet. A vent-renter. A vice-man. A window-tapper. A zook.
Charlie Chiep is now a public sector public relations hack. Hired to put a decent face on Romney's environmental policies and Convention Center bloviations. His rental price: a middling $10,000. (source: PRWatch.org)
So tell us, Chuck, now that you're officially on the take, how long have you been on the take?
Boy are we dumb. Back in 2002 when Chieppo was with the Pioneer Institute and blowing kisses at Willard Mitt's proposal to sell the Hynes, we thought he was humping Romney's proposal to sell the Hynes. (source: Boston Globe, 6/20/2002) And when he was blowing kisses at Willard Mitt's proposal to overhaul Health and Human Services, we thought he was humping Romney's proposal to overhaul Health and Human Services. (source: Boston Herald, 10/15/2002) And when he was blowing kisses at Willard Mitt's proposal to whack the anti-privatization Pacheco Law we thought he was humping Romney's proposal to whack the Pacheco Law. (source: Boston Herald, 5/26/2003)
But now that he's been given $10,000 to write op-ed pieces for Team Reform (source: Boston Globe, 4/8/2005) it just looks like Chuck was just blowing kisses at Willard Mitt.
David Farrell, please come home. All is forgiven. (source: Boston Globe, 3/7/1986)
Fink
So how do you think this'll play in South Carolina?
Willard Mitt's pollster (source: Boston Herald, 3/21/2002), Arthur J. Finkelstein - aka "The Godfather of Dirty Politics," an ultra-conservative right-wing bag of soft gooey mush that gave a bad name to soft gooey mush, married his male partner of 40-years last December. (source: Boston Globe, 4/10/2005)
Too subtle for you? Howsabout this: Arthur Finkelstein - a Grand Imperial Wizard in the Lost Army of Joe Malone and Willard Mitt's own pollster (source: Boston Herald, 3/21/2002) not only supports gay marriage - he is now IN a gay marriage.
Rot-row.
So what's next: shadowy revelations that Romney's $150,000-a-year Loathsome Spokesman isn't really Loathsome?
Nah.
Some things just can't change.
Monday, April 11, 2005
Happy Opening Day
Hey Willard Mitt: See You Next Thursday.
Hey Willard Mitt: See You Next Thursday.
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Romney Mien
While waiting for the Silver Line we realized that an anagram for "Silver Line" is "N-i-l I-s R-e-v-e-l." Which made no sense. But got us thinking about other anagrams.
So we re-arranged "Red Line" and got "E-l N-e-r-d."
Then we re-arranged "Curt Schilling" and got something that looked like "Long-Winded, Ketchup-Smearing Grand-Stander Who Doesn't Know When To Keep His Mouth Shut" but the paper blew away.
Then we re-arranged "No-Show Angelo Buonopane" and got "M-a-r-t-i-n H-a-n-a-k-a." Give or take six or seven consonants.
And that's when it hit us. No-Show Angelo Buonopane IS Martin Hanaka.
What's that you ask? Who is Martin Hanaka?
Martin Hanaka was the CEO of Staples back when Willard Mitt was a member of the Staples board of directors. Hanaka purportedly quit amid charges he was having an affair with a female underling, was reportedly arrested for allegedly assaulting said underling and was said to have paid upwards of $10,000 to the underling in hush money. (source: Boston Herald, 10/18/2002) Yes, we like the word 'underling.'
Less than a year later, Romney, who then also sat on the Sports Authority board of directors, purportedly helped seat Hanaka as CEO of that company. (source: Boston Herald, 10/18/2002)
When asked to explain Willard Mitt's sponsorship of Hanaka, Romney's now $150,000-a-year Loathsome Spokesman said, "Like anybody else (Martin Hanaka) deserved a second chance." (source: Boston Herald, 10/18/2002)
So what does Martin Hanaka have to do with Angelo Buonopane?
Romney helped hire Hanaka. As he hired Buonopane. The question is ... why?
In 2002, just one month before he was sworn in as Fraud Governor, 'sources' said that Angelo Buonopane would be the only hold-over appointee retained by Team Reform. (source: Boston Herald, 12/6/2002)
Back in the 1960s, Buonopane went to prison for armed robbery and drug-related offenses. In the 1970s, Buonopane was arrested after a fight on the Tobin Bridge. In the 1980s, Buonopane was indicted for allegedly shaking down a cement contractor, securing cash and a $1,050 lithograph in exchange for promises of labor peace. In the 1990s, Buonopane was arrested for violating a restraining order taken out by his wife. (source: Boston Globe, 9/14/1996)
Willard Mitt ended up making Buonopane as his $108,000-a-year director of the state Department of Labor, a job that had "no obvious duties" and was administratively coded for unlimited vacation allotment. (source: Boston Globe, 4/5/2005)
In No-Show Angelo's defense, Buonopane had a $108,000-a-year job that has "no obvious duties" and was administratively coded for an unlimited vacation allotment!
And in Willard Mitt's defense, he is the Fraud Governor.
However, several questions remain.
Was Angelo Buonopane hired in December 2002 because he was a model state employee, or because Romney was thanking him for political favors rendered?
Or did Romney think that Buonopane "like anybody else" deserved a second chance?
Why does Willard Mitt hire men like Martin Hanaka and Angelo Buonopane for positions of leadership?
And what does this say about Romney's leadership?
Too bad former Department of (MDC job) Conservation and Recreation's Commissioner Katherine Abbott wasn't like everybody else. Or a guy with a shady past. Maybe she'd have been given a second chance, too. Give or take six or seven consonants.
While waiting for the Silver Line we realized that an anagram for "Silver Line" is "N-i-l I-s R-e-v-e-l." Which made no sense. But got us thinking about other anagrams.
So we re-arranged "Red Line" and got "E-l N-e-r-d."
Then we re-arranged "Curt Schilling" and got something that looked like "Long-Winded, Ketchup-Smearing Grand-Stander Who Doesn't Know When To Keep His Mouth Shut" but the paper blew away.
Then we re-arranged "No-Show Angelo Buonopane" and got "M-a-r-t-i-n H-a-n-a-k-a." Give or take six or seven consonants.
And that's when it hit us. No-Show Angelo Buonopane IS Martin Hanaka.
What's that you ask? Who is Martin Hanaka?
Martin Hanaka was the CEO of Staples back when Willard Mitt was a member of the Staples board of directors. Hanaka purportedly quit amid charges he was having an affair with a female underling, was reportedly arrested for allegedly assaulting said underling and was said to have paid upwards of $10,000 to the underling in hush money. (source: Boston Herald, 10/18/2002) Yes, we like the word 'underling.'
Less than a year later, Romney, who then also sat on the Sports Authority board of directors, purportedly helped seat Hanaka as CEO of that company. (source: Boston Herald, 10/18/2002)
When asked to explain Willard Mitt's sponsorship of Hanaka, Romney's now $150,000-a-year Loathsome Spokesman said, "Like anybody else (Martin Hanaka) deserved a second chance." (source: Boston Herald, 10/18/2002)
So what does Martin Hanaka have to do with Angelo Buonopane?
Romney helped hire Hanaka. As he hired Buonopane. The question is ... why?
In 2002, just one month before he was sworn in as Fraud Governor, 'sources' said that Angelo Buonopane would be the only hold-over appointee retained by Team Reform. (source: Boston Herald, 12/6/2002)
Back in the 1960s, Buonopane went to prison for armed robbery and drug-related offenses. In the 1970s, Buonopane was arrested after a fight on the Tobin Bridge. In the 1980s, Buonopane was indicted for allegedly shaking down a cement contractor, securing cash and a $1,050 lithograph in exchange for promises of labor peace. In the 1990s, Buonopane was arrested for violating a restraining order taken out by his wife. (source: Boston Globe, 9/14/1996)
Willard Mitt ended up making Buonopane as his $108,000-a-year director of the state Department of Labor, a job that had "no obvious duties" and was administratively coded for unlimited vacation allotment. (source: Boston Globe, 4/5/2005)
In No-Show Angelo's defense, Buonopane had a $108,000-a-year job that has "no obvious duties" and was administratively coded for an unlimited vacation allotment!
And in Willard Mitt's defense, he is the Fraud Governor.
However, several questions remain.
Was Angelo Buonopane hired in December 2002 because he was a model state employee, or because Romney was thanking him for political favors rendered?
Or did Romney think that Buonopane "like anybody else" deserved a second chance?
Why does Willard Mitt hire men like Martin Hanaka and Angelo Buonopane for positions of leadership?
And what does this say about Romney's leadership?
Too bad former Department of (MDC job) Conservation and Recreation's Commissioner Katherine Abbott wasn't like everybody else. Or a guy with a shady past. Maybe she'd have been given a second chance, too. Give or take six or seven consonants.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Gang of 41,003
GOP GOZ (Grand Old Zombie) Darrell Crate recently reprised the Republican State Committee's Gang of Three advertising campaign, which used a reference to the architects of the Chinese Cultural Revolution - a movement that resulted in the deaths of over 500,000 people - as the whimsical tag line to a political marketing campaign. (source: Boston Herald, 3/19/2005)
This came approximately one month after the 'allegedly pro-business' Fraud Governor swore in Daniel J. O'Shea as an Associate Justice of the Wrentham District Court. (source: SHNS)
According to those who purport to know these things, O'Shea, a one-time corporate lawyer, began his trek toward lifetime sinecure when he was appointed an administrative 'judge' on the the Industrial Accident Board (IAB) by then-Gov. William Weld in 1992.
Hey hey kids, it's time to play Word Disassociation. If 'Judge' is to 'IAB' as 'Mall Cop' is to '101st Airborne' which of the following words does not belong: Industrial Accident Board JUDGE.
Great IAB 'judges' in history: former state Rep. John Bradford (R-Rochester); former state Rep. Frank Woodward (D-Walpole). Neither Bradford or Woodward had legal training. (source: Boston Herald, "Gov gives judge jobs to politically connected," by Eric Fehrnstrom, 7/11/1992)
So what does this all have to do with Darrell Crate's Gang of Three press scree?
At last count, there were over 41,000 state employees in the executive branch. (source: Boston Globe, 12/23/2004) These include social climbers like Daniel O'Shea, lay-abouts like No-Show Angelo Buonopane, and (of course) Romney's $150,000-a-year Loathsome Spokesman.
How many employees were hired since the Purple Revolution 1990 is a state secret. But what's clear is the Pension Pork that Weld, Weld, Cellucci, Swift and Romney have marbled through the dank spider holes and dusty warrens of Ashburton Place, Staniford Street, Washington Street, Somerset Street, and untold golf courses, court houses, hospitals and bowling alleys across the Commonwealth will drain public coffers until 2070 - give or take a couple thousand Option C survivor benefit checks.
Funny how Reformers want smaller government, until they take over.
The Gang of Three? Pah.
The Gang of 41,003. Any more reform and Massachusetts will be out of business.
GOP GOZ (Grand Old Zombie) Darrell Crate recently reprised the Republican State Committee's Gang of Three advertising campaign, which used a reference to the architects of the Chinese Cultural Revolution - a movement that resulted in the deaths of over 500,000 people - as the whimsical tag line to a political marketing campaign. (source: Boston Herald, 3/19/2005)
This came approximately one month after the 'allegedly pro-business' Fraud Governor swore in Daniel J. O'Shea as an Associate Justice of the Wrentham District Court. (source: SHNS)
According to those who purport to know these things, O'Shea, a one-time corporate lawyer, began his trek toward lifetime sinecure when he was appointed an administrative 'judge' on the the Industrial Accident Board (IAB) by then-Gov. William Weld in 1992.
Hey hey kids, it's time to play Word Disassociation. If 'Judge' is to 'IAB' as 'Mall Cop' is to '101st Airborne' which of the following words does not belong: Industrial Accident Board JUDGE.
Great IAB 'judges' in history: former state Rep. John Bradford (R-Rochester); former state Rep. Frank Woodward (D-Walpole). Neither Bradford or Woodward had legal training. (source: Boston Herald, "Gov gives judge jobs to politically connected," by Eric Fehrnstrom, 7/11/1992)
So what does this all have to do with Darrell Crate's Gang of Three press scree?
At last count, there were over 41,000 state employees in the executive branch. (source: Boston Globe, 12/23/2004) These include social climbers like Daniel O'Shea, lay-abouts like No-Show Angelo Buonopane, and (of course) Romney's $150,000-a-year Loathsome Spokesman.
How many employees were hired since the Purple Revolution 1990 is a state secret. But what's clear is the Pension Pork that Weld, Weld, Cellucci, Swift and Romney have marbled through the dank spider holes and dusty warrens of Ashburton Place, Staniford Street, Washington Street, Somerset Street, and untold golf courses, court houses, hospitals and bowling alleys across the Commonwealth will drain public coffers until 2070 - give or take a couple thousand Option C survivor benefit checks.
Funny how Reformers want smaller government, until they take over.
The Gang of Three? Pah.
The Gang of 41,003. Any more reform and Massachusetts will be out of business.
