It would be tough
to concoct a more damning lead for this dispatch than Matt Viser did for his piece
in today’s Boston Globe: “House
Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi has made public statements that are directly at
odds with the findings of state investigators. His close friends are under
scrutiny by state and federal prosecutors, and one has been charged criminally
with secretly trading on his connections to the speaker. Poll numbers say
DiMasi’s popularity among voters is plunging.”
“But today, with
little opposition, he is expected to win an overwhelming victory as the
majority of his 159 colleagues in the House re-install him for a third two-year
term.” In other words, a sweet majority of legislators voted against the will
of their constituents – only about 15 percent of whom consider the now-three-term
speaker favorably, according to a recent Globe
poll.
Off the record, representatives
who scratched DiMasi’s back – and who aren’t his weekend golf cronies – will
admit that they were motivated by political prudence, plain and simple. They’ll
say that while people might not approve of their vote now, the reality is that
the speaker has enough muscle to screw their districts – not just royally, but
in King Sal fashion.
It’s true – the
seven Democrats who courageously voted “present” (and Billerica humorist William Greene, who voted
for himself) this morning can likely kiss coveted committee assignments
goodbye. While they’re at it, they had better find colleagues who backed the speaker
to co-sponsor any bills they plan to push this session. Payback will be severe;
but that doesn’t mean the 135 spineless donkeys who toed the line should not be
held accountable.
Nobody was
shocked about the outcome; for close Statehouse observers – and particularly
anyone who watched former House Speaker Tom Finneran, who was merrily present, keep
his crown amidst damning speculation – it’s no secret that, on Beacon Hill,
fear trumps love every time. Not only were votes mostly counted beforehand and the
outcome virtually inevitable; North Andover Representative David Torrisi even made
headlines for announcing ahead of time that he refused to conform. That’s right
– around here it’s a story when politicians value conscience more than
opportunity.
It was
fun-and-games as usual on the House floor, despite, as DiMasi acknowledged in
his canned victory speech, the fact that Massachusetts
is entering “uncharted waters.” Things were relatively quiet at first, but as
votes were cast some ass-kissing legislators lightened up. Here at the Phoenix
we thought constituents should know which representatives not only supported
the questionably crooked speaker, but who took great joy in doing so.
Representative Christine
Canavan shouted out “The City of Champions,” as if the majority of her Brockton supporters would
have also backed DiMasi. Malden Democrat Christopher Fallon had even more fun
with it; instead of simply saying “Salvatore F. DiMasi” like most others, he
threw the whole middle name in: “Salvatore Francis DiMasi.” Natick’s David
Linsky got chuckles for his inaudible (from the press gallery, at least)
number, as did Brookline Representative Jeffrey Sanchez, who put a cute Latin
spin on the speaker’s name, and Clinton pushover Harold Naughton Jr., who
joked: “This one should put you over the top.”
Most annoyingly,
in unison, legislators choired up a nauseating helping of that hyperbolically Italian-accented
“Hey” they chime whenever Sal takes the podium (imagine how Tony Soprano greets
big spenders when they walk into Bada Bing). While the cheer is inspired by
North End stereotypes, however, on Beacon Hill
‘Hey’ is for horse traders.
Following the count
and a brief recess, the speaker – who had left the gallery after voting for
himself – re-entered and walked the blue carpet like a movie star. Hugs were
given, smooches were blown, and hands were shaken. When he reached the front,
DiMasi let applause ring for more than a minute before bringing down the gavel.
Think of a boy who’s pretending to be amused by a present that he’s been
expecting for months; or, better yet, imagine a dictator on election day.
Before formally beginning
his speech, DiMasi acknowledged friends and family members, some of whom were
in the balcony. Salutations took a while, as he thanked just about everyone but
his accountant. From there, the speaker applauded his colleagues for
accomplishments in civil rights and healthcare reform, among other things, and
noted that the road ahead is rocky: “These are unprecedented times,” said DiMasi.
He’s correct –
socially, economically, and just about every other word that ends in “ally,”
these are indeed unprecedented times; but having a speaker of the Massachusetts
House of Representatives who has a storm cloud above his head – around here that’s
not very unprecedented at all.
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