Q&A #2 -- Any Scandal 'Winners'?

"Rob" asks:

Who do you think, if anyone, benefits politically from the Wilkerson and Turner scandal, especially if it helps or hurts any mayoral candidates?

That will depend a lot on what more comes out from the investigation. As it stands right now, it potentially helps potential mayoral challengers, like Michael Flaherty, who can point to Menino's avid support of Wilkerson as an example of very bad judgment. Plus, that's Menino's beverage licensing board in the center of the storm. [Correction: The Boston Licensing Board is not Menino's; it is actually a state board that reports to the ABCC.] And it's been reported that Menino right-hand man Michael Kineavy has been subpoenaed.

All that said, thus far the scandal's filth doesn't seem to have stuck to Menino. My sense is that Menino's danger here is not that he or his top people will come out looking corrupt, but that the more people get to actually see of the sausage-making process that is the Menino city government, the easier it will be to attack.

Flaherty could be in a good position to take advantage of that. So could Sam Yoon, for whom the 'clean government' mantle fits even more naturally. Unfortunately for Yoon, though, he is seen as having been particularly close to Chuck Turner.