When George Bush was elected president in 2000, thinking folks were angry that so-called everyday Americans voted Republican because, allegedly, they wanted to chug beers with him. While alcoholics are always more fun, some thought that was a poor reason to choose a leader.

But make no mistake. When selecting your Beacon Hill representative there’s no more important quality than a willingness to kiss ass and shake hands.

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.