House members overwhelmingly reelected Salvatore F. DiMasi speaker today, giving the North End Democrat a third two-year term despite a series of ethics investigations.
House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasiDiMasi won the support of 135 out of 160 representatives when the formal vote was taken on the House floor. Fourteen members voted present, which included seven Republicans and seven Democrats who broke ranks with the speaker. Another nine Republicans lent their support to Representative Bradley H. Jones Jr., the minority leader. Representative William G. Greene Jr., a Democrat from Billerica, voted for himself.
I love that. He voted for himself. I guess that saying about the devil you know...
And 14 members voted present? Talk about not having the courage of one's convictions. Who do they think they are, the President-elect? I mean, this is the guy they just re-elected speaker by a landslide margin:
DiMasi Will Talk 'Soon' About Ethics Allegations
In recent months the pressure has been building on the Speaker of the House. He now faces three separate ethics investigations. In the words of one respected lawmaker here on Beacon Hill, "Clearly there is blood in the water."
Among those investigations, whether DiMasi secured a $250,00 mortgage through his friend Richard Vitale. Critics say Vitale never registered as a lobbyist but in fact lobbied for legislation to help ticket brokers.
Then there is a $13 million State software contract that DiMasi is said to have steered towards a company that made generous donations to his favorite charity.
And DiMasi is also being questioned about golfing junkets with Joe O'Donnell, one of the owners of Suffolk Downs and someone with a keen interest in legislation to bring slot machines to the tracks.
IOW, a typical MA politician - what can you do for me lately?
And the brave, heroic men and women in the MA state house just overwhelmingly treated ol' Sal with a third term as Speaker of the House. "Crooked as a dog's hind leg" is an affront to the rearquarters of canines here - remember, this is a man whose defense against ethics charges was to plead immunity...
Ah, Massachusetts. The gun laws and corruption of IL, with the ineptitude and bumbling of CA.
That is all.
2 comments:
"Representative William G. Greene Jr., a Democrat from Billerica, voted for himself."
Why am I seeing the scene from "Pirates of the Caribbean 3", where they're voting on Pirate King...
California has nothing on the ineptitude and bumbling of Illinois politics. We're number one!!! (Number one on the worst-run states list, but still... )
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