WITH BARACK OBAMA LIKELY headed to the Democratic nomination, it's time again to check in on Obama's secret-sharer of rhetoric and other political stylings, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick. As a neophyte politician, Patrick rode a wave of hope into Beacon Hill's corner office, just as Obama is trying to do on a national level.When we last left the Patrick story some six weeks ago, Patrick's popularity was plummeting, his legislative agenda lay in ruin, and he was in the process of redefining the phrase "ineffective executive" for generations to come. Since then, believe it or not, things have only gotten worse for the Commonwealth's beleaguered regent.
Last week, Patrick's signature legislative initiative bit the dust in humiliating fashion as the Massachusetts House defeated his proposed bill for three resort casinos by the not exactly nail-biting margin of 108-46. The fact that Patrick's own party controls roughly 80 percent of the legislature compounded the loss's embarrassment. But in Patrick's defense, the rout of the bill wasn't nearly as embarrassing as the fact that something so shabby as state sponsored casino gambling had become the signature issue of a man who ran on "hope."
The magnitude of the trouncing indicates how well Patrick has made friends and influenced people on Beacon Hill. Patrick and his minions were quick to blame House Speaker Sal DiMasi for the debacle, accusing the Speaker of engaging in ghastly politics-of-yesterday techniques like arm twisting.
I'd rather read a Barnett biography of Patrick than Patrick's own book!
UPDATE: More from the Globe.
