A pair of editorials today are putting additional heat on Sal Dimasi as he attempts to get re-elected as House Speaker tommorow. The Eagle Tribune weighed in, praising Rep. David Torrisi for his willingness to vote against Dimasi’s re-election.

Taken together, the ethical questions raise doubts about DiMasi’s fitness to serve as speaker of the Massachusetts House. At the very least, the multiple probes into his affairs will be a distraction to a Legislature that will need to focus its attention on the state’s growing budget deficit.

Torrisi alone among Merrimack Valley legislators has said he will not support DiMasi for speaker when House Democrats caucus tomorrow. It is a brave, principled decision. Torrisi will likely pay a personal price for his lack of support when DiMasi inevitably is re-elected.

The Tribune offered pointed criticism for those local Reps who declined to comment for the story they wrote on the potential re-election of Sal Dimasi. If there is one sure fire way to undermine support for Dimasi it is by making such support politically difficult for the backbenchers who will likely re-elect him. The Tribune editorial started that process locally, and they were joined today by the Boston Globe, who editoralized that the vote for Speaker ought to be delayed. This call was brought on by the delay in arraignment for Richard Vitale, who had been scheduled to appear yesterday. The delay, granted by Clerk-Magistrate Gary Wilson, also delayed the filing by the Attorney General of a “case statement” that may further detail interactions by Vitale with the House Speaker. The Globe feels that such interactions ought to be fully known by the House membership before a vote is taken. From the Globe:

THE ARRAIGNMENT scheduled for yesterday of Richard Vitale, a close friend of House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, has been delayed until next week, and his lawyer is fighting to keep details of the case secret. The postponement comes just as the House is preparing to vote on another term for DiMasi as speaker, scheduled for tomorrow. Since House members and the public need to know as much as possible about Vitale’s involvement with DiMasi, the House should defer the speaker’s vote until after the arraignment.

Dimasi will likely be re-elected tommorow, but this type of continual negative attention directed to the members will make it difficult for him to continue for long. How long? Dimasi himself refused to speculate on whether he would still be Speaker in two years, only saying that he will be Speaker at the end of 2009. Get ready for a Speakers fight in 2009. It is inevitable.