Governor Deval Patrick yesterday called the State Legislature to task for going out of formal session, going to the state house press room personally to urge the Speaker to call the Legislature back into session. The Governor is upset with the lack of House action on an education bill that had been passed by the Senate that raised the state cap on Charter Schools, as well as a failure to fully close a $600 million dollar gap identified by the Governor’s budget team. The Governor took a swipe at the Speaker in the press room.
“It’s more than a little frustrating that they would leave for whatever it is, six or seven weeks, with so much of the Commonwealth’s vital business undone,’’ Patrick said during a rare, unscheduled visit to the State House press room.
“It’s my hope that the members will realize that their rules are of their own making, that they have it in their own power to work a couple of more days, or frankly, as long as it takes to get this work done.’’
The Speaker, through a spokesman, fired right back:
“Governor Patrick’s comments seem to be more about political necessity than ‘moral obligation,’ ’’ DeLeo spokesman Seth Gitell said in an e-mailed statement. “Speaker DeLeo’s obligation is to the Commonwealth’s schoolchildren, not Governor Patrick’s political calendar.’’
The Legislature left a few prominent items on the table, including the Quinn Bill funding cut advocated by the Governor, as well as the the recission of two paid holidays for Suffolk County, Bunker Hill Day and Evacuation Day. The House has left action on the Education Bill until January, giving anti-charter forces time to mobilize against the bill.
The animus now on display between the Governor and the Speaker does not portend well for future collaboration, and could lead to some bruising battles about how to close budget gaps that remain to be fully dealt with. The Speaker is not doing much speaking these days, as he has refused to return a call from the Governor. He seems as perturbed with Deval as Sal Dimasi was.
Bill Manzi.com 
The date of ending the formal session process was no secret and it does not appear that the Governor or his wonderful staff did anything to push this agenda along in the process.
But what has been decided at the state and national levels is to challenge for re-nomination those Democrats who are insufficiently liberal for the Patrick-Obama
progressive crowd. This group of Democrats do not want folks who stand up but rather they want rubber stamps. Sad really that they threaten the Democratic Party to the same marginalization which the right wing extremests are doing to the Republican Party.
The result will be severe loss to the Dem Party in 2010 both in Mass and the counrty.
The party which governs from the cneter wins!
LikeLike
Your Honor,
I agree with Bob in many things.
What I want to know why would a party who claims to be for the people;
1. Hurt the kids by not passing charter school legislation-the one thing in Massachusetts that works. Maybe to satisfy the Teachers Union
2. Leave in the Quinn Bill costs in play. Maybe to Satisfy the Unions
Return those two holidays. Maybe to satisfy there own corruption.
Bob, old friend.
The “right wing extremists” are just to the right of center, The Republican Party in just to the left of Center (One reason they got their butts kicked in the last election) and the Dems are way over the horizon, which may lead to their collective butts being kicked.
Jules
LikeLike
Bob:
Just for the record, we think the Patrick-Obama crowd are not moving things sufficiently in a direction that works for people. That’s why I suspect those that remain Republican-like and do not challenge the status quo will find themselves challenged. We on what used to be called the “democratic wing of the democratic party” have seen enough. The President still has time to fix his problem, but not a lot of it.
The Governor and the Legislature may have run out.
I wonder if Senator Baddour can make a guest appearance to say “reform before revenue” one more time?
I can’t believe they’re still talking about the Quinn bill.
Jules:
“The Republican party is just to left of Center.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
On what axis are you tipped today? Let me talk to your Medicare doctors: you need some prescriptions upped in dosage!
-FM
LikeLike