I'm with Karl Rove, at least on this: Condoleezza Rice should replace Roger Goodell as head of the National Football League. Goodell has been a toady for the owners, who get fat profits from leaving the game just where it is. Despite lip service to the contrary, they have accepted barbaric behavior from the players …
Category: Politics
In Scotland, what’s really under those kilts?
The domino theory, used by the United States to justify military intervention in Vietnam, has always been fallible. In Southeast Asia, neighboring Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy. Thailand is a parliamentary (if unstable) democracy. The Indonesian archipelago is a republic. But this week's vote in Scotland to determine whether the land of bagpipes, kilts, golf, whisky and North …
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Observations on state primary 2014
The Y chromosome was in short supply among top winners in yesterday's primary. The result is that party candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, state treasurer, attorney general and, in my home county, district attorney and governor's council, are all women. (So, too, with unopposed candidates for state auditor, state senator and state representatives.) The women's vote may …
Grossman at the top – in all but polls
The Democratic gubernatorial debates ended last night. Three decent, intelligent individuals with strong commitment to Massachusetts and public service. Notwithstanding Attorney General Martha Coakley's double-digit advantage in the polls, it is Treasurer Steve Grossman who has emerged as the most solid choice. Coakley has the advantage of superior name recognition, while Grossman has drawn the …
Clock ticking on state gov. candidates
Democratic gubernatorial candidate state treasurer Steve Grossman has narrowed the gap between Attorney General Martha Coakley and him, but it's unclear if he can make up a remaining 12-point deficit in the last two weeks before the state primary. Right now, however, those same polls show Coakley holding a 23-percentage lead over Grossman among women voters, some …
Market Basket a real-life “Tyrant” drama
The dueling Demoulas brothers remind me of nothing so much as the hot new Fox dramatic series called Tyrant. Bassam "Barry" Al-Fayeed, the son of a corrupt and murderous Middle Eastern dictator/president (pick your model), has fled to the United States to become a pediatrician. Married with two children, he is the "good" son, who returns …
Jim Foley and journalistic heroism
Islamic extremists yesterday posted a video purporting to show the beheading of GlobalPost.com photojournalist James Foley, a New Hampshire native in Syria nearly two years ago. U.S. intelligence is still not confirming the grizzly death as of 7 a.m. this morning, and GlobalPost CEO Phil Balboni has not yet confirmed the tragic event, said by ISIS terrorists to …
Boston Harbor cruise says a lot about the Hub
A gorgeous day and a cruise of Boston Harbor celebrates how far we have come in creating a world class destination. A two-hour sail on the 80-foot schooner Adirondack III is a treat accessible to everyone from Rowes Wharf. For me, as a journalist who covered harbor issues during the '80's and '90's, there was particular …
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John Tierney regains his stride
Times have changed for Sixth district Congressman John Tierney, and things are looking good. This, though he faces a rerun of the 2012 challenge from Republican Richard Tisei and, in the September primary, four challengers within his own party. Tierney went through a few miserable years, thanks to his wife's legal troubles (She pled guilty to helping …
Probation convictions: business as usual?
The whole smarmy business makes you want to take a shower, but the racketeering and conspiracy trial of former Probation Commissioner Jack O'Brien and two top aides was more than just your garden variety patronage. As the Globe's Tom Farragher put it, it was "patronage on steroids and ... criminal." Nepotism, cronyism, getting a job because of whom …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 