Darth (Maybe) Later

Ok, so I happen to think that House Speaker Finneran gets a bad rap from the Boston media. His intentions are good, but from time to time he heeds darker instincts, particularly those that whisper to him to tell people off. (If you look closely in photos, you can see the good angel on is shoulder vanishing in a poof while the devil whispers some antagonizing statement in his ear. "Call the Clean Elections advocates 'pathetic.' Call failed teachers 'idiots.' You know you want to tell Bob Kraft he is nothing but a whiny fat-ass millionaire.") The Globe won't be satisfied until the man is actually burned at the stake and his leadership team sent to the Iron Maiden.

However, Jon Keller's interview with Speaker Finneran in which the Speaker complained about Reps trying to "stampede" him on an emergency contraceptive bill really frosted my cookies, and i prefer them unfrosted (South Beach...) The Speaker then went through a litany of priorities including overrides and bond bills -- granted, all good initiatives deserving of policy priority, except for his paternalistic constitutional amendment on the rainy day fund -- that he wants to do before the legislative session closes and concluded "the notion that everything is supposed to stop in its tracks strikes me as absurd." Oh by the way, the Senate sent the bill to the House two weeks prior to Finneran complaining about the "stampede."

I am fairly indifferent to the bill, but give me a break. Imagine 60 elected representatives -- more than 1/3 of the body -- having the temerity, my heavens, the hubris to ask for a vote on a piece of legislation at the end of the 2-year session. A session in which only about 340(ish) laws have been enacted, many having to do with land takings or fascinating local topics such as the statute "designating a certain parcel of land in the city of Boston as the Guido Salvucci Bocci Court." (Check out what they've been up to at www.mass.gov/legis and then scroll through the Acts of 2003 and the Acts of 2004.) Perhaps I am being uncharitable.(ok I am.) Perhaps the emergency contraceptive bill and others cannot be addressed due to preoccuption in figuring out who keeps diming him out relative to his legal woes.

I hasten to add that were this an anti-abortion matter and that legislative leadership declined to take up the bill, the Globe would be editorializing about the courage of convictions, leadership, etc.