A trade association of for-profit career schools in Massachusetts is suing Attorney General Martha Coakley, saying her attempts to regulate them violate their First Amendment rights and federal regulations and are a just a confusing mish-mash of nonsense they say does nothing to protect students, whom they say already enjoy bountiful legal protection by the Federal Trade Commission, among others.
Karyn Polito says at least Baker apologized for calling a female reporter "sweetheart."
Jerold Duquette writes that since Baker is not emphasizing his role as a Republican, he has to be extra careful about stuff like this:
Baker’s route to the corner office has always been a steep climb. Every time he loses his footing like this his chances diminish.
Ed. note: Through no fault of his own, Suldog's original poll didn't work. This one should. -- Ye. ed.
Given the interesting discussions on these boards concerning the upcoming gubernatorial contest, I think it's time for the first entirely unscientific poll of the U-Hub political season. If you had to vote for governor today, for whom would you vote? In case anyone is wondering, choices are listed alphabetically.
Fresh from crushing a bunch of Democrats in the casino battle, here's Bill Weld introducing Charlie Baker's economic advisors, bipartisan, natch, who gave us this plan (which Weld himself probably wrote one afternoon before taking a refreshing dip in the Charles and then
WBUR reports several Mass. supermarket chains are helping to fund ads against the proposal, which would require deposits on non-fizzy drinks.
Martha Coakley thinks the mayor of Quincy is backing Charlie Baker simply because he holds a grudge over her failed effort to convict Treasurer Tim of Quincy and a guy who is now an aide to the mayor on corruption charges.
The Globe talks to the four candidates for governor about tax policy; at least when it comes to Coakley and Baker: Not much to hear.
Both get to run again for something next year - Owens succeeded in not winning the state Senate seat held by Sonia Chang-Diaz, while Garrison met expectations in not overtaking state Rep. Evandro Carvalho.
UPDATE: The poll worker is now an ex-poll worker.
A Roslindale resident went to vote early at the Conley School today. As you might expect, it wasn't at all crowded. She reports she got into the back room (the school has two rooms for voting) just in time to hear one of the poll workers educating the room on his political beliefs:
Older gentlemen cracking wise about Ted Kennedy being a murderer; because that's so funny and appropriate for a polling station!
A non-existent endorsement from Elizabeth Warren wasn't the only thing that showed up on Patty Campatelli's campaign Facebook page over the weekend. Somebody who follows the page forwarded the following screen capture. Like the Warren endorsement, these are now scrubbed from the page:
The Globe reports the embattled Suffolk County Register of Probate posted a bogus endorsement from Elizabeth Warren on her Facebook page. Or maybe it's that hacker that seems to pop up every so often to post bogus stuff on her Facebook page.
Either way, tsk. She could still win, of course, given that roughly 6,000 other people are also running for the post.
Tonight's debate is scheduled for 7 PM and will be aired on channels 5 and 7, so set your DVRs or watch it live and stay informed.
The Boston Media Consortium has scheduled this debate for the Democratic candidates for governor (Berwick, Coakley, and Grossman). This will be the one debate before the primaries where the widest audience will have a chance to watch and listen. There is another debate scheduled for tomorrow on NECN at 6 PM.
And remember, the primary is Tuesday!
Feel free to use the comments to create the Universal Hub drinking game (or buzzword bingo for the teetotalers) in time for tonight's debate.
WBUR reports on a gun-control debate between Democratic attorney-general candidates Warren Tolman and Maura Healey. Tolman would require fingerprint authentication for new guns, which he called the unsafest product for sale today; Healey says she's down with that, too, but wants to focus on broader crime issues.
So Leland Cheung, running for lieutenant governor, wants to get rid of the governor's council? Governor's Councilor Robert Jubinville wishes to have a word with him:
The Governor's Council is not an "antiquated vestige" but rather a constitutional body created at the same time as the Senate, which he seems so fond of. Mr. Adams would be very upset by such remarks made by a candidate for lieutenant governor who is looking for attention to save a fledgling campaign.
Cambridge City Councilor Leland Cheung says it's time to eliminate the governor's council, a holdover from the days when the governor was appointed by the king of England.
Cheung says the council's most important role - confirming the appointment of judicial nominees - could be handed over to the state Senate.
The Supreme Judicial Court ruled today Attorney General Martha Coakley goofed on blocking a referendum on casinos from appearing on this fall's ballot and ordered the question put to voters.
The state's highest court said the question, which would block casinos in the state would not be a "taking" of casino applicants' property, which the AG had said was the reason to keep it off the ballot.
Instead, the court ruled, the question deals with issues of public safety, which is a matter the state constitution let's voters decide.
Complete ruling, Stephen P. Abdow and others vs. Attorney General and others.
The state's highest court says court administrators have the right to suspend our very own register of probate and insolvency while they investigate allegations she's doing a crappy job.
The ruling by the Supreme Judicial Court means Register Patricia Campatelli, who is up for re-election this fall, can have nothing to do with her office during the investigation - although she will continue to receive her pay.
Campatelli argued court administrators could not suspend her because the office was created by the state legislature and that branch retained ultimate control over it.
Wrong, the justices said.
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