My state senator, Robert Havern, resigned this summer. When people ask me why he resigned, I answer “because he can make more money as a lobbyist.” Harsh, but accurate.<\/p>\n
Because he’s resigning midterm, current officeholders see it as a risk-free crack at a promotion. They can run for the job while keeping their current job. If they lose, no harm done, they have their current position as a fallback. It is a crowded field. I don’t have a horse in this race. I may pick someone as we go along, but at this point, I don’t have a preference.<\/p>\n
I got a mailing<\/a> this week from Charley Murphy, a Democratic state rep from Burlington. It raises eyebrows, and not in a good way.<\/p>\n The first face on the mailing<\/a> is George Laite. George is Havern’s chief-of-staff. Havern hasn’t picked a successor that I know of. Absent Havern, George is the next best endorsement, so it makes sense that you’d want George on your side. But there’s the problem: I’m told that Laite is actually endorsing Ken Donnelly<\/a>, not Murphy. Murphy’s photo reminds me of James Rappaport printing “Romney\/Rappaport” bumperstickers even though Romney had chosen Healey as a running mate in the ’02 governor election. It’s pretending there is an endorsement when, in fact, the endorsement went to someone else.<\/p>\n