Governor Deval Patrick: stone cold sober as a matter of fact
So maybe it's just my weekly fascination with drunk drivers, but I have to wonder how Governor Deval Patrick got home to his giganormous retreat in the Berkshires after he "... got quite drunk, by myself" in a West Stockbridge restaurant that is at least 3.5 miles from Richmond.
Walk-- or stagger -- back perhaps? Called a taxi? Or a State Police helicopter?
Maybe -- just maybe -- the reporter could have asked? Oh never mind, the "interview" took place at a Cambridge marketing firm.
Used to be a tabloid like the Boston Herald would run stories about the rich and powerful getting drunk and acting badly, then denying it. Only to have a reporter interview a waitress to verify the drunken tomfoolery.
Now we have the exact opposite. Oh how far the investigative watchdogs have fallen.
UPDATE 4:15 p.m.
Well that didn't take long. The Governor's press person issued a statement, sort of (while here in Amherst, no less). According to the venerable AP:
A spokeswoman for the governor, Heather Johnson, said Thursday that Patrick was driven home that evening by his state police driver. She said the governor is always accompanied by a trooper when he goes out, but wasn't sure if the driver was elsewhere in the restaurant or waited outside.
"I'm a human being. Sometimes they do things," Patrick said Thursday while at UMass Amherst to announce a life sciences grant.
Larry you should relax about other people's drinking. It's just silly to pose these higher than thou statements because you dont' drink, it's not a big deal for anyone to have two drinks--and it makes you look petty. sorry but I had to tell you.
ReplyDeleteDidn't think it was "higher than thou" question in the least. Still don't.
ReplyDeleteJust a normal follow up question a good reporter should have asked. He clearly said he he got "quite drunk" while "alone" in a restaurant.
So does that mean he doesn't consider his state PD body guards as, you know, real down to earth human beings?
And does it really only take "two drinks" for him to get "quite drunk?"
Kind of a lightweight wouldn't you say?
Looks like a drunk refugee in a guayabera. What a loser. Never liked the guy or anything he stands for. My favorite was when he denied fathers the privilege to hang a fathers rights banner on fathers day last year. Had no problem letting feminists do so though. This year fathers finally get their banner. Guess when you grow up with no father you have no respect for what goes into being one.
ReplyDeleteYou hate him because he's BLACK, face it. And the refugee thing with a guayabera... that's just outright racist. Really, Walt. Git yer head 'zamined.
ReplyDeleteI'd be quick to make an announcement as well if someone was online making unfounded accusations against me, especially the kind of heinous accusations you make: the governor driving drunk, "stop the retreat" supporters starting forest fires...
ReplyDeleteMy favorite was when he denied fathers the privilege to hang a fathers rights banner on fathers day last year. Had no problem letting feminists do so though.
ReplyDeleteHe let feminists hang a "father's rights" banner? Use your language correctly so we know what you're talking about without you having to clarify 2 or 3 times every post.
Guess when you grow up with no father you have no respect for what goes into being one.
I don't know whether that is a result of "growing up with no father". (I assume you mean no father in the house, being a contributing member of the family?) But even if it is, that's a small price to pay in your life, compared to the results of having a biological father "around" who is a terrible husband to the mother and lousy dad.
Larry's not making accusations, he just "can't help but wonder".
ReplyDeleteAny shred of integrity you may have had in the past is just gone, baby, gone...
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteYou hate him because he's BLACK, face it. And the refugee thing with a guayabera... that's just outright racist. Really, Walt. Git yer head 'zamined.
I cannot believe you would write something like that...after reading larry's blog...he is an equal opportunity hater....might not always agree with larry (that is what is so much fun about his blog and i look at this blog as fun))but have never seen him make a racist comment....
i really think you owe him and his readers an apology
and BTW larry you did not have to post this person's inane remarks but you did..brave of you
The racism accusation was aimed at Walter, not the venerable Larry Kelley. He is above reproach (and below the black belt).
ReplyDeleteOr the other way around.
ReplyDeleteOh, I don't know if I would go that far (on all three).
ReplyDeleteBut certainly he's the best gov in the state.
He is also the worst Governor in the State. And that rings with a lot more truth.
ReplyDeleteYeah, too bad our economic recovery is one of the strongest in the nation. I also blame him for our low unemployment.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing to investigate. He was not driving. It's not illegal to drink. The whole Boston Marathon Bomber manhunt was unbelievably stressful and probably half the city tied one on after it ended. Sure, this could be politicized to blow it up for political gain, but that's axe-grinding not reporting.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the drinking that concerns me, it's the (lousy) reporting of it.
ReplyDeleteI find it fascinating that the "story" came out of an appearance at a PR flak factory otherwise known as a "marketing firm."
So my concern is the "story" was manufactured to "humanize" the gov as just a regular kind of guy.
He says he was "quite drunk" but the only witness seems to disagree.
It was odd that the report made a point of saying that he both "got drunk" and "was alone" without mentioning how he got home. But Devel Patrick, like all governors has 24hr security detail so chances are he was not really alone. There was a security detail and/or driver near by. But bringing up this question is valid.
ReplyDeleteSo what are you worried about? That he wasn't drunk enough? That he isn't human enough? Please explain.
ReplyDeleteI'm worried about the decline of the Media -- especially print.
ReplyDeleteJust as I wonder why it was a British publication that broke the story of the massive abuse of Americans rights -- especially reporters -- by intelligence spooks unethical collection of data.
"that's a small price to pay in your life, compared to the results of having a biological father "around" who is a terrible husband to the mother and lousy dad."
ReplyDeleteYou ought to look at the research on the subject. Having a father around is always best, even if it's not a perfect situation. Children need fathers just as much as mothers and some of the more recent studies show fathers may be even more important than mothers to boys especially.
jeez Larry, maybe every news outlet except Fox (and your lame claim to reporting), recognized that it is NOT a story worth reporting.
ReplyDeleteActually if you read the print edition of the venerable Gazette this morning they have the "updated" AP version of the "story" that includes the information about State Police driving the gov back to his summer palace.
ReplyDelete"You hate him because he's BLACK, face it. And the refugee thing with a guayabera... that's just outright racist."
ReplyDeleteNo, I hate no one because of their color. Didn't even think of color when I looked at picture. More like a person of Cuban decent in a guayabera. Sorry don't play the PC game and you know nothing about me, my family and my history so your statement is ignorant at best.
"He let feminists hang a "father's rights" banner? Use your language correctly so we know what you're talking about without you having to clarify 2 or 3 times every post."
ReplyDeleteOh thanks for that.
He has no trouble letting organized feminist groups hang a political banner for Mothers Day but in years past has denied non-political fathers rights groups that privilege.
ON JUNE 12, 2013 at 2:30 pm, on the steps of the Massachusetts State House, ‘The Fatherhood Coalition’ will hold a press conference to unveil its first annual Fathers' Day banner. After three years of advocating for a Fathers’ Day banner, The Fatherhood Coalition is pleased to announce that the Commonwealth has agreed to honor fathers this year on Fathers’ Day.
This is the first Fathers’ Day banner to be hosted on a state capitol in our nation.
Fathers, whether married, unmarried, divorced or separated, are a fundamental part of every family and our children's lives.
The Fatherhood Coalition has worked since 1994 for the natural right of fathers to equally parent their children. The guidance and positive influence provided by fathers to their children is indispensable. Children in fatherless homes generally have lower self esteem and are more likely to drop out of school, engage in violence, have suicidal tendencies and have drug and alcohol substance abuse problems.
The Fatherhood Coalition welcomes the public for this historic Fathers' Day banner unveiling on June 12 at 2:30 p.m.
Seems to me your should delete your whole post because there was no there there in your story. You were wondering (hoping really) that you had uncovered a potential drunken driving incident. You didn't.
ReplyDeleteLarry just know for every moronic comment made against you and what you report by the nameless faces you have done the right thing. Amherst is filled with biased, political, spoiled and entitled people who live their lives to complain under the guise of being educated and sophisticated. Just watch some of these people in town when you do something as simple as take a second too long to pay for something or you walk in a path that they thought somehow they were entitled to. It's a very angry, passive-agressive place where people love your blog because they can hide and use the anonymity not for constructive discussion but for putting you and anyone else that has an opinion down. Ask them to identify themselves and they hide behind their shadow. Those that have no problem with making constructive comments aren't afraid to identify themselves as is most often the case here. It's a lot easier to call names and pick fights when nobody knows who you are. Insecurity rules for the anonymus. And often anonymous postings never leads to much constructive discussion.
ReplyDeleteYou ought to do what many new outlets have done and that is to ban anonymous comments all together.
For example
http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=4681
and
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2013/02/15/rem-rieder-miami-herald-facebook-commenting/1919555/
You hate him because he's BLACK, face it
ReplyDeleteWhen there are so MANY reasons to hate him personally?
Deval Patrick is a lying schmuck whose campaign in 2006 consisted of promising absolutely everyone absolutely everything -- I was at his UMass rally and he even told me what I wanted to hear.
But how many of you have received your property tax cuts?
He has given us Mitchell Chester and the near total destruction of education reform in this state - and that has nothing to do with a recession. He has "lost" something like 44,000 welfare recipients. His people didn't notice what Annie Dookin was doing and now we have drug dealers suing the Commonwealth. And then how many people died because of the compounding lab mess?
With all of this, someone is going to be sophomoric enough to despise him for his complexion?
Personally, I'd like to see Allen West as Governor. So there...
Wally don't try and suck up to Larry to protect you. Larry has said nothing wrong in this post or comments, it is you who is the spoiled, entitled Ass. You never have any positive comments about anything. Your knowledge is quite limited on every subject and most advise you give is fabricated B.S. Wally most of the people here are proud of our town and live here. For God's sake man you don't even live in this town and everybody knows it. So either put up or shut shut-up, please.
ReplyDeleteWalter Graff said, "Having a father around is always best, even if it's not a perfect situation."
ReplyDeleteAre you insane? Are you going to argue that having a father that is physicly, emotionally or sexually abusive is better than none at all? Living in a home with addiction or abuse leads just as much if not more to "lower self esteem and are more likely to drop out of school, engage in violence, have suicidal tendencies and have drug and alcohol substance abuse problems" as a fatherless home. Clearly you are not personally eduacted in such traumatic issues.
Hey Walt,
ReplyDeleteVery clever that bit about not growing up with a father. It shows how overtly racist you actually are. That's kind of unusual for a northerner. Our typical run-of-the-mill racist up north is much more covert.
Congratulations on having the stones to tell the world that you are a full blooded hater.
Walter said: Amhest is filled with biased, political and spoiled entitled people who live their lives to complain....
ReplyDeleteTalk about the pot calling the kettle black! All you do, Wally, is complain about Amherst. Why don't you just get the hell out of here and leave us who actually like living in Amherst alone.
"His people didn't notice what Annie Dookin was doing and now we have drug dealers suing the Commonwealth."
ReplyDeleteYeah! You tell 'em, Eddie Boy! I bet Deval hired her personally, back in 2003.
Oh. Wait. Mitt was governor back then.
Still, you tell 'em, Ed! Haul out those big ole bullshit-spraying, fact-free guns of yours, and just hope no one's paying any attention!
what Annie Dookin was doing
ReplyDelete"Doing" -- as in currently.
It would be like if a law firm had a lawyer with 200 billable hours per week, and no one said "hey, wait a minute, there's only 168 hours in a week, this isn't possible."
She was doing more work than the rest of the staff COMBINED -- and no one asked the question of HOW?
That's Deval Patrick's fault, even if Mitt Romney hired her, even if she was hired via affirmative action. It's also Minnie Me's fault that the established quality control procedures (e.g. someone else doing the same tests) weren't followed.
To do otherwise would be to let Romney blame Dukakas for the Big Pig.
" Why don't you just get the hell out of here and leave us who actually like living in Amherst alone."
ReplyDeleteTrust me, I'd love nothing more than to never come back to this hell hole.
For all you know she was up to no good during the entire Romney administration -- and no one ever figured it out.
ReplyDeleteYet someone on Patrick's watch finally managed to catch her -- which makes her Patrick's fault?
So I guess you're saying you'd love Deval Patrick if she weren't caught until the next governor took office...
I don't trust anything about you, Graff.
ReplyDelete"Very clever that bit about not growing up with a father. It shows how overtly racist you actually are. "
ReplyDeleteReally? Ask the governor about growing up and whether he had a father who was present in his life. I'll save you the trouble, he was born to and raised by a single mother on the South Side of Chicago, Moron. How does that make me racist telling you a fact. Oh you figured I said that because he was black. And maybe you think that someone might assume all black men have no fathers. Unfortunately 54% of black families are single parent families and it is doing horrible things to the young children that must live in such broken homes. I know. I work with two groups in the Bronx that help keep families together and deal with the issues of those children who have no mentors. Yes, I mentor minority kids who don't know what it feels like to have a male to talk to about life, and someone to look up to.
You're nothing but another anonymous whitebread Amherst moron who can recite Shakespeare but hasn't a clue about the real world. Easy to stand behind your shadow jerkoff. Why not be a man and call me and discuss it. 413-238-1198.
Can anyone call you to set up a discussion or just the "jerkoff" you responded to?
ReplyDeleteWhat if anon is a woman? Does she still have to "be a man"?
ReplyDeleteSo, Walter, why did you say he grew up without a father?
ReplyDelete" Walter Graff said...
Looks like a drunk refugee in a guayabera. What a loser. Never liked the guy or anything he stands for. My favorite was when he denied fathers the privilege to hang a fathers rights banner on fathers day last year. Had no problem letting feminists do so though. This year fathers finally get their banner. Guess when you grow up with no father you have no respect for what goes into being one."
You do realize you're talking to way more than one person, don't you Walter?
ReplyDeleteCan I give you a jingle?
ReplyDeleteOK, I will.
ReplyDeleteWalter, do you "give a shit"?
'Cause it sure seems like you do. You seem a bit riled. I'd think you would just ignore if you didn't "give a shit".
He wouldn't let you hang a banner?! Doesn't Gov. Patrick understand how oppressed us men have been in this country??
ReplyDeleteWalter said "...be a Man..."
Walter, the reason people like you are in the ridiculous minority is because most of us in this culture understand that "being a man" means, which is not yelling "waaaaaaah! waaaaaaaaaaah!" all the time and just doing what it takes to take care of the children we brought into this world without complaint, and that it means taking care of the mothers who need the support because more often than not being a mother is a double full time job.
Yeah, in this "bubble" you chose to live in sometimes the dads need to chip in in ways that were typically relegated to the moms. That's called social progress.
Just shut up, and "man up", and be what a man is supposed to be without all the grandstanding and "daddy's rights" activism.
Walter would've been hopping off the Titanic into a life boat yelling "What about me??! What about the Dads??!
p.s.: So, can I give you a jingle for that sit-down you suggested?
Yeah! You tell 'em, Eddie Boy! I bet Deval hired her personally, back in 2003.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that she didn't go to pieces until 2010. The evidence-tampering incident didn't occur until 2011.
Who was Governor then?
She was all legit under Mitt, went to pieces under Patrick.
ReplyDeleteThe evidence tampering incident? She was a prolific liar and cheater long before she ever got a state job, starting at least as far back as her accomplishments in high school.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/02/03/chasing-renown-path-paved-with-lies/Axw3AxwmD33lRwXatSvMCL/story.html
You think she went straight when Mitt hired her, then suddenly relapsed when Deval was elected?
If you believe that, I've got a kilo of the purest Bolivian flake to sell you...
I guess the Globe will be buying that Kilo from you -- the story you cite says she went to pieces in 2009 -- when DP was Governor.
ReplyDeleteI'm no defender of Romney, but facts do matter.
And I still haven't seen that property tax relief. Have you?
Her "productivity" in 2005 was almost twice that of the second-best state chemist. 2009 was merely the year that her lies started to fall apart.
ReplyDeleteWhat does property tax relief have to do with anything?