It Happens in Massachusetts Politics That...

It happens in Massachusetts politics these marvelously snow-free days of January that...

Presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, the pride of Medford, Massachusetts, has a much better sense of humor than his dour mien suggests, as demonstrated in this Bernie put-down he delivered the other day during a Florida campaign stop: "Now, I know I'm not the only Jewish candidate in the race.  But I am the only one who doesn't want to turn America into a kibbutz."

David Sweeney, chief of staff to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, is leaving to become president and chief executive of MASCO, the Medical, Academic and Scientific Community Organization, which serves the powerhouses of the city's Longwood medical and academic neighborhood.

Holyoke's four-term state rep, Aaron M. Vega, has announced he will not be running for re-election this fall, and though he didn't say why he decided to leave the House or what he plans to do afterwards, every time a Western MA legislator calls it quits, I can't help but think those long commutes to the State House have to be a factor.

Former Governor Michael Dukakis and his wife, Kitty, have endorsed Ed Markey for re-election to the U.S. Senate in his contest vs. Joseph P. Kennedy, III, and have released a video explaining why they believe Ed deserves to hold onto his seat.

U.S. Rep. and Iraq war hero Seth Moulton has endorsed Joe Biden for president, shunning the two Bay State Dems in the race, Elizabeth Warren, and former Governor Deval Patrick.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a longtime Harvard Law School faculty colleague of Alan Dershowitz, professed to be confused by Dershowitz's defense of President Donald Trump at the impeachment trial this week, declaring, "I truly could not follow it."

Dershowitz wasted no time shooting back at Warren for not digging his Trump defense speech, tweeting, in part, "...Warren claims she could not follow my carefully laid out presentation that everybody else seemed to understand.  This says more about Warren than it does about me."

Governor Charlie Baker's proposed bill to reorganize the Massachusetts State Police got an unexpected lift this past Friday when David Andrade, a former State Police lieutenant, was arraigned on charges related to his allegedly collecting paid time-off  benefits, including for a spell when he was supposedly on a cruise to Bermuda. Talk about mailing it in.

Meanwhile, Charlie Baker's political godfather, former Governor Bill Weld, continues to have great difficulty in his GOP primary struggle against President Trump, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that Republican bigwigs in New York doubt that Weld will even qualify for the April 28 primary ballot there.

Matthew Helman, one of three candidates in next Tuesday's (Feb. 4) Democratic primary election for the 32nd Middlesex District seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives (Melrose/Wakefield/Malden), is pledging to vote no on re-electing Robert DeLeo House Speaker should Helman make it to the State House as a legislator.  Other Democrats in this primary are Kate Lipper-Garabedian and Ann McGonigle Santos.  Whoever wins on Feb. 4 is guaranteed to win the final election in March because no Republicans are seeking the seat, which became vacant when Paul Brodeur resigned this past November, having been elected (and immediately seated) as mayor of Melrose.

The late Christopher Walsh, D-Framingham, who died of cancer in 2018 while serving his fourth term in the Massachusetts House, will achieve a bit of immortality next month when The Chris Walsh Center for Educators and Families of Metro West will be dedicated at Framingham State University.  An architect by profession, Walsh was one of the most popular and well-liked legislators I ever saw.