State Tresurer Timonthy Cahill Leaving Democrat Party - photo: Boston Globe
Timothy Cahill the current Massachusetts State Treasurerplans to leave the Democrat Party this week, according to the Boston Globe. Cahill, who is apparently fed up with the tax and spend party policy, will most likely run as an independent against Governor Duvall Patrick. Patrick, who also faces a challenge from Republican Christie Mihos, has been losing popularity as the State's financial woes continue unabated. It is not so much that Massachusetts differs from other states in lacking funds, rather it is some of the programs that the state has initiated that are making Patrick’s chances of reelection slim to nothing. Mandated benefits added to the State’s Universal Health Care (Commonwealth Care) program, after Republican Mitt Romney left the Governor’s office to campaign for the 2008 Presidential race, has brought the state to its fiscal knees; corruption on Beacon Hill continues to run rampant, the Turnpike authority continues to make the news, and the Entitlement programs have completely run amok.
It is no wonder that Cahill, as State Treasurer, wants out prior to the 2009 election. In the past few months, the following stories broke around the Bay State: "Massachusetts spends $2 Million per month Housing Homeless", "Massachusetts Welfare Recipients Provided Cars at Taxpayer Expenses" (includes insurance and Triple A), along with the constant drumbeat from the Beacon Hill regarding the need to raise the State Sales Tax, (in order to cover expenses). The Sales Tax was signed into law by Governor Patrick on June 29th with the budget which included cuts to municipalities and the increase of 25% in the State Sales Tax (effective August 1st).
Cahill also had additional struggles within the party, as the Party refused to give him delegate status at the National Convention. His crime, refusing to chose between Clinton and Obama. Recall that Massachusetts Democrats, outside of higher profile Elected Officials, such as Kennedy, Kerry and Barney Frank, endorsed Clinton who carried the State by a substantial margin. The animosity among grassroots Democrats over the treatment of Clinton by the national party is still a sore point with the rank and file in Massachusetts.
One would think, should Cahill run, it would set the stage for a three-way race, that would, generally split the vote three ways with the end result a Patrick second term. This is of course, unless Democrats as a whole are switching parties just like Cahill (the untold story), and moving either to a Republican and or “unenrolled” status. This would make it a race between Mihos and Cahill. Any campaign manager looking for a lock in on the state (and or individual districts), should begin checking the individual registrars offices in each municipalities to see just how many Democrats are jumping ship on a monthly basis, since February of 2009. (400 here, 500 there, etc.) Cahill may understand this more than anyone, and should he have the pulse of the State’s electorate, it is a smart move indeed.
1 comment:
This is great news to me. If we were to see large scale desertion of the democratic party (I refer to them as bolsheicrats) in a blue state like Mass. my optimism would improve geometrically Tina.
Naturally, I see nothing of this in the MSM. No surprise there.
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