Kennedy requests change in MA senate succession law

[Dan the Roman]

I wonder what they will do when Charlie Baker is elected next year? Change it again.

I told my State Senator that I felt the vacancy law was not only vindictive and stupid, but potentially unconstitutional when passed. I feel slightly vindicated on that, though not in a good way.

This may well not happen however. Therese Murry and Bob DeLeo hate Patrick and will do nothing to assist him, and even Kennedy is on questionable terms with them. The most they might get is placeholder with the proviso he/she not be a candidate in the special election.

As for who Romney would appoint, I think they were less scared of Romney appointing a hard-right candidate as someone who might be reelected. Massachusetts has trouble electing Republicans, but once in office tends to reelect them. See Scott Brown or Joe Malone. There were concerns not just about Healey, but about former Suffolk DA Ralph Martin or Senators Tarr or Lees, all of whom might have proven very difficult to dislodge in a Kerry midterm.

[Dan the Roman]

Eh, I figure that when you have as big a majority as the Massachusetts Democratic Party does, you can be as blatantly partisan as you want.

Except partisan in Massachusetts speak is Anti- and Pro-Deval Patrick. Kennedy and Kerry are clearly in Patrick's court, the legislature clearly against them or at least its leadership. The leadership not only ruled out this rule change when Kerry was looking to be appointed Secretary of State, but ruled up even allowing it for a vote. So far, they have indicated they have zero intention of changing the law.

[Dan the Roman]

The current idea passing around in the legislature and likely to be passed next week is for a temporary replacement who could only be appointed following the end of the filing period for the special election. This would be a constitutional way of prohibiting the appointment from running. There is a lot of Democratic distrust of Deval Patrick's intention and a determination to prevent him from interfering with Martha Coakley's ascension to the senate.