Free Republic

If Cheech & Chong of the Massachusetts Legislature can agree on passage of a compromise marijuana bill, there is nothing they cannot do. Cheech & Chong were, of course, the pair of old stoners from the '70s and '80s whose marijuana movie "Up in Smoke" became something of a cult film classic. The movie is about smoking weed, and it mellowed out an entire generation. The lyrics of the movie's theme song go like this:

Federal investigators have raided the Canton law office of state Senator Brian Joyce, a former assistant majority leader who has been under fire for alleged ethical lapses such as receiving free dry-cleaning from a local businessman and charging his campaign fund for a family party. “The FBI and the IRS are conducting court-authorized activity in connection with an ongoing investigation,” said Kristen Setera, an FBI spokeswoman. Massachusetts Republicans immediately called on Joyce to resign in light of the FBI raid. “Joyce’s remarkable disregard for the law is a byproduct of the Democratic culture of corruption on Beacon Hill, where abuse...

John Kerry has many titles—secretary of state, former senator, one-time Democratic candidate for president. The globe-spanning diplomat can add one more: snow shoveling scofflaw. […] On Thursday, (Boston) officials tagged Kerry with a $50 fine at 9:45 a.m. for failing to clear the snow from the side of his Beacon Hill mansion. Kerry was in Saudi Arabia attending the funeral of King Abdullah with President Obama. …

Boston police said they are searching for a man who broke into a Beacon Hill apartment early this morning, robbing and sexually assaulting the woman who lives there. Police say the man forced his way into the apartment, located near Joy and Myrtle streets, just after 3 a.m. Saturday. The suspect showed the woman who lived there a weapon -- possibly a knife -- before robbing and sexually assaulting her, police said.

Sen. Kerry Predicts ‘Ice-Free Arctic' In '5 or 10 Years’ Friday, July 23, 2010 By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer (CNSNews.com) – Speaking at a town hall-style meeting promoting climate change legislation on Thursday, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) predicted there will be “an ice-free Arctic” in five to 10 years.. “The arctic ice is disappearing faster than was predicted,” Kerry said. “And instead of waiting until 2030 or whenever it was to have an ice-free Arctic, we’re going to have one in five or 10 years.” However, the Web site of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says: “Using the...

Go Scott go. This election is payback, for everyone in Massachusetts who has to work for a living, who isn’t on the dole, or a trust fund. It’s for everyone who hates getting dozens of robo-calls from clueless pols pushing “Marsha” Coakley and from union thugs living large off your union dues. Vote for Brown if you’re tired of the 25 percent increase in the sales tax, and the brand new 6.25 percent sales tax on alcohol, on top of the 37 percent excise tax. Send the hacks a message. Vote for Brown if they ignored you when you voted...

If the old saw is true, that a clear conscience is the softest pillow, Scott Brown ought to sleep well tonight, content he took the high road in his bid to succeed Ted Kennedy. He proved you don’t have to go to every fight you’re invited to, no matter how much you’re provoked by a desperate opponent willing to win by any means necessary. If Martha Coakley was accurately portrayed by her campaign, shame on her; if the portrayal that emerged was the handiwork of her handlers, shame on them. When Raymond Berry coached the Patriots [team stats] he was...

Lt. Gov. Muffy Healey got what she wished for. Be careful what you wish for, Muffy. A pol called me yesterday afternoon. He’d been going from one polling place to another in his district. “You’re right about those Deval people,” he said excitedly. “I just saw two of them. Middle-aged guys, they rode bicycles to the precinct. They seemed to be in a trance. I think I’m frightened.” Said another pol: “We’re all frightened.” One of these guys was a Democrat, the other a Republican. That’s bipartisan fear. Yesterday was our Ned Lamont moment. But the difference is, Ned Lamont...

A rollback of the Massachusetts income tax rate to 5 percent -- something voters mandated in 2000 by decisively approving Question 4 on the state ballot -- is said to be a key issue in the Bay State's campaign for governor. But that's not quite accurate. To be sure, the candidates have had plenty to say on the subject, especially since an August poll showed that a solid majority of likely Democratic voters want the tax reduced from the current 5.3 percent. The real question at the heart of the candidates' differing positions, though, is not "Should the income tax...

Even for those not particularly familiar with the broadcast legend, it was quite a moving send-off for WOR/New York's Bob Grant this evening. Saying goodbye after decades of trailblazing talk radio entertainment, Grant was praised by some of the industry's biggest names, including Howard Stern. In a particularly fascinating radio moment, Stern revealed just how much he had influenced his own career. In addition, Howard credited Grant for the development of the modern conservative movement, calling him years ahead of nearly everyone else. Stern wondered why Grant hadn't become a major national star along the lines of Rush Limbaugh and...

Wear blue. Watch the heavy makeup. Don’t be a polyester snob. Accentuate gracefulness. Convey strength - but not too much. As Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey lavishes hundreds of thousands on image polishing in her bid for governor, she would be wise to heed the advice consultants give to their female political clients. “Women walk a fine line because on the one hand you have to have people like you and think you are nice, but not be weak, and on the other hand if you look too strong then the B-word comes out,” said Democratic political consultant Mary Ann Marsh....

The simmering battle over the separation of church and state came to Beacon Hill yesterday with 30 lawmakers voting against a measure that would prohibit striking the words ``under God'' from the Pledge of Allegiance. "Is anything sacred anymore?'' questioned Tim O'Brien, spokesman for the state Republican Party. ``It's a pretty sad day when we're voting against the Pledge of Allegiance.'' A resolution supporting keeping the current pledge intact with the words "one nation under God'' easily passed the House yesterday by a vote of 114-30. The measure was filed by 35 lawmakers in the wake of a California court...

It can't be easy being Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney these days. While he works overtime trying to bolster his "ineffective governor" rap, the real villains are playing golf on Cape Cod! Perhaps Romney expected too much in taking the Bay State's reins,

A 16-year-old charged with forcing a woman into her Beacon Hill apartment and raping her at gunpoint has been indicted as a youthful offender, meaning he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said yesterday. The teenager, Zaquan Martin, is accused of raping the woman three times after forcing her into her Joy Street home at gunpoint in November. Authorities said Martin bound the woman after raping her and later bound the woman's roommate when she returned home during the attack. The crime frightened residents of the tony neighborhood.

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested by Boston police in connection with Sunday night's assault and rape involving two women in an apartment on Joy Street in Boston's Beacon Hill, police announced this afternoon. On Sunday night, a man forced his way into a Joy Street apartment building, where he tied up and robbed two women, both in their mid-20s, and raped one of them at gunpoint, police said.

...The John-John ticket's hare-brained idea is to reimport medicines from Canada to your corner pharmacy. That is to say, to take drugs made here and shipped to supply a country of 30 million, and bring them back here to supply a country of 360 million. Does any Democrat have an abacus? ...Last decade, companies like Novartis (Swiss), Aventis (French) and Pharmacia (Swedish) moved their operations from Europe to the greener pastures of New Jersey and Massachusetts because Europe's governments were making it too hard to do business. They even banned direct-to-consumer advertising — lest citizens get wind of any pricey...

<p>The state Senate yesterday gave final passage to $1.14 billion in tax increases. Senate leaders stated that voters have shown a willingness to accept new taxes because they believe Beacon Hill is also tightening its belt.</p> <p>''It's safe to say that the majority of our constituents, in poll after poll, suggested in a sense that we use a blended approach,'' said Senate Ways and Means Chairman Mark C. Montigny, a New Bedford Democrat. ''I'm not embarrassed that we took a very difficult challenge and did our best to send a balanced budget to the governor's desk.''</p>

<p>BOSTON (AP) Tax opponents, a potent force in Massachusetts since the late 1980s, have recently been scarce on Beacon Hill, where the Legislature this week takes up votes on the first major tax increases in a decade.</p> <p>Anti-tax forces have splintered and been largely silent in recent weeks as the House weighs dozens of new taxes to raise $1 billion or more.</p>