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Governor Deval Patrick this afternoon empathized with Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., recalling his own experiences with racial profiling and "feeling powerless" when he was a black teenager at Milton Academy.

Governor Deval Patrick this afternoon empathized with Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., recalling his own experiences with racial profiling and "feeling powerless" when he was a black teenager at Milton Academy. “In some ways this is every black man’s nightmare and a reality for many black men," Patrick told a crush of reporters at an impromptu press conference in a hallway at the State House. “Have I ever had the experience of feeling powerless in a situation like that? Sure I have," Patrick said. "When I was student at Milton Academy, I remember -- a new student fresh from...

It is looking increasingly unlikely that Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick will face an easy campaign in 2010, and it is near safe to say he will probably not be re-elected. Patrick’s numbers are slipping to what has been called “Bush-level:” in May, his disapproval rating was at almost 70% – a number that will surely skyrocket when the 1.5% sales tax increase to 6.5%, supported by Patrick, is implemented in August. Patrick promised in 2006 not to raise taxes and curtail wasteful spending – and has done neither. While he does have Obama campaign czar David Plouffe working for him,...

The Franklin Park Zoo, a Boston landmark for nearly a century, may be forced to close and euthanize up to a fifth of the animals in its care due to devastating budget cuts. New England's largest zoo and its counterpart, the Stoneham Zoo, saw their state funding cut from $6.5 million to $2.5 million by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, the Boston Globe reported, and expects to run out of money by October. Zoo officials said they would have to lay off most of their 165 employees and find new homes for the more than 1,000 animals they currently house, the...

As Jim Geraghty notes over at the Campaign Spot, the race for Massachusetts governor is heating up. Yesterday, Charlie Baker, the relatively unknown CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, announced his plans to face off against Christy Mihos in the Republican primary, in hopes of challenging incumbent Democrat Deval Patrick in the general election. As the CEO of a major regional insurance company, Baker’s a health-care guy, and that’s very important in Massachusetts. Under Patrick, the Bay State has struggled to effectively institute the comprehensive health-care plan devised by former governor Mitt Romney. Though Massachusetts has achieved nearly universal health-care...

Gov. Deval Patrick has only himself to blame for an embarrassing poll showing a narrow win for Republican rival Christy Mihos, opposing strategists and potential challengers charged yesterday. “Patrick right now is running against himself - and losing,” said political strategist and author Dick Morris, a former top adviser to President Clinton who is working for Mihos. “It shows there’s tremendous vulnerability.” The Rasmussen/FOX 25 poll released Monday, which surveyed 500 voters, found 41 percent would vote for Mihos and 40 percent for Patrick.

How else to explain the fact that Democrat governors in two of the most liberal states in the country, New Jersey and Massachusetts, appear to be in big electoral trouble? Either Obama and Congress are damaging the Party brand or these two guys must really suck as governors. Either way, the numbers don't lie.

The Cape Cod Commission has submitted an appeal to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, claiming the state Energy Facilities Siting Board overstepped its authority when it overruled the commission and gave Cape Wind all the local and regional permits it needs to move forward; Gov. Deval Patrick sent some folks to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to hear people's thoughts on placing wind turbines on public lands; the first floating wind turbine has been installed; and a new survey finds that a goodly portion of Massachusetts residents are concerned that NIMBYism has impeded the Cape Wind project. We'll get to all...

The consultant who helped Bill Clinton win the Arkansas governorship has joined the Christy Mihos campaign. Dick Morris, a Fox News contributor and veteran of several campaigns, including former Massachusetts governors Bill Weld and Ed King, will oversee strategy, polling and advertising for Mihos, the first announced Republican candidate to challenge Gov. Deval Patrick.

Posing as a reformer is tiresome work. So said James Michael Curley, and nothing has changed. Just ask Gov. Deval Patrick. Riding around in his Cadillac, handing out six-figure jobs to his unemployed neighbors, appointing maxed-out campaign contributors to judgeships - now that’s fun. Trying to keep a straight face while claiming he believes in “reform before revenue” - not nearly so much fun. Will the benumbed voters buy Deval’s tiresome new pose? Not if they remember his 2006 vow to deliver property-tax relief to homeowners. Last week, the Senate was “debating” the latest round of tax increases, although maybe...

As a resident of Massachusetts, I see real parallels between the rise and fall of our first black governor Deval Patrick, and the rise and coming fall of the first black president, Barack Obama. Let's get to some politically correct, uncomfortable-to-say for some, specifics. 1. The Ballot Becomes The Race CardBoth Deval Patrick and Barack Obama had the same campaign guru: David Axelrod.Using white liberal guilt to his political advantage, Axelrod created candidates that were immune from the normal political vetting process, as any attempt to do such would be called veiled racism. With that, they run with vague slogans...

Driven by angry constituents, state senators are moving to flatten the tires of welfare recipients by cutting a program spotlighted in the Herald that hands them donated cars and state-funded insurance, repairs and even AAA membership. “We can’t be giving out freebies,” said state Sen. Steven A. Baddour (D-Methuen). “At a time when we’re cutting programs across the spectrum and working families are struggling to pay the bills, this program is just too rich for this budget.” The Herald reported last week that Gov. Deval Patrick was expanding the $400,000 wheels-for-welfare program with a $30,000 infusion despite the budget crisis....

Massachusetts H 2202 o Bans ownership of any "assault weapons" o Bans ownership of any semi-auto rifles or pistols as "machine guns;" possession/ownership of such to be punished by a minimum three years in prison o Outlaws possession or ownership of any firearms that cannot "microstamp" cartridges Requires: o A complete list of every handgun owned must be supplied to your licensing authority; o $250,000 insurance policy on every handgun to cover any harm or damage that might arise from the use; o Places a member of Stop Handgun Violence on the state's Gun Control Advisory Board; o Requires Owners...

The announcement will blame the intense traffic tie-ups over Easter weekend on the decision by turnpike chief Alan LeBovidge to avoid calling in overtime workers to replace sick workers, a cost-cutting measure. ... Despite some calls for LeBovidge's resignation, he will not be quitting or be forced out, according to the administration official and LeBovidge's chief of staff, Jennifer Flagg.

I never thought I’d be writing these words, but Mike Dukakis is no longer the most clueless hack ever to serve as governor of Massachusetts. Deval Patrick, come on down! Think about what Ed King and Angelo Berlandi did to the Duke before the Democratic primary in 1978. They put slow-moving trucks on the old Central Artery during rush hour, slowing traffic to a crawl. On the back of the trucks were giant signs: Blame Dukakis for this Traffic Mess! That was a dirty trick. What happened Sunday on the Mass Pike produced even worse traffic jams, but the Pike...

Some Mass Pike commuters smell a rat, accusing toll road bosses of purposely creating nightmare holiday traffic jams to sell Fast Lane transponders and pump up a proposed 19-cent gas tax hike. Thousands of motorists were left to stew in traffic Friday, Saturday and especially Sunday after toll takers called in sick, leaving limited cash lanes open. One driver told the Herald even a rattled toll collector was cooking up conspiracy theories while dealing with the mess. “ ‘Do you have a cell phone?’ ” a toll taker asked the driver, according to his e-mail to the Herald.“He told me...

THE SPECIAL COMMISSION on Pension Reform, which convened for the first time yesterday - specified under Massachusetts law - comprises nine public employees, one retired public employee, three officials from the public-employee retirement systems, and two economists from private universities. By my reckoning, that makes 13 commission members from the public sector and two from the private sector, which calls to mind the old jape about democracy being two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. It's an amusing quip, assuming you're not a sheep. The special commission is only the latest group to cast a...

The voters are restless - and they’re angry. There’s no other spin that can be put on the latest 7News/Suffolk University poll numbers. Right now most of their anger is directed at Gov. Deval Patrick, with 47 percent of those surveyed saying, it’s “time to elect someone else,” compared to 34 percent who think he deserves re-election. And more broadly 51 percent believe the state is on the wrong track and 71 percent believe Massachusetts will become “Taxachusetts” once again. The poll number landed at the same time as a revealing column on the oped page of The Boston Globe...

Praise Mitt Romney. Three years ago, the former Massachusetts Governor had the inadvertent good sense to create the "universal" health-care program that the White House and Congress now want to inflict on the entire country. It is proving to be instructive, as Mr. Romney's foresight previews what President Obama, Max Baucus, Ted Kennedy and Pete Stark are cooking up for everyone else. In Massachusetts's latest crisis, Governor Deval Patrick and his Democratic colleagues are starting to move down the path that government health plans always follow when spending collides with reality -- i.e., price controls. As costs continue to rise,...

There’s a good reason to be a little disturbed by the results of a recent 7News/Suffolk University poll concerning Massachusetts politics. According to the poll, 35 percent of Bay State voters do not know that Tim Murray is the state’s lieutenant governor. Also, 34 percent are unfamiliar with Chris Gabrieli (despite the fact that he ran for Governor in 2006, Lieutenant Governor in 2002 and Congress in 1998), 30 percent are unfamiliar with State Auditor Joseph DeNucci, 23 percent have no knowledge of Secretary of State Bill Galvin or State Treasurer Tim Cahill, 33 percent are unfamiliar with 2006 gubernatorial...