Coakley on Crime and Terrorists
[Guest post by DRJ]
Massachusetts’ Attorney General and Democratic Senate candidate Martha Coakley is taking on the tough cases … like Ladies Gardening Clubs:
“[H]ere’s Martha Coakley, getting tough with the ladies’ gardening clubs of Massachusetts two weeks ahead of an election. May seem like a bad move for a politically conscious AG who is relying heavily on the women’s vote, but maybe she figures the ladies are all Republicans anyway. It’s quaint, it’s old worldy, it’s weird, it’s a headscratcher, and it’s in the Boston Herald:
Linda Jean Smith, president of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, has been besieged with calls from frightened, angry members after a prickly Jan. 4 letter from Coakley’s office declared many of them were breaking the law for failing to file their financial records for the past four years.
“One club president asked me if she was going to be led away in handcuffs,” said Smith, adding that many members are in nursing homes or in Florida. “These ladies are confused.”
And then Coakley turned to Afghanistan:
“I think we have done what we are going to be able to do in Afghanistan. I think that we should plan an exit strategy. Yes. I’m not sure there is a way to succeed. If the goal was and the mission in Afghanistan was to go in because we believed that the Taliban was giving harbor to terrorists. We supported that. I supported that. They’re gone. They’re not there anymore.”
Tough on little-old-lady crime. Not so tough on the Taliban and terrorists. Is that a winning combination in Massachusetts? We’ll see next week.
— DRJ
disagree, DRJ.
As to the first, it was her office and not her personally that sent the letters, not-for-profit organizations are required to file reports and it’s not her fault if some clueless club president freaks out in response to getting a letter.
As for the second, while she is wrong on where the Taliban is, there isn’t anything in her statement that indicates a softness or unwillingness to fight them, and if the Taliban weren’t in Afghanistan, it would be time to start packing up and redeploying troops.
steve sturm (7629b0) — 1/12/2010 @ 5:21 pmAnd #1 doesn’t mean she should be elected Senator.
steve sturm (7629b0) — 1/12/2010 @ 5:22 pmSo the obvious follow-up to Coakley’s Afghan analysis is this: Ms Coakley, would you then agree ridding Afghanistan of terrorists was a George Bush success?
richardb (6acbdc) — 1/12/2010 @ 5:23 pmShe is the last of the corrupt politicians who perpetrated the gross injustice in the Armirault case in Mass in the 80s. The other pols have been retired by voters. The cynical immorality is breathtaking. There were day care center cases all over the country but that one was the only example I know of where the prosecutors not only refused to accept the truth when it came out but continued to do an Inspector Javert routine on the family long after the case was shown to be a hoax.
But what did Martha Coakley do when the Parole Board voted unanimously (5-0) to pardon Gerald Amirault? She did everything in her power to see that he stayed in prison, including sending an assistant DA to oppose his release at the hearing. Coakley also went on talk shows to spout her views about his guilt. (Read about Martha Coakley’s involvement in Cheryl Amirault’s Plea Bargain also).
In a bid to be re-elected Governor of Massachusetts, Governor Jane Swift, rejected the Parole Board’s decision. There is little doubt, however, that Martha Coakley’s actions strengthened Governor Swift’s resolve to deny Gerald Amirault’s release from prison.
Governor Jane Swift sold Gerald Amirault’s freedom for what she hoped would be another term as Governor of Massachusetts, but the voters chose Mitt Romney instead. Martha Coakley worked harder than Jane Swift to keep an innocent man in prison, seemingly for political advantage also.
Every case in California fell apart early in the 90s after the McMartin jury acquitted the principles. I don’t know of another case with such vicious hypocritical behavior by public officials.
Coakley was right in the middle of it all. I wonder if that will be a factor. I have seen no mention so far.
Mike K (2cf494) — 1/12/2010 @ 5:25 pmMass prosecutors seemed to revel in these cases. The Bernard Baran case was almost as bad and involved a gay kid so it should interest the gay rights people. Coakley did not seem to be involved in that case but it would be interesting if the two cases came up in the next week.
INteresting to see the witch trials reincarnated in the most left wing state.
Mike K (2cf494) — 1/12/2010 @ 5:29 pmFascists are really big on making sure everyone is registered. It’s what they do.
happyfeet (e9e587) — 1/12/2010 @ 5:33 pmMartha Coakley certainly does seem to have the values and the integrity of a U.S. senator, Dr. K.
happyfeet (e9e587) — 1/12/2010 @ 5:37 pmDamning with faint praise, feets?
AD - RtR/OS! (049607) — 1/12/2010 @ 5:41 pma little. I’m tremendously disappointed in the quality and utility of the senatorial class what our little country produces and really genuinely shocked at what they done on our little country.
happyfeet (e9e587) — 1/12/2010 @ 5:46 pmWell, feet, the Salem Witch Trials were an old Massachusetts tradition so I guess you could say she was upholding tradition. Maybe she can drive off a bridge before next Tuesday to uphold the Kennedy traditions.
Mike K (2cf494) — 1/12/2010 @ 6:25 pmas the AG, she is responsible for the actions of her office, good, bad or otherwise.
as for the ‘stan, her non-existent understanding of the issues, and her desire for an “exit strategy” as well as her not knowing what it should be nor if one would w*rk is proof positive she is too stupid for the office she’s running for. the last thing the Senate needs is a bimbo of either sex who is intellectually challenged by a power point deep appreciation of a particular subject.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 1/12/2010 @ 6:27 pmThat would be a beautiful tribute I think, Mike.
happyfeet (e9e587) — 1/12/2010 @ 6:31 pmCoakley is as qualified as the average, garden-variety liberal candidate for office. Let’s hope the voters of Massachusetts care enough about change to vote Brown into office.
Anyone catch the pathetic softball questions David Gergen threw her way? Whadda hack!
GeneralMalaise (68a574) — 1/12/2010 @ 6:42 pmAs to the first, it was her office and not her personally that sent the letters, not-for-profit organizations are required to file reports and it’s not her fault if some clueless club president freaks out in response to getting a letter.
She is the one in charge, so the buck stops with her…or didn’t you listen to our President last week?
I really hope her staff continues to communicate with voters; the positive effects of her tone deafness will certainly be of great benefit… to Scott Brown.
… some flower lovers have threatened to take out their frustrations on Coakley at the voting booth.Said Smith: “They see her name on the letter and that’s who they’re mad at. They’ve said to me, ‘Why is the attorney general’s office picking on us? We’re not going to vote Martha Coakley,’ ”
Dana (f64b7d) — 1/12/2010 @ 6:49 pmMartha Coakley is a horrible person.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641) — 1/12/2010 @ 7:10 pmI agree that she’s a morally deficient woman and of generally poor character.
But it’s Teddy’s seat.
happyfeet (e9e587) — 1/12/2010 @ 7:18 pmsteve sturm,
I agree that garden clubs have to follow the law, but according to the article most of these clubs raise money to plant flowers at hospitals, town halls, and other public venues. Their members are older women, some of whom are in nursing homes.
Given that, it seems to me the AG’s office should have handled this differently, e.g., by offering a contact person in the AG’s office where they could get filing information. It’s similar to what a typical IRS or state revenue accounting office offers to low-income, immigrant, or similar citizens who have tax or related questions. In those cases, I presume the officials believe the taxpauers want to do what’s right but may not have the resources to understand or follow through on the filing requirements. It seems to me that garden clubs are in a similar position and should be offered similar considerations.
But let’s assume the AG’s office did everything possible to get the garden clubs to file their paperwork and nothing worked, so the next step is a stern letter or enforcement. Public officials should do the right thing but they also must be aware of the impact of their actions. It was clueless of Coakley and/or her office to do this now. Political rule #1: Don’t evict families right before Christmas and don’t threaten garden clubs right before elections.
DRJ (84a0c3) — 1/12/2010 @ 7:30 pmScott Brown nailed Gergen when he was asked a tendentious question in the debate. The story is great.
Mike K (2cf494) — 1/12/2010 @ 7:30 pmSend her to Afghanistan without a burka and see if she finds any taliban. Bet she does and it will suprise the stuffin’ right out of her.
PatriotRider (1729de) — 1/12/2010 @ 7:35 pmWe’ve seen the Departed, there is honest to goodness, murders, robberies, et al, how about
ian cormac (cbea0c) — 1/12/2010 @ 7:36 pmfocus on that for a bit, then we’ll get around
to the garden clubs, just a thought
Mike K.
Scott Brown nailed David Rodham Gergen when he was asked a tendentious question in the debate. The story is great.
FIFY . . 🙂
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641) — 1/12/2010 @ 7:47 pmWe all know the gangs have overtaken the garden clubs. All other AGs around the country are afraid to take them on.
Coakley is to be commended for being so brave to take on these people that have such little regard for the rule of law.
When petunias are outlawed only criminals will grow petunias.
MU789 (514c52) — 1/12/2010 @ 7:53 pmIt’s like a Monty Python sketch gone horribly awry
ian cormac (cbea0c) — 1/12/2010 @ 8:37 pmHere is another reason for women to vote for Scott Brown. He was a Cosmo centerfold when he was a law student.
My god ! A male Sarah Palin !
Mike K (2cf494) — 1/12/2010 @ 8:39 pmAnother one of the legal industry’s finest risen to the top like a lump in a big pipe.
TC (0b9ca4) — 1/12/2010 @ 8:53 pmIt sounds there are bigger reasons to be against Coakley than harassment of garden clubs.
Never one to strongly endorse a lib dem, and while I also believe the head of an office needs to be held responsible, it is true that, “To err is human, to really mess things up takes a computer.” While this is a great source for comic inspiration, i do have some sympathy for the AG on this if the didn’t double-down.
Once a communication that used to be human to human becomes machine to human, assinine mistakes will be made. Many years ago I received a collection notice from the university hospital affiliated with the medical school I had just graduated from. Between bills and insurance reimbursements and the like, a $1.00 (as in one dollar) outstanding bill was left, for which my alma matter was threatening me with a collection notice. Absurd.
MD in Philly (d4668b) — 1/12/2010 @ 9:10 pm> I think we have done what we are going to be able to do in
Anyone else besides me recall the exact same sort of crap from the Left on Iraq?
O Bloody Hell (79d71d) — 1/12/2010 @ 9:16 pm> Maybe she can drive off a bridge before next Tuesday to uphold the Kennedy traditions.
The higher it is, the deeper the canyon below, the less shallow the water at the bottom, the more happy I will be to see someone uphold the institutions Massachusetts so clearly holds dead errr, dear.
Or would that be me wanting her to uphold the Kopechne tradition…?
O Bloody Hell (79d71d) — 1/12/2010 @ 9:25 pmDoes this work?
O Bloody Hell (79d71d) — 1/12/2010 @ 9:25 pmApparently strike through doesn’t work. Lovely.
Have I mentioned recently that I despise wordpress?
O Bloody Hell (79d71d) — 1/12/2010 @ 9:26 pm
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 1/12/2010 @ 9:40 pmIIRC, you have to spell “strike” all the way out….They’re gone. They’re not there anymore.”
OMG. The woman is an idiot. I mean if someone wants to come up with a good reason why the US should be out of Afghanistan, say anything — point to anything — except that the Taliban is no longer there.
And even for a liberal she seems noticeably, exceptionally, absurdly ass backwards.
So she leans heavily on the tax status of something as innocuous as women’s garden clubs while being absolutely committed to punishing people accused of child molestation based on the flimsiest of evidence.
If she’s true to form, her revolving ass undoubtedly would then perceive, say, Roman Polanski as being unfairly cited for a case of rape.
She’s so ludiocrously devoid of common sense that she just has to be a shoe-in for grabbing the Senate seat from a state also so lacking in common sense, referring to Massachusetts.
Mark (411533) — 1/12/2010 @ 9:47 pmMark, I can only imagine if Sarah Palin said something like that. It’s like saying there’s no more communism in North Korea, or there’s no lobbyists in the White House.
But in Massachusetts, I don’t think this is a loser of a position. Even a completely unsound justification for leaving the war effort is probably a winning argument there. These people are GLAD we had the stimulus bill. Today.
What’s bugging me is how much money the health care lobby is pouring into helping the democrats. Just as the pharmacy lobby agreed to spend tons of money on political ads in exchange for promises from Obama, I fear the democrats are using their ability to spend trillions of our kids’ money to buy some kind of corrupt reverse lobby.
I get that forcing everyone to buy insurance is a great strategy for an insurance saleperson, but not if that also leads to a government insurance man who can compete beyond profitability. These bastards aren’t thinking long term, and for some reason it’s more annoying to be stabbed in the back by someone who is delusional about it.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 1/12/2010 @ 9:57 pm[…] Mass DEM Lawmakers Boston Herald, Scott Brown for U.S. Senate Patterico’s Pontifications: Coakley on Crime and Terrorists and Political Timing (Updated x2) Black & Right: The Massholes Strike Again Michelle Malkin: […]
MA Dem Martha Coakley Is Naive, Wrong, & Dangerous about Terrorism (video) « Frugal Café Blog Zone (a66042) — 1/12/2010 @ 11:07 pmdrj: (#17) are you sure you want to be aruging that the attorney general’s office should take politics into account when deciding how to proceed with enforcing the law?
steve sturm (369bc6) — 1/13/2010 @ 5:55 am#26 MD in Philly:
She’s apparently fluent in thug.
EW1(SG) (edc268) — 1/13/2010 @ 6:08 amDustin
> It’s like saying there’s no more communism in North Korea, or there’s no lobbyists in the White House.
A better metaphor is when Ford said there was no soviet domination of eastern europe.
A.W. (e7d72e) — 1/13/2010 @ 6:19 am““[H]ere’s Martha Coakley, getting tough with the ladies’ gardening clubs of Massachusetts two weeks ahead of an election. May seem like a bad move for a politically conscious AG who is relying heavily on the women’s vote, but maybe she figures the ladies are all Republicans anyway. It’s quaint, it’s old worldy, it’s weird, it’s a headscratcher, and it’s in the Boston Herald:”
So the attorney general’s problem is that she is asking that people follow the law without regard to the political consequences? Indeed a head scratcher.
imdw (ae4236) — 1/13/2010 @ 6:35 ammmm, comedy gold. coakley is asked about her dumb statement, and she responds “look! a squirrel!”
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/12/coakley-dodges-question-about-afghanistan-claim/
And on cnn no less!
A.W. (e7d72e) — 1/13/2010 @ 6:38 am37)Actually, that statement made sense under the crazy assumptions of detente,well not really but that’s what they what the White House was thinking.
ian cormac (cbea0c) — 1/13/2010 @ 7:03 amThe irony was the outsized focus on that statement, helped usher an even more naive figure on the subject who thought an ‘inordinate focus on communism’ was
our biggest problem, I swear that’s af eature, Carter, Clinton, Obama. It’s almost as if they want to make us suffer, on purpose.
I wonder if that will be a factor. I have seen no mention so far.
I’m not surprised in the least – most of the MSM in Mass. went full – on tilt along with the prosecutors all the way, until their malfeasance was blatantly obvious.
Dmac (539341) — 1/13/2010 @ 7:48 amActually, I like the Attorney General sitting there watching a reporter get roughed up by one of her DNC buddies.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/video-someone-coakley-campaign-pushes-me-metal-railing
Um. What is the job description of the Attorney General, again?
I mean, since imdw is so concerned with, well, law enforcement?
Eric Blair (ddbceb) — 1/13/2010 @ 7:58 am#4, Mike K, I’ll point you at the Wenatachee, WA, cases. A rogue cop, who shouldn’t have been a cop, coerced false charges against a pastor and church of child rape and abuse.
This is one of the few times I can comment the Innocence Project for righting a true wrong. One incident I can condemn the Innocence Project for is trying to get the Tom Monfils (Green Bay, WI) killers freed with lies. I was a classmate of Tom, and I know the guy they killers are trying to hang a bum rap on to get out of prison.
PCD (1d8b6d) — 1/13/2010 @ 8:10 am[…] Mass DEM Lawmakers Boston Herald, Scott Brown for U.S. Senate Patterico’s Pontifications: Coakley on Crime and Terrorists and Political Timing (Updated x2) Black & Right: The Massholes Strike Again Michelle Malkin: […]
Martha, Martha, Martha… You Need to Keep your Left-wing Thugs at Bay until AFTER the Election (video) « Frugal Café Blog Zone (a66042) — 1/13/2010 @ 10:49 amcoakley certainly is not tough on crime that is committed in front of her and in her name. see all the articles about the weekley standard reporter being shoved around for asking all the wrong questions.
mind you, she is an AG in Mass. technically of course she was in DC, but shouldn’t she have at least popped out her celly and dialed 9-11. or moreover, shouldn’t she have said to thug, “stay the f— away from that reporter. and give me your id. you are going to be reported to the police.” but she did none of the above.
A.W. (e7d72e) — 1/13/2010 @ 11:26 amWell, she didn’t do any of those things because the thug was known to her, and was doing her bidding (Won’t anyone rid me of this troublesome Priest?).
AD - RtR/OS! (1365d9) — 1/13/2010 @ 11:47 amSo the attorney general’s problem is that she is asking that people follow the law without regard to the political consequences? Indeed a head scratcher.
So let’s do the equation in imdw’s fantasy world:
– go after old lady’s garden clubs with the full vigor of the AG office;
– ignore an assault on an innocent person directly in front of your farking nose.
Got it.
Dmac (539341) — 1/13/2010 @ 1:45 pmAd
exactly, 100% agree. a person who wants to be a senator must not only conform to the actual rule of the 1st amendment, but i expect them to conform to its spirit, too. at the very least she is complicit in silence, and that is assuming she didn’t actually want that result.
if i was there and a staffer got out of hand, not only would i call the cops, but then i would go out of my way to take the reporter aside and give the guy a few answers, almost like compensation for what some jerk did in my name.
Btw, i think it is gateway pundit who discovered the (alleged) thug is also an obama appointee.
A.W. (e7d72e) — 1/13/2010 @ 1:53 pmApparently Martha would rather kick the ass of a reporter than that of a terrorist in Afghanistan, assuming she can even find a terrorist in Afghanistan.
Rochf (ae9c58) — 1/13/2010 @ 2:53 pm[…] Appointee (momma) Boston Herald, Scott Brown for U.S. Senate Patterico’s Pontifications: Coakley on Crime and Terrorists and Political Timing (Updated x2) Black & Right: The Massholes Strike Again Makes My Brain […]
Taliban Is Gone from Afghanistan? Martha Coakley… A Dangerous Choice at a Dangerous Time (video) « Frugal Café Blog Zone (a66042) — 1/13/2010 @ 3:56 pm[…] Appointee (momma) Boston Herald, Scott Brown for U.S. Senate Patterico’s Pontifications: Coakley on Crime and Terrorists and Political Timing (Updated x2) Black & Right: The Massholes Strike Again Makes My Brain […]
Distressed Starship USS Coakley: Even MA Union Members Are Voting for Scott Brown, Obama is MIA… Is Coakley Going Down in Flames? « Frugal Café Blog Zone (a66042) — 1/14/2010 @ 8:49 am[…] The Reaganite Republican: Support Scott Brown for Senate NOW! Patterico’s Pontifications: Coakley on Crime and Terrorists and Political Timing (Updated x2) Black & Right: The Massholes Strike Again Boston Herald, […]
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Need a Good Laugh or Two? Check Out the “Martha Coakley Photo Caption Contest” at HillBuzz « Frugal Café Blog Zone (a66042) — 1/15/2010 @ 11:39 amThe Taliban HAVE repositioned themselves globally, especially in Pakistan, where they’re protected by nuclear arms. What would you do as an extreme underdog to the US military. Fight face to face? Certainly not. You would hide and sneak attack the enemy. Real police work needs to be done if we ever want to find Bin Laden and his cronies. Our military is too overpowering and destructive to pluck out the correct enemies. Killing innocence only creates more enemies…
As for the non-profit who isn’t reporting their financials, this is standard practice. You can garden all you want, but if you’re collecting charitable donations for a non-profit, you need to follow the protocol.
This blog is insinuating and pretty darn biased.
Cheers,
Jordan B (623fcc) — 1/17/2010 @ 9:38 pmJordan B
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