A House dividing
As DiMasi battles ethics questions, two top lieutenants vie for succession
One is an amiable, glad-handing pol from the North Shore, the other a boyish-looking former high school athlete from suburbs southwest of Boston. And while House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi insists he plans to stay in his powerful post, the two rivals to succeed him are engaged in a fierce behind-the-scenes battle, sensing their time may soon come.
The House has been churning with intrigue, plots, and maneuvering this week, as the contenders to take over DiMasi's gavel - House Ways and Means chairman Robert A. DeLeo and majority leader John H. Rogers - are reacting to a perception that DiMasi's grip is loosening on the House.
"There's a great deal of tension and jockeying," said Representative Paul Kujawski, a Democrat from Webster. "You read these stories in the paper, and it creates a sensation of doubt in a lot of people's minds about where the House is going."
The competition between DeLeo and Rogers had been simmering for months. It came to a full boil in recent days after the Globe published stories raising questions about whether DiMasi influenced legislation that benefited his friends.
The political situation is overshadowing financial and policy debates. Though backers of DeLeo and Rogers are poring over spreadsheets, they are not about the $28 billion budget, but rather list their respective supporters and enemies. While DeLeo and Rogers profess to be laying low themselves, their proxies are openly approaching unaligned representatives.
DiMasi says that he is not leaving his post anytime soon, and the infighting has not reached the point of insurrection. Supporters on both sides say that no one plans to attempt to topple the speaker and that a leadership vote will only be taken if DiMasi leaves office. DiMasi declined to be interviewed yesterday. His spokesman, David Guarino, said the speaker "loves his job."
But the level of politicking over leadership is remarkable in a building where DiMasi has maintained a tight grasp on power for four years. One longtime political observer said he could not remember such open challenges to a sitting speaker since George Keverian ousted House Speaker Thomas W. McGee in 1984.
The current tumult is a direct result of ethics allegations DiMasi is facing on several fronts. The Globe reported recently that DiMasi pushed for funding for a contract that was improperly awarded by the state to
DiMasi has denied he has done anything improper and that his decisions have been based on public-policy considerations.
That has not dampened speculation, however, or preparations for an all-out House leadership fight. At the center of the action are DeLeo and Rogers. They both owe their positions to DiMasi. Both are lawyers with degrees from Suffolk University School of Law. Both are career politicians with decades of Beacon Hill experience between them.
That is, for the most part, where their similarities end. DeLeo is a 58-year-old Winthrop Democrat who for years was a back bencher, focused mostly on constituent issues such as toll hikes and expansions at Logan International Airport.
In 2005, DiMasi elevated DeLeo to chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, one of the most powerful positions in the Legislature. In that role, DeLeo crafts the state budget each year, meeting with all 160 members of the House.
He is generally viewed as a consensus-builder, able to satisfy most demands in the midst of contentious budget debates. He isn't ideologically identified with many issues or legislation.
DeLeo has been a strong DiMasi ally, and some political insiders have speculated that DiMasi has annointed DeLeo as his eventual successor, putting DeLeo in the awkward position of trying not to undercut the speaker, while also not losing ground to Rogers.
DeLeo declined requests for an interview, but said: "I support Speaker DiMasi, and he has made it clear to everyone that he is not leaving and will not tolerate any discussion about future succession. I have complied with that request and have not authorized anyone to lobby on my behalf."
Rogers is a 43-year-old Norwood Democrat who rode the coattails of former speaker Thomas M. Finneran, being appointed to oversee the Ways and Means Committee under the former speaker. He was a three-sport standout at Boston's Catholic Memorial High School.
After Finneran left in 2004, Rogers vied with DiMasi for the speakership. DiMasi rounded up more support, but as part of a deal, Rogers was given the post of House majority leader. While that has traditionally been the second-highest position in the House, DiMasi delivered a blow to Rogers by creating a new position, speaker pro tempore, and appointed an ally to that job, Representative Thomas M. Petrolati, a Democrat from Ludlow.
Rogers also declined requests for an interview, but said in a statement: "The Speaker has made it perfectly clear of his intention to stay. Any distractions only hinder the membership, as we deliberate during these very uncertain economic times."
But under the unwritten rules that tend to govern internecine State House fights, being first to get members to join your camp can make all the difference in the outcome. DeLeo's supporters say they were only responding to Rogers's maneuverings, while Rogers's supporters say DeLeo fired the first shot.
"It's clear both sides are doing it," said a person in DiMasi's camp who requested anonymity because he was speaking about private maneuvering. "It's like when one kid hits another, and then that kid blames the other. Well, you're both in timeout."
The source said the speaker is waiting until after the budget was approved to decide whether to punish those who have been soliciting votes. In January, DiMasi, amid rumors that he would leave to take a more lucrative private sector job, moved to stop members from politicking to become his successor. At the time, he threatened to remove Rogers from his leadership post if he did not stop soliciting votes.
"It's a never-ending saga," said Representative James R. Miceli, a Democrat from Wilmington. "As far as I'm concerned, he's the speaker, he's a strong speaker, and everything else is like watching the same movie."
Andrea Estes of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.
