Despite investigations, DiMasi reelected House speaker

Classic! When will we learn and vote these morons out of office. Maybe than we will have our state back.

Time to throw all these people out and start from scratch......they are obviously clueless.....

Ahhhhhh.....Another day on the hill and another screwing by the "we don't care about you" elected officals of the great state of do as we say not as we do!!! Well the pool is offically open for how many days till Sal the Pal is led away in a set of handcuffs....Remeber, "Together We Can"!!!

Miceli, Kaufman DiMasi should all go. DiMasis may not yet be charged and pehaps he never will be, but the pulic trust should be first and foremost. These greedy pension sucking legislators had better wake up and see that the public is fed up and want honorable people representing them.

I cannot believe this!

Yeah, and people who live in this state wonder why we compete with Louisiana and Illinois for being the biggest political laughing stock in the country.

DiMasi is a crook - pure and simple. The only thing that makes him different than other Massachusetts politicians is that he's stupid enough to get caught. Says a lot about the members of the House. Right now they're socially on a level with telemarketers.

we are so screwed as a state

Just criminals electing other criminals.

In Massachusetts we like to lead the way. This just solidifies Mass as the most corrupt state in the country. When will we wake up and vote these crooks out of office.

Should we be proud? Do you have to be a crook in MA or America to be in politics or does it just help?

How completely unsurprising. Be as corrupt as you like, just so long as you have enough loyalists and lobbyists to keep the numbers on your side.

Way to go, Sal. Keep helping to bring upon us the crooked, wasteful government we quite obviously deserve.

This is really sad. What a bunch of cowards. Our tax money goes to pay the salary of a corrupt idiot speaker of the house who denies office supplies to fellow reps who don't kiss his ring? All I can say is eventually he will be indicted, greedy pigs can't stop themselves and eventually get caught. I'm looking forward to his teary finneran speech about addiction to some prescription drug. And if I hear that stupid "leave the gun take the cannoli's" line by him or another one of his idiot cronies I will hire PI's myself to look into him.

Lemmings. There is one rep however, David Torrisi, who believes where there's smoke there's fire. In this case a lot of smoke. So much smoke the othr reps are overcome with blindness. DiMasi will hide behind that smokescreen.
Thanks David Torrisi for having the courage to speak out, the courage of your convictions. I hope your constituents realize the enormity of the steps you took. thanks again David.

I don't care what, if any, ethics charges are thrown in his direction. He is one of the major reasons that the anti-gay marriage admendment failed in MA and for that, he will have my never-ending admiration, support and utmost respect.

Disgraceful.

so if we can't find a good leader, let's just keep the status quo...it amazes me that what's really at stake here is not having the best person in this role, but keeping certain offices, staff, and committee positions. That's not leadership folks...that's coercion.

Is this the best we can really do?

When the teflon wears off ( which won't be that long down the road) I want to be in line to say....I told you so.

Are people THAT stupid to re-elect this guy????

No Leadership Natonally and obvioulsy no leadership here in Massachusetts.
These guys are all the same at the end of the day-plenty of time to make deals for themselves but not making any progress for the job which we pay them to do. We should make it a part time job because that's all the hours one would need if they were really working.
Also, isn't it amazing that most of the other memebers just say nothing? So many sheep but not a barn big enough to lock them in.

My My Would like everyone to love me. Try being honest.
If Dimasi is found guilty what then???

Thank God for the good people in this world.

He will get his some day!!

"in a State House where the currencies of power and loyalty sometimes hold more value than ethical appearances and public anger."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That pretty much sums up the integrity of the entire MA Legislature. And it tells ALL the voters in MA they don't give a crap about you, their constituency. They only care about remaining in power - and hopefully getting those office supplies or an office that isn't in the basement, as assigned by the Speaker, I'm sure. Yet MORE influence peddling.

And yet the MA voters will continue voting in these crooks. What a surprise.

they're all a bunch of crooks. dimasi is no different. the voters need to wake up and elect new officials

What a joke. This state is worse than Rhode Island when it comes to politics. This guy is shady and no good. I wonder why I live here anymore

For the residents of the SOUTH SHORE: Rep. Garrett Bradley has advised me that he is voting for the re-election of Salvatore Dimasi. The next time Representative Bradley is up for election please remember how Rep. Bradley chose to vote despite Dimasi's refusal to provide documents, the indictment of Vitale, the mystery mortgage, the steeply discounted parking for he and is ex wife in the BRA parking lot, the wining and dining, basically the stench eminating from each of Dimasi's pores.

What a joke the MA legislative system is! The house needs to be cleaned out from top to bottom and start over from scratch. Consistently over the last four decades it's just been one blunder after another from this group of cronies. They never ever miss a pay raise even when people are losing their homes and jobs in a fashion that can only be rivaled by the beginning of the great depression. This reelection just outright proves that house members just don't give a damn what the residents of this state think and this has become painfully clear over the last several years.

DON'T VOTE FOR ANYONE CURRENTLY SEATED IN THE HOUSE DURING THE NEXT ELECTION. If you are a current member I will be voting against you next time, join in and teach these freeloaders a lesson.

Massachusetts politics. Nothing has or ever will change! The people of Mass get what they deserve when they continually vote in these scum bag politicians. Still the most crooked state in the country...and that is saying something with a state like LA.

business as usual in the state house, patrick pimps his ride, wife gets overly sensitive, dimasi gets re-elected by fearful "colleagues", and we thought illinois was bad.........

Typical Massachusetts Government Corruption... Not surprised in the least. MA is the laughing stock of the entire country when it comes to Government. Its cititzens, myself included, should be embarrassed that we haven't demanded justice, accountability, and change. Throw the lot of them out and start fresh with smart, motivated and honest people. Power corrupts, and therefore STRICT term limits should be mandated. But we won't learn as a people until we've been robbed and cheated out of everything we hold dear. Sound melodramatic? Just wait

Spineless, squirming worms is the only description for our esteemed legislators.

Our politicians - no "Profiles in Courage" here. Nothing but a bunch of weak, snivelling wimps protecting their own rear ends at all costs!

Politics as usual on the hill. I'm certainly glad to see ethics as a prime consideration in the filling of leadership positions.

criminal

This is basically a case of "you scratch my back i scratch yours" deeply embedded in the culture on Beacon Hill.

everyone of those rascals have something on the other and as a result noone can turn against the other...how pathetic...we should march to the State House and hold a sit in until they all step down....and if that doesn't work...the Boston tea party comes to mind....

Viser and Estes, two Lap Dogs for Deval and Rubin..............now that Casino's are dead, maybe you two can find work regurgitating your articles somewhere else. The Globe has been printing the same story from you two clowns for the last six months................get some new facts or get lost !

"45 minutes of glowing tributes." Yeah, I just threw up in my mouth. I'd love to be able to track who DiMasi met with prior to his speaker re-election bid to track how their legislation and favors progress over the next couple years. How about 45 minutes of careful admonition and taking the opportunity to at least pay some lip service to the need for better ethics that the people are looking for?

This is all he's got and it's everything he sees himself as so he'll never let go. It happens all the time in non-political arenas as well. But those who have a say and are caving (read: legislators) need to grow some principled cajones - either now or when the time is right. And perhaps to each his own and there are those who just want their issues to go through, but I'd rather have someone in office with a sense of ethics who disagrees with my platform/views than vice-versa.

In the meantime, I will be swinging by Costco to buy a tub of saniwipes that Beacon Hill can use to clean their noses.

Gee why am i not shocked Criminals voting in Criminals when are people gonna wake up in this state

Even as cynical as I am about Massachusetts politics the continuing actions of this group of crooks take the cake. This is what happens in a monopoly.

DiMasi: "I grew up thinking everybody was going to love me." Are you kidding me?? You little twit!! How asinine is that comment?? It is that EXACT narcissistic attitude that makes you think you can pillage the taxpayers of this state and run amok over the ethics laws that already exist to keep your long fingers out of deep pockets. You are a joke and the fact that all of your pals on the hill voted you in as their "leader" once again, simply because you are " a victim of circumstance" is more proof that you think YOU ARE ALL LOVED, and that we are just stupid. What a pathetic lot!!

it's just like the Mob...who's gonna go against the boss?! the only difference is the Mob probably breaks the law a bit less frequently than our legislators.

Once again the electorate bends over and takes it.

It seems that many of these articles should actually be in the editorial section of the Globe.
"DiMasi got the benefit of the doubt from allies in a State House where the currencies of power and loyalty sometimes hold more value than ethical appearances and public anger."
This, along with much of what I have read about Dimasi in the Globe is clearly an opinion (and a very biased one at that) rather than just straight facts. I mean, would you have suggested that we postpone Barack Obama's inaguration until everything is figured out with Blagojevich like you suggested that Dimasi's vote be postponed until things are sorted out with Vitale? I realize that you guys are just trying to sell papers in this time that newspapers aren't doing that well, but let's try to get over the whole idea that all politicians are corrupt. Also, on the comment about public anger... many people wouldn't be angry if they weren't reading these biased articles blindly.

Politics as usual

Nice to know that we elected a bunch of cowards who really don't represent us. I would never associate myself with this person(DiMasi), he cares more about lining his pocket than listening to reason. I'll remember this when election time comes again, at least my Rep. will be held accountable!

Maybe DiMasi can get a facelift now.

How do we find out how our local representative voted? We can only be heard if we put folks in office that represent us.

"Level with the public?" He's re-elected House speaker all of five mintes and he's already lying! How can Sal DiMasi say he will "level with the public" when he's fighting doggedly to prevent the ethics commission from accessing his public documents and when he tells the Globe he didn't know his accountant was lobbying when there are emails between the accountant and the speaker's private email account. "Leveling with the public?" The man's a born liar and , hopefully, after he's indicted and prosecuted, he'll be a convicted liar!

The legal system will get him and his cronies eventually. The wheels of justice turn slowly.

I'm "old fashioned" too, Representative Kaufman. And I believe that when something waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. DiMasi's a crook, and you know it and your Lexington constituents know it. The only question now is whether Lexington residents want a crook's enabler representing them in the House of Representatives?

Wow is all I can say. Great leadership in this state. I can't see why it's one of the few states declining in population.

And the crooks protect one of their own... I'm leaving Mass.

That goes to prove why this state has a tax problem, everyone complains but do not act. The definition of insanity is alive and well, keep doing the same elected official that are in it for themselves and expect different results, also the definition of stupidity

Who are the 7 Democratic Reps. who had the courage to vote "Present"? It doesn't sound like much, but in the face of DiMasi's pending wrath, each one deserves the thanks of the voters of Massachusetts for having the temerity to challenge, in any fashion, the anti-democratic control of yet another corrupt Speaker.

The article reports that the voters have an unfavorable rating of DiMasi. The only people who count are the voters in his district. Other than them, if the state house reps. are afraid of him, then laws need to be passed to protect them from any form of retaliation from the speaker. That said, the federal investigation must find a way to convict and expel him from office permanently.

Rarely has anyone in power ever resigned for the good of all concerned. Don't expect DiMasi to be the rare exception.

Can you print the roll call so we can see what Reps need to be replaced in the next election. You voted for Sal, you voted to find a new job........

Type your comment here...He is the epitomy of the incesteous, backslapping, corrupt democrat slugs that have walked the halls of the state house for generations. He and his cronies actually turn my stomach.

This reminds me of those banana republics where the Fearless Leader was re-elected with 99% of the vote.
What a sham.

Continuing to rule by intimidation & perks???

Besides death and taxes another unavoidable thing in life are politics as usual on Beacon Hill. May I please have a below market rate third mortgage on my residence? Wink, wink. "I am not a crook!"

Who were the Dems who voted present?

How wonderfull. What a cespool Beacon Hill is.

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall while Czar Demasi was "lobbying" for his own re-election. Is Sal Registered as lobbyist? I wander what chairmanships of favorite legislations were promised? This whole Beacon Hill drama is Keystone Kops at its finest. But the biggest chumps are the electorate that keeps re-electing the same pretenders time after time after time. We reap what we sow!

hack di tutti hack....another travesty....where's the FBI?

What a state! Illinois is envious.

Politics as usual

i'm moving to the soviet union to pick potatoes

One could say that all of you guys making comments here are following the globe just as blindly as you say the reps are following dimasi... come on, please don't get all of your information from this one source which clearly does not like dimasi, therefore does not really do fair reporting.

and i definitely agree with a previous comment on being very grateful for dimasi's work with stopping the amendment on gay marriage.

And on top of it all they get a 5.5% raise. Jay Kaufman was a Consultant...another word for unemployed...and then he got his job for life eating at the trough. No one can beat him he gets to use the Masons museum for his Open houses. When I wanted to rent it I was told it would be $3000 a night. Thank God I live in Florida.

mass is a RICO organization

Typical - maybe he'll vote for gambling now and maybe get some $ in the state instead of Conn. Oh yeah, maybe he wont like he did last time - WAKE UP!! In 2009 we need all the revenue we can get or we'll be laying off politicians in 09 instead of all of the "commoners"

Great! Why not elect Wilkerson or Turner and while we're at it we could bring Blagojevich, Stevens, Craig, Sptizer....hell bring them all to MA. They'd fit right in to the rest on Beacon Hill. This just great. Good work again "leaders". You really know how to show the way, aye?

One hand washes the other.

AGAIN, MASS. VOTERS GET EXACTLY WHAT THEY DESERVE, AFTER THE QUESTION 1 DEFEAT I KNOW THAT AT LEAST 70% OF US ARE TOTALLY CLUELESS, HOLD YOUR NOSES AND GRAB YOUR WALLETS FRIENDS

Now a Republican has a chance of winning against Garrett Bradley, who is a democrat and who voted to make Sal DiMasi king again.

It starts at the top, But voters and non voters have to look at who is voted into office. Once these corrupt lawmakers make it to leadership their constituents are not likly to vote against them. A bigger problem lies in the way former law makers are allowed to lobby after leaving office for one year. Follow the money. Who do they represent who are they promising a fundraiser in order to influance bills? They have the access and it is a club up there pure and simple, and unless one of them gets caught with the goods they cover for eachother fully knowing the corrupt way most of them do business. Disgraceful

As a voting resident in Miceli's district I'm embarrassed by this. He ran unopposed in the previous election and I regrettably filled in the bubble for him. He has once again proven that he does not serve the people, he serves himself and feels he won’t be held accountable for his voting actions. Well this corruption must stop! I’ve had enough of this secret handshake behind the scenes politics running our state. These people, like Miceli, work for us and are supposed to represent us. Well never again will I vote for Miceli and starting today I will encourage every other person I know in Wilmington to refuse to vote for him. Wilmington is a small town and word spreads quickly. I’ve been slapped in face enough by this joke of a state government. I pray every one of these “representatives” who voted for Dimasi loses their position in the next election and we can start over and maybe get some actual work done in Massachusetts.

Sal is a great guy, always for the people, all these negative comments are from uninformed average people.