Sufragette Pity.
By Jim Conley • Mar 11th, 2007 • Email This Post to a Friend •
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Conventional wisdom has it that Jesse Mermell is a shoo-in for a seat on Brookline Selectman after May’s election. But what do we really know about Mermell? Well, she’s young and she goes to a lot of political conventions.
And she works as executive director to the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus. Who are they? Take a look for yourself.
And see if you don’t get the same vibe I do out of this group. Looks to me like a band of political consultants advancing their own agendas and giving awards to their sponsors.
Plus, what’s with endorsing only women for office? In the 2006 Gubernatorial election the Caucus endorsed Kerry Healey for Governor. Really. The same Kerry Healey who exploited rape victims in her television ads? Yes, that Kerry Healey.
Oh yeah, Mermell will be perfect for Brookline Town Government.
Update: Last month the Caucus held it’s annual “Good Guy” Awards, feting men who…well, who sponsor the Caucus. This year’s good guy was Joseph Campanelli, CEO of Sovereign Bank. What makes him a good guy? Certainly not the fact that Sovereign is being sued for allegedly defrauding the US Small Business Administration of $32 million.
So, I guess it makes you a “good guy” to cut 77 jobs out of an operations center in Dorchester to deliver savings to shareholders. Do you suppose there are a few working mothers among the 77? Do you suppose that Campanelli will cut executive compensation to achieve even further savings? Do you think that matters to the Caucus’ board members who come from the ranks of the Weld, Cellucci and Swift administrations, as well as the Republican National Committee?
No wonder Selectman Michael Merrill made way for Jesse.
Good grief.
Update (2): Apparently Mermell is “embarassed” by Massachusetts’ Congressional delegation. She tells the Herald’s Wayne Woodlief in his February 22 column: “Washington state has two U.S. senators, a woman governor and one House member. We are one of 17 states to have no women in our delegation. It’s embarrassing.”
I’ll bet Brookline’s US Rep Barney Frank will be glad to hear that one of the Town’s selectmen is “embarassed” that no woman has represented Massachusetts in Congress since Margaret Heckler in 1982. Because it was Frank who knocked her out in a bruising campaign.
Jim Conley is publisher of On Brookline.
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Interesting to hear the MWPC is endorsing only women, which, in fact their mission statement seems to state.
But in the 1980’s, the MWPC endorsed male candidates –over women–if their candidacy enhanced the cause of women, or words to that effect. Discovering this was a shocker to many women.
Also, I don’t recall the MWPC ever endorsing Republican candidates in the 80s, though I’d be happy to be enlightened otherwise.
No, it became clear that the MWPC, founded by Ann Lewis, Barney Frank’s sister, was pro-Democrat. Republicans need not apply.
It’s good to see that a Republican woman can now be endorsed, and that men are, apparently, no longer endorsed.
[...] I reported this in a previous post, but it bears repeating. In February, selectman’s candidate Jesse Mermell (running unopposed on the crony ticket) tells the Herald’s Wayne Woodlief that she’s embarrassed by the all-male Massachusetts Congressional delegation, saying: “Washington state has two U.S. senators, a woman governor and one House member. We are one of 17 states to have no women in our delegation. It’s embarrassing.’’ [...]
[...] She’s 27. Her leadership? I’ve never seen it. Her knowledge of the issues? Please. In line with Brookline values? She works for a so-called woman’s organization thatendorsed Kerry Healey for Governor. A compeliing personal story? It’s a sham. Like I say, a laugh riot. [...]