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| Nick Mattiello, ultra-conservative, pro-industry Dem, claims he has the votes. But does he? |
Gordon Fox always struck me as a sincere guy who somewhat
struggled with the onus of power in a game that many believe is won through
fear rather than love. Whatever he may or may not be in trouble for, I wish him
the best.
But Gordon Fox in no way, shape or form represented the
progressive – or even the liberal – wing of the Democratic Party and I also
sincerely hope his political demise leads to less conservative leadership in
the state legislature.
This would not be the case if Nick Mattiello is the next speaker
of the house. He’d be the fourth-consecutive conservative Democrat to lead the
House and was put in place to inherit the gavel from Fox by
speaker-turned-lobbyist Bill Murphy.
Mattiello, a Cranston lawmaker, is one of the more conservative
members of the House, a legislative chamber dominated by fiscal conservatives
and social moderates whose party affiliation often belies their political
leanings. Philosophically speaking, Mattiello seems no more or less liberal
than his GOP counterpart Brian Newberry, and Newberry has surely been more
open-minded to progressive ideas than Mattiello.
Often conservatives (and even sometimes liberals!) will rail
against “70 years of Democrats in control” in the state legislature. But it’s
hard to argue that the Gordon Fox era hasn’t been defined by conservative
policy. During his tenure as speaker and majority leader before that, he backed
tax cuts to the rich, financial cuts to struggling cities and programs for the
developmentally disabled as well as nearly across the board austerity except
when it came to corporate interests and Curt Schilling. Nationally, Fox is
known as the openly gay legislator who pushed for civil unions before same sex
marriage and/or as the Democrat who sponsored a Voter ID bill.
But progressive ideology aside, I think it’s high time Rhode
Islanders demand a change to the leadership team in the House of
Representatives.
Any and all Rhode Island political insiders will happily
proclaim the speaker of the House to be “the most powerful person” in the Ocean
State. But ever since self-proclaimed conservative Democrat John Harwood
captured the speaker’s gavel by striking a deal with Republicans, the most
powerful position in state politics has been awarded based more on loyalty than
ability.
As Scott MacKay of RINPR reported
yesterday, “Longtime Speaker John Harwood seamlessly passed the
leadership to William Murphy, D- West Warwick. Harwood and Murphy later had a
falling out, but it occurred only after the speaker’s gavel had changed hands
without a battle royal. Then in 2010, when Murphy thought it was time to leave,
the transfer of power to Fox was greased.”
Indeed, MacKay says Mattiello was set up to inherit the
speaker’s gavel from Fox when Murphy handed it off to him. “The only thing that
some House observers noticed that Murphy made taking Mattiello as
majority leader a condition of support for Fox,” he wrote. “Fox may be a bit
rueful about that arrangement after yesterday’s events.”
Fox may well be rueful. But Murphy, now a lobbyist who
represents the NRA and payday lenders, probably is not.
Neither may be Frank Anzeveno, who has served as chief of staff
to the speaker since Harwood, and he would likely retain this job if Mattiello
gets his way. Anzeveno infamously has a small placard on his State House desk
that reads, “No better friend, no worse enemy.” And more than anything I just
think the next speaker of the house would do well to be a little less
Machiavellian.
Bob Plain is the
editor/publisher of Rhode Island's Future. Previously, he's worked as a
reporter for several different news organizations both in Rhode Island and
across the country.
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more at: http://anybody-but-mattiello.html#sthash.5J91EPbT.dpuf
