City Democratic Committee meets: Much Ado About Nothing

City Democratic Committee meets: Much Ado About Nothing
By John M. O’Hara

     A bevy of local politicos turned out for the Somerville Democratic City Committee’s (SDC) meeting October 26. 
     Despite rumors that the group’s executive committee had plans to censure four SDC members, the meeting, which saw higher-than-normal attendance, began and ended without any direct mention of the controversy.
     SDC leader Helen Corrigan had asked Alderman-at-Large Dennis L. Sullivan and Ward 1 Alderman Bill Roche for their resignations from the Ward 1 Democratic Committee upon their endorsement of Republican Alderman William A. White, Jr. White ran against State Sen. Patricia D. Jehlen, D-Somerville for the 2nd Middlesex District state Senate seat. Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston and Ward 4 Alderman Walter Pero also endorsed White.
      It was the first time in Corrigan’s ten year tenure as the group’s leader that she has asked for anyone’s resignation, she said.

     “It’s not that I wanted to ask for their resignations,” said Corrigan.  “The by-laws state that I’m required to.”
     “In a contested partisan election…endorsement of a candidate other than a Democrat by any member shall require that the Chairman immediately  request the resignation of that member and shall cause such request to be made public forthwith” according to the by-laws, she said.
     However, Corrigan’s request was largely ceremonial.  She has no real authority to remove either man from his post, she said.
     That notwithstanding, Corrigan had desired to officially censure Sullivan and Roche.
     “The idea [to censure them] had been thrown around at the executive committee,” said Ward 7 Alderman Robert C. Trane.  “It had been Helen [Corrigan’s] idea. There had been some support for it, but most of us didn’t want to do it.  The whole matter is going to be dropped,” he said. 
       “We have to give kudos to Pat Jehlen,” Trane added.  “She was really the one who called around and said that we should just work toward democratic unity now that the election is over.”
     Jehlen would not confirm Trane’s claims, saying only “We need to work together. There was a requirement; I think it’s over now and we’re all ready to move on.”
     Roche and Sullivan expressed frustration with the whole situation.
     “I think they really rushed to judgment,” Roche said.  “If they had done their homework first they would have realized that we weren’t doing anything wrong.”
     There is a provision in the Massachusetts Democratic Committee by-laws that states that a member can endorse a candidate from an outside party, so long as that person shares strong personal beliefs with the outside candidate that the democratic candidate does not support, said Roche.
     Both had informed the Ward 1 Committee at a regular meeting of their intentions to endorse White. Roche, as its chairman, then held a vote as to whether the pair should step down over the endorsement.
     The group voted 16 to 2 for them to stay on, Roche and Sullivan said. 
     “I would have resigned,” Sullivan said.  “But they decided that they didn’t want me to, and I am happy to serve.”

Comments

[Yorktown Street]

Excuse me, but you mean "Democratic" candidate--as in, the candidate of the Democratic Party. A "democratic" candidate is one who believes in, or practices, democracy. That's almost as hard to define as "progressive"!

[Right On Yorktown]

Excellent point, Yorkie. As another blogger on another kink brought up, Ms. Corrigan, AKA Lady Death, got that hack position because her son is hack toed to the Kennedy's. That didn't help him win the Norfolk County DA's race however. Helen, how can wemiss you if you won't go away? Please, exit stage left... or right, whichever is quicker. P.S. Take Rebekah with you, you're a match made in heaven.

[gimme a break]

Bill Roche is ridiculous here...in a past article about this issue he said this was a non-issue, and that Corrigan should instead focus her energy on stopping the Progressive Democrats of Somerville from using the "Democratic" title in their name.

Well, Bill, I've got new for you. Unlike YOU, PDS ONLY endorses registered Democrats so maybe HE should stop using "Democrat" in his title.

What a double standard!! Bill Roche, Dennis Sullivan, Maryann Heuston and Walter Pero ought to be ASHAMED of themselves!

[aldermanforsale]

Memo to Helen Corrigan:

Thank you for your years of disservice to the Democrats of the City of Somerville.

Your time is up. You are the weakest link.

Goodbye.

[kudostoSDC]

i have to say that the 3 people who gained the most respect in my eyes in this whole thing are Bill Roche, Dennis Sullivan and Pat Jehlen.

I voted for Bill White and supported his candidacy, and I would again, but Pat saying that the time has come for party unity gained her 50 points in my eyes. It was the right thing to do. If the democrat party is supposed to be about tolerance and inclusion, that inclusion should include dissenting opinions from within its own ranks. I think Pat saw that and she's smart enough to know that reaching out to people who differ opinions is the right thing to do for the long haul. Good for you Pat. Sullivan and Roche put it on the line and should be applauded for their fortitude. I'll tel you it made my decision a lot easier to vote FOR Dennis Sullivan for ANY office he decides to run for in the future. Billy too.

Helen Corrigan should have really downplayed this when it first happened. The thing about yellow dogs or whatever was kind of stupd I thought. Maybe its time for her to step aside and realize that the party has to change in order to survive. This keeps up and I might even become a democrat!

[yellowdawg]

This is my first posting here. I have been waiting in the wings for the right moment. And here it is, finally - thank you - The Somerville News for giving me a launching point.
It absolutely escapes me how Helen Corrigan aka "Lady Death" can still be lingering like the smell of a wet dump in grampys depends on a hot summer day day. Are you shitting me? This broad is like Cathy O'Dea plus ten years (ok maybe 15). Why can't we get rid of these morons? Are they really like herpes or old luggage - we can't even give them away?
I can't believe people like "Lady Death" and the other dipshit are still around and so many fairly good candidates for office have been shuffled aside and long forgotten.
This is what we have to be thankful for at the end of the day because someone, somewhere showed some loyalty (there's a long forgotten trait) or maybe it was the old school irish mafia wannabes connected to the completely overblown and overhyped Kennedy family that kept her hanging around.
Give me a bloody break - Helen looks like the friggin Crypt Keeper which is no surprise considering her age. You know what? I would definitely vote for someone she supported - as long Helen promised to just drop dead - and soon.
Shouldn't surprise anyone laughing at the local verison of the Democratic Party - just look around for some really truly stupid people who are elected officials or hold a job as a Department Head in this city - examples that come to mind are:
Walter "Momma's Boy" Pero
Sean "area code 305" O'Donovan
Cindy "frumpy redneck" Hickey
anyone in the Hickey family or related to them - speaking of which -
Frankie "gets more ass than a toilet seat" Santangelo
and last but certainly not least -
Charlene "WIC" Harris
And there's Helen who fits right in with those mental midgets.
"Yellow Dog Democrat" Jesus Christ - more like "Yellow Stained Depends". Someone please unplug her life support and roll that bitch into the sewer where she, her family and every single Kennedy belongs.

[delusional]

hahahahaha someone more manic than me or Norton on here - thats funny shit right there. aside from the nasty names, you hit it on the head, although you missed a lot of people in your rant-line of stupid people. why dont they just get rid of helen? i dont even remember when she was an elected official and ive lived here all my life - over 30 years!
i was at that thing the other night and i too was shocked at pat jehlen saying something so unifying. i was also shocked that they keep helen "crypt keeper" up theree - thats the best nickname yet
im told that bob trane is the vice chairman or whatever behind the dragon lady - they should defintely unplug her and roll her out of there and make bob the chairman.
wheteher you like him personally or not - you have to admire his no-bullshit mentality. we need bob trane - am i alone on this issue? someone else pipe up and agree or disagree with me. anything is better than great granny helen - lets put someone who will actually do shit in that position.

[Ron Newman]

Well, I've only been here 21 years and I certainly remember her being an Alderman-at-Large. So your memory may need a bit of jogging.

[Agree with Delusional]

I'll agree with you about Trane. He's kind of wacky and out there, but I like him. He prowls the night up there in Ward 7 like some kind of Avenger looking for those scumbag Tufts kids who make my life hell screwing around. It's kind of crazy but I like it. We need more like him out there. Now, if we could just get rid of the Plaid Luggage (Helen Corrigan) we might get somewhere. Maybe that somewhere will be as far away from the "Regressives" as possible.

[Ron Newman]

While I'm a strong supporter of Pat Jehlen and personally like Helen Corrigan, I disagree with Helen about wanting Bill Roche or anyone else to resign from Democratic ward committees.

Had that rule been in effect in 1990, most of the Ward 2 committee would have been forced to resign, as we could not under any circumstances have supported John Silber for Governor.

(and by the way, to the writer of this article: it's Walter PERO, not PIRO.)

[Amole3]

Helen Corrigan should take her candidate in Ward 6 Becky and retire to the land of Oz. As for Senator Pat Jehlan giving that speech the other night i almost fell over. I didn't vote for her but what she said hopefully she will show in action. Bob Trane should be the new chairman of the Democratic Party here in Somerville, he'll put engery and life back where it belongs. I only wish my alderman was like Alderman Trane, he's like the Flash Gordon of Ward 7 he's everywhere. Maybe we can get him to run for Mayor in a few years....

[aldermanforsale]

Guys, guys. C'mon. All I said was that her time was up at the helm of the Somerville Democrats. Let's try and be a little more gentle. Leave the vulgarity out of this. Corrigan has lost her touch with the mainstream Democrats, and for that reason she has lost respect and the abilty to effectively lead. She didn't kill a puppy and hang its entrails from a flagpole in front of City Hall. Relax with the namecalling.

[delusional]

yeah i remember her ronny baby - the point is - i dont remember her, ronny baby.

in other words, a waste of flesh

get it?
got it?
good.

[yellowdawg]

Alderman for Sale -

Are you kidding me? Have you actually talked to Mother Time ever? Did you feel dumber as a result of your experience?

She should have never been put into that position and what makes it worse is the zombies that kept her in there in that capacity.

She hasn't lost touch - she never had touch - she couldn't even touch herself.

If she killed a puppy and hung its entrails from a flagpole at least she would have done two extraordinary things - first, had an original thought, and second, actually motivated something other than someone's gag reflex.

Give me a bloody break - get her out of there and put Bob Trane in charge.

[aldermanforsale]

OK, OK. So you have some issues with Nana. Get some anger management sessions and get over it. You think any of the zombies that kept her in that position for so long, including Trane, will be any less manipulated by the "boys"? I think not, yellerdawg. All I'm trying to say is it's time for the "mainstream Dems" to start getting involved again regarding the future direction of the organization. Perhaps you may want to launch your own campaign and go for the throne yourself?

[Can you say 'hypocrite'?]

Here's what's really interesting about Helen Corrigan desiring to remove Aldermen Roche and Sullivan......As head of the Democratic City Committee, is it really appropriate for Ms. Corrigan to back a candidate in a democratic primary? Ms. Corrigan backed Pat Jehlen over other qualified candidates. Shouldn't her position mean that she would be neutral in a 'democratic' primary, since it's all about supporting the democratic candidate? I think the other members of the committee should question the ethics of their chairperson offering support to a candidate in a primary election!

[aldermanforsale]

"Hypocrite"

Well said. That is something Ms. Corrigan and the Jehlen groupies would rather we all forget. She did exactly that. What's good for the goose........ That could explain why the temporary Senator is now calling for "unity", to deflect attention from Corrigan in hopes we forget what she did. Not me. The Somerville Democratic Committee should immediately call for the resignation of Ms. Corrigan and hold a special election. (Why not, this is the year of special elections.)

[A Somervillian In Oz]

We do not them here in Oz so please do not send them this way

[A Somervillian in Oz]

Bah that got messed up, we do not want them here in Oz. So please, maybe send them north.