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DAVID S. BERNSTEIN

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From Jester to Esther

Sarah Palin sees self as a religious legend, not a political football
During the presidential campaign last fall, the Phoenix took note of a curious undercurrent in the annals of Sarah Palin fandom: the notion of Palin as a modern-day Queen Esther.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | July 15, 2009

Boston's $10 Million Boo-Boos

Righting a wrongful conviction
The bill continues to come due for the string of nine wrongful convictions discovered in Boston between 1999 and 2004 — a tab that has now topped $10 million in court settlements.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | July 07, 2009

Massholes

A timeline of modern-day state house corruption
Scandal and accusations of corruption are nothing new to Massachusetts state government. Hutchinson was accused of enforcing the much-despised Stamp Act and Tea Act in part because his brother-in-law was stamp master, and two of his sons were designated tea consignees.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | June 17, 2009

Mass betrayal

How House progressives have let you down — and why they'll do it again
Is the Massachusetts House of Representatives beyond all hope? Under Democratic leadership, the song has pretty much remained the same for the last decade and a half: an insular and out-of-touch legislature is lost in its own constricted and often petty perspectives.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | June 19, 2009

Female Trouble

A shocking dearth of Republican female pols should have the party in a panic. So why doesn't it care?
Conventional political wisdom says that for a party to oppose a woman — or a women's issue — it's best to send out a female spokesperson.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | June 03, 2009

Roast pork

As our state's bumbling, craven, and inept elected officials stumble toward summer, we get a few good laughs out of their promises for reform
Back in January, Governor Deval Patrick declared a "season of significant government reform" on Beacon Hill.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | May 27, 2009

Campaign Trail of Tears

Menino's challengers look to capitalize on tragedy. Plus, council candidates try to meet the tougher new ballot requirements — set by an incumbent.
Mayoral candidates Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon have looked a little like ambulance chasers of late, seizing on two recent tragedies for political gain.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | May 20, 2009

Generation Green

Once derided as tree huggers, eco-friendly youth are now the nation's most powerful (and feared) voting bloc. So why isn't the GOP listening?
Republicans have a lot to say about the immorality of saddling the next generation with our national debt. But when it comes to leaving them a wrecked, depleted, and rapidly warming planet, they are taking the exact opposite line.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | May 11, 2009

Swan song for Southie?

As circumstances have changed for Irish Bostonians, the political talent pool in South Boston has dried up. Plus, voting a black slate?
South Boston is famous for producing politicians the way Detroit is known for manufacturing automobiles.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | April 22, 2009

Is it Tim time?

As Deval Patrick flails, Tim Cahill is positioning himself to run. And that's a-okay with the Patrick team.
Whereas a few months ago it seemed that no one could pose a serious threat to any re-election campaign mounted by Governor Deval Patrick, a recent string of missteps has suddenly made him very vulnerable.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | April 01, 2009

Tone deaf

Can Gov. Deval hear the thunder of jeers?
March has not been kind to Deval Patrick.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | March 25, 2009

Cracking up

State legislators across the country are filing resolutions declaring state sovereignty just as they did the last time a Democrat won the White House
Republicans all over the country find themselves backed into an ideological and political corner: their dogma has brought the country, and their party, to ruin.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | March 19, 2009

Capuano cornered?

Could a developing Washington probe hurt the Somerville congressman, and derail his Senate hopes?
Republican lobbying-ethics scandals helped convince voters to toss out the GOP and put Democrats back in control of the US House of Representatives.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | March 03, 2009

Youth infusion

The surprisingly diverse leaders of team DeLeo. Plus, do environmentalists have reason to worry?
In DeLeo's restructuring, white, non-Hispanic men older than 45 fell from power in droves.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 19, 2009

Can Sam Yoon win?

An Obama-loving city counselor aims to be mayor of Boston
Recent elections, as you may have heard, have been about change.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 11, 2009

Money talks

Can Beacon Hill reform itself when the State Senate President and the new House Speaker rake in so much lobbyist cash?
To hear our state legislators talk lately, Beacon Hill is all about reforming the sketchy, poorly governed relationships between lawmakers and lobbyists.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 06, 2009

Grading the cabinet

At the midway point of Governor Deval Patrick's first term, we issue a report card for his cabinet
As we watch President Barack Obama replace the federal government's old, unpopular, Republican department heads with fresh, bright talent, it's hard not to think back two years, to the start of Governor Deval Patrick's first term as governor of Massachusetts.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 29, 2009

The political virgins

With a crucial state-legislature session looming, Boston residents turn to untested newbies to fight for their share of the pie
At this incalculably critical time — with a fiscal nightmare threatening billions of dollars of state-government spending and momentous budget decisions to be made — everyone in Massachusetts wants to be represented on Beacon Hill by someone with clout.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 09, 2009

Silence of the Sam

Want to know what your city council does? Sorry, they can't tell you.
A seemingly simple attempt to provide Bostonians a small measure of good-government reform ran aground this past week.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | December 24, 2008

20 reasons the Earth will be glad to see Bush go

As our 43rd president scrambles to screw further with Mother Nature, a look at the ways our planet will be better off under Obama
The planet Earth usually tries to stay out of politics. It doesn't endorse candidates. It doesn't run attack ads. It doesn't even register as a lobbyist.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | December 19, 2008

Free for all

Is Mayor Menino getting White-washed? Plus, Sam Yoon's not-so-friendly skies
Striking parallels emerge between the upcoming mayor's race and the historic race of 1983.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | December 12, 2008

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