At the Boston Globe, columnist Yvonne Abraham writes of the Dianne Wilkerson affair: “It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.” No. Ten years ago it was sad. Now it’s just funny.
And at the Boston Herald, columnist Howie Carr has been caught stuffing his underwear with Pat Purcell’s cash. If he put more than 10 minutes into typing about Wilkerson, I’d be shocked.
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Dot Lane
Headline reads: “Another salon, another indictment”Such quality control at the Herald!
O-FISH-L
Carr needs only ten minutes, maybe five, to produce what Herald readers are looking for and that’s a conservative, unfiltered take on the problems in state government. They are so obvious that not a lot of research is required anymore. It’s the liberals like Eagan and Gelzinis who are taking Purcell to the bank and mowing over subsribers along the way. If I were a Herald employee I’d have a life insurance policy on Howie, because when he goes so goes the Herald. That said, what is striking about the Wilkerson case is that she hasn’t been indicted, merely brought in to answer a criminal complaint. So the Herald headline and Carr’s line about 5% of the Senate being indicted this year, are wrong or at least premature.As the saying goes you can indict a ham sandwich, so I’m sure it’s just a matter of time. Still, I wonder why the feds just didn’t wait for the Grand Jury to act. Could this be a window of opportunity for the feds to extract “bigger fish” from Wilkerson while using a delayed, perhaps reduced, indictment as a chit?
Dot Lane
“Carr needs only ten minutes, maybe five, to produce what Herald readers are looking for and that’s a conservative, unfiltered take on the problems in state government. They are so obvious that not a lot of research is required anymore.”If it is so obvious, then why does he even have to write it? Perhaps he could use some of his marginal talents to do some actual digging? You know the old saying how a roomful of monkeys with typewriters given unlimited time would produce the works for Shakespeare? Well Howie Carr is one monkey, ten minutes, with apologies to whoever came up with the “two monkeys, ten minutes” book review in the first place.
Dan Kennedy
If I were a Herald employee I’d have a life insurance policy on Howie, because when he goes so goes the Herald.Or to put it another way, Fish: As Howie has gone, so has gone the Herald.I’m intrigued by your observation that Wilkerson hasn’t actually been indicted yet, and frankly hadn’t noticed. It would indeed be pretty interesting if there were other shoes to drop. Not likely that she duped everyone she dealt with, is it?
Dot Lane
Howie Carr is the Manny Ramirez of Boston columnists.
Vox
The guy has been writing one article over and over and over since I first started reading him in 1982. At least Barnicle had the decency to write two articles over and over and over.
An Astute Observer
>>As the saying goes you can indict a ham sandwich, so I'm sure it's just a matter of time. Still, I wonder why the feds just didn't wait for the Grand Jury to act.<<Well, should they have waited until *after* the election….as Wilkerson seems to suggest?
O'Rion
Diane usually presents a vigorous narrative in her defense. This one could be a beaut. How about, she worked what she thought was a crooked vendor. The intention was to involve the AG’s office: after the election. She spent none of the cash. That would have, in Nixon’s words “been wrong.”
Ani
Tuesday evening Emily Rooney had a guest who slightly explored the psychological problem narrative possibility, and last evening Rooney seemed to try to explore the “Does this reflect business as usual?” narrative possibility.
tvoh
Actually, Vox Barnicle had the decency to steal two articles and use them over and over.Yeah, Howie had an easy time with this. You guys are upset. What is it with Dan’s groupies that they all have had a humorectomy procedure.
Dan Kennedy
Tvoh: Maybe it’s just me, but I think humor works best when it’s funny. Dianne Wilkerson’s arrest is hilarious all by itself.
tvoh
You know what humor is Dan? Half of Obama’s family is in Boston and not you, not Howie, not the Globe or Herald notice them.The Brits find them.I find that hilarious.
Dan Kennedy
Tvoh: It is pretty funny that the Globe and the Herald didn’t find her. I didn’t realize a full-time professor and part-time unpaid blogger was supposed to be out looking for her, but I’ll be sure to check in with you the next time to get my assignments.
tvoh
Dan,Oh, in your present incarnation, you have shut down you nose for news and avoid looking for it.You really should check in with me.
Sean Roche
Are you aware that the quote about how any prosecutor could “indict a ham sandwich,” was first uttered by the then Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals (the state’s top court) Sol Wachtler. Wachtler was later convicted of harassing his former paramour after being arrested on the way to pick up a $20,000 extortion payment from the ex-girlfriend.
Dan Kennedy
Sean: I’m pretty sure the “ham sandwich” line has been used by defense lawyers for generations. I’d be surprised if it originated with Wachtler, though I could be wrong.