Powerful House speaker resigns from Legislature (Mass.)

[wicket]

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/271/region/Powerful_House_speaker_resigns:.shtml

House Speaker Thomas Finneran, who carved out a reputation as a fierce ruler in his eight years in the post, announced his resignation from the Legislature on Monday to become president of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council.

His departure increasingly expected over the past week comes amid a federal investigation into Finneran's role in the redrawing of House districts. A panel of federal appeals court judges openly questioned the credibility of his testimony in a lawsuit claiming the map was doctored to favor incumbent lawmakers, including Finneran.

Finneran's resignation as speaker, effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday, paves the way for a change in leadership to the more liberal House Majority Leader Salvatore F. DiMasi, D-Boston, who is expected be elevated to speaker by his colleagues later this week. Finneran will continue to serve as a representive until his term expires in January.

[fob]

1. Didn't Mass get the memo, checks and balances are so 1974.

Texas, Colorado and Florida have done similar things for the espressed stated purpose of protecting incumbents AND creating more safe repuke districts, all out in the open and in our faces.

[lastliberalintexas]

2. Are you kidding me?

God, if that was all it took to get rid of Craddick...

We'll be seeing that federal investigation into the Texas re-re-districting when?

[Tracer]

3. See ya latah, Tommy ...

... and don't let the doah hit you on the way out.

[sniffa]

4. good fuckin riddance

exxxxxxceLLant!

[wicket]

5. amen to that!

So glad to see the DINO leaving at last! :D

[gratuitous]

6. Does that guy look like Boo Radley, or what?

Crrrrrreepy.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Looks like he was considering bigger things until he was stopped!

Pity! What the world needs is more politicians who can really get in there and read those childrens' stories.

[bushwakker]

7. Yesss!!! Now we can win finally elect a Dem Governor

they can't run against Finneran anymore. With TF we got the worst of both worlds. A fiscal and social conservative who the GOP could run against because he was nominlly a "Dem" when in reality he was just as conservative if not more so than the recent GOP governors (Romney excepted) we've had. Good riddance TF.

[wicket]

10. So glad Finneran is gone!

Good riddance indeed! Now to only get rid of Mitt...

[MAlibdem]

9. Sweet...

This will make gay marraige much easier to retain. Among the thousands of other good reasons. Sweet.

[Mr E McSquare]

11. republicans cant win unless they cheat