This has to be the biggest non-story of the year. Jon Keller, a leading political commentator in these parts for years is being taken to task by the few Patrick administration cheerleaders who are still hanging on for having the audacity to make fun of Deval’s Top 20 accomplishments list.
And what exactly is Keller’s sin? It’s the other Keller, his son Barney. You see, Barney is the PR spokesperson for the state GOP , an unenviable job if there ever was one. Jon, by the way, discloses the relationship on his blog, it’s no state secret. Barney did what any good flack would do when such a laughable, pathetic, weak list of 4-5 accomplishments is super fluffed to reach twenty. He pitched it around to the press. Jon Keller did what any pundit worth his salt would do to a list like this…he mocked it for its lameness.
The state’s leading liberal blog, Blue Mass Group, picks up on a Herald story and says that,
Jon Keller and his son and Barney have both stated that they did not collaborate on this story. This is something that needs to be followed.
What would be criminal or worthy of investigaion is if Jon Keller DIDN’T mock this list. After all, take a look at it yourself.
Number two on the list is marriage equality for all. The fact that Deval had very little to do with this demonstrates how weak this list is. Pardon me if I’m just slightly underwhelmed by Deval’s “accomplishments,”
5. Civic engagement
8. Increasing access to state government
15. Governor of the whole state
16. Passed parts of the municipal partnership act…
17. Appointed reform-minded leaders…
18. Moving an agenda to affirm human dignity
19. Investing in the state’s DC office…
20. Governor’s role as the state’s chief salesperson…
I feel better about Deval now, don’t you? Phew, these are the hot button issues that have been keeping me up at night. And congraulations to Deval for successfully double dipping, he’s now ready, apparently, for a career as an infomercial spokesperson if this governing thing doesn’t work out.
It’s Valerie Plame all over again!! Come on people. Do you really think that after covering Beacon Hill for twenty years Jon Keller needed instruction or help in realizing this list was deserving of his trademark snarky barbs? If you follow the logic, then Jon Keller can never criticize Deval on any issue that the state GOP agrees is an issue. If he does, it is some sort of scandal. Talk about an incumbent protection act. They are trying to criminalize criticism of Deval. I’m sure that will be at the top of next year’s “accomplishments”.
The most pathetic part of all of this is that I have been watching Jon Keller for years and I have no idea if he is a Democrat or a Republican. That is the best thing one could say about a political commentator I think…and that is what makes this non-story so laughable.