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New MA governor

The new Mass. governor, Deval Patrick, used to head Justice Dept's Civil Rights Division.

At the Volokh Conspiracy, David Bernstein notes that, in that capacity, he tried to prosecute people who engaged in entirely legal pamphletting and contact with legislators. His theory was that by engaging in freedom of expression and petition, trying to stop building of halfway houses, etc. in their neighborhoods, they were undermining the Fair Housing Act. He compared pamphlets to baseball bats: they “are perfectly legal too. But if you wield one to keep people out of the neighborhood, we are going to use the bat as evidence of your intent to violate the civil rights laws.” (via The Bitch Girls).

I just found out that he's also the one who cleared sniper Lon Horiuchi in the shooting of Vickie Weaver."Patrick made the recommendation despite a report by a task force assembled by Patrick’s boss, Attorney General Janet Reno, that found numerous problems with the FBI’s handling of the standoff, and called the protocol used by the FBI’s Hostage Rescue unconstitutional under the circumstances."

Sounds as if MA has found its natural choice for governor. The government may suppress freedom of speech if it might hinder its programs, and if it happens to shoot a lady without justification, well, you can't make an omlette without breaking a few eggs.