Care to comment on travails of AG Reilly? Boston Globe article detailing

[merbex]

phone call to contributor and family friend of killed teen sisters:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/01/11/reilly_says_he_discussed_crash_with_supporter/

I'm a Deval Patrick supporter and I'll say up front that I hope Deval Patrick stays out of this issue

I think voters are capable of assessing facts and implications AND judging Reilly and Repugs reactions to the story

IMHO, Reilly made a big mistake

[Mass]

1. When is the Boston Globe going to focus on the unseamly attacks

by Romney and Healey. These two make me want to puke. Cant they let the families alone.

Reilly did something stupid, but clearly nothing that changed justice. DA Comte said that the police had the toxicology report and, as has been acknowledged by everybody now, the autopsy report of a minor should not be given to the media, so we should be requesting that the media focus on what is important in MA, and not on trivial things like that (I know it is a lot for the Globe to understand as they start their campaign to have Mihos elected, but...).

I certainly hope that Deval Patrick wins as Reilly has proven to be totally unable to handle the media (as could be expected), but what we are seeing here is the Swiftboating of Reilly, not anything that has any significance for the Commonwealth.

BTW, Deval Patrick should take a lesson of that. Nothing will stop these people to make the most baseless attacks (media and Republicans).

[merbex]

2. I think Romney and Heaaley look crass discussing this event

Tragic event for a family that everyone can sympathize with- your children being killed in an accident- the decent thing would have been for the Globe to report the facts that concerned Reilly and let the voter decide with no comment

The repugs look low class and opportunistic trying to win a few % points over an opponent

And if I were Deval Patrick I would not be sucked into this

[TaleWgnDg]

3. Any comments? Well . . . now that you asked . . .

Any comments? Well . . . now that you asked . . .

Overall, the news media has a hair across its *ss about access to so-called "news."

Why do I say this? Well, legally, speaking . . .

First of all, there's no constitutional right to access to the news. None. None whatsoever. Of course, there's freedom of the press to publish that which is newsworthy, but, again, there's no constitutional, state or federal, right of access to that alleged newsworthy information. And, there lies the rub.

The Boston Globe, albeit, being an award-winning journalistic source of news, remains pissed-off whenever they are denied access to what they consider is newsworthy. Here, there's both a constitutional and statutory right to privacy in this medical documentation. Thus, it should remain private, period.

Second, the very fact that such private information/documentation is denied to a news publication is not, thus, "news" as alleged by the Boston Globe. In short, the Boston Globe is, once again, blowing its own horn and calling it "news" when it's not. Here, the Boston Globe is attempting to make news not report the news.

Shame on the Boston Globe! However, nowadays the BosGlobe is not unique in this stance, unfortunately.

Third . . . as for AG Reilly? He did absolutely and positively nothing wrong in law and absolutely and positively nothing wrong in ethics. Nothing. Nada. Zero. No matter how the hell the Boston Globe wants to twist it, pine about it, or wish it their way. Even if the Boston Globe went to court and requested these medical records, would the Boston Globe win? No, because a court would summarily dismiss it as a matter of law, then most likely award court costs and attorneys fees to the Globe's opponents.

Fourth . . . on the other hand, how can a telephone call by a state Attorney General (Reilly) to a state District Attorney (John J. Conte) reminding him (Conte) about state and federal and constitutional laws of privacy regarding these records being demanded by the so-called "news media" be construed to negatively impact Reilly? Only if the "news media" wants to pander to the public about legal stuff that the public doesn't fully understand such as the Globe being legally denied access to private information, period.

Finally, where the hell does the Boston Globe *get off* speculating about -- no, playing lawyer about -- the criminality of an event? and its participants? Since when did the Boston Globe attend law school? pass a bar exam? and get employed as an Attorney General or as a District Attorney whose duty is to ascertain facts and circumstances then determine the criminality of same if any?

Maybe Conte should sue the Boston Globe regarding defamation of character (libel) regarding the Boston Globe's "news" publications of Conte's duties as state District Attorney when assessing the potential criminality of participants in an event. LOL

_________________

edited to add: Reilly could most likely win a defamation of character (libel) suit against the Boston Globe . . . I wish! However, in law, there's a brick wall preventing public figures (as is Reilly, and as is Conte) to win in such a libel suit. And, no, it's not that I am pro-Reilly or anti-Reilly, politically, it's just that I am damn sick and tired of the so-called "news media" taking advantage of the loophole in libel law. This loophole allows sleaze to pass as "news," e.g., Fox News. Here, it allowed the Boston Globe to drive a truck through it in its negative (and speculative) reports about Reilly and Conte. Again, shame on the Boston Globe!

[merbex]

4. Very interesting; but someone must have dropped a dime to relate that

Reilly made the call to Conte to "remind" Conte of the law in this particular case

The Globe learned of the call and ran with it denoting all the negative connotations that it could

So speculate for a minute: did the person who dropped the dime do it to benefit anyone- another political candidate perhaps or another party or simply to wound Reilly?

[pilgrimm]

6. I agree Reilly did nothing legally or ethically wrong here

Even if Reilly reminded Conte of the Law with a wink and a nudge, he did so for the benefit the family of the two girls. If he did so for the benefit of the person who hosted the party that would be a different story, but that's not what happened. He used the law to protect the victims family's as opposed to using the law to try and prosecute and ruin the life of a 20yo kid and at the expense of the victims family's.

I like Patrick and feel pretty sure he is above these swift boat politics.

[Mass]

5. For once, good editorial in the BG on this issue

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/01/13/questions_for_kerry_healy/

Questions for Kerry Healy

By Scot Lehigh | January 13, 2006

ATTORNEY GENERAL Thomas Reilly has been beset by that most dangerous and damning of political phenomena: Raised Questions.

Nor does it seem to matter that those questions have been answered to what should be a high degree of journalistic and public satisfaction.

Perhaps misinformation and innuendo are all we can expect of talk radio.

But shouldn't Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey know better?

...

Healey would know all that if she had bothered to call Conte's office before making her claim.

She didn't. Instead, she offered a baseless charge against Reilly -- a charge she now declines to defend, retract, or even discuss.

And at this point, that's what really raises questions here.

[TayTay]

7. I thought this played out badly for Kerry Healey

She is willing to walk across the bodies of two dead teenage girls and their grieving families in order to attack a political opponent. I was not inclined to vote for her before, I know. But I have talked to people in state who have voted for Repub govs and they were repelled by this callous and indecent act. There is no way this should have ended up in the papers.

How heartless and ruthless can a person be, even a Repub, before people just say, enough? Kerry Healey crossed the line here. I have heard that from a number of people who find this whole episode disturbing. How low will she go anyay?