**UPDATE 4/15** The House of Representatives has passed Rep. Paul Ryan’s bill that would end Medicare as we know it. The vote was almost entirely on party lines. No Democrats voted for it and they were joined by four Republicans. The budget resolution is not
Speaker John Boehner R-OH (Wikipedia) So this is what it comes down to. Reports are swirling that the number agreed to by Democrats and Republicans is roughly $40 billion. While Speaker of the House John Boehner R-OH, insists that a number is not set, it
Monday was a night of stunning defeats and equally stunning chutzpah. A dozen or so cops filled the council chamber ostensibly as a show of solidarity ahead of the civilian review vote. Other measures up included the trash fee, a petition to extend council terms
Councilor Walsh (Facebook) Tonight’s City Council Meeting will feature a renewed effort by at-large Councilor Kateri Walsh and Ward 4 Councilor E. Henry Twiggs to extend the term of City Councilors to four years, coterminous with the mayor’s 4 year term. Walsh and Twiggs are
On March 5 1920, the New York Times reported that a tract of land in “Central Springfield, MA” had been purchased by the Diamond Match Company. Although that article claimed matches were not to be manufactured there, eventually they were. Until the 1980’s the company
Pres. Obama giving his Libya speech (White House) For a nation already overextended in Iraq and Afghanistan, it would seem foolhardy for President Barack Obama, a fierce critic of the Iraq war, to lead us into battle once again. Yet, a little over a week
As Western Mass Politics & Insight arrogantly takes credit for starting the cascade of news stories about Scott Brown’s sudden love for family planning and women’s health, the Springfield City Council got short shrift again. Monday’s meeting emphasized the importance of committee. Much of the
**UPDATE** An update from yesterday’s Scott Brown post. Less than 24 hours after WMassP&I noted Scott Brown’s disconnect from women and his vote for the House budget, which included a ban on Planned Parenthood funding, Scott Brown issued a new statement condemning the cuts. The
Senate Seal (wikipedia) With the 2012 campaign underway, albeit somewhat passively, it seems appropriate for us to begin looking into the races (and THE race) that will define the 2012 campaign. However, any discussion of Congressional races is up in the air pending redistricting, which
Today we start a new series on WMassP&I called “The Insight” consisting of interviews of politicians, officials and other newsmakers within the Greater Springfield universe. Councilor Rivera (Facebook) Springfield, like many cities, has long been a place where politics is a contact sport. Campaigns can