Saturday, September 20, 2008

Minor Official's Guilt Shocker


I can't blame anybody but myself.

Surprising and refreshing describe Kelly Timilty's unqualified statement. She is so out of touch with the M.O. in politics and these times in particular that we must stop and admire it.

Her campaign put out a mailer with a signed endorsement from Gov. Deval Patrick. Except, he never signed it and someone put a copy of his sig on it.

Even though she grew up in a family of politicians, she somehow survived well into adulthood with a sense of morality and personal responsibility. Perhaps she was a Girl Scout.

The office she seeks re-election to is important in that Governor's Council members choose the judiciary. Yet, as I saw plainly in the candidates running for two seats who spoke at the Wards 11 and 19 forum, there is little flash or controversy. Each seat had one law-and-order candidate (an ex-cop) and an incumbent who claimed to be fair to everyone.

Timilty was no dynamo on stage. She stammered and mumbled. Of the four, she was the lowest key.

Yet who could know the pure heart that thumped within. By accepting full blame, she seems to have staved off prosecution (up to $1,000 fine and six months time) for promoting her candidacy without express consent of alleged endorsers. She should have done this immediately but there wasn't much of a lag.

How many pols in a similar spot blame handlers, aides or external forces? She might have even blamed the firm that created the mailer she or her staff approved. She didn't.

I think a lot higher of her this morning.

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