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Cambridge state senator charged with hit and run
By adamg on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 11:07pm
Channel 7 reports state Sen. Anthony Galluccio is charged with rear ending a car in Cambridge on Sunday and then just driving away. He turned himself into police Monday morning, the station reports.
In 2005, Galluccio was charged with causing a four-car accident in Boston. A clerk magistrate determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge him with drunken driving, even though he acknowledged having some alcohol that night.
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Re: Cambridge state senator charged with hit and run
Let's play Name That Party!
Pfft
In Masssachusetts, the D is silent because it's implied. Really, what party would you expect a senator from Cambridge to be from?
I'll bite
Green?
And besides, it's not as if
And besides, it's not as if Gooch's political affiliation has anything to do with his propensity for getting loaded, and then smashing into things. I hope they prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law. The issue here isn't the hit-and-run, it's that he almost certainly continued on after the accident so that he wouldn't have to face field sobriety tests. You can overcome a relatively minor hit-and-run in a political career; good luck overcoming (another) drunk driving accident.
But, barring a prison term, it's almost impossible to see him losing office over this. This is Massachusetts; no one takes on entrenched incumbents. Which is a shame. It's not as if he's the best Cambridge could put forward.
Is he that "entrenched" though?
He won a special election almost exactly two years ago. Sure, he was on the city council before that but it's not like he got a broad mandate from the 5% of voters or whatever who came out when he won.
It's not the small number of
It's not the small number of votes that he garnered in the special election that will intimidate challengers. In 2001, 2003, and 2005, Gallucio posted the leading tally of number-one votes in the councilmanic elections, by wide margins. He'll run strongly in some Cambridge precincts, even with this latest evidence of his irresponsibility. But his real strength, ironically, is in Everett - where he outpolled his opponents by significant margins in the special election. To win the district, you've got to appeal to the stalwarts in Cambridge - liberal progressives - and those in Everett and Chelsea - old-school Democrats. Or you've got to blow out the margins in half the district, and keep your opponent from doing the same in the other half. It's a tough trick.
The only way to topple him is in the primary, and that seems likely to be a low turnout election next year. (Unless Capuano moves on up, and there's a primary battle among claimants to his seat.) It would probably take a two man race - multiple opponents splitting the anyone-but-Gooch vote, coupled with the advantages of incumbency, would make him tough to defeat.
Plus they would have to show
Plus they would have to show it was drunk driving, it is kind of hard to prove after the fact. This will just become something else people whisper about behind his back but never bring up.
This is why I want to run for office
Because, frankly, I'm just sick and fucking tired of observing laws.
WIN!!!
WIN!!!
Leaving the scene....
....is one of those offences that seems to show a bit more of ones morals and ethics. Just my opinnion.
Sad situation
I've known Anthony Galluccio through my work as a law professor at Suffolk. Although I haven't been in touch with him for several years, I'm saddened by his problems.
He's definitely a pol who runs hard, but I've also known him to be a decent guy who understands a side of Cambridge that often is marginalized by the wine & cheese and Crimson crowds. At times he's been willing to support some liberal positions that, I'm guessing, took a bit of stretching from where he was originally.
I think that folks are willing to forgive problems that an individual steps up to address, but he is at a crossroads (no pun intended) right now and needs to take personal responsibility. I wish him well.