I had finished my coffee and was half way through the morning paper by the time Big Freddy showed up.
"Sleeping in?" I asked.
"Bird watching," he said as he heaved into the bench seat opposite.
"Birds? You?" I asked.
"Vultures roosting on the Sacred Cod in the House," Freddy said.
"I thought House Speaker Sal DiMasi had deep sixed the Casino bill," I said.
"That, too," Freddy said, "but there are three acts in play, here."
"You're talking about the Republicans trying to rattle the House cage, and what else?" I asked.
"DiMasi taking the heat over his two House leaders waiting for him to go quietly into that good night," Freddy said.
"And what else?" I asked.
"With the Senate resurrecting the casino business while he's taking heat in the House," Freddy said.
"Interesting timing," I said.
"Which, you put that with police checking out threats to him to see whether the why and the what can lead them to the who is not the kind of thing that usually goes with the hot ticket items that reach a Speaker," Freddy said.
"You wouldn't think there'd be so much turmoil after Democrats got to run the entire government," I said.
"You're forgetting what's been going on in Washington, and now Republicans are taking to the lifeboats," Freddy said.
"Not the same thing," I said. "They've been in control a long time."
"And look at what's happened," Freddy said. "Democrats have had that kind of power in Massachusetts only since Patrick won. In two years, we're in the red. Obama beats McCain with Democrats in charge of the Senate and Congress? Enjoy, but keep your fingers crossed."
"You're saying they'll overreach the way the Republicans have," I said.
"Human nature and party discipline," Freddy said. "Party hardcore's one thing. Party middles are softer. Independents outnumber both parties. Absolute power overreaches. Things get bad enough, the middle steps in. Total Republican power too long in Washington, Republican total screw up? Game, set, and match to the Democrats."
"But Democrats have total power in Massachusetts," I said.
"True, so enjoy the whatever," Freddy said. 'The Casino thing is about jobs — especially public sector jobs — and where those kinds of jobs are in play so is insider trading on the Hill. Insider trading is what all government is about. It gets more complicated in Washington because a President not only has to deal with the Congress but the entire world. Patrick has to deal with what's real in Massachusetts. What's real right now for him is dealing with the Speaker, and what the Speaker has to deal with are those chomping at the bit to get his job. What the wannabees have before them is who is going to rule the roost and the sooner the Speaker leaves the better for some and not for the others which is why the split is so close.
"Don't think that's not going on in Washington either. Democrats have been clawing at the White House front door for too long. There are lessons to be learned at both levels, but memories are short. Living for the moment is heady stuff when it comes to political clout."
"And you love it," I said.
"Why not?" Freddy asked. "It's what our founders gave us in those smoke filled rooms in Philadelphia a long time ago. No one ever said it would be neat, because it was all about staying as free as possible no matter what. You want neat? Hitler gave Germany neat. It's freedom that gives us the choices we make about the whatevers on the table that divide us. Sooner or later, give either party total control and it will self-destruct. We get to decide that. Enjoy."
Bill Plante, of Newbury, is a local columnist.
