Left In Lowell

Apparently, being a Columnist and having an original thought in your head is not valued over at the Blog of Record.

Once again, it’s Mr. Dan “Chaz Bono got turned into a man, dear.“Phelps.

I caught a whiff of Phelps’ latest blog … offering … and immediately recognized the stench. It is, of course, the standard fare of the disgruntled Bernie Bashers that came up short, last November. If Phelp’s deserves credit, it would be conjuring the verbal diaherra into blog form.

Murphy is a one-term city councilor. The other councilor who put his hat in for mayor is Rodney Elliott, who is starting his eighth term and has never been mayor. He was a councilor when Murphy was in diapers. And Elliott came in second — second — in the November election behind Rita Mercier, who may just be able to lay claim to the title “most popular Lowell city councilor ever.”

I shouldn’t take exception to Phelps’ hyperbole, but wouldn’t Murphy have been 13-ish when Elliott was first elected? I’m not sure what Phelps knows of diapers. Has Phelps been hanging out at Gemstones, lately? Whatever. Phelps is playing up Murphy’s youth, as a negative. This allows Phelps to skip over the inconvenient question of Elliott’s inabilty to close the deal with several different Council lineups. What’s that cliche? “Always the bridesmaid?”

Ooops. I shouldn’t talk up Elliott’s failings. Dan wants to point a crooked finger at Patrick Murphy.

Phelps goes on, parroting Bill Taupier, et al., “… title of mayor is largely ceremonial. You’re expected to show up at all the ribbon-cuttings ..” This is followed by what many on the School Committee have been saying, off record, ‘the Mayor’s most significant role is on the school side.’

Phelp’s is hitting all the points, but he hasn’t thought of one, yet. He obviously watches City Life reruns.

It goes on:

Apparently, though, some councilors have had their feelings hurt by Elliott, who is known to ruffle feathers, especially those of City Manager Bernie Lynch, which is a no-no for some councilors.
This is Elliott’s comeuppance. It’s his fellow councilors’ way of saying to him, maybe if you voted with us more often and didn’t make so many waves, we’d support you for mayor. And that’s just plain wrong.

Here we catch Phelps, red handed, carrying the Bernie Bashers water. Of course, this is ALL about resisting the tyranny of Bernie Lynch, something the “three blind mice,” the “rubber stamps” would never do. Phelps has ‘poetically’ nailed Elliott to a cross. Martyrdom has never been so … insipid.

Phelps is a sham artist, mailing in the regurgitated gripes of petty hacks.

Since the election, regarding Elliott, I have heard his bid for Mayor framed in “deserves.” You see it above when Phelps talks about this being Elliott’s 8th term. You see it from Elliott, himself, when he tries to save face with Jen Myers, saying, “I ask the questions my constituents want asked, as evidenced by my second-place finish. …”

Let’s make something very clear. Nine Councilors will decide next Tuesday what “deserves” means. If you wish to pretend it has something to do with votes for or against “the Manager,” please go right ahead. But I have talked to most of the 9 and they tell me, even those supporting Elliott, that he diminshed the body by his blatant pandering and disregard for decorum.

You will read from bloggers and hear from pundits many things about what it means to be a Mayor, what it takes to be chosen for Mayor. But, this don’t mean shit.

Councilors will police their ranks, next Tuesday. Learn from it or not. Lowell goes on.