Boston Herald Howie Carr column

June 14--Today will be the apex of Steve Grossman's political career, as he is elected Mr. Congeniality of the state Democratic party this afternoon in Worcester.

Enjoy it while you can, Steve. Your political career will be ending soon enough -- on Sept. 9, to be exact, when you lose the Democrat primary to Marsha Coakley.

So Steve gets the nod as the Democrat state convention's endorsed nominee for governor. Whoop-de-doo. As the late Freddy Langone would say, winning the state convention is like being an admiral in the Swiss Navy.

Marsha Coakley, the AG, will finish second, with a comfortable margin over the 15 percent she needs to make the primary ballot.

The only other question in the governor's fight is whether Don Berwick and Juliette Kayyem can get their 15 percent. My prediction: Berwick makes the ballot, and Kayyem doesn't. Berwick picked up steam during the later caucuses, and is the moonbat's moonbat.

As for Kayyem, in some years somebody might throw her some votes to keep her on the ballot to siphon off some of Coakley's female vote. That won't be happening this year. Goodbye, Juliette.

Oh yeah, there's a fifth candidate, Joe Avellone. Say goodnight, Joe.

Next, lieutenant governor. Most people, including the delegates, couldn't pick any of these ham-and-eggers out of a lineup. And considering the fate of the last lieutenant governor, Crash Murray, a lineup is the proper analogy. The largest of the political midgets is some guy named Mike Lake, who ran for auditor in 2010. The second guy is Steve Kerrigan, who ran the 2012 Democratic national convention.

You remember that gathering in Charlotte? The mantra was, "GM is alive and al-Qaeda is dead." Things can certainly change quickly in 21 months, can't they?

Lake and Kerrigan will make the ballot and so will some of the other nonentities, although I can't remember their names right now.

Then there's the AG's race. Representing the forgotten-but-not-gone wing of the party is Warren Tolman. Twelve years ago, his bust-out campaign for governor was paid for by the taxpayers. This year the unions and insurance companies are footing the bill -- be thankful for small favors. His brother is Steve Tolman, who runs the state AFL-CIO.

The only other candidate for AG is Maura Healey. She's a lesbian, ergo she makes the ballot.

The race for treasurer sounds like a law firm: Conroy, Finegold & Goldberg. Rep. Tom Conroy, D-Sudbury, tried to run for the U.S. Senate last year and has apparently vowed never to be out-moonbatted again. State Sen. Barry Finegold of Andover is the up-and-coming Steve Grossman, flush with cash, short on everything else.

Finally, Deb Goldberg, who was defeated by Crash Murray for lieutenant governor in 2006, which is very sad.

All the partners in the law firm make the ballot.

See Howie today at Rockland Cement Block & Flag from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and at Ever So Humble Pie in East Walpole from 3-5 p.m.

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