Which is extra appalling: Immigration authorities placing a Milford teen in a detention middle, or Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey utilizing him as a political prop in a PR battle?
Healey, who’s up for reelection subsequent 12 months and whose approval rankings have dipped, staged a photograph op in her Statehouse workplace with Marcelo Gomes da Silva on Friday that reeked of political opportunism and ickiness.
Placing her arm across the 18-year-old who has been dwelling right here illegally, she handed the impressionable teenager a rosary she mentioned was blessed by the Pope – all of it captured by her taxpayer funded photographer.
It was one of the vital shameless maneuvers by a Massachusetts politician in current reminiscence, and that’s saying loads.
If she actually needed to satisfy with Gomes, she might have simply accomplished it privately – with out having it documented for social media and the newspapers and TV information. However she selected to make it a public spectacle.
Little doubt some individuals fell for it, together with liberals and different Democrats who’ve been swooning over Gomes for days.
However just a few days later, performing ICE Appearing Director Todd Lyons was prompted to fireplace again at Healey and threw in Boston Mayor Michelle Wu for good measure.
“Politicians like Mayor Wu and Governor Healey have loudly touted lawlessness over regulation and order. Their prioritization of felony aliens in communities throughout the state ought to converse volumes to their constituents. As these elected officers welcome these flouting nationwide legal guidelines, ICE’s courageous regulation enforcement officers defending public security will proceed to carry out the job they refuse to do,” Lyons mentioned in a press release Sunday.
The backwards and forwards was an escalation of the battle between ICE and Democratic politicians throughout the nation. However on the subject of PR, Healey is clearly the winner. ICE is seen because the villain by most Democrats and most liberal Massachusetts voters.
Nevertheless it’s no shock that Healey is profitable this battle within the Bay State.
When it was politically expedient for her and she or he needed to draw Democratic votes, Healey inspired unlawful migrants to flock to Massachusetts. However as quickly because it turned a fiscal nightmare that was hurting her administration, Healey scaled again and started to limit how lengthy migrants might keep within the non permanent shelters.
Whether or not it’s spinning a basketball on her finger and waxing poetic about her enjoying days in school, or posing with a child bear cub in her arms, Healey has all the time ruled with public relations in thoughts.
“These cubs are so cute I can hardly bear it!” Healey wrote on Instagram final 12 months when she spent the day tagging bears with wildlife staff.
Utilizing bears as props is one factor, however utilizing a human being is one other.
Healey quietly introduced on board considered one of her high political advisers, Corey Welford, to the governor’s workplace final 12 months at $140,000 a 12 months. Welford is an skilled hand and adept at campaigns.
Gov. Charlie Baker was not so centered on PR as Healey again when he was within the Nook Workplace. That has not all the time helped him, however he did land a profitable job heading the NCAA after leaving workplace.
