SJC’s Helen Brady ballot ruling a win for democracy

It required the intervention of the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to stop the Democrat power brokers from thwarting democracy in the 9th Congressional District. As a result of the SJC’s July 13 decision, voters will have the choice of voting for Republican candidate Helen Brady for Congress.

Because of the court action, the corrupt bargain among Democrat insiders William Keating, Secretary of State William Galvin and the State Ballot Law Commission gang has been derailed. The scheme to give incumbent Democrat William

Keating a free ride in the November election has been derailed. The political ploy to exclude Helen Brady from the ballot has been exposed. And the Democrats’ attempt to prevent voters from having a choice on their November ballot has been upended.

According to the court: “It is hereby ORDERED, therefore, that the SBLC (State Ballot Law Commission) decision is vacated and the Secretary (Galvin) shall place Helen Brady’s name on the ballot for the State primary election.”

“I first want to thank and acknowledge the Supreme Judicial Court for acting fairly and promptly in this blatant attempt to keep my name off the primary and general election ballot,” said Brady. “I am grateful for the opportunity to take my case directly to the voters and let them decide who will represent them in Congress.

“No one considering a run for public office should have to endure what I just went through. I hope no other candidate who plays by the rules should have to worry about this kind of unprincipled political maneuvering.”

Before the SJC could consider Brady’s question of ballot access, every figure dealing with the case was a Democrat insider. The incumbent Democrat Congressman Keating has been on the taxpayer payroll since 1977, the year “The Love

Boat” made its television debut and “Laverne and Shirley” was the No. 1 series.

Secretary of State Galvin, a Keating political ally since the 1970s, actually jumped on the taxpayer payroll five years before the congressman. When Galvin started prowling the state house corridors, bell bottoms were still the craze, the late Marlon Brando won the Academy Award and “American Pie” was the newest hit song.

Most importantly, the State Ballot Law Commission is controlled by Democrats. The members have made campaign contributions to an array of Democratic candidates, and the board’s chairman, Brian Merrick, was appointed justice of the Orleans District Court in 1989 by Democrat Mike Dukakis.

Per state records:

“On August 31, 2012, the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct issued a public reprimand of Judge Brian R. Merrick … the commission found that Merrick did not follow procedural requirements when he accepted pleas from defendants who were charged with minor criminal motor vehicle offenses. According to the commission, Judge Merrick acknowledged he was not conducting plea hearings in a proper legal manner, but said he now conducts these hearings in accordance with the law.”

And Brian Merrick is the person Democrats relied on to rule Helen Brady off the ballot. Is it a surprise that a judge “who did not follow procedural requirements” would do the same as SBLC chairman to try to rule Brady off the ballot?

This saga has only scratched the surface of exposing Massachusetts’ rot of one-party rule. Fortunately for voters, they’ll have a choice in November as to whether the status-quo continues, at least in the 9th Congressional District.

If the Democrats had gotten their way, there would have been no choice.