By Patrick Clark 9/27/12 11:47am

Government Sachs?

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Goldman Sachs Settles Pay-to-Play Charges Over Massachusetts Gubernatorial Campaign

Putting a new spin on an old sobriquet, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against Goldman Sachs and a former vice president at the firm for making undisclosed contributions to the gubernatorial campaign of a former Massachusetts state treasurer.

Goldman—sometimes referred to as “Government Sachs” because former executives (Bob Rubin, Josh Bolten, Hank Paulson … it goes back to Sidney Weinberg, doesn’t it?) have a habit of going to work in Washington—found itself in the SEC’s sights after a former Goldman vice president named Neil M.M. Morrison lent a hand to then Massachusetts Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, who was running for governor.

According to the agency, Mr. Morrison was “substantially involved” in Mr. Cahill’s campaign from November 2008 to October 2010, during which period Goldman was involved in underwriting 30 debt offerings for the state: Read More

By Steve Kornacki 5/20/08 9:41pm

The Trickle-Down Implications of Kennedy’s Illness

Obviously, the political world is focused on the health of Ted Kennedy, and not the potential political implications of his diagnosis with a malignant brain tumor. And despite the grim prognosis, it’s worth noting that there is a precedent in the Senate for overcoming similar odds: In 1993, Pennsylvania’s Arlen Specter was also diagnosed with Read More

By Steve Kornacki 2/06/08 1:10am

Why the Massachusetts Win Matters for Romney

The biggest news for Republicans at 8:00 is that Massachusetts has been won — decisively — by Mitt Romney. John McCain has campaigned in the Bay State, hoping to capitalize of disaffection with Romney from Republicans who feel he abandoned them as governor to pursue his national ambitions. McCain had the backing of two former Read More

By Choire Sicha 2/05/08 3:20am

Barack Obama, Uniter

BOSTON—Photographers are petting the bomb-sniffing dogs! Nuts! Next up, cats and dogs having sex. Seriously, usually they just take you to jail if you go near the dog.

Earlier, down on the seaport at the World Financial Center, the line to go see Barack Obama speak stretched, four and eight wide, for at least half Read More

By Jason Horowitz 2/04/08 8:56pm

Hillary: Unity is Nice, But For What?

WORCESTER, Mass.—In a slightly altered stump speech delivered here this afternoon, Hillary Clinton challenged Barack Obama by arguing that it was more worthwhile to use unity to reach a goal rather than just espouse unity for unity’s sake.

“There are differences between me and my opponent—differences in approach and vision an understanding of what Read More

By Staff, Staff 2/19/07 12:00am

The Transom

Judith Regan Nemesis Transcends Family Scandal

On Monday, Feb. 12, friends and family of first-time author Bridie Clark, whose novel Because She Can was inspired by her experiences working for fallen publishing mogul Judith Regan, gathered at a private Soho penthouse to celebrate the book’s publication. Expected guests Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair Read More

By Staff 1/17/07 12:02pm

New York Gobbles Up Boston Buildings

Yet another thing wherein New York dominates Boston, a city in Massachusetts on the Charles River–ownership of office buildings in Boston’s financial district.

Fifty-three percent of financial-district buildings are now owned by New York-based landlords, The Wall Street Journal reports. These include One Federal Street, bought by Tishman Speyer last year, and Read More

By Steve Kornacki 12/11/06 12:00am

The Two Faces of Mitt Romney

To no one’s surprise, departing Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist excused himself from the Presidential race last week, joining soon-to-be-former Senators George Allen and Rick Santorum as onetime Great Right Hopes who have been forced into bystander roles for ’08.

In the category of credible Republican candidates, that leaves John McCain, the front-runner whose prospects Read More