Following up on my Moderate muddle post from earlier this year, here’s some meandering thoughts on hapless (and not so hapless) moderates after last week’s elections. … First, let’s show some much-needed party unity between centrists and progressive by agreeing on the following point: Hasan Piker is a complete asshole (and not just a jerk). I mean, here’s a guy leading primary insurgencies against many good and decent Dems – and then he turns around and demands party unity when it suits his angry purposes. … Like I said, he’s an asshole. He’s also a commie, but we won’t get into that now. … Are moderates enlightened angels by comparison? Nope. When moderate establishment types aren’t endorsing hacks, they’re often playing the role of intimidated patsies, cowering under their desks in fear of primary challenges. And let’s face it: moderates can be almost unbearably dull. As a HB reader texted me the other night after the Abdul El-sayed’s returns started coming in from Michigan: “I don’t think it’s progressive vs centrist politics per se. I think it’s young and bold vs old and established. … It’s swashbuckling vs shitty candidates.” … Or as the Globe’s Larry Edelman recently put it:

As a lifelong Democrat, I am fed up with my feckless party, especially its aging leaders and brand of cultural elitism that puts down anyone uncomfortable with aspects of its “woke” agenda.

The party needs generational change, a new approach to social and economic issues — a down-to-the-studs demo and reno. But the DSA …

It always comes back to the privileged DSA types, mentally stuck in one of their college poli-sci classes taught by some far-left guru professor … But speaking of El-sayed and democratic socialists, I was beginning to believe he isn’t a DS-er, as he claims. But then I read this Reason piece and, well, let’s just say he’s technically not a DS-er. Still, I sort of like him. He’s a political swashbuckler, to borrow the above reader’s phrase, and he may well win in November. Barack Obama is backing him – and presumably trying to get him to tone down the rhetoric, as the NYT reports. … 

One of my favorite political analysts, Fareed Zakaria, writes at the Post that Dems, moderates and progressives alike, still aren’t addressing a core problem that’s alienating the working-class voters they say they want to win over, to wit: the far-left’s radical views on cultural issues. He’s right. It’s killing Dems. … 

Another HB reader believes that, unfortunately, the Dem Party is probably going the way of the GOP, allowing the extremists to slowly take over, etc., etc. He points to Evan Barker’s new book “Nothing Left: Confessions of a Democratic Operative” as partial evidence. … Strangely, Andrew Sulllivan seems optimistic that the days of the extremists in both parties are numbered — or at least they’ve been seriously exposed and weakened. … 

Finally, is there any way to push up the release date of Barney Frank’s posthumous new book? It might help Dems sort things out a bit before the midterms.

Some slightly off-the-beaten-path stories you may have missed over the past week:

— An epic and accurate description of the Mass. economy: “A broken housing market, soaring costs, and Trump 2.0 are killing the Mass. economy. It’s time to do something about it” (Globe)

— But not all is lost when you still have companies like this: “A Mass.-based company could be key in breaking China’s hold on critical mineral processing” (WBUR)

— And here’s another promising firm: “Medical device company opens new manufacturing facility after $85M raise” (BBJ)

— It’s the shake-down phase of negotiations: “Transportation To-Do List for Revs Stadium” (B&T)

— No mention of struggling Massachusetts colleges, but you just know some are longingly looking at those funds: “The Struggling Colleges Raiding Their Endowments to Pay the Bills” (WSJ)

— Well, if you have the money: “Longtime member buys South Shore golf course for $12M” (BBJ)

— Will no one rid us of these troublesome puritans? “Progressive political advocacy group criticizes MA Democrat for ‘veteran’ campaign sign” (Boston Herald)

— This is a painful article to read for those rooting for the American car industry to succeed: “Ford Made Boring Cars Popular. It doesn’t want them anymore” (WSJ)

— It’s about keeping weapon systems simple, stupid: “What Ukraine’s drone makers know that the Pentagon doesn’t” (Washington Post)

— My favorite story of the week: “Meet Jimmy Cash, Worcester’s funniest janitor” (WBUR)

The good news for Mike Minogue: he’s getting treated now as the presumptive GOP nominee for governor. The bad news: he’s getting treated now as the presumptive GOP nominee for governor, as columns by the Globe’s Joan Vennochi and the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld show. … Re Joan’s column, I hadn’t seen the Globe’s March story about Abiomed’s past regulatory woes under Minogue. Setting aside those and more recent concerns, I question whether Minogue’s past ties with a medical-device company is as big of a plus as he thinks. People are not exactly happy with our ridiculously expensive health-care system of late.

Ok, one more DSA rant and then I’ll ease up on the subject. … I don’t agree with everything Bill Maher says about democratic socialism. But he’s closer to the truth than many MSM descriptions of modern democratic socialism, such as this soft-pedaling NYT piece or this fawning Globe article that describes Zohran Mamdani as merely a “die-in-the-wool” progressive with no mention that he considers himself a democratic socialist whose party wants to replace capitalism and dismantle our current form of democracy. … Here’s the DSA’s party platform, btw. See for yourself.

Update –- 8.3.26 – Via a reader, here’s some interesting poll numbers from IPSOS about how Dems feel about democratic socialism. Basically, the entire progressive wing of the party has gone full DS, by the looks of it. 

Update II — From the Boston Globe’s great Larry Edelman: “What are Democratic socialists smoking?” (The headline above is from his email newsletter; the headline is different at the Globe website.)

Sad news for those who remember the late ‘70s/early ‘80s Boston rock scene: Jeff Conolly of the Lyres has died, as the Globe reports. … A friend sent along a couple of classics from Conolly et gang, here and here, and even one going back to Jeff’s DMZ days. He adds:

I knew (Jeff) was not well and there was an epic fundraiser in the spring. Boston Groupie News coverage here. He went through a lot of bandmates… as the Kinks song goes, he was “not like everybody else” …

DMZ got to make an album on Sire Records which should have been a friendly environment but with the extraordinary exception of the Cars, Rat-era Boston bands struggled with major labels. Nervous Eaters, Atlantics, Robin Lane. Here’s a great remembrance of MonoMan/Connolly from Thrills guitarist Johnny Angel.

Update — 8.3.26 – Boston Groupie News has more on Jeff’s death.

Update II — 8.8.26 — From Jim Sullivan at ‘BUR: “Remembering talented and temperamental Lyres frontman Jeff Conolly.”

John Barros may have “divested” himself from the controversial $2 billion courthouse development deal in Springfield, as the Herald and SHNS (WBUR) report. But U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s ex-convict husband, Conan Harris, is apparently still in line for the big taxpayer-funded payout tied to the state contract. … Can someone please explain what exactly the husband of a sitting U.S. congresswoman did to earn a slice of the taxpayers’ money for this project? The optics stink, especially when you consider Harris’s familiarity with courthouses is limited to his past legal woes that brought him before the bench once too many times. 

The Herald’s Joe Battenfeld is bashing Gov. Healey’s handling of the courthouse controversy (and other matters):

The state awards a massive courthouse contract to two incredibly politically connected bidders and she says the process was totally above board? How could she not anticipate questions about this contract? And what does Barros know that we don’t know that caused him to jump ship from a lucrative pay day?… 

Update — 8.3.26 — From the Globe: “‘We got a C-minus’: With Springfield courthouse bid mired in controversy, some worry about trust in process.”

Update II — 8.7.26 – Update – 8.7.26 – She’s standing by the Dem establishment yet again. From the Herald: “AG Campbell defending $2B contract given to Ayanna Pressley’s husband, Convention Center chief”

Update III — 8.8.26: – From the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld: “AG Andrea Campbell gives free pass to Democrat pals.”

Some slightly off-the-beaten-path stories you may have missed over the past week:

— I wasn’t aware any of them were still around: “One of state’s few remaining Howard Johnson Inns up for auction” (BBJ)

— Do you think the November elections had something to do with this?: “MBTA extends commuter rail discounts into the fall, lowers some bus and subway costs” (GBH)

— Industrial space is back, baby: “This Chinatown Tower Is Returning to Its Industrial Roots” (B&T)
— He’s an expert on housing, all right: “Michael Minogue campaigned on understanding the housing crisis. He also owns a $31m home in an ultra-exclusive Montana club.” (Globe)

— Jon Keller isn’t feeling the anti-insurgency vibe in this year’s state elections: “The winds of change – not” (MassterList)

— Pass the popcorn. It’s either going to be a spectacular success or spectacular flop: “Fusion power darling Commonwealth Fusion Systems raises another $1B” (Tech Crunch)

— Remember when many newbie lawyers not so long ago couldn’t even find an unpaid internship?: “Law firm first-year pay jumps to $235K in Boston; recruiting starts earlier” (BBJ)

— An excellent look at the consequences of a top-down idea that looked great on paper until it was tried: “‘Like an earthquake’: Mass General Brigham fumbled hospital merger, former executive says” (Globe)

— Leaders in Burlington, Vt., and elsewhere should read this article before embarking on ‘harm reduction’ programs, but they won’t: “The Cities that Said Yes to Drugs” (The Atlantic)

— Just an interesting summer read: “We’ve all but wiped out wild oysters. Bringing them back could help solve some big problems” (WBUR)

— The crazy economics of rent control: “A Surprising Portion of Rent-Stabilized Apartments Go to NYC’s Wealthiest Renters’ (WSJ)

Or should it be ‘Straight of Hormuz Held Hostage’? Anyway, it should be sort of obvious by now that the Iranians have pulled out their old 1979 hostage-crisis playbook and are just stringing out the current showdown with the U.S. for maximum political purposes. … And just like 47 years ago, our current president seems trapped by today’s crisis. … 

Fyi: The above video is ABC’s very first “America Held Hostage” special report in ’79, featuring Frank Reynolds, not Ted Koppel, as some people might think. Koppel famously took over ABC’s hostage-crisis coverage at a later point.

It’s a small quibble. But it’s a routine small quibble worth pointing out now and then, i.e., political stories in the Globe written completely from the lopsided perspective of excitable progressives, with little or no outside political perspective. Example from today’s Globe: “‘I’m jealous.’ For Wu fans, a mounting case of Mamdani envy.” Another recent example: “Young progressive candidates are energizing Democrats nationwide. It’s giving some Massachusetts liberals serious FOMO.” And another: “Campbell has sued Trump more than 50 times. Democrats say they hear ‘a future governor or senator.’”

Ok, ok. I know. The Globe’s capable of running stories about the non-progressive political species inhabiting our dear deep-blue state, such as this smart piece from Chris Van Buskirk: “Massachusetts’ southeastern corner is turning into a Republican ‘hotbed.’” But the paper too often comes across as regularly fawning over and pandering to progressives, heaping focus on a political group that makes up only a faction of a party that represents just 25 percent of enrolled voters in Massachusetts. … Maybe one day the Globe will publish a story with the headline: “For most voters, a mounting case of non-Wu and Mamdani envy.” But don’t hold your breath.

Here we go again. The Globe is boldly urging lawmakers to show some spine by imposing congestion pricing for cars entering the city’s downtown – and then mentioning that a non-courageous “quick and easy” approach would be to let DOT bureaucrats raise Mass Pike tolls even higher than they are now while making no mention of possible tolls on I-93, Route 1 and 2, etc. (“You just flip the switch,” says one enthusiast of raising Pike tolls). … Way to show spine, Globe editorial board! … Any Worcester area, central Mass. or Metrowest lawmaker (and that includes you Karen Spilka) who goes along with this cockamamie plan to further stick it to Pike drivers alone – commuters who are already paying for the Big Dig and maintenance of other non-Pike drivers’ roadways – ought to be voted out of office, pronto … Btw: a suggested new battle cry: No I-93 tolls, no Congestion Pricing!