Where to begin? If you missed it — and the only way you could have is if you don’t read the morning papers or you’ve recently suffered acid burns to your eyes — the Herald has quite an interesting cover today.

At first, I thought the picture of Tom Finneran — the former Massachusetts speaker of the house turned WRKO morning show host — was nothing more than lazy, childish paparazzi fun. That is, I thought the Herald caught him picking his nose. Oh, if only it were so. Instead, Boston Daily’s favorite ball busters captured Finneran crying while begging to keep his legal career afloat during a disbarment hearing.

OK, the Herald loves to bash Finneran, and he was sobbing, so that’s pretty much a lay-up for those guys. But what I found laughably ugly and mindless, even for the Herald, was the tease to a sidebar on page 6: “Can Guys Cry Too?”

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Crap.

We were hoping this wasn’t going to happen. Unfortunately, it did. Yesterday, the ever-popular Massachusetts Turnpike Authority voted 3-to-2 to increase tolls at four locations.

Remember when the current governor said he was going to shut down the MTA?

Remember when the old governor said he was going to eliminate tolls altogether?

Seems as though we were all duped by our elected officials. Shocking. (more…)

Here at Boston Daily, we’re big fans of pointing out the absurdist humor inherent in all political campaigns. I, in particular, am especially fond of it.

It’s no surprise, then, that Matt Taibbi is one of my favorite writers. His book on the 2004 presidential campaign, cleverly titled Spanking the Donkey, is a brilliant piece of writing. The guy is vicious and talented, and Rolling Stone is lucky to have him.

To that end, I draw your attention to Taibbi’s latest target: Mitt Romney. (more…)

You have to help me with something. Because I’m confused. I swear it was just a few weeks ago that Gov. Deval Patrick was entertaining the idea of folding the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, the MBTA, and other agencies into one super bureaucracy that would oversee all matters relating to bridges, roads, and public transportation.

It happened, right? I’m not crazy, am I? OK, fine, I am crazy, but I still remember writing about it.

So what’s this business about Patrick and the legislature talking about giving the next executive director of the Mass Pike a raise? How do you schedule a raise for a job you just said will no longer exist? (more…)

Well, this probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. For the second time since Howie Carr’s old contract expired with WRKO in September, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Allan van Gestel has ruled that the Herald columnist cannot take his radio show on the road to WTKK.

Carr, obviously, can’t be pleased — especially not with the way judge smacked him around.

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Hard to believe, but Herald columnist Howie Carr has been off the radio airwaves for more than a month now. The legal dispute between WRKO (Carr’s old station) and WTKK (the station Carr longs to work for), has kept him in a kind of multi-media limbo, preventing him from working for either outlet and rendering him little more than a bored, run-of-the-mill newspaper scribe.

All that could very well change today, though. (more…)

Poor Howie Carr. It’s been rough for him lately. He’s getting beaten up for his less-than-no-effort columns while simultaneously being pummeled by the court.

For those who haven’t been paying attention, a Suffolk Superior Court judge’s ruling has prevented Carr from making the leap from WRKO to WTKK (where, reportedly, a $7 million contract awaits). Obviously, this isn’t sitting well with Carr.

According to the Herald, he’s now asking the judge to “reconsider” the ruling. I didn’t know you could do that. You think Carr said, “pretty please?”

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You know, I’ve come around on the Romney campaign. I’m a guy who likes a good laugh, and he’s certainly provided more than a few since getting into the race. Let’s see, there was his botched use of “Cuba Libre.” There was that time he told the story about strapping his dog to the roof for a 12-hour car ride, sans bathroom breaks. There was the recent break-in at his campaign headquarters in the North End and his staff’s nothing-to-see-here response. And then there was the aide who made up fake law enforcement badges so that Ol’ Mitt could rush here and there without being hindered. That last one is my favorite.

Actually, correction, that one was my favorite. I have a new favorite now, and, as always, it’s equal parts ridiculous, juvenile and comical. (more…)

I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. Tomorrow is the sixth anniversary of 9/11, and politicians everywhere are still using the event for personal gain.

Unfortunately, Massachusetts is no exception. If you haven’t heard, Jim Ogonowski — who’s running as the GOP candidate to replace Rep. Marty Meehan in the fifth district — wasn’t invited to speak at tomorrow’s state house ceremony. Ogonowski’s brother piloted one of the hijacked planes on 9/11. For the last four years, at the request of then Governor Mitt Romney, Ogonowski has spoken to the state house assembly in remembrance of those who lost their lives.

Not this year, though.

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It’s a bit hard to believe, but the Herald is reporting that somone actually bought Neil Entwistle’s Hopkinton home.

Four bedrooms. Two grizzly murders. What a bargain.

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