The governor signed the legislation earlier this morning that gave him the power to appoint an interim senator and sent a letter to the secretary of state so the law could take effect right away. Republicans sought an injunction today in Suffolk Superior Court challenging Patrick's authority to make the appointment immediately.

"It's very clearly available to the governor under the constitution," said Secretary of State William F. Galvin. "I don't know how you suggest this is something novel, it's not"

Former governor Mitt Romney used the emergency provision 14 times, Galvin added, including to increase the boating speed limit in Charlton or change the office of town moderator in Milton."

The GOP can squawk, but it is highly unlikely the lawsuit prevails.

The link to the Boston Globe story:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breakin g_news/2009/09/kirk_to_be_name.html

It was incredible. I was 12 years old. I don't remember anyone saying anything. We just sat there and watched, all day and night. Time stopped. The world stopped. People just watched those images (how crummy that film looks now compared with hidef)

It was amazing how much a part of our lives the "space race" was. Every launch was an event. Pre-digital anything, pre-computer graphics TV SCIENCE reporters (yes, there was such a thing) used plastic models (the same ones we all bought and glued together) to demonstrate the complex rocket choreography of multiple stages, dockings, undockings, etc. it took to get there and back. We knew so much about what was going on and why; we'd spent - as a nation - 8 years being taught all this stuff. It was probably the last time science and engineering were held in such high esteem.

I remember Walter (RIP) explaining everything, and we understood it. This was pre-sound bite, pre-dumbing down, pre-reality TV.

Then it was over. Just TWO Apollo missions (the ill-fated Apollo 13) nobody really cared anymore - until things went wrong.

Back to the roots.

A college tour with my soon-to-be high school senior ended at the University of Virginia. That afforded the opportunity to visit Monticello. I've always been a Jefferson fan, certain slave owning sins aside.

That, and this constant stream of bullshit from the right about our "christian roots" and what the founding fathers believed, led me to pull out my 6 volumes Jefferson biography by Dumas Malone. Six weeks of rain helped make the choice as well.

Weather's clearing so I may switch to something more beachy here, though. I have Netherland bu Joseph O'Neil and the Progressive Revolution by Michael Lux in the queue, along with Get Out The Vote by Green and Gerber.

I am damn proud of Martha Coakley. She's bright, articulate, witty, smart, and progressive. I am proud that Massachusetts is leading the way, again, on this issue.

It's about time someone took this to the federal courts to make same sex marriage the law of the land, just as we have for other forms of discrimination. Hopefully, the other "free" states will join in this case and bring greater weight to bear. I know nothing of the law here. I am eager to watch the rightwingnuts argue against states rights on this one.

Thank you Martha Coakley. The Anti-Palin.

You could have at least changed the title.

I like Sam Yoon. I like you Mr. Trippi, I really do. You've done some great things. I am not sure spamming web sites is one of them.

I have read this article before, looks about word for word, over at Kos (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/7/7/7 50887/-Bostons-Big-Choice). And how many of these fresh new commenters did you bring with you?

With all the rain around Boston lately you don't need astroturf. Sod will grow. So will real grassroots.

Let's go with FULL disclosure: exactly how much is Sam paying you for this?

Delete.  What a week. Sarah goes fishing and you go trolling.

Got your fame, hope you're happy.  Next time bring a fact or two.

I don't know any working class people that speak like her, or are that dumb. My father's an 80 year old carpenter who didn't graduate from high school. He may not always be right, but he isn't this dumb.

Her gotcha's, you betcha's, and all the other bull sound like a script from The Beverly Hillbillies. And are just as sincere. Frankly, I find rich people faking working class more insulting to working class people than any criticism I've heard about her. Faking is faking.

She quit college, she quit the Lt. Gov. race, she quit the Oil and Gas Commission, and now she's quit as Governor. Serial quitting has nothing to do with gender or class. It's just quitting.

She's a quitter and a working class fake, just like Bush. Maybe some people fall for that aw shucks pork fritter eatin, you betcha BS; but most people don't.

I know working class people, I grew up working class, she isn't working class.

She classless.

How many colleges did this dimwit drop out of? (After "prayerful consideration" I'm sure.) Quit the Oil and Gas Commission, bailed on a Lt. Gov. race.  Wouldn't know the truth if it hit her in the head.

Lying quitter. Always was, always will be.

Time for us to move on to smarter people and more important issues. Time for her to get a life or bag a moose.

Babble babble babble. Those damn ducks in the background sounded more intelligent.

I smell fish, and it ain't fresh. Something else is brewing here. (Not sure how resigning helps if some scandal is coming her way, though)

I was so looking forward to 2012 and her running for President.

Great better parking and less traffic jams. Hope Rush and the Faux News people take the day off.

Two words in that Wikipedia article to think about: test facility and prototype.

Sorry, dude, but maglev's a bit down the road. What commercial operating lines are running are short and/or point-to-point, namely way out of town airport to downtown.

Maglev is expensive and probably a maintenance nightmare. Superconducting magnets - the mag in maglev - need to be cooled to a few hundred degrees BELOW zero. Might be a bit tough in the desert.

Start with proven reliable high speed rail and we can build a viable and worthwhile rail system in this country again. Not sure if Victorville, or wherever, is the best place to terminate a LA/LV rail link, but maglev is not this decade's railroad.

OK, take a deep breath. I don't disagree with your premise that the finance guys killed the car business. That's been a problem for 50 years. But slamming Obama for this before he has a chance to start fixing the problem is a bit much.

By the way, you might want to read that book again. A few facts you messed while hyperkeyboarding:

A. John D. didn't work for Ford. He did work for Packard before they went broke.
B. He was an engineer, not a marketer
C. He was division chief of Pontiac in the mid 60's
D. He ran Chevrolet as well, until he left GM.

And not all of his fights we're with "finance guys". He got into it with Ed Cole, GM President and an engineer. He also had an ego bigger than GM.

I love rail. Only way from Boston to NYC, and if I have time the best way from Bos to Wash. The Acela has gotten better over the years. The regular "regional rail" is the real NE corridor workhorse, but it's a hour or more additional ride. Why? Primarily because it makes a lot more stops, at some of the those once deserted old train stations. One in each congressional district.

This brings up a point: who gets a station? Too many stations and you're a slow ride. Too few and either nobody rides it or you blow a chunk of your energy savings getting people to the train to begin with.

I can say the same thing about most urban rail systems, they are primarily commuter systems that only go downtown. I want to go shopping I need a car. And, if I already have a car, and it takes the same time to get there as the train, I probably drive most places.

My hope is we build a complete rail/bus system that takes people (nearly) everywhere people need to go. This will also help reverse of 50 years of sprawl and low density development - in about 50 years. My fear is we are too late for rail to have the impact we think.

Though as bad as the airline experience is, another gas crisis or two and people might just go back to trains.

All aboard!

Thank you. Great article. I am glad and proud that (nearly all) Democrats are supporting the decision. It was good your Governor to take the time to make a reasoned and intelligent response.

Our dumbass Governor "Nice Teeth" Romney tried everything to overturn our decision (even though most, if not all, the judges were Republithug appointees). Our equally moronic Democratic "AG desperately wanting to be Governor" helped him dust off a 1913 law to keep out of state gays from marrying here and allowed the petition to repeal the decision to go forward even though Mass law prohibits such initiatives petitions. Thankfully the petition was voted down in the legislature with the votes of many of the remaining Republicans.

I think we are a ways from making this a universal right, but within the next few years justice and common sense will prevail.

Good luck. Keep us posted, and keep up the fight.