Tom Finneran may have been the original captain of the Straight Talk Express, the guy who told it like it was and didn't hesitate to deliver unpopular news, especially to the special pleaders trying to make the case for greater understanding or more state spending for one supposedly worthy cause after another. But Finneran now has become the ultimate special pleader.
Frank Phillips delivers the stunning news in today's Globe that the former House speaker, who pleaded guilty in 2007 to obstruction of justice in connection with testimony he gave in a federal civil suit concerning a House redistricting plan, is seeking a presidential pardon. According to the Globe story, Finneran has secured the support of four former Massachusetts governors, who have co-signed a letter to the White House on his behalf.
Finneran was a highly capable and bright legislative leader, worthy of respect, highly personable, and likeable on many levels. But he often had a hard-edged attitude toward those who were down on their luck, subscribing to an ethic of personal responsibility and the need for people to be accountable for their actions and not expect government to step in and fix every problem. It's hard to square that outlook with his plea for the sort of special treatment from the highest office in the land that is rarely available to those who may, like Finneran, be upstanding citizens who are truly remorseful for a single, out of character misdeed.