Tom Menino lining up troops for Liz Warren

Some 48 hours before Tom Menino officially told Elizabeth Warren, ?I?ve got your back,? he dispatched key members of his organization to speak with her folks.

The result: Hundreds of people showed up in Roslindale Square on Friday afternoon, waving Warren signs and screaming their heads off.

Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Scott Brown returned to one of his favorite places on earth ? Sullivan?s at Castle Island in Southie. (Though apparently in a post-debate daze, Brown mistakenly referred to Sully?s as ?historic Kelly?s.?)

Before a gaggle of media and a sprinkling of partisans, Scott received yet another blessing from Ray Flynn, our former mayor and Vatican ambassador, which I imagine will be recycled quickly into another 30-second TV spot.

Like everybody else who walks Castle Island and munches on a Sully?s hot dog, I love Ray Flynn. And there?s no doubt in my mind that there was a time when Ray could have summoned an army to surround Scott Brown.

But that was about 20 years ago, when the campaign buttons Ray pinned to his lapel were for Democrats such as Mike Dukakis and Bill Clinton.

These days, to paraphrase a lyric from that old chestnut, Ray Flynn can?t give Scott Brown anything but love.

But then, I?m sure Scott is only too happy to have Ray?s love.

Meanwhile, I spent a good part of yesterday morning hearing about things such as phone banks and campaign literature drops across West Roxbury, Roslindale and Jamaica Plain; as well as sign locations blanketing East Boston, Allston and Brighton, from a source within the Menino organization.

?Let?s just say we are full on and working together with the Warren staff,? another source added.

There was never a doubt that Menino, who went to Charlotte, N.C. a couple of weeks ago and slammed Mitt Romney as the former governor whose ?wrong-headed policies were bad for Massachusetts,? would endorse Elizabeth Warren.

The lingering question was how enthusiastic would he be? Any doubts were quickly laid to rest Friday afternoon by the presence of union stalwarts such as Mike Monahan of the IBEW and Lou Mandarini of the Greater Boston Labor Council at the event.

Monahan got up at the Roslindale rally and chided Brown?s two beloved props. The IBEW boss said he doubted Scott?s ?Carhartt jacket? (actually it?s a $900 leather coat from a designer catalog) had any oil stains or rips from errant pieces of rebar. And he wondered if his pristine pick-up had ever really hauled any tools and ladders?

?You have to remember something else,? another Menino soldier said, ?this election is not in the middle of January, and Brown isn?t running by himself. He?s running with guys like Romney and Ryan and against a Democratic president who?s going to pull out at least a half-million more voters across this city and state.

?We?ll be out there, too, in force,? he added, ?in town, but also up and down the Pike. Anyplace where we can make a difference, that?s where we?ll be.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bostonherald/~3/oLGWzLxkb6A/view.bg

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