I didn't want him anyway despite the local standing:
"Complaints over partner entangle state senator; Prospective chamber leader Rosenberg hears accusations of intrusive claims, insulting posts" by Frank Phillips and Jim O’Sullivan, Globe Staff December 03, 2014
The incoming state Senate president has been forced to respond to turmoil about accusations that his domestic partner mocked outgoing Senate President Therese Murray on social media and boasted to senators about his influence on key decisions on Beacon Hill.
After hearing from several of his colleagues and advisers, Stanley Rosenberg instructed his partner, Bryon Hefner, 27, a public relations executive and former Senate aide, to cease talking with other senators about committee assignments, leadership positions, and staffing.
According to Beacon Hill officials who have direct knowledge of his activities, Hefner has spoken openly about the influence he expects to wield, assuming Rosenberg, 65, a Beacon Hill legislative veteran, wins the presidency in early January.
Okay, the age thing bothers me right away.
Further, Rosenberg acknowledged that Murray had conveyed concerns to him about tweets that mocked and disparaged her and insulted several other state officials and leading political officials — and said she was convinced Hefner was responsible.
Rosenberg said in a Nov. 26 interview that he was made aware of some of Hefner’s behavior by other senators and acknowledged that he had admonished his partner. He said he has made it clear to Hefner that he is not to be involved in the business of the Senate.
“Very clearly, very specifically, he’s not involved in making any of the decisions,” the Amherst Democrat said. “All personnel decisions, all the chairmanships, are going though the normal internal processes.”
Murray declined to comment on the situation. Hefner declined interview requests and did not respond to written questions from the Globe.
The dust-up about Hefner’s activities has raised concern among Rosenberg’s supporters who fear that, if his partner’s actions are not checked, his election as Senate president could be derailed. Rosenberg’s agreement to be interviewed on the sensitive subject suggests he wanted to send a signal to his colleagues that he has put an end to Hefner’s interference in the Senate’s internal affairs and any use of social media to ridicule political figures.
One Twitter account, whose ownership could not be independently verified, posted several tweets that drew complaints. One tweet, on June 5, displayed a photo of Murray wearing a witch’s hat and holding a broom, depicting her as the Wicked Witch of the West from “Wizard of Oz.’’ In the background is Rosenberg appearing as a monkey. Under the photo is a caption: “Wicked: The Untold Story of the Bitch of Beacon Hill.”
Another tweet is a photo of an inebriated-looking woman (not Murray) holding a cocktail glass and a bottle, with the title, “We Love You Madame President.”
See: Suffolk register of probate agrees to resign
She wasn't so lovable.
From a separate account, Hefner tweeted a photo of himself posed with Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker; Baker’s wife, Lauren; and his running mate, Karyn Polito, during the fall campaign, as Senate Democrats faced what could have been historic losses within their own caucus. That sparked a kerfuffle within the Democratic ranks and, Rosenberg said, even prompted a complaining phone call to him from Senator Thomas M. McGee, the Lynn Democrat and chairman of the state Democratic Party.
Last spring, Murray confronted Rosenberg, whom she has groomed to take over her position, about the tweets, prompting Rosenberg to order his partner to shut down the social media page.
Why are we just hearing about it now then?
“She told me that there were social media posts that she was concerned about and were offensive and that needed to stop,’’ Rosenberg said. “I turned to Bryon and said, ‘I understand there are some social media things you have put up that are offensive to people and inappropriate. Stop.’ ”
He said he learned of the postings “weeks” after they appeared, but he never saw them.
He also discounted the concern that Hefner’s behavior threatened his ability to take over the Senate presidency.
“I am not aware of this dynamic to the extent you are describing,’’ he said in his Globe interview. “I am aware two people spoke to me about social media concerns, but it is being presented to me now as though it is a significantly larger problem than has been brought [to] my attention.”
Despite the political headaches Hefner has created for Rosenberg, he gave a poignant defense of his domestic partner, who helped him battle cancer.
“We are in a deeply committed relationship,’’ Rosenberg said when asked whether he and Hefner planned to get married. “The future is open. It is like everybody else. If you get there, you get there, and you get there on your own terms and in your own time. I have that right as a human being.”
Maybe, but defending this odd relationship is strange.
Rosenberg, who first came to Beacon Hill as a state representative in 1987, said Hefner’s presence in his life led him to publicly disclose his sexual identity after years of hiding it.
That's not my issue right now. I guess I'm an ageist.
“It was very difficult getting to this point in my life, frankly, to actually have relationships, and he actually brought me to the dance, if you will,’’ Rosenberg said, speaking haltingly and with emotion. “I would not have come out if he had not come into my life. It was the greatest gift anyone has given to me.”
Rosenberg’s election to head the Senate would be a historic marker. He would be the first openly gay legislative leader in Massachusetts.
Hefner, whose bond to Rosenberg is related in part to their shared background as foster children, met the senator when he got a job in his State House office several years ago. Rosenberg, currently the Senate majority leader, said before their close relationship developed, Hefner left his payroll.
I can't help but think of the Congressional page scandal, Mark Foley, and all the elite pedophile rings that are minimized and obfuscated, if covered at all. I know it's not the same thing, but right now, I'm amazed at how deeply imbedded the whole agenda is at the top of government.
Hefner landed a job at Regan Communications in May as a public relations executive. The high-profile firm is owned by George Regan, the one-time press secretary to the late Boston mayor Kevin White.
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"Rosenberg seeks to shore up support after story about partner" by Frank Phillips and Jim O'Sullivan, Globe Staff December 03, 2014
Stanley Rosenberg, facing disquiet over his domestic partner’s behavior as he prepares to assume the presidency of the state Senate next month, moved to shore up support Wednesday among colleagues by arguing that he has “enforced a firewall” between his legislative duties and his private life.
Rosenberg sent a letter to the other 33 Democratic senators after the Globe reported accusations that his partner, Bryon Hefner, had used social media to mock outgoing Senate President Therese Murray and had meddled in the internal workings of the Senate.
By late Wednesday, Rosenberg’s aides were convinced, after he aggressively moved to control political damage from the disclosures, that he is not losing support among Democratic lawmakers who tapped him to lead the chamber months ago.
“I’ve talked to a lot of members over the last day and even before that, knowing this was kind of kicking around, and everyone is committed to Stan and the direction he is going to provide the Senate,” said Senator Anthony Petruccelli, an East Boston Democrat.
“People are feeling comfortable,’’ said Senator Daniel Wolf, a Harwich Democrat. “Stan has handled this in a way that is consistent with what we know his leadership style will be.’’
Still, some Senate Democrats said privately that they harbored fears about potential damage to Rosenberg’s political footing if further revelations come to light.
Members also said they were concerned about encountering constituents whose first impressions of Rosenberg, given his to-date low public profile, would be rooted in controversy. Rosenberg’s ascendancy to the chamber’s top post is contingent on a vote of the entire membership.
The Globe reported Wednesday that Rosenberg had admonished Hefner and instructed him to stop talking with other senators about committee assignments, leadership positions, and staffing.
He has declined to comment on those reports.
What is at stake for Rosenberg, an Amherst legislator first elected to the Senate in 1991, is the formal selection of the next Senate president when the new legislative session convenes Jan. 8. Rosenberg is expected to be voted to the post by his fellow Democrats.
According to several Beacon Hill officials, he called senators Tuesday night to alert them to an “embarrassing” story to be published in the Globe. He also sent text messages early Wednesday morning to supportive senators offering them the chance to talk.
His damage-control effort was followed up with his delivery of a letter by midmorning to his fellow Democrats.
“As you saw from my response, I was open and transparent as I have been in the past,’’ he said of his interview with the newspaper. “I intend to lead the Senate in the same way.”
“As I have also told the Globe, I have enforced a firewall between my private life and the business of the Senate, and will continue to do so,’’ he wrote in his letter to his 33 Democratic colleagues.
The 65-year-old Rosenberg, now the Senate majority leader, outmaneuvered his rivals well over a year ago to win the Senate Democrats’ support to become the next president of the 40-member Senate.
He's also the guy who brought casinos to Massachusetts.
Rosenberg said he ordered Hefner in June to shut down his social media postings after hearing complaints from Murray about disparaging tweets she believed came from Hefner.
One displayed a photo of Murray in a witch’s hat; another included a photo of what appeared to be an inebriated woman (not Murray) with a caption that suggested it represented the retiring Senate president.
Meanwhile, George Regan, a prominent Boston public relations executive, said he and his colleagues in the firm are “very embarrassed” by the Globe story and gave a clear warning to Hefner to dial back his erratic behavior.
He said Hefner, 27, whom he hired last May, promised not to act improperly in the future.
“We also recognize people make mistakes, us included, but I’m going to chalk this up to a horrible lesson for Bryon,’’ Regan said. “I take him at his word that it will never happen again.”
Regan also said he telephoned Murray to apologize to her for what she suspects are his employee’s derogatory social media postings aimed at her.
“I feel terrible,’’ said Regan. “I am very fond of Terry. She was very gracious.”
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What is his side of the story?
"For senator’s partner, uproar is unexpected turn in a resilient life" by Michael Levenson, Globe Staff December 05, 2014
Until recently, Bryon Hefner was widely considered a success story – a former foster child who was homeless, abused, and shuttled through a dozen homes but still managed to graduate from high school with honors and go on to college and a career.
But since his partner, Stanley Rosenberg, was anointed the incoming Senate president last year, Hefner has been stirring unease in the Senate, first privately and now publicly. Mocking tweets attributed to Hefner have sparked anger, as have his reported boasts about the influence he would wield when his partner takes over next month.
I know Stan said they were committed and in love, but that reeks of gold digger-ism.
Hefner’s behavior prompted Rosenberg to assure his Senate colleagues this week that he would enforce a “firewall” between his private life and public duties.
Why wasn't there one before?
But some friends who know the couple say privately they are furious that Hefner could have jeopardized Rosenberg’s long career with his actions.
At least he will get a good pension.
Others say they are simply perplexed.
“He had a very troubled childhood, which he survived, and is very smart and articulate, and I don’t really understand at all what’s happened around the State House,” said Phil Johnston, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party and founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps, which ran the residential facility in Lancaster where Hefner lived from age 11 to 14. “He has been a success.”
Representative Ellen Story, an Amherst Democrat, said she has known Hefner, 27, for years and is “very fond of him.”
“I’ve seen him around Stan and have seen how much they care about each other,” she said.
When Rosenberg was diagnosed with cancer, Hefner “was just unflappable,” she said. “Bryon was a tremendous help.”
Rosenberg — who, like Hefner, was raised in foster homes — declined to comment on Thursday, and Hefner did not respond to phone calls and e-mails.
In the past, Hefner has been open about discussing his difficult upbringing.
His mother was addicted to drugs and alcohol and abused him emotionally and physically, he told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in a 2006 story about his rise from neglect.
Cue the violins.
At 10, he was sent to his first foster home, where he was beaten, and then sent to a psychiatric hospital, he told the Worcester paper.
In Massachusetts, right?
At the RFK Children’s Corps home in Lancaster, where he landed next, he thrived. But after four years there, he bounced between foster and group homes, a juvenile detention center, then another group home.
At 18, in a program run by the Home for Little Wanderers, he had “probably the best experience of my life,” he told the Valley Advocate in 2008.
“The staff was nurturing, and they cared,” he said. “Whether you were excited because you got a part in a play or just needed someone to understand how tired you were after going to school and then working 30 hours a week, they were right there. There wasn’t anything they wouldn’t do for us.”
Hefner graduated from Norwood High School with honors in 2006 and was accepted to Lesley University. Two years later, after interning in two State House offices, he was hired for a summer job in Rosenberg’s office.
Rosenberg told Commonwealth Magazine earlier this year that he and Hefner talked of their shared histories as foster children, but kept a “a typical employee-employer relationship, no socializing or anything like that.”
After Hefner, then 21, left Rosenberg’s office at the end of the summer, they began dating, according to Commonwealth. They have lived together since 2009 and generally spend weekends in Amherst and weekdays at a condo on Beacon Hill, Commonwealth reported.
The gay has nothing to do with it; I don't think a 59-year-old and a 21-year-old belong together. Sorry.
Rosenberg, 65, declined to talk to the magazine about the 37-year age difference between him and his partner, but Hefner said people have looked beyond “stereotypes or prejudices” and accepted them in Amherst and at the State House.
So when is pedophelia finally going to be considered acceptable?
I know, I know, consenting adults, and that's fine. Just proves my point regarding how ill this state, society, and culture are. That's what happens when you are inculcated and indoctrinated in Zionist values from birth.
“We are in a deeply committed relationship,” Rosenberg told the Globe in an interview about Hefner’s meddling in Senate business.
“It was very difficult getting to this point in my life, frankly, to actually have relationships, and he actually brought me to the dance, if you will,’’ Rosenberg said. “I would not have come out if he had not come into my life. It was the greatest gift anyone has given to me.”
Okay. Fact is, I probably know couples like this and I'm okay with it. I don't care so much about the social stuff as I do other things more important (wars, looting); however, I beginning to realize that the social component of the protocols is destructive to the underlying values of social cohesion. I'm not saying life was always perfect, but the ubiquitous presence of perversion at all levels of media and culture is destroying the tatters that were left.
Hefner has been an engaged partner, helping to organize a fund-raising gala to celebrate the senator’s 25th year in the Legislature, nudging the veteran Amherst Democrat onto Facebook and Twitter, and encouraging Rosenberg to hold his first joint office hours with Story.
Rosenberg, who has secured enough support among his colleagues to win the Senate presidency, must still win a formal vote when the Legislature reconvenes in January.
George Regan, the politically connected public relations guru who hired Hefner to work at his firm in May, said Thursday he was confident Hefner would not do anything further to embarrass himself or his partner.
“Bryon is a very special person who has had an incredibly difficult life and his talents belie his age,” Regan said. “He’s assured me it’s not going to happen again, and I take him at his word.”
Yeah, let's slip it all back under the sheets.
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"Stanley Rosenberg’s tenure off to a messy start" by Adrian WalkerGlobe Columnist December 05, 2014
Stan Rosenberg’s time as state Senate president is off to the rockiest of starts, which is surprising given that he isn’t even president yet.
Rosenberg has long been considered a shoo-in for the seat he has coveted for two decades, and he probably still is. But that doesn’t mean we can’t wonder what on earth is going on with him.
Until this week, the Amherst Democrat was probably best known as a diligent policy wonk. But that all changed after reports that his significant other, 27-year-old Bryon Hefner, had taken to social media to demean other senators and to announce to the world just how important he is. People familiar with his comments saw him as overstating his influence — practically suggesting that he would be picking the committee chairs.
Hefner is also believed to be the person behind tweets disparaging outgoing Senate President Therese Murray and bad-mouthing other state political figures. He has declined to comment.
For a person who makes his living in public relations, Hefner seems awfully bad at it.
Hefner works for PR magnate George Regan, who has long claimed Murray as a great friend and client. Regan didn’t hesitate to pick sides when the story erupted, calling Murray to distance himself from the disparaging comments and declaring the whole incident a “horrible lesson” for Hefner. When Regan, the ultimate PR man, won’t attempt to defend you, you have truly messed up.
Initially, Rosenberg reacted to all this by speaking of the great influence Hefner has been on him — helping him to come out of the closet in middle age and nursing him through a bout with cancer. But by Wednesday, Rosenberg had announced to his colleagues that he had constructed a ”firewall” between his professional and personal lives and that Hefner would not be taking part in Senate business. Which is nice, considering that no one has ever cast a vote for him.
Good point.
All of this is a surprising turn of events for Rosenberg, a man for whom the term “low-key” could have been coined. To the small extent that he possesses a public image, it is as a collegial and unusually thoughtful senator. His ascent to the presidency caught many people by surprise, frankly, because he is not a natural politician in the vein of most of his recent predecessors. I will stop short of calling this very decent man boring, but he’ll never be mistaken for Bill Bulger.
But Hefner seems colorful enough for both of them. I certainly don’t care about Stan Rosenberg’s personal life, but what exactly is he doing with some power-crazed kid 38 years his junior in the first place? Rosenberg has spoken poignantly of the many years it took to come to terms with his sexual identity, and I respect that. But couldn’t he chose as his partner someone who conducts himself like an adult?
Good questions.
Rosenberg is set to become Senate president at a pivotal time. A new governor, from the other party, is coming in. The Senate has drifted a bit to the left — a move that helped fuel his ascendancy — while the House has arguably become a bit more conservative, particularly on taxes. The always contentious relationship between the two chambers figures to be even more fraught.
And, frankly, the House has controlled the State House for the past few years. Rosenberg will need the good will and support of his colleagues to have any hope of true effectiveness. This is certainly not the way to gain it. We’ll see if a letter to his colleagues is enough to quell their discomfort.
Barring more ugly disclosures, Rosenberg should survive this week’s misadventures. But when he was confronted by reporters about his partner’s online antics, Rosenberg said he became aware of them weeks after they were posted — leaving his supporters and colleagues to ponder, what else doesn’t he know?
Then he's the perfect leader, right?
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Related: Future is Rosy For Rosenberg
It was. Now, not so sure.
NEXT DAY UPDATE: For Stanley Rosenberg, openness isn’t always a goal
