Ruling With a Foam Rubber Fist

Boy, Governor Mitt Romney really brought the hammer pillow down on Angelo Buonopane, the latest disgraced member of the Bay State Hack-o-rama to be exposed by the local news media (see this post for more info).

His punishment?

BOSTON -- Department of Labor Director Angelo Buonopane has been ordered to pay $20,000, move his offices to a downtown state office building and submit weekly time sheets following reports that the Romney appointee keeps short work days and takes frequent vacations.

In addition to the $20,000 in restitution for vacation and discrepancies in attendance at work, Buonopane's time sheets and vacation requests will have to be personally approved by Secretary of Economic Development Ranch Kimball or his chief of staff, an agency spokesman said Monday.

Buonopane will also have periodic reviews of his work and must move his offices from 600 Washington Street to One Ashburton Place next to the Statehouse.

Oh my God! That almost sounds like (gasp!) a job! Perish the thought! This injustice must not stand! I'm going to start taking up a collection to help poor old Angelo make it though these troubling times. Won't you donate today?

I mean, come on - working in an office? Submitting timesheets? Being subject to a work performance reviews? How long must the politically-connected elite be made to suffer such indignity?

UPDATE: Apparently, not long at all.

Romney labor director penalized for work habits resigns

BOSTON -- Department of Labor Director Angelo Buonopane, who was the focus of news reports that he kept short work days and took frequent vacations, resigned on Tuesday.

Don't let the door smack you in the ass on your way out, douchebag.

Romney blew this one bad. He should have given Buonopane his walking papers the minute the Globe story broke. He likely would have won back my vote, and many more. Now, he just looks like, well, a run-of-the-mill Massachusetts asscheese politician.