Emile Goguen Awakened by Telephones on Christmas Morning
        Emile Goguen was wakened by telephone bells on Christmas morning when fellow Reps excitedly told him he was the first legislator to ever be praised by Boston Herald columnist Howie Carr, who can be nasty. Carr had devoted an entire article in the Sunday Herald to the Rep from Worcester County.
       Emile has become one of the best-known legislators in Massachusetts because of his courageous stand against gay marriage, wrote Howie.
       The headline told it all -- "Solon, farewell, don't go." The copy in the article told this story.
       "After months of radio ads demanding the removal of renegade SJC Chief Justice Margaret Marshall for her outrageous attempt to somehow legitimize gay 'marriage,' Emile has become one of the two or three most recognizable solons in the state.
     "At age 72, Emile Goguen is a media star of sorts. 'I been on in Canada, Mexico, Seattle. They're always amazed that I'm a Democrat, because Democrats are supposed to be liberal.'
       "Emile could be re-elected forever, but his heart no longer seems to be in it since his wife of 52 years, Constance, died in February 2004.
       "In fact, he says it was Constance who got him involved in the battle against gay 'marriage.'
       "'God bless my wife, the day it happened, she was laying on her deathbed, and I walked in and she said, "I just heard on TV what the SJC did and I think it's awful." So I read John Adams and he said if you're a judge and you screw up, you're out.'
       "A few months later, Emile was swearing in some new justices of the peace when one of his daughters called and told him to come right home, but not to speed.
       "'My wife was in a coma,' he recalled Friday [Dec. 23, 2005]. 'When they're in a coma they can still hear you. I bent over and kissed her on the forehead and she opened her eyes, gave me a little smile and passed away.'
       "At this point, Emile's voice began cracking.
       "'It was something beautiful. Isn't that something?' He paused. 'It really took a toll on me.'
       "Don't leave Emile. Keep being a thorn in their side.
       "'It ain't over,' he says.'I got 12 months to do something. I'm not gone yet, but my family wants me to bow out gracefully.'
       "But we'll miss you, Emile."
       "'No you won't.'
       "We will Emile. Now go have Christmas dinner with your kids and reconsider, and then tomorrow you can have the bumper stickers printed up:
       Re-elect Goguen; It'll Really Make 'em Mad

       Emile Knows Better
       Although Howie believes in what Emile is doing, he (like all pundits) hesitates to say that Emile still has a chance of winning this battle, when we're into the final week of December. Emile, however, believes that the momentum is definitely on the side of traditional marriage and almost anything could cause the momentum to finish the job in his favor. The fact that Howie went as far as he did and actually wrote this article shows that he also feels that there is something in the wind and anything could happen.
       Emile is a practiced politician (in the finest use of the word) and understands that it is impossible to keep people excited for long periods of time. He knows that the prime tactic of the opposition is delay, delay, delay. That's why he is working so hard to end this now while we have them on the run.
       However, if he is unsuccessful, he will not go away when he's having so much fun. He is here for the long haul, to get this done.
       A tip to everyone is that Emile thought about retiring after returning from a few hours in the UMass Medical Center where he had gone to have some batteries changed in his pacemaker. The trip caused him to realize that we are all mortal since he had been told a couple years ago when the electrical gadget was installed that it would protect him for many, many years. Discovering that your life depends upon a "flashlight" battery would be disconcerting to anyone.

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       (The word "solon," for mortals like us who didn't go to Deerfield Academy -- like Howie did -- is, according to the dictionary, a "wise law-giver." Even the spellchecker from the "Word" software hasn't heard of "solon." Most of our readers will recognize it because our former editor, Atty. J. Edward Pawlick, used it quite often.)