Foiling Murphy In a Coup

Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Murphy, elected in 1986 with no help from Governor Michael Dukakis, has been largely ignored by her boss during the past four years. Dukakis rarely invited her to key meetings; when he spent 18 months seeking the presidency, she was kept mostly out of view. She seemed to suffer the slights quietly -- until last week.

Murphy is now running for Governor, a job that the increasingly unpopular Dukakis is not trying to hold on to. But Murphy, an unimaginative campaigner who repeats liberal cliches with square-jawed earnestness, is badly trailing her Democratic primary opponents: former state attorney general Francis X. Bellotti and Boston University President John Silber. Aides have long advised her to wake up voters by breaking with Dukakis.

Murphy finally decided to do so. She told her aides she would strike as soon as Dukakis left on a European trip to promote trade for the state. Since the constitution confers the powers of the Governor's office on her whenever the chief executive is away, she planned to call an emergency meeting to deal with the state's fiscal mess. She was set to order all department heads to slash their budgets 10% and open their financial books each month to show what they were spending. These bold steps were supposed to demonstrate her previously invisible leadership qualities.

An angry Dukakis learned of the plot and tried to pre-empt it. Delaying his trip, the Governor ordered his cabinet secretaries to double an earlier 4% cut in their budgets to offset an extra $150 million deficit accumulated since June. He had already pushed through the largest tax hike in state history to deal with a $1 billion shortfall that has given Massachusetts the lowest bond rating in the U.S.

At midweek Dukakis asked Murphy what she intended to do if he went ahead with his tour. She refused to say. Miffed by his insistence, Murphy told reporters, "There's no goodwill here and certainly no mutual respect." In response, Dukakis accused Murphy of "trying to use this state's fiscal situation for personal political gain." Then he flew off to Europe. When Murphy finally announced her steps, they went little beyond what Dukakis had already done.

Though Murphy gained the attention she sought, Dukakis' quick countermove took the zip out of her dramatics. The feud further disheartened the Democrats and buoyed Republicans, who see their best chance in 16 years of grabbing the Governor's office.