Frank Phillips

Latest Articles

Tormenting Teddy

Republicans threaten Kennedy reign
After 32 years in the US Senate, Ted Kennedy remains a force to be reckoned with, both for his legendary family history and his considerable accomplishments.
By BOSTON PHOENIX STAFF | August 26, 2009

Weakened watchdogs

If the Globe shrinks, will Beacon Hill run amok?
The ongoing crisis at the Boston Globe shouldn't be troubling just to devotees of the sports pages and "Coupling." Citizens who prize strong coverage of the Massachusetts State House ought to be fretting over the paper's fate, too. With its four-person State House contingent, the Globe has a stronger presence under the Golden Dome than any other major Boston media outlet.
By ADAM REILLY | June 19, 2009

All quiet on the Times Co. front

The Globe crisis leaves New York speechless. Plus, Morrissey Boulevard's problematic political fan club
When I heard this past Friday that the New York Times Company had delivered a radical ultimatum to the Boston Globe 's 13 unions I called Globe spokesman Bob Powers to check it out. He wasn't talking.
By ADAM REILLY | April 09, 2009

By | January 01, 0001

Open book?

Sal DiMasi is an embattled politician. His wife is an aspiring talk-show host. Welcome to New England Cable News’ ethics problem.
On any given day, New England Cable News features more smart, substantive politics coverage than any other Boston television station.
By ADAM REILLY | May 21, 2008

Communication breakdown

How did Deval Patrick's greatest strength become a dangerous weakness?
You campaign in poetry, Mario Cuomo famously claimed, but you govern in prose. Don’t buy the dichotomy.
By ADAM REILLY | April 24, 2008

Mitt’s pit bull

Meet Eric Fehrnstrom, Romney’s teeth-baring press secretary
Flackdom rarely leads to fame. But Eric Fehrnstrom, the traveling press secretary for Mitt Romney, has already joined the pop-culture firmament.
By ADAM REILLY | February 01, 2008

When Rupert came to Boston

Revisiting the lessons of Murdoch’s Herald
Just how badly will Rupert Murdoch screw up the Wall Street Journal ?
By ADAM REILLY | August 08, 2007

Too much information?

Revisiting the Globe ’s gang-truce scoop. Plus, Deval Patrick scolds the media, and the problem with Blue Mass Group’s success.
It’s not often that the Globe makes the Herald look restrained, but it happened earlier this month.
By ADAM REILLY | December 07, 2006

Pardon us

How the Mass media failed voters in 2006
This year’s Massachusetts governor’s race was fraught with significance.
By ADAM REILLY | November 02, 2006

Republican radio

Two days with WRKO-AM, the unofficial broadcast arm of Kerry Healey’s campaign for governor
If you’re a political liberal — or just someone who has a sense of fair play — listening to two straight days of talk on WRKO-AM isn’t easy.
By ADAM REILLY | October 30, 2006

Debate and switch

As The Globe Turns On Reilly
By the end of last Thursday’s Democratic gubernatorial debate, it was Kaddish for Tom Reilly, at least according to everybody in the chin-strokerati (except the Boston Herald ’s Howie “Bleep Conventional Wisdom” Carr).
By JOHN CARROLL | September 13, 2006

The incompetence candidate

Tom Reilly stumbles again
When Martin Lomasney ruled Boston’s West End a century ago, dirty tricks were key to his political success — but so was discretion.
By ADAM REILLY | August 17, 2006

Ship without a rudder

Tom Reilly’s chaotic campaign for governor
It’s a simple question: other than the candidate — who has a day job, after all — who is running Attorney General Tom Reilly’s campaign for governor?
By ADAM REILLY | March 03, 2006