A former Presidential candidate and former governor of a populous said this. What, could he possibly have been talking about? Legalizing assault weapons? Geting rid of the TSA? Allowing people to keep tigers as pets?

Nope. Allowing bars to offer discounted or free drinks during happy hour.

In 1984, Mr. Dukakis signed the happy hour ban as part of a broader effort to crack down on drunken driving. In a recent interview, Mr. Dukakis described the amendment as “outrageous.”

“Unquestionably, people will lose their lives if this happens,” he said.

Michael DiZio, a resident of Arlington, offered a more graphic prediction in a letter to The Boston Globe, writing, “This will give badly needed employment to people in many sectors of our economy, including emergency room staffs, funeral home employees, grave diggers, and monument makers.”

But Mr. Hedlund said that tough drunken-driving laws save lives, not happy hour bans. And Jan Withers, the national president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said that while her group worried about anything that “encourages excessive amounts of alcohol,” it would not lobby against the amendment.

Not even MADD opposes it! Oh Michael Dukakis.