The big news in the just-announced Globe poll is that there’s no news. The numbers are startlingly similar to where they’ve been all along. There are 537 likely Democratic primary voter respondents, interviewed Nov. 13-18, giving us a margin of error of +/- 4.4%. So these numbers should take into account pretty much the whole health care brouhaha. Candidate: Current (last week) {3 weeks ago} Coakley: 43 (44) {42} Capuano: 22 (16) {16} Pagliuca: 15 (17) {15} Khazei: 6 (3) {5} Also very impressive — and very bad news for the three guys — are Coakley’s favorable/unfavorable ratings. Candidate: Fav/Unfav — net Coakley: 71/13 — +58 Capuano: 56/14 — +42 Pagliuca: 40/22 — +18 Khazei: 28/12 — +16 The poll asked about the health care bill: 32% of respondents would reject the bill if it contains the Stupitts amendment, while 43% think it should pass in any case. However, the race does retain a measure of fluidity. Although Coakley’s numbers are commanding, only 26% respondents said that their choice is definite, and another 24% are leaning. Half the electorate remains undecided. Still, it’s looking like Coakley would have to really screw something up to blow this lead. It will be [...]
Coakley and Pagliuca no shows: Capuano and Khazei debate
Lincoln [Saturday, Nov 21] – A forum that was originally intended to be a moderated discussion with the four Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate turned into a two-man debate between Congressman Michael Capuano and City Year co-founder Alan Khazei.
Senate candidates views on the economy
Four of the six U.S. Senate candidates for Massachusetts mixed it up over fixing the economy Friday {at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Dorchester}– with some sparks flying over one candidate’s link to a business deal gone bad.
…Appearing were Democrats Michael Capuano, Alan Khazei and Steve Pagliuca and Republican Jack E. Robinson. Skipping the forum were Democratic and Republican front-runners Martha Coakley and Scott Brown.
The forum was sponsored by the Progressive Business Leaders Network, a 200-member, three-year-old Boston group… read more
Senate ad watch — the latest from Coakley and Capuano
My take: these are both effective ads. Cap seems cheerier, while also playing to one of his strengths, namely, a solid anti-Bush voting record. Coak also seems cheerier, and also plays to a strength, namely, some tangible Wall Street-related results. Good stuff from both.
Coakley’s 2-Day Western MA Swing
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22 5:00 p.m. Martha Coakley to attend reception and receive endorsements of local elected officials. Union Station Restaurant, 125 Pleasant Street, Northampton. Clare Higgins, Northampton Mayor, Stan Rosenberg, State Senator, Hampshire & Franklin district, Peter Kocot, State Representative, First Hampshire district Sunday, 6:30 p.m. Martha Coakley to hold rally with Franklin County supporters. The Pushkin, 4 Federal Street, Greenfield Frederick Macdonald, Franklin County Sheriff, Christopher Donelan, State Representative, Second Franklin district, Eve Blakeslee, Clerk Magistrate, Franklin Superior Court MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23 7:30 a.m. Martha Coakley to visit with Mayor-elect Richard Alcombright and North Adams supporters. Cup and Saucer Coffee Shop, 67 Main Street, North Adams 10:30 a.m. Martha Coakley to receive endorsements of Pittsfield-area elected officials. American Legion Post 68, 41 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield Benjamin Downing, State Senator, Berkshire-Hampshire-Franklin district, Melissa Mazzeo, Pittsfield City Councilor-elect 12:00 p.m. Martha Coakley to hold endorsement event with Springfield-area elected officials. Hilton Garden Inn, 800 West Columbus Avenue, Springfield William Bennett, Hampden County District Attorney, Sean Curran, State Representative, Ninth Hampden district, Rosemary Sandlin, State Representative, Third Hampden district, James Welch, State Representative, Sixth Hampden district
Two hit-and-run drivers, two injured boys
Right at the outset, let’s be clear that the injuries to the boy in the Lowell hit-and-run are much worse than those to the boy in the Cambridge hit-and-run. Twelve year old Kelvin Savanhmixay of Lowell is looking at several weeks in the hospital and possible facial reconstruction surgery, whereas Samuel Tager’s 13 year old son is experiencing numbness in his extremities and shoulder pain, and is receiving outpatient treatment. But there are similarities as well. Both drivers, Michelle Medeiros and Anthony Galluccio, fled after causing an accident, and both have been charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury (according to the Globe, “additional charges are likely” against Medeiros because of the severity of the boy’s injuries). Both are on the front page of today’s Globe’s Metro section. Other compare-and-contrasts: Medeiros has no prior traffic infractions; Galluccio’s history includes two DUIs (he was pardoned for one), along with a 2005 incident in which he caused an accident after drinking but no charges were filed, and police reports that he was drunk the morning of the hit-and-run. And one more: Medeiros’s driver’s license has been revoked; Galluccio’s (as far as I know) has not. So keep your [...]
Credit card interest WAS deductible and what if the academic economists are dead wrong?
Prior to 1986, consumer debt, like credit card interest was tax deductible. Credit card rates of about 8% -10% were the norm. I was there; I actually remember those days. It was Ronald Reagan and the Tax Reform Act of 1986 that ended deductability for auto loans and credit card debt. And, by the way set the stage for mega banks and mega bank products. Today, banks act as if 30% rates for consumer credit cards are not just the norm, but some kind of God given right. No wonder THIS Christmas season looks bleak to retailers In fact, consumers have been treated like a moronic source of revenue that could be squeezed for ever, and still yield increasing amounts of money. Nothing is farther from the truth, just like it is NOT true that 72% of economic activity in the United States comes from consumer spending While this belief underlies traditional economic thinking, it is, in fact, dead wrong. At most 40% of economic activity in the United States comes from classic consumer spending The other 30% is money spent by government and NGOs and the like on people’s needs – for example, the 19k spent by Blue Cross [...]
