Blue Mass Group

All the results for example, I was pleased to see how well my friend Dave Roulston did in Franklin County in what I understand to be his first race.  There are many open seats, and many first time candidates – and even though some of those first time candidates did not win their primaries – this time – I hope they try again …including David Roulston, a brave and compassionate man shown here with his guide dog, who understands the concept “innocent until proven guilty” – and how much easier it is to accuse than to defend. My own preference would be for “new blood” with fire in the belly, a passion for social justice, and few political debts to pay over “earning” a seat by conforming to a litmus test.  Experience is not enough to interest me, given the way “experience” has led to a “go along to get along” culture.

Christine O’Donnell defeats Mike Castle, I would argue, on his TARP vote. Sen. Robert Bennett (R., Utah) voted for TARP. He lost the Republican primary for his seat in March. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison voted for the TARP, and lost a Republican primary for Texas governor in March. Sen. Arlen Specter was a Republican when he voted to support TARP. He later switched to the Democratic Party to avoid likely defeat in Pennsylvania’s GOP primary, but ended up losing the Democratic primary in March. Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted for TARP, and she lost the Alaska Republican primary in August. Some other TARP supporters have decided not to seek re-election, including Sen. Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.), Sen. Evan Bayh (D., Ind.), Sen. George Voinovich (R., Ohio), and Sen. Judd Gregg (R., N.H.). So far, just two senators who voted for TARP have survived tough primary fights this election cycle. Sens. John McCain (R., Ariz.) and Blanche Lincoln (D., Ark.) both won their primaries this year. http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/…

Over this past week I submitted a letter regarding student loans and the economy to Representative Capuano, Representative Frank, Senator Kerry, and Senator Brown (I also sent it to the White House education policy department, but that was a long shot).

You can read the letter I sent them here or here.

Low and behold, Senator Scott Brown was the first to respond.

For the past ten months, people everywhere have been asking “How could Scott Brown have won?”   Everyone — especially people outside the state — seems to have an opinion.   The tide was turning towards voter rebellion.  Martha Coakley ran a poor campaign.   Scott Brown was the focus of national attention from people who desperately wanted to poke Massachusetts in the eye for 47 years of support for Teddy Kennedy.

All these things may have an element of truth, but there is one inescapable reality for which we, as Democrats, need to take responsibility: we lost the seat because we didn’t care enough.  We thought, like the Coakley campaign, that the result was a foregone conclusion.   Why work hard when she had it in the bag?   Who ever heard of Scott Brown?

And then he raised $14 million in 18 days and blew us all out of the water.  Since then he has tried to water down or block health care, energy legislation, unemployment benefits, and even financial reform.  Not mad about that?    You should be.

And now, as we continue to wallow in apathy and self-recrimination, we are about to make the same mistake.  

Let’s be blunt: Deval Patrick is a good governor, one of the very best we have had in a long time.   We would all be shocked and miserable if he were to lose.  It is time for us to take responsibility for our own futures and to act.

Comment here if you spot results not yet reported. Celebrate, or despair, in good company.

September 14, 2010 PLAINVILLE- Democratic candidate for State Representative Stanley J. Nacewicz has issued a statement to the Ninth Norfolk District rebutting his opponent on the tax issue. The statement can be found in the Walpole Times @ Nacewicz, a longtime Plainville resident and the current appointed Chief Tax Assessor for the City of Attleboro, MA is running against Norfolk corporate lawyer Daniel Winslow in the race for State Representative of the Ninth Norfolk District. “My opponent has labeled my excise tax proposal as a mandated tax increase and it’s completely false. He’s obviously failed to see that 1) the plan is entirely an option for communities, 2) if the communities decide to implement the plan, the direct revenue generated would go directly back to the communities (unlike sales tax which goes back to the Commonwealth) and 3) the current excise tax system as it stands needs to be updated.” Nacewicz continues, “The reason I introduced the plan in the news article was to try to stimulate the local economies to generate some income for the area, total under their local control and not that of the State. If he’s going to criticize me over trying to come up with [...]

At the Deval Patrick/Tim Murray HQ in Boston, the office is nearly empty.  On vacation?   No way.   Our field staff is all over the state testing an exciting GOTV approach for November, which will use  new technology to support neighbors talking to neighbors on the doors.  This tactic could well be a game changer for Democrats in November.  Stay tuned.   And sign up for an exciting GOTV effort that will bring victory to the full Democratic ticket in Massachusetts. I hope you’ll sign up here to get started and commit to helping all day on November 2nd Clare Kelly Field Director Deval Patrick Campaign

 

The good news is that President Obama is proposing to extend tax cuts for 98% of all Americans.  

The bad news is that the Republicans are threatening to block President Obama’s proposed tax cuts for 98% of Americans — unless he also agrees to extend an expensive tax break for America’s wealthiest 2%.   This extra Republican demand is specifically targeted to benefit people who already earn over $250,000.00 a year.  

And, if the Republicans get their way, it will add an extra $700 billion to our deficit.

 

The good news is that President Obama is proposing to extend tax cuts for 98% of all Americans.  

The bad news is that the Republicans are threatening to block President Obama’s proposed tax cuts for 98% of Americans — unless he also agrees to extend an expensive tax break for America’s wealthiest 2%.   This extra Republican demand is specifically targeted to benefit people who already earn over $250,000.00 a year.  

And, if the Republicans get their way, it will add an extra $700 billion to our deficit.

The State Republican Party or its minions are desparate to get Tim Cahill off the November ballot. So, if Cahill voted today in the Primary and pulled a Democratic Ballot as he told Emily Rooney last night on Greater Boston that he planned to do the Republicrats were ready to launch a legal challenge to Tim Cahill’s Independent status on the ballot. They hoped it would knock him off the ballot because Charlie “The Mole” Baker cannot win otherwise. Therefore, Tim Cahill told Emily Rooney today on her WGBH Radio program that he would not vote in the primary because of the challenge to his status on the ballot as an Independent. No one he said would give him in writing any assurance that voting in the Democratic Primary would result in his being removed from the November ballot as an Independent.