A few minutes ago, I received a robo-call from an outfit called the 99 percent.
I am not familiar with the PAC, but the call politicized the tragic events over the past week in Boston for the Stephen Lynch campaign. I wanted to note that Stephen Lynch is in no way connected to this outside group, but I would call on him to tell this group to stop.
My caller ID listed the phone number which I searched and found a site which allows users to comment on the robo-call. Here is a Lynch voter’s thoughts:
i received a call from this number a few minutes after the memorial service in cambridge ma was completed. it was pushing my vote for a senate candidate here in massachusetts. until that call i was firmly in his camp. the timing of that call together with wording that tied that candidacy to the horror of boston this past week lost him my vote.
It’s slimy and disgusting. To Lynch, it’s not doing you any favors get this group to stop.
Christopher says
…Lynch shouting his request from the rooftops won’t do much good.
oceandreams says
Lynch has asked them to stop.
johnk says
MassLive posted something as well.
johnk says
The article also notes that the robo call was done by the Ironworkers Union, but the listed treasurer was from the main headquarters in DC. Unsure if that is standard procedure or not, but I hope this came from and idiot from DC, not a local.
fenway49 says
of the Ironworkers in Massachusetts I know of is Local 7, which Lynch ran back in the day. This sounds like it’s coming from national HQ in DC. Either way, if he’s asked them to stop I’m confident they’ll stop.
I imagine they had a call on his hardworking, etc., etc., in mind before the attack and then added lines about the attack. Would have been better off not going there.
johnk says
and I was glad that as soon as the Lynch team found out they asked that it stop.
As to the point that they added a line or two to an existing script. That does not seem to be the case, if you read the quote of the call above. This was a deliberate attempt to use the tragedy for politics.
Honestly, are you fucking kidding me.
Connor probably quickly recognized the impact of the robocall and asked the Ironworkers Union; Who do you want to win? Then quickly asked them to stop.
fenway49 says
If there had not been an attack, I’m sure they would have had a robocall that said “Wouldn’t it be great to have a real working person representing you in the Senate? ” without the Marathon stuff. Lynch has focused his campaign on his history as a worker, and made his pitch on the argument that “wouldn’t it be great to have at least one (former) working stiff in the Senate?”
Giving them the benefit of the doubt (and I’m no fan of Lynch), they may have thought adding the Marathon stuff necessary to justify even making political robocalls so soon after the bombing. But I agree the effect is to sound like they’re politicizing the tragedy. My much bigger objection is to how Lynch, himself, tried to politicize the tragedy at this week’s debates, and had no qualms about misrepresenting Markey’s record to do it.
Mark L. Bail says
got. I was not a fan of Lynch, and the campaign has only deepened my unfannieness.
carl_offner says
…but the real reason I voted for this comment was that wonderful last word. What a great word! Well, plus I agree with the sentiment. That counts for something also.
joeltpatterson says
🙂
2weeksy says
It’s obvious Lynch himself approved the robocalls by his union promoting his candidacy. Lynch spent the last week squeezing every ounce of publicity he possibly could out of the Marathon tragedy. In the last two debates since the bombing, he dropped every other issue and fiercely staked out political ground as the MA delegation’s protector of the federal government’s anti-terror expenditures. It’s completely understandable Lynch would want to continue to promote himself in connection with that tragedy via the robocall.
Early on the morning after the bombing, Lynch strolled around the perimeter of the Boylston St. crime scene giving interviews to every news crew present. He then made some extremely awkward appearances at the law enforcement press conferences. At each press conference, Lynch staked out some prominent real estate next to the lectern and refused to budge even to let the speakers get to the microphone. He had no speaking role at the conferences. In fact, Lynch had no role there whatsoever beyond grabbing some free media coverage for his campaign.
This series of photos shows Lynch standing firm in front of the cameras everyone on stage changed places except him, and he didn’t even speak. Ed Davis couldn’t even move Lynch out of the camera view. http://www.viralread.com/2013/04/16/fbi-leads-the-hunt-for-boston-marathon-bomber-apartment-searched-in-revere-930-press-conference/
In the final debates, Lynch painted himself as a great supporter of anti-terrorism efforts and successfully painted Markey as virtually a supporter of terrorism. And Lynch has a long history of fighting terrorists. In 1979, he was arrested for Assault and Battery on several Iranian students who were protesting at City Hall. (Wikipedia and Globe)
Lynch’s robocalls were intentional and they probably won’t stop because he sends a mouthpiece out to disavow them. Lynch made too much political hay from the Marathon tragedy and he has to keep it going or his candidacy is dead.
fenway49 says
Except the “successfully” part. As David S. Bernstein said:
jconway says
I think they backfire as often as they succeed. People generally don’t like getting them and it usually angers them. I know my parents were even more committed to voting for Capuano after Coakley and her backers robocalled them seven times in one day. The best negative robocall I’m directly aware of is the one Peter Roskam used against Tammy Duckworth. He just copied Duckworth’s robocall and has his campaign send it at 2am, 3am, and 4am the night before election day. But, other than that, negative robocalls don’t seem to work.
stomv says
I wish I could grant both.
Minus for “obvious Lunch himself approved”. It isn’t obvious, and that’s a charge that IMO shouldn’t be made without real evidence.
Plus for the link. The many photos do make it pretty clear that Lynch shoved himself up there for the purposes of this election. I’d add that the Marathon Finish Line is in Capuano’s district, not Lynch’s.
davemb says
This morning on the rather leftist Bill Newman Show on WHMP Northampton. The ad said roughly: “When we pick a Senator in the Democratic primary, we should choose a real person like a teacher or an ironworker, who understands the problems of real people, rather than just another millionaire. This message is paid for by the 99 percent, and not affiliated
with any candidate”. The names of Markey and Lynch were not mentioned.
johnk says
They didn’t mention any names, but People’s Pledge anyone? This Edward McHugh guy is just slimy.
johnk says
Nothing reported to the FEC yet regarding the radio ads. I’ve posted their committee ID in case anyone is interested to view their filings. Their last one filed as for the robocalls on 4/25/13.
fenway49 says
WEEI, this early on a Saturday, had a rather academic discussion about Lincoln on. Then came the ad:
Two thoughts: First, I’m impressed with the coordination; they had a Lincoln quote in an ad during a show about Lincoln. Second, nowhere near as bad as the terror-exploiting call, and the Social Security distortion call.
cos says
I just got a recorded robocall from “the 99 percent” that came from I think the same number. At the end of the call they gave 617-963-0885 as their phone number for comments and questions, so I called that, and just got a voicemail (I left them my number and asked for a call back).
The recording I got did explicitly urge a vote for Stephen Lynch, but didn’t mention the bombings. Instead it talked about how some Democrats are willing to cut social security benefits to appease Republicans, but if you believe social security is money you earned by paying for it, support Stephen Lynch.
Both Lynch and Markey have signed the Grayson-Takano letter, which says “we will vote against any and every cut to Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security benefits — including raising the retirement age or cutting the cost of living adjustments that our constituents earned and need.” So it’s somewhat misleading to urge a vote for Lynch on these grounds in the primary. However, I think this call could be effective in getting votes from people who don’t know that.
nshulman says
I cam home tonight to this second answering machine message from “the 99%.” This message is a clear attempt to trick people into voting for Lynch by implying Markey is one of those other Democrats who will sell out social security. If both candidates have made a pledge not to allow negative 3rd party ads, what is going on here? Did this only apply to TV ads or is there a greater principle here? And it is also pretty sad that they waited until the last minute to send these calls out. What might we expect from them by Monday night? This doesn’t say much about the candidate that these calls support.
nshulman says
Posted at http://youtu.be/Zn5bvvG7h_E
michaelbate says
that mentioned social security, nothing about the bombings.
I called back their number and left an angry message – not that that will do any good.