Regarding 1: Essentially, he wants to be in an executive position, to
be able to influence public safety directly, on the micro-level. He
wants to address issues — from drug-offender recidivism to sex
offenders to bullying — on the ground, and through policies that can
be conceived and implemented directly by the DA’s office, not through
the generalized methods of legislation.
I asked, out of ignorance, if the DA actually argues cases before a
judge, or files briefs, or performs many nuts-n’-bolts duties on
individual cases. Unlike on TV, apparently the answer is no.
The assistant DAs actually argue the cases in court. (Those of you with
criminal court experience can feel free to correct
me.)
Reagrding 2: I gather that he’d like to be to law enforcement what the “<a
href=”http://www.wwnorton.com/catalog/spring04/032481.htm”>Moneyball”
approach is to baseball: using data, research and best practices to
enhance public safety and prevent crime. In other words, do what
works. He calls himself the first “progressive” chair of the Public
Safety
committee in years. He deals with apparent relish with the ins
and outs of criminal policy issues, and is most interested in the
real-world effects of policies. He claims to be the most “progressive”
candidate running in the DA race — something which frankly I’m not
qualified to evaluate.
What do I think about all this?
I do think the public is somewhat
more sophisticated about such matters than it used to be. The death
penalty reversal cases over the last seven years or so have led to a
degree of public acknowledgment that the criminal justice system needs
to accomplish more than “putting people away”; it’s got to put the
right people away, first of all, and it’s got to wisely spend the large
amount of money it uses. For instance, the public seems to favor a more
nuanced approach to drug possession than, say, twenty years ago.
But politically, Barrios needs to be quite careful with his approach:
If he favors the “progressive”, objective side without a clear and
emotionally apt acknowledgment of the white-hot anger that
crime causes, he’s going to have problems. Mike Dukakis was thought to
have suffered immense damage in ’88 because he answered dispassionately
to Bernard Shaw asking what he would want if his wife were raped and
murdered. In the area of law enforcement, a genuine “politics of
compassion” demands that a candidate address head-on that emotional
reality, which is every bit as real and palpable as recidivism
statistics and tax dollar savings. His website seems reasonably
well-attuned to this, but we’ll see how he takes a punch over the
coming months.
I guess I came away from the conversation thinking that his DA run is
not as unlikely as I had thought. But moving from
“reasonable-alternative” to front-runner status will still be his
challenge.
As much as I’d like to think Sen. Barrios is running for Middlesex DA entirely because it’s what he wants to do, I think thats a little naive. It’s quite clear that the office of Middlesex DA has become quite the jumping off point (see: Harshbarger, Reilly, now Coakely). With its gigantic population and proximity to Boston, Middlesex DA is a prestigious position that draws lots of press.
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I am by no means questions Sen. Barrios’ commitment to reforming our criminal justice system on the micro level, I just think that his macro-ambitions are more the driving force behind the run.
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As for the overall analysis, dead-on Charley. I can’t remember who said it, but I remember a Dem being questioned on the death penalty responding to one of those hypotheticals (what if it was your daughter), “I’d want the bastard dead, and thats exactly why the death penalty should be illegal, the grieving party can’t see past their pain.” It’s a fine line, but it can be walked.
So you think Barrios has grander ambitions, but for what? AG? Governor? US Rep if Capuano gets bored? How do you like his prospects for those?
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To my mind, if that’s why he’s running (and I’m not convinced), he’s really putting the cart before the horse.
definitely.
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Look at all the moving pieces. Coakley had a website ready to go for Senate of Kerry/Edwards had sealed the deal (what a big if). She’s looking beyond her next race for sure (remeber, if Kerry runs in 2008 he can’t run for re-election to the Senate also, MA rules forbids a citizen from being on the ballot for two offices … which is another reason you see EVERYONE run in specials, when they come up).
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If Kerry runs, and for some reason beyond my power of rational comprehension, he will, then a lot of different offices could come open. For example, whoever wins the LG nomination could look at it, the sitting Governor could (who wouldn’t have to give up his/her seat), any of the members of congress could (although that decreases in likelihood for some if the Dems regain the House in 06). Besides starting a savage set of elections, it creates an incredible array of opportunities, especially for a young, articulate, non-white male (remember, the whole MA delegation is white/male) who is clearly ambitious.
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I’m not faulting him for running for the seat. I think he’d make a great DA and be great for the people, I just think, no matter what his talking points are, his focus isn’t merely on Middlesex.
…in a Middlesex DA candidate IS the viability of that candidate to be a good one for higher office, because of the very thing you talk about.
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I too don’t question Barrios’ committment to the DA’s office while he’s there, he seems like he works earnestly at whatever he does. But in politics, you can’t get a promotion unless you run for one, and I think Barrios does have plans to keep aiming higher.
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His progressiveness does tempt me to support him, even though he has less physical experience in the criminal justice system than Festa, because I want to see him aim higher. Everything I’ve heard or seen causes me to think he’d be a great candidate for governor or US Rep or Senate someday.
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Festa I see as a nuts and bolts guy…a real down-to-earth character (who swears like a real person!) and someone who definitely isn’t lacking passion about running for DA. He knows his stuff (or did as far as I could tell) when it comes to running a DA’s office. He talked about the need to pay ADA’s better so you have less turnover, which causes inconsistancy in prosecuting a case. It also means the victims of crime are often left with a new ADA in the middle of a trial, and this is not good service for these people. Festa mentioned giving some of the responsbility to try the smallest cases to the court officers (I think that’s what they’re called) so that he could reduce the # of ADAs overall, in order to accomplish the higher pay. He also talked about how he knew how to deal with the court system, up to and including the police officers being deposed as witnesses, which takes a special kind of firm leadership. And Festa isn’t without progressive creds – he’s against the death penalty for one.
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I’m excited about the Middlesex DA race, because there’s at least two very different, but very compelling candidates. How often do we get to really have a good choice?
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Leone, well, I hear from reliable sources he’s not progressive at all, so I’m pretty sure I’m not interested in him.
Iâve increasingly become interested in the DAâs race too, and I agree with Lynn that itâs all about viability. We need someone qualified and progressive but also someone who can win. As I looked into the race more itâs clear to me Barrios is the real deal, Leone is the conservativeâthe guy is pro-death penalty and traditional âtough on crimeâ programs, and that ultimately itâll come down to Barrios and Leone, which means Barrios is the clear choice because of his criminal justice background in the Legislature (on gangs and domestic violence). Festa may be tempting but the political reality is the guy canât win. Heâs way behind the eight ball, way behind on fundraising, and the guy doesnât even have a campaign manager. He simply CANNOT winâall heâs going to do in this race is serve the classic âspoilerâ role, taking away votes from Barrios, the only one who seems to be taking this race seriously. When it comes down to it, all these guys have good experience (either as a prosecutor or as a manager working to prevent and combat crime) and as a progressive who wants to see a progressive win…my voteâs with Barrios.
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In terms of experience in the senate, Iâd characterize Festa as a “Press Release Progressive” – one of many in the legislature who talk the talk in the media â but don’t actually do anything to advance progressive causes other than casting the occasional vote. Jarrett Barrios, meanwhile, is a leader who works in the community to get things done and sets the agendaâlook at the way he worked with local authorities on his anti-gang bill, his involvement in the creation of the Harshbarger Commision on Corrections Reform, or how heâs worked with schools and students on the Safe Schools Act. Heâs the type of politician who uses his post to really make things happen.
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Furthermore, as to the question of why Barrios is running for DA, Iâll just put in thisâdo I think that he has higher political ambitions? Yeah, youâd be dumb not toâthe guy is young, exciting and progressive. Do I also think he wants to be DA of Middlesex County in order to make the county a safer place? Absolutely. And I think, of all the candidates, heâs the one whoâll best be able to do it. And thatâs why Iâm voting for him.
Regarding the race for MIddlesex County DA, I believe that the race will come down to progressive State Senator Jarrett Barrioss and Bush appointed prosecutor Gerald Leone.
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Mike Festa and Peter Koutoujian are both effective legislators but both are not well known outside their district.
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Koutojian,is going through the motions of running. He is regularly absent from most campaign events that Festa, Barrios and Leone attend. At a recent event before a packed Concord Democratic Town committee, Koutoujian spoke for a few moments and left the event.
He has not produced any campaign material and has raised little money in the last six months.
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Festa, simply doesn’t have the ability to raise the funds needed to mount an effective campaign. He has raised a mere $30,000 to date while Barrios has raised close to 500,000 with Leone right behind.
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Middlesex County is the largest county in the state and makes up a fourth of the population. You need to have significant funds available to buy TV time in the 7th largest TV market in the country.
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Gerald Leone has no political experience. Part of the job of DA is working with the Legislature to get the funds and programs passed to make the office work.
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Leone hails from the town of Hopkington, while Barrios has represented some of the largest cities in the county.
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Barrios has been an effective legislator, which shows he can build coilitions and thinks creativley.
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Some of the most effective DA’s were not prosecutors. Scott Harshbarger who served as Middlesex County DA and Attorney General had never prosecuted a case before becomming DA.
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Former State Senator Bill Keating who is the well regarded Norfolk County DA, was not a prosecutor. Bill Delehunt, now a member of Congress, was one of the State’s most effective District Attorney’s and he came out of the legislature.
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Gerald Leone has a very limited background and Middlesex County needs someone who will work on crime prevention not simply prosecution.