Shortly after posting on the Mass. AFL-CIO’s decision not to endorse anyone in the gubernatorial primary, I received a press release from Tim Murray‘s campaign reporting that, with respect to the LG race, the union had not been so reticent:
Timothy P. Murray, Mayor of Worcester, today received the endorsement of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO in his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor.
âI would like to thank the Mass. AFL-CIO and President Robert Haynes,â said Mayor Murray. âMy campaign is about fighting for working families and labor, and I will continue that fight if I am elected to the corner office.â
After the recommendation of the AFL-CIO of Central Massachusetts, which Murray has a proud history of good relations with, the Mass. AFL-CIO voted to endorse Murray by a two-thirds vote. The state-wide union represents 400,000 workers in the state of Massachusetts.
A feather in Murray’s cap, to be sure.
Silbert is the outsider. It gets clearer every day. The question for the Murray campaign, I think, is if they can convince the voters that they have the ability to deliver reform and progress, or if they will be so beholden to the state’s power brokers that they won’t be able to get anything constructive done should he win.
I find this an interesting take. Silbert gets Harshbarger, who is an outsider? Murray gets AFL, and they’re insiders? And, aren’t we all Democrats? So, I don’t understand the appeal of the insider/outsider label in a Lt. Gov race. Who brings the greater strength to the ticket, and how is that demonstrated. If Silbert is the outsider, and is paired with the insider Reilly, do they cancel each other out? And where does this leave Goldberg, not inside or outside?
Did the AFL deliver for Harshbarger in 1998?
I think Bob’s point, and I don’t mean to speak for him, is that insider means career politician vs. not a career politician. Even with Harshbarger, Andrea hasn’t courted nor received many endorsements, whereas Tim has made it a priority, as has Deb.
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Union endorsements almost always favor folks who have proven they will walk the union line. That can read insider, because to walk the union line means having dealt with them as an elected official. Andrea, who in my opinion has a much stronger record on job training and job creation than any other candidate, would of course be ignored by unions because 1) she hasn’t voted with them in the past (she couldn’t have), which is a key thing with unions. 2) It’s a better bet with Tim, from a political perspective, because win or lose he’ll still be an elected official, and then he’ll owe the AFL something and they always come to collect. 3) Unions, especially stuck-in-the-70s ones like the AFL, are more interested in a safe bet with Murray than with a someone one actually has dedicated her life to the jobs and training they claim to care so much about. Almost every union endorsement is about political power and control, not jobs and training.
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Now, Tim is a good candidate, so I don’t begrudge any union endorsement. It’s his strategy to run to his strengths as a career politician and use his extensive network of career politicians and the interest groups that come with that network, such as unions. As a Silbert supporter, I would much prefer she doesn’t have the baggage of their endorsements. They’re not worth the hassle and she can focus on taking her story to voters.
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Also, another preachy aside, can we please just agree that a union endorsement doesn’t equal standing with “working people?” It just means you are standing with labor. Most people I know work their asses off and they aren’t in a union. In fact, most people aren’t in unions and unions certainly haven’t cornered the market in standing for people who work. Most of us just work.
If so, I don’t get it. Who is she appealing to? And I don’t buy your reasoning. Deb seeks endorsements, but she hasn’t held office, so is she an insider? Or is she an outsider who seeks endorsements, unlike Andrea. Would Andrea or Deb reject the AFL eldorsement because they are outsiders? I reject the whole false arguement. And the AFL endorsement does mean that you stand with working people.
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And to the point that labor did not help Harshbarger win the election. We should be careful. We lost the past 4, and it might be dangerous for a Democratic candidate to condemn the whole franchise.
Brookline Selectman. It’s the position as a City Councilor.
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p>A selectman is an excutive position, while a councilor is a legislator. In a city (with a couple of notable exceptions) you have the mayor, who is the chief executive, and you have the city council which acts as the legislature. In a town, the executive is the board of selectmen, while the legislative authority is either an elected or open town meeting.
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p>As counterintuitive as it may seem, in towns like Brookline, Framingham, or Plymouth, with their large population and large budgets, a member of the board of selectmen has more responsibility and authority than any city councilor.
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p>A few notable exceptions are the Plan D and Plan E cities, and Worcester.
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p>In those cities, the mayor is elected from within the ranks of the city council, and has no executive authority. The chief administrator is an appointed employee. In cities like this, the mayor is merely a ceremonial position, and has less authority than a typical selectman.
Isn’t Worcester Plan E? (Your phrasing makes it seem it’s something else)
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Also – Since Mayor Murray is running for LG, there has been much debate over how relevant he has been in Worcester’s recent (and, most say, positive) economic fortunes. Any thoughts on that one?
The city then adopted a “home rule charter”, which isn’t one of the plans that appear in Chapter 43. Although Worcester’s charter is similar to a Plan D or Plan E, it has a few “custom” differences that needed to be approved by the legislature by home rule petition. (Some of the newer cities, like Weymouth, and soon Braintree, go through the home rule process, rather than adopting the Chapter 43 plans.)
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p>As for Murray’s relevance in Worcester’s recent fortunes, I would suspect that the city manager, Mike O’Brien, has more to do with it, but I don’t read the Worcester papers, so it’s just an educated guess.
When has a candidate condemned the “whole franchise?” I have, but I’m not a candidate nor do I speak for one.
it’s a constant theme running through the silbert posts. I don’t know if it is endorsed by the candidate, although she, and her campaign, has the same opportunity that I and the Murray campaign have to express the official position. And of course Will is correct, and I apologize, Deb has held elective office. Does that make her an insider, though? That’s the burning question, and the fate of our party in November hinges on it.
Although obviously it’s a spectrum, not a “black and white” thing. Tim Murray beats Deb hands down on the insider thing … and then Deb beats Andrea hands down as well. (This is intended as a value-neutral observation)
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I consider Deb an insider for two reasons: she is a past office-holder; and she is a relatively well-known heiress, which greatly amplifies any recognition (and access, influence, etc) she might have accrued as an office holder.
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(Warning: actual opinion expressed below)
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As far as I’m concerned, Deb is the third wheel in this race – doesn’t have a record of elected accomplishment to rival Murray’s; doesn’t have an impressive personal credential to rival Silbert’s. All she does at this point is confuse things. Yes, I admit: I have nothing against her, but I hope she drops out, the sooner the better.
Deb Goldberg stands in the best position to win the primary and help take back the corner office alongside of any of the three democratic candidates for governor. Although this election is not just about labor, Deb has an excellent relationship with labor from when she was Chair of the Board of Selectmen in Brookline and when she and her family ran Stop and Shop. As Im sure you know, she has been endorsed by Firefighters Association, Local 950 Pipefitters Association, Local 537, and the Utility Workers 369. Deb will never out ‘boyo’ Murray and that is just little bit of the good news about Deb Goldberg. Massachusetts voters are tired of temper tantrums; everyone knows Murray and Reilly dont get along. No doubt, Tim is a great guy, but Massachusetts deserves and wants much more than back-room back slapping to get the job done. Education, municipal budgets, home ownership, family and women’s priorities in Massachusetts are several of the issues Deb Goldberg knows a lot about, cares about, and can help with.
MA AFL-CIO Endorses Murray for Lt. Governor
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p> Tim Murray just received the statewide AFL-CIO endorsement for Lt. Governor, making him a real asset to the Democratic ticket in November. Murray is currently the only candidate in the field with strong broad and diverse support throughout the Commonwealth. In addition, to having the most union endorsements (18) of any 2006 candidate with the exception of Kennedy he has also received a wide range of local, state, federal, non-profit and community based endorsements. Murray has been endorsed by Congressmen Neal, Lynch & McGovern, 11 State Senators, 51 State Representative, 79 local city & town officials (including 17 Mayors), and social justice organizations like Neighbor to Neighbor who work hard to help those struggling to provide for their families.
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p> Murray has received this endorsement today in addition to the many he has already received from the labor community because he is the strongest candidate when it comes to fighting for working families. As Mayor, he has a record of fighting for working families. He has worked hard with labor unions in the past on pension programs & affordable healthcare, while also expanding affordable housing opportunities. He is a strong supporter of increasing & indexing the state minimum wage and increasing workers compensation benefits. As Mayor, he has been leading the fight to expand Worcesterâs Responsible Employer Ordinance to make sure there is a level playing field for unionized construction workers to bid on city construction/development projects. He has the experience and a strong record of labor & community based support that will aid any of the gubernatorial candidates in November.
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p> The AFL-CIO saw Murray as the clear choice, but was unable to decide on which candidate for governor to endorse. Murrayâs broad base of support would help unify the many constituencies that make up this commonwealth. Murray continues to be the definitive choice for Lt. Governor. As the Democratic Candidate for Lt. Governor Murray will be able to help mobilize broad constituencies behind the Democratic Ticket and the Partyâs choice for Massachusetts Governor.
The average citizen isn’t in a union. We need to get over this messaging, it rings hollow. That might work at the Democratic convention, may bring you something in a primary election as far as dough and bodies, but it does zero in a general election, which is really where we need to win. We lost in the suburbs, we need an LG who can credibly attack Healey there and then be an unique asset in office, to me that’s Silbert.
dont be a watered down democrat. We have worker protection because of the unions. We will not win if we abandon labor
Please spare me that argument. It’s insulting at best, saying we have to walk a line to be Democrats, ignorant at worst. Model T’s got people driving, doesn’t mean we should still riding around in them. Mike Ditka was a hell of a football player in the 50s and 60s, because he scored a bunch of touchdowns then, he should start for the Patriots now? Sure, unions got us worker protection, most union workers don’t need that protection anymore. Times change. Their tactics of bullying elected officials (our own Democrats often) and threatening to disrupt our conventions (Boston 2004 and almost Worcester 2006) are pathetic. Their leaders inability to deliver election after election is proof they’re tired. One needn’t have to walk in lockstep with the AFL-CIO to be a good Democrat.
it is exactly this type of attitude that has eroded worker rights and allowed Republicans to win over the past 16 years. We will not win by abandoning core Democratic principles. We will not win by slicing off traditional Democratic voting blocks. I cannot imagine that Silbert agrees with your position.
Here’s another take on the Insider vs. Outsider debate. Let’s just call it “Same vs. Different”.
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AFL-CIO = Same
Change to Win = Different
http://www.changetowin.org (sorry I don’t know how to link)
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Murray = Same
Silbert = Different
Goldberg = Both
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Reilly = Same
Patrick = Different
Gabrieli = Both
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Yes, I know this oversimplification has problems, but bumperstickers work. I supported O’Brien in 2002, but think the voters saw Romney as the new/different. I think primary and general election candidates want something new this time around.
There is no reason we should be alienating groups that stand not only for core democratic principles, but are also key to helping us against the Republican “money machine.”
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Let’s look at another example of your SAME vs. DIFFERENT analogy . . .
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NAACP = SAME (Typical Democratic endorsee)
KKK = DIFFERENT
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or how about
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National Wildlife Foundation = SAME
ANWR.org = DIFFERENT
What we need to spared from is the attitude that unions know better than voters, especially when most voters aren’t in a union. Our Dem nominees have walked in lockstep and where has it gotten is at the national or statewide level?
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I don’t know or care what Andrea Silbert thinks of unions. I know unions don’t care about the dedication to jobs and training she brings to the table – they care more about someone who will toe their line and who they can control.
U.S. Congress
Congressman Barney Frank (MA-4)
Governor’s Council
Gov. Councilor Michael Callahan (6th)
Gov. Councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney (3rd)
Gov. Councilor Mary-Ellen Manning (5th)
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State Senate
Senator Cynthia S. Creem (1st Middlesex and Norfolk)
Senator Brian A. Joyce (Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth)
Senator Michael W. Morrissey (Norfolk and Plymouth)
Senator Steven Panagiotakos (1st Middlesex)
Senator Steven A. Tolman (2nd Suffolk and Middlesex)
Senator Dianne Wilkerson (2nd Suffolk)
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House of Representatives
State Rep. Bruce J. Ayers (1st Norfolk)
State Rep. Ruth Balser (12th Middlesex)
State Rep. Deb Blumer (6th Middlesex)
State Rep. Stephen Canessa (12th Bristol)
State Rep. Robert Coughlin (11th Norfolk)
State Rep. Geraldine Creedon (11th Plymouth)
State Rep. Paul Donato (35th Middlesex)
State Rep. Barry Finegold (17th Essex)
State Rep. Colleen M. Garry (36th Middlesex)
State Rep. Tom Golden (16th Middlesex)
State Rep. Geoffrey Hall (2nd Middlesex)
State Rep. Kevin G. Honan (17th Suffolk)
State Rep. Louis Kafka (8th Norfolk)
State Rep. Kay Khan (11th Middlesex)
State Rep. Stephen Kulik (1st Franklin)
State Rep. Peter J. Koutoujian (10th Middlesex)
State Rep. Elizabeth Malia (11th Suffolk)
State Rep. David Linsky (5th Middlesex)
State Rep. Barbara LâItalien (18th Essex)
State Rep. Douglas Petersen (8th Essex)
State Rep. Cheryl Rivera (10th Hampden)
State Rep. John Rogers (12th Norfolk)
State Rep. Mike Rush (10th Suffolk)
State Rep. John Scibak (2nd Hampshire)
State Rep. Frank Smizik (15th Norfolk)
State Rep. Harriett Stanley (2nd Essex)
State Rep. Tom Stanley (9th Middlesex)
State Rep. Ellen Story (3rd Hampshire)
State Rep. Eric Turkington (Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket District)
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County Officials
Commissioner John Alley (Dukes)
Sheriff Michael Bellotti (Norfolk)
Treasurer Joseph Connolly (Norfolk)
Sheriff James V. DiPaola (Middlesex)
Commissioner John Gillis (Norfolk)
District Attorney William Keating (Norfolk)
Register of Probate Patrick McDermott (Norfolk)
Commissioner Robert Sawyer (Dukes)
Register of Deeds David Simas (Bristol, North)
Commissioner Jeffrey Welch (Plymouth)
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p> Mayors
Mayor David B. Cohen (Newton)
Mayor John Hanlon (Everett)
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City and Town Council Members
City Councilor Barry Amaral (Taunton)
City Councilor John Correggio (Revere)
City Council President Arthur Guinasso (Revere)
City Councilor Bill Bowles (Attleboro)
City Councilor Joe DeMedeiros (New Bedford)
City Councilor Martin Gately (Malden)
City Councilor Thomas Hoye (Taunton)
City Councilor James Leahy (Holyoke)
Town Councilor Paul J. Leary (Weymouth)
City Councilor Armand Mercier (Lowell)
City Councilor Ira Novoselsky (Revere)
City Councilor Michael Ross (Boston)
City Councilor Gregory Shanahan (Weymouth)
City Councilor David Swartz (Haverhill)
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Selectmen
Selectman Matthew Albanese (West Bridgewater)
Selectman Robert Allen (Brookline)
Selectman Adam Bond (Middleboro)
Selectman Jason Booth (Tyngsborough)
Selectman John Bulian (Needham)
Selectman James Burgess (Randolph)
Selectman Nancy Daly (Brookline)
Selectman John Haederle (Easton)
Selectman Michael Kelleher (Saugus)
Selectman Daniel Matthews (Needham)
Selectman Jerry Wasserman (Needham)
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Aldermen
Alderman Susan Albright (Newton)
Alderman Marcia Johnson (Newton)
Alderman Richard Lipof (Newton)
Alderman Ted Hess-Mahan (Newton)
Alderman Jason Marcus (Everett)
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School Committee
School Committee Member Frank DâAgostino (Attleboro)
School Committee Member Ruth Kaplan (Brookline)
School Committee Member James Latter (Beverly)
School Committee Member Philip Oliveira (Lakeville)
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Labor Organizations
Firefighters Association, Local 950
Pipefitters Association, Local 537
Utility Workers Local 369
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Organizations
Asian Pacific American Agenda Coalition
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Other Honorable Endorsers
Francis X. Bellotti, Former Attorney General
Steve Grossman, Former Chair of the DNC
Dorothy Kelly Gay, Former Mayor of Somerville and Former Member of the Governorâs Council
Evelyn Murphy, Former Lieutenant Governor
Lois Pines, Former State Senator
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1. If they don’t endorse a Gov. candidate, they may be able to run phone banks for Murray and help with a GOTV strategy that could turn out possibly 0.5% more for Murray.
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My prediction: after their next board meeting, they’ll endorse in the Gov’s race. If they do endorse a Gov. candidate, it would be a good politcal strategy because it would then have more of a media impact because they passed on it now. It would also be more of a boost for whoever gets the endorsement (particularly if it’s Patrick or Gabrieli) because it would signal “momentum” after having “spent the time since the AFL passed on an endorsment wooing working families.”
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2. Bodies for standouts/visibilities: expect to see more people holding Murray signs at various intersections. Effect on voters: negligible. If neither Murray, Goldberg or Silbert put out another sign or did another visibility, more people would still know about them from running one ad during the news in September.
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3. Money: this will result in probably $15K more from unions for Murray. It will result in probably more $ for Silbert in the end, as she can credibly go to everyone else and say “hey, he doesn’t need your $, I do.” No one’s going to give to Goldberg when they know she’s just going to write a check, so this will have a negligible impact on her.
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Of course, unions should actually love someone like Silbert because it’s the small business of today that turns into the union shop of tomorrow. Get small biz to buy into unions early and the movement will grow; target big biz for wholesale unionization and you’re going to keep seeing unions decrease in importance. It’s kinda like trying to save a dying forest instead of planting acres of new saplings.
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4. Other candidates: did the AFL endorse Galvin? Cahill? Coakley? DeNucci? If so, those folks will be asking for help too. I just can’t see Rich Rogers and Bobby Haynes getting too pumped up to really help Murray on the ground when a)there are so many other races out there and b)they want to save their powder for the sprint to November. I think they’d rather meet and start coordinating with MassVictory06 now and spend their time that way rather than expending energy on a race that they may not be able to realistically impact in any meaningful way.
They endorsed Galvin. No idea about the unopposeds, but really, who cares?
Looks like the AFL did endorse the others.
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And I forgot about Ted K. This is just about the only guy I think the unions actually get excited to work for. If he tells them to go do a lot of primary campaign work, they will. If he tells them to focus on the general, they will. I think he wants to be the kingmaker this year, causing the Dem Gov. cand. to ride in on his coattails. Don’t be surprised if the kennedy team tries to make it look like he has a race this fall – even if his opponents are token. Generating more turnout for Ted K only helps the Dems in November.
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I still think they’ll do close to nothing for anyone in the primary.
In case anyone is interested, here is the full list of endorsements from the Mass. AFL-CIO.
and Pres. Haynes statement on the non-endorsement in the Governor’s race. Basically, any of the three candidates are head and shoulders above the last 20 years of Republican leadership.