The Herald reported yesterday (and, by the way, check out the Herald’s new snazzily-updated website, with RSS feeds and other bells ‘n’ whistles) that Jim Ogonowski, the Republican candidate for the MA-05 seat whose brother died on 9/11, and who has been asked to speak at the last four 9/11 anniversary State House ceremonies, didn’t get an invite this year. Instead, Marty Meehan, the departing MA-05 congressman, will stand in. The Globe picked up on the story today.
Bad move all around. Ogonowski should have been asked to speak this year, as he has been for the last four years running. And he certainly shouldn’t have been replaced by the Democrat whose seat he wants, and whose wife is chairing his opponent’s campaign — that makes the whole thing look like a political bag job, despite the organizers’ insistence that it isn’t.
Apparently, Ogonowski still plans to attend whether or not he has a formal role, and will suspend campaign activities on Tuesday. Meanwhile, kudos to Niki Tsongas, who just issued this classy statement:
I was surprised to learn that Jim Ogonowski was not invited to speak in Tuesday’s ceremony at the State House honoring those lost on September 11, 2001, and I think he should be invited to participate in the ceremony as he has in previous years. The Ogonowski family suffered a tremendous loss, and his is an important voice on this day of remembrance.
Let’s hope the organizers of the MA event heed Tsongas’s words.
Thank you for being Reality Based.
that suffered tremendous loss. Who appointed him the de facto spokesperson entitled to speak annually on this issue? That’s bullshit.
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Between Giuliani and Ogonowski, I can’t determine which one is more cynical.
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Was this a bogus move that looks terrible? Yes. IMO Ogonowski should never have had the opportunity to lock the speaking gig four years in a row anyway.
“The Ogonowskis are not the only family that suffered tremendous loss.”
I didn't realize the Meehan family lost anyone on 9/11, oh that's right they didn't.
I have no problem with deciding not to let Ogonowski speak if your intention is to keep the event from being politicized, but when you invite the guy who he is trying to replace, and whose wife is the chairwoman of Tsongas's campaign, I'm sorry but that's total bullshit. There were many families who suffered loss on 9/11, but they didn't get invited to speak.
of Meehan speaking, but don’t let facts get in the way of your rhetoric.
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My point is the Ogonowski is not entitled to speak annually and that’s all. That doesn’t mean that Meehan is.
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Wipe the spittle off your chin, big guy.
As LI says, he's not the only person who lost someone on 9/11 and I'm not sure why he'd be the public face of grieving family members — he certainly hasn't been a crusader for rectification and truth on this matter as have the “Jersey Girls”. Classy move by Niki to walk the line on this. Anyway, the Republicans decided to politicize 9/11 anew by hand-picking Ogonowski to make for easier exploitation. Accoring to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, New York Sun, or AOL, he's presented as a candidate whose first or second “qualification” for office is that his brother died during that attack.
who's first or second qualification is her last name.
They both got this far due to family. But I've seen the Republicans exploit 9/11 far greater than I have the Democrats exploit any former Congressman's death (and no, a defiant eulogy at Wellstone's funeral doesn't balance out the raptuous invocations of 9/11 at the 2004 RNC convention).
the Dems made a hash of their attempt to exploit Wellstone.
You musn't remember the funeral. The Party speakers were humble and non-political. It was the crowd that booed (oh, dear!) when Trent Lott showed up on the Jumbotron, and Wellstone's longtime friend that gave his “win for Paul” speech. If the Dems wanted to exploit Wellstone, it would have been different.
However, I think the episode did teach the Republicans that the media will fall for their crocodile tears every time…
The Democrats made a hash of their attempt to exploit Wellsone's funeral.
What, if they did it well, it wouldn't be exploitive?
I kind of noticed a lack of “coverage” of 911 related events this year by MSM and even on the net. There was no “debate” over a biased TV documentary (ABC).
This year though we have the “release” of the latest Osama video which has the “conspiracy” crowd working dilligently to disprove.
Next thing to hit is people simply walking away from politics altogether in disgust at both the left and right. A consensus can not be reached by a people only concerned with their own personal survival.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?search=freedomswatch.org
No page? Yes, well I at least thought I saw it.
…they have had such memorial services every year. Are they going to hold such services every year untl everyone who was alive on 9/11/01 is dead?
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No, with Ogonowski now a candidate for office, his candidacy should not be advertised by government, whether or not he “suspends his campaign” for a day. When a TV or radio personality announces his candidacy for political office, he is usually whisked of the air immediately.
Please – what is your expiration date?
we still have Pearl Harbor ceremonies on Cape
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I’m not surprised. But regarding
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what is your expiration date?
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I guess there isn’t one. The US still celebrates a civil war era Memorial Day, and Massacusetts celebrates a Revolutionary War era Patriots Day. The latter is celebrated with a race, and the former with a pic-nic.
Call a spade a spade. Ogonowski got the axe because he is running for an elective office as a Republican. Democrats control the state and the elective process and tha's the bottom line. What's to argue? There are not any niceties or civility in Massachusetts politics. Look at what Delahunt did to Johnston. They'd cut another democrats throat for twenty bucks. You have to look no further to what they would do to a republican.