Strong words from the Lowell Sun in today’s endorsement of Niki Tsongas for the MA-05 congressional seat. They’re talking, of course, about Jim Idon’tknowski’s bizarre refusal to disclose how he would vote on an attempt to override President Bush’s veto of the SCHIP bill.
The Sun’s endorsement of Tsongas is an interesting one, and it must come as a big disappointment to Team Ogo (the Sun is not exactly a liberal hotbed, after all). After acknowledging that both candidates have compelling personal stories that relate to the district, the Sun correctly observes:
But it requires more than name recognition and an interesting background to become an effective member of Congress. It takes an understanding of how politics works, a determination to work diligently for constituents, and an ability and willingness to make difficult decisions.
From the line about difficult decisions, the Sun moves to SCHIP. They point out that Tsongas has been firm and forthright all along that she would vote to override. Idon’tknowski, not so much.
Ogonowski said he supports SCHIP, but has repeatedly refused to say whether he would support the veto or vote to override. Instead he calls it a bad bill and says he would work to expand the program. Unfortunately, that doesn’t tell us what he would do on Oct. 18 when the override vote is scheduled to come before Congress. We find his lack of candor on this issue troubling.
And the Sun goes on to say that, even though their own views may be closer to Ogo’s than to Tsongas’s on Iraq,
we believe Tsongas has exhibited a willingness to listen to divergent opinions, seek compromises and find consensus. We find her willingness to change the partisan bickering in Washington refreshing.
This, along with the Sun’s calling-out of Idon’tknowski on SCHIP, is perhaps the most important line in the endorsement. It shows that, even though Ogo is the one claiming to not be a “partisan politician” and who says he wants to change “business as usual” in Washington, nothing that he has actually said in the course of the campaign suggests that he means it. To the contrary, everything he has said, from his distortions on “amnesty” to his obfuscation and, to quote the Sun, “lack of candor” on SCHIP, suggests that he will be very much “business as usual.” He will mischaracterize Democrats’ positions when it suits him to do so, and he will not be straight with the voters. No thanks.
Tsongas, as the Sun points out, is the one willing to “listen to divergent opinions, seek compromises and find consensus.” She is the one who shows a “refreshing” “willingness to change the partisan bickering in Washington.”
The Sun clearly saw right through Ogo’s “non-partisan” charade. I’m guessing the MA-05 voters will do so too. This is a nice pickup for Tsongas.
The Lowell Sun is a conservative paper, the first quote pretty much nails it. It’s about making decisions. Ogonowski hasn’t come forth with a single plan or solution to an issue. How could anyone vote for him.
I’m guessing the SCHIP hilarity was a major factor in the Sun’s decision to go with Tsongas. “Lack of candor” is pretty strong language for a newspaper editorial.
For the voters that don’t follow the SCHIP issue as closely, I think the second quote cited will do more to sway fence-sitters.
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The SCHIP thing is a specific example, but on a subject people might not care about. I think the second clip gives a much more favorable big-picture endorsement of her character and sytle in general. Especially when it comes from a paper that’s not known as a liberal paper, having them say that about a Democrat is very persuasive, I think.
Lost count, i think the last quote cited above is the most persuasive.
“It would be my honor to vote for that bill and I would do it again, and again, and again, and every time it came up.” -N. Tsongas
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http://www.bluemassg…
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It’s Mr. Ogonowski’s position that the bill ought be changed and compromised. At least based on the quote, Ms. Tsongas’ view appears more mulish.
surely you think Ogo is being irresponsible and, well, cowardly in refusing to state what he’d do on the override vote. It’s a huge tactical error, if nothing else — after all, it may have lost him the Sun’s endorsement.
the bill has been extensively negotiated, with compromises on all sides. That’s why it’s got large bipartisan majorities. No, the House doesn’t (yet) have the votes needed to override. But to give in to a misguided president, against the will of bipartisan majorities, doesn’t bespeak leadership, nor does it bespeak “not being a partisan politician.” I mean, where’s his constituency in Congress to make the changes he thinks need to be made? His position on this thing suggests that he really has no idea how the lawmaking process works — and not just how it works now (in bad ol’ DC) but just more basically, how it works at all.
… I suspect that this endorsement has more to do with the Sun than either candidate. Historically, there have been those at the Sun who seem to overly value rubbing elbows with the right people. If rubbing elbows with the connected is your desire, Tsongas is clearly more attractive than Ogo.
… just makes Ogo that much more likely to be less connected than her. Hell, even if Ogo won, you could make the case that in a year Tsongas will still be more connected.
Getting an editorial endorsement from the Sun is the equivalent of a sports’ team making the front cover of SI.
… was making the box cover of Madden.
Being in a Chunky Soup commercial with your mother–or someone playing your mother–is another curse.
Having HubPolitics endorse you has got to be the kiss of death.
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Something I’ve been trying to come to grips with: why does someone who claims to be non-partisan have 1) boilerplate Mass. GOP positions on just about everything and 2) the vociferous support of two of the hardest right local blogs going (HubPolitics and RedMassGroup)?
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Both are sites where people get called RINOs for not being homophobic enough…
If you search my comments you’ll see that I fully support RINOs as they are the pathway to leadership. We have a big tent my friend. I have many RINOs as friends.
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I’ve also vociferously stood up for so called RINOs on RMG.
The HubPolitics editors are definitely more liberal, homo, and xeno phobic. One of the Margolis brothers even posted about laughing with joy after hearing about the deaths of a truckload of immigrants. It’s why I singled them out as the kiss of death.
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It’s still pretty much a distinction without a difference. Any site where people regularly post about wanting to kill all liberals ain’t exactly big tent.
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As another data point, one of the so called “RMG RINOs” is a self-proclaimed “pro-life, pro-gun, anti-tax, anti-gay rights conservative.”
Which reminds me that I haven’t seen the HubPolitics chaps in the news for quite a long time. I count just 33 comments on all of their posts (which appear to be exclusively by the Margolis brothers) for the past two weeks. That’s an average of just two or so a day. They still don’t appear to disclose their traffic. They still have the idiotic “Barrios Fluff Advisory” badge (newsflash to Hub Politics: the man’s successor has already been elected).
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Has this just devolved into the ill-tempered ranting of two North Shore discontents — that would be too bad — or is there still some form of a there, there?
Has this just devolved into the ill-tempered ranting of two North Shore discontents — that would be too bad — or is there still some form of a there, there?
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They cross-post everything to the Boston Now community blogs, but there’s not much in the way of comments there, either:
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http://bostonnow.com…
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Deval Patrick Watch, their site with D.R. Tucker, is pretty much tumbleweeds as well:
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http://www.devalpatr…
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D.R., Knightbrigade, and a few of the other HubPolitics regulars have been posting to RMG more often than HP. Not sure if that’s cause or effect.
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It would be mildly interesting to find out if anyone besides Peter Porcupine bought Matt Margolis’ book.