So this guy puts his life on hold. He sells a successful legal business, one in which he was regarded by his colleagues as “passionate”, “impressive”, “quick-witted”, “effective”, and “amazing”. He puts about half a million dollars of his money into the campaign so he can talk to middle-class voters, not upper-class fundraisers. Not easy for a guy who got all that by working hard, paying off student loans, and earning every bit. He hits multiple events day after day all over the state despite the hostility of the power-brokers of the party. He lives in Gloucester, and he’s visited my town of Middleborough at least thrice. A Republican town, at that.
And a lot of folks desperately want to convince you that it’s all in service of a lie. That O’Reilly won’t do what he says he’ll do. Hope may be fine for some campaigns, but not in Massachusetts, not today. Cynicism is back in vogue and cheering is out, sneering is in.
When a sane person looks at what Ed O’Reilly has done to get to Primary Day this Tuesday, such a claim is laughable. He has worked too hard for too long — at too high a cost with too little a chance for reward.
A man only works that hard if he believes in the truth of his actions. O’Reilly has burned a lot of bridges, and he is following up his pedigree as a stalwart 2004 supporter of the man who stood for a moral domestic policy, and a smart foreign policy. When that didn’t work out, he donated the maximum contribution to John Kerry. But he decided that somethings were worth taking a chance…sometimes, you gotta speak truth to power.
- When Ed O’Reilly says that he stands for single-payer health care with our Democratic Party and the idea that health care is something all Americans deserve, it is the truth. This is an issue beyond half-measures that mandate a money flow to private industry.
- When Ed O’Reilly says that he stands with our Democratic Party and the principles of this country in favor of equality in marriage, it is the truth.
- When Ed O’Reilly says that he will get us out of Iraq now and focus on Afghanistan, it is the truth.
- When Ed O’Reilly says that he favors an approach to education cognizant of the failures of No Child Left Behind and the necessity to return the control of children’s education to the people who know them best, it is the truth.
On issues from the economy to the environment, Ed O’Reilly stands with me. In fact, he will be the only Senate candidate on a Massachusetts ballot this year whose platform is also that of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.
Our platform doesn’t play well in Ohio or Florida. Thank goodness, this isn’t the Senate seat for Ohio and Florida. This is the Senate seat for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the state that sends people like Ted Kennedy, Ed Markey, and Barney Frank to Washington, DC. A state that is a leader on marriage equality and education, regardless of what swing states think of us. And it’s high time both our Senators reflected that.
I am aware that Senator Kennedy has chosen to endorse his friend and longtime partner John Kerry. I don’t blame him for that. Many politicians would do the same — it’s probably not going to wind up a close race, and why make for an uncomfortable atmosphere with your partner in the Senate? Heck, it’s not uncommon for same-state Senators from different parties to play nice during an election.
But when I look at Senator Kennedy’s fights, I see Ed O’Reilly as a guy who will fight alongside him. And let’s face it, when you’ve spent years fighting fires, legislation isn’t scary. Neither are polls.
Yes. It is a risk to replace what we know with what we don’t. We don’t know how good constituency service will be from Ed O’Reilly. Nothing guarantees 100% how Ed O’Reilly would vote. We don’t know how effective he will be in the Senate corridors.
But a man doesn’t put himself on the line the way O’Reilly has for nothing. And there is no motivation for O’Reilly to put himself on the line for a lie. And there is no motivation to fight like hell to get in, without fighting like hell every day. There are no pretensions here, no plays for higher office. This is a man who will be a fearsome United States Senator, because he wants to be a United States Senator.
The truth is, if Ed O’Reilly wins on Tuesday, the absolute worst we’ll get is more of the same. Non-responsive constituency services, vague positions to the right of the people and Democratic Party of Massachusetts, an ineffective legislator missing at key moments. That is the absolute worst.
But we can expect much, much better than more of the same from Ed O’Reilly. This isn’t hope and promises, this is a clear-eyed view of the situation. Odds say that we almost have to get better from O’Reilly, and more often.
We’re lucky to have in Ted Kennedy one of about 10 Senators who see themselves as Senators, not Presidents or Vice Presidents in waiting. Let’s make it 2 of 10. With enough votes from regular Democrats like you and me that will happen.
I ask you to join me in voting for Ed O’Reilly on Tuesday for Senator. Most importantly to vote Ed O’Reilly for Senator from Massachusetts, for a man who will act, speak, work, fight, and vote like a Senator from Massachusetts, for Massachusetts.
I’ve respected the positive case people made today for John Kerry. While I do not think he is the best choice on the ballot, I salute the passion others have for him. I respect the effort we see today to build up Senator Kerry rather than tearing down his opposition.
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p>I will vote for him if he is the nominee. I only hope the people backing Kerry can similarly respect a positive case for a candidate they do not support.
And very nice post. I will certainly be joining you and many others in voting for Ed O’Reilly tomorrow! He stands for the principles of our fine State and I am happy to support that.
what districts do you think ed is stronger in? do you anticipate a break-out along socio-economic lines?
I think O’Reilly will do very well in the 8th District (Capuano’s district) because of his progressive values. As a side note, we were the only district that voted for Obama in the majority during the Feb. primary.
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p>I would guess he would do better among lower income and older people as well because of his working class credentials and his support for universal single payer healthcare.
He will probably to his best in the four western counties, the southeast, Cape Ann, and immediately outside Boston.
O’Reilly broke 45% in three decent-sized towns. Dracut, Tewksbury, and Abington. Oddly, Abington is the hometown of the chair of the state Democratic party. Huh.
I’ve been looking for that breakdown all night and can’t find it.
http://www.boston.com/news/pol…
I like John Walsh and otherwise think he has been a very good chair. However, he was openly for John Kerry and I believe he should have remained neutral due to his position.
Senator Kennedy’s endorsement was as strong and hard felt as any I ever read. He also endorsed Kerry in not just 2004, but in early 2005 when Kerry himself seemed not all that sure of running. He kept that endorsement until Kerry opted not to run and gave a beautiful speech in the Senate after Kerry’s.
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p>That you use Alito as a failure is beyond believe and idiotic.
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p>You say O’Reilly is “like you”. Do you have 2 million dollar plus homes? Did you earn them the hard way getting drunk drivers off?
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p>Kerry is from and for Massachusetts.
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p>One question, as a big supporter have you phone banked for O’Reilly? How did it go? It was great fun to phone bank for Kerry. Contrary to your view, there are many people out there who volunteered how much they liked him.
<
p>
I think it’s not too much to ask that we end this campaign as Democrats working together for our principles, but I guess we continue to disagree. That said, I have phone banked for O’Reilly. I spoke to many people who liked Kerry and were proud of him as a presidential nominee. I spoke to many people who told me it was about time that they had an option to Senator Kerry.
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p>I realize many people like him. I hope you accept that many people do not. The plurality don’t feel strongly one way or the other, and absent a record of outright fraud or undeniable betrayal of stated principles, are unwilling to upset the status quo.
Kerry’s riding on status quo bias, institutional support, and leftover nostalgia.
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p>An impressive, inspirational Senator indeed!
if your endorsement were based on O’Reilly’s pluses and if you, like Cadmium, did not attack the other candidate.
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p> Instead, you had many very unfair attacks. In addition to the one I pointed to, you attacked Kerry’s attendance recors in the 208th Congress, ignoring it was atypical and reflected the fact that he was running for President and earlier in the Congress he missed several weeks because he was treated for Cancer. (The time lost due to cancer treatment and the fact he was the nominee and Edwards was out in the first week of March (thus back in Congress for March through June) explain that difference.) This was 2 years out of 24, 22 of which he had good attendance rates in.
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p>You can’t attack – and then say in response to any comeback ” think it’s not too much to ask that we end this campaign as Democrats working together for our principles.”
Your post had nothing to do with working together for our principles. It was a typical one of your attacks on Kerry.
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p>I have never said that everybody in the entire state loves, or even likes, the Senator. In the spirit of
working together for our principles, are you going to support Senator Kerry when he wins tomorrow.
Sabutai made exactly one passing reference to Kerry in this post mentioning that Kennedy endorsed him, but not blaming him for that. There were answers to criticism, but I did not see any direct attacks on Kerry in this diary. You seem to be among those who don’t think there should even be a race here, but frankly, that’s just too bad.
Whether it’s the vote to authorize the war in Iraq or marriage equality, he can do no wrong….or that’s what his most fervent supporters would have you believe.
It’s pretty low attacking someone for being a defense attorney – and it’s rarely an attack that’s worked in the past. The fact is we need defense attorneys; it’s one of the most important professions we could possibly have. Why? Plenty of people have been falsely accused. It’s an extremely important part of the judicial system and should not be used as an attack on someone’s character.
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p>Here’s the bottom line: if John Adams could see fit to defend the people who committed the Boston Massacre (and defend them well), then it’s tough to say even drunk drivers don’t deserve competent representation.
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p>BTW – this is coming from someone who endorsed John Kerry on my blog.
dominant part of his practice. The point I have made many times is that it appears that he was not like John Edwards in using his skill to bring justice to little people hurt by big corporations – or even John Kerry in the very short time he was a trial attorney and (with his partner) defended a man on death row falsely convicted of murder. If he did this, he never spoke of it.
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p>Not doing this would be of little importance if he had a record of activism showing a long term commitment or if he had a long impressive history of public service. There’s just not much there.
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p>Divorce the issue from John Kerry and ask yourself whether he is your top choice if there is a special election in the next year or two.
everyone deserves strong, thorough and competent legal representation. Enough said.
Can’t you pretty much buy better representation than your indigent neighbors if you have the means to do so? If a lawyer is a public defender, or took on a lot of pro bono stuff, that would seem to be nobler than profiting from a system that tilts the scales toward wealthy defendants. That is, a high-priced defense attorney specializing in getting rich folk off the hook for the same stuff that blue collar people go to jail for (and I’m not saying that O’Reilly was one) might equal a valid character indictment in a political campaign. Please correct me if I’ve mythologized the legal realities- fortunately for me I’ve never been slapped with a DUI charge.
Geez, Karen,
do you ever shut up!
as she has a lot of information to offer.
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p>Information being in general a good thing, we can be happy she doesn’t “shut up”.
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p>If you want a discussion about this with an informed person from the opposing side, it’s hard to imagine better.
She is clearly a sockpuppet!
For whom is she a sock puppet. Surely, John Kerry is not posting on Blue Mass Group under the name of Karenc.
that’s why I rated her comment (which she’s made several times now) a “worthless”. Not to mention that it’s simply misleading talking about fortunes. Yes, O’Reilly is relatively rich now, but he worked for that. He worked his way through college and I give him credit for that. He can relate with the working person going through the same thing. Kerry on the other hand was born into money…the rich Forbes family. As Seinfeld would say, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but don’t try to compare the two. They’re not the same.
He just had some rich aunts and uncles, but his actual mother and father were middle/upper middle class. That means you get to visit their sweet-ass house and maybe get a new IPOD for Christmas…. but you still only get the rusty pinto Ford Escort for your first car. I think it should be called the “at least you have one” catagory =p.
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p>My point being: yes, he’s wealthy and, yes, he’s never been poor… but I’m sure he’s had to deal with many of the same difficulties and disappointments most in the middle class have, even if he had a (much) bigger safety net and the type of family pedigree that grants instant connections and opens doors entire valleys.
According to his Friendster page, “My first car was a 1962 Volkswagon Bug.”
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p>I knew you’d all want to clear that up.
What I said was that O’Reilly is wealthy and has been wealthy for a long time. I said nothing about John Kerry.
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p>As Ryepower12 explains Kerry had extended family that were very wealthy and he had “the type of family pedigree that grants instant connections and opens doors entire valleys.” Kerry’s MA website in the past always spoke of having been given much – even in 2004, he didn’t use the true fact that he had worked summers in high school and college loading trucks. This was the right thing to do because the connections meant more than the fact that his parents were not extremely wealthy.
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p>What is also clear is that he choose public service jobs for most of his adult life rather than the extremely high paying jobs that he could have easily gotten with his connections and talents. This was a choice easier for him to make than it would be for someone without Kerry’s background. As Rye said he had a much bigger safety net.
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p>But, that choice did mean that there was a long period of time where he had to worry about finances, because he could not easily afford places in both Boston and DC, his kids’ education and the cost of weekly travel from DC to Boston. It also meant that most of his peers in the Senate or from college were far richer than he was.
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p>It is true that he never risked not having food, shelter, money to pay health costs or other necessities, I doubt O’Reilly did either. Both were by any realistic standards affluent most of their adult lives. Comparing them is difficult because, while for many years, O’Reilly likely had a far higher net worth, Kerry was a welcome guest in circles that O’Reilly likely couldn’t enter.
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p>To put it in personal context, I grew up the daughter of a milkman, one of 9 kids. I was smart enough and lucky enough to get a full scholarship to college. Out of college, I got a good job in my field and became a member of the upper middle class. I can not in good faith say I have experienced being poor or even lower middle class. I have read and heard the worries of adults in that position, struggling to make ends meet. Experiences of childhood simply are not the same. Parents shelter kids from most of the worry.
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p>O’Reilly’s law career gave him a FAR higher income than I had. His family growing up was likely no poorer than mine. He, like me, never experienced the true travails of being a lower middle class or poor parent.
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p>Although Kerry was part of the social elite, even when not personally wealthy, but, you can see from his legislation – where he has worked to give more people health insurance, created an Affordable Housing Fund, and other work – that he does care and does work to help people in need. His record is there to see – and that rather than his financial portfolio is the real bottom line here.
everyone is entitled to their opinion, but this is a little too over the top.
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p>
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p>Well what about school committee, why was that too scary?
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p>Too many holes here, you have the right ideals but Ed O is not that person.
. . when you have spent real time in combat, legislation isn’t scary.
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p>John Kerry has earned the votes he will get tomorrow with a lifetime of service to his country and to Massachusetts.
i honestly hate these “he is a veteran so should be revered in anything he does” kind of arguments, because working with others to pass legislation can be NOTHING like being in battle or a burning building. but if you’re giving kerry points for being in vietnam, you have to give o’reilly the same points for being a fireman. and unless either of us have experienced both, neither of us can rank these experiences as to which confers higher sainthood.
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p>ok, i’ll go puke now.
If combat and service to country are the qualifiers…McCain must be far and away more qualified that Obama who has never seen military service or combat…is that what you mean to say?
Does community organizing to help poor people serve the country less than dropping bombs from an airplane?
Then John McCain should win the presidency. It cracks me up how the democratic party is such a flip flop these day.
I’m all for change across the board. But I don’t fight for change at the presidential level, and then fight for seniority and experience and lifelong service to country at
the congressional level. It’s is wicked hard to be democrat these days. We all need to pick one story and stick with it.
…who aren’t qualified to be there. O’Reilly is not qualified to be a US Senator. I do not agree with every position he has on issues but I am voting for Kerry. I have no doubt that having him in Washington will be better for our working families.
Kerry and O’Reilly are both attorneys by profession and education…they are both lifelong Democrats…they both are progressive liberals …they both understand the law and the issues of the day…
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p>Those who wrote the Constitution and constructed our government would be appalled to see that US Senators and Representatives were making lifelong careers out of jobs that they meant to be temporary…they envisioned citizens (albeit only male) of all callings to step away from their pursuits for a limited period of time and to serve in the Congress…then to return to their own lives and professions after their service.
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p>So what is it that makes someone “qualified” to be a US Senator? They set an age limit…but beyond that any person from any profession who is law abiding should be able to put their name forward to be considered.
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p>Congressional favorability has been hovering at 17% for months…it seems the public has lost both faith and patience with the “professional Congress of qualified lawmakers”…and two political parties that are both beholden to the powers that be on K Street…maybe it is time for fresh air…not just from Massachusetts but across the country…
of how the Senate works. That’s how we know he is unqualified.
You can figure out how the Senate works with about a week’s orientation after elected. It’s not brain surgery. it’s politics and process that could be learned by any high school graduate.
one of the most ignorant comments I’ve ever seen on this site. A week’s orientation is all it takes to learn the rules of the Senate and how the body functions?
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p>I hope you’re kidding, since you just denigrated the work of the many very bright people who have spent their entire careers working for various Senators and House members and for the institutions themselves. Most of these people have much more than a high-school education, and from personal experience, I can honestly say that it takes more than a week to learn the legislative process.
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p>Sure, you can teach someone the basic fundamentals in a week, but there’s a lot more to being a senator than just voting yes or no.
I commend Ed O’Reilly for all he has done. Bringing a number of issues to the forefront of this contest has been a noble cause.
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p>Ed deserves a lot of credit for stepping forward and expresssing his opinion about some things we feel passionately about like the vote authorizing the use of military force and the defense of marriage act.
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p>John Kerry has heard the trumpets sounding. Maybe even a train whistle here and there.
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p>I had a moment with John Kerry in Peabody on Sunday, September 14. He gets it!
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p>Today, September 16, is the state primary. We should all get out and vote!
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p>I thank Ed for what he has done. But now we have to move forward and beat Jeff Beatty.
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p>John Kerry fights for us in Washington. We need him leading the charge to make America a better place!
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p>
Dear All:
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p> My wife and I are voting for Ed O’Reilly today in Roslindale. My question to those who push John Kerry for a fifth six year term is this…. What major legislation has John Kerry forwarded in those twenty four years? He never shows up for events around my neighborhood, e.g. Candidate Forums, parades etc..
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p> I want someone to represent me who actually understands what it is like to work diligently and will show up once in a while.
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p>Sincerely,
Wayne Wilson
Roslindale
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p>Ed O’Reilly does not even understand how the Senate works. He is quite simply not qualified to be a Senator. If he wins today, then suddenly it’s a race in the general between two amateurs. Massachusetts loses.
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p>I guess you have been enjoying yourself lobbing spitballs at Kerry, but the fact remains that he is one of the smartest and effective members in the Senate, and he cares about the same issues progressives care about, with action to back it up. The fact that you now go after Kerry on his attempt to filibuster Alito shows you are out of step with progressive bloggers who put their heart and soul into defeating Alito. Only Kerry stood up, and he did get 25 Senators to go along. More importantly, he got the entire progressive blogosphere to get to work in a way we never had before. The fact that you cite a snarky MSM story about that time shows what low depths you are willing to go in order to knock Kerry. After all, a subtext to the stories making fun of Kerry was an equal disdain to the liberal activists who worked with him to prevent a radical right winger to go on the Supreme Court. This was about Roe v. Wade, nothing less. Kerry promised that he would filibuster any nomination who would overturn Roe v. Wade. He fulfilled his promise, even if other Dems did not. That is the kind of progressive Democratic leader I will always be looking for in the Senate. And it’s one of the reasons NOW endorsed him.
So lets think about what an O’Reilly win actually means. Number one it means we lose a senior Senator with over 20 years experience and who is very well respected by his peers. Number two, we really don’t know what Ed O’Reilly will do, what political experience does he actually have. I also hear that Menino is a fan of is, if anything that is enough reason not to vote for him. If he is anything like Tom, it will be empty promises and failure.
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p>At least Kerry has been in the game for a while and we know what we get with him. Its nice to say things like change but lets be honest and think about reality. DC is a rough town and I would rather have someone who has been there for a while and made a name for himself doing my bidding then someone who thinks he can. Hell, I think I could to, thing is I have never done it and chances are it would take me 20 years to actually do anything. My case in point is that Kerry does stand for the values of the Democratic party, and number two he knows how DC works. Lets not turn our back on the man who took on Bush, the man who tried to end the Vietnam war, the man who question the drug war and the man who is the poster child of our state and parties values.
Please people don’t be fooled into voting for this guy, everyone knows that he was put up their to run by the people who hate Kerry and I am talking about the conservative Dems. Why do you think Howie Carr is behind this guy, they figure they can ride on the Obamamania and put on of their own in there. Please my friends if this guy is about change please tell me one thing he has done for it. As far as I am concerned he is just some guy talking allot of stuff with nothing to back it up. Kerry can walk the walk and he has the record to proof it.
I almost started crying when I read it. We will never know what amazing things could have happened if Ed had become our new Senator, because John Kerry just won, so now we will have 6 more years of the same old thing. What a freaking shame.
just how lucky you are to have six more years of John Kerry as your senator. I don’t like or respect Ed O’Reilly, but I do understand the pain that goes with seeing someone you believe in lose a political contest. I’ll never forget the pain I felt in November of 2004 and I’ll never stop feeling regret that John Kerry did not become President. Because of that, and despite everything, I extend my sympathies to you tonight.
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p>But I also hope that you will come to see just how much John Kerry cares about Massachusetts and this country and how hard he will continue to work to make life better for all of us, for you, too.
who had to inquire about how his war vote would affect his political future. I do not feel lucky to have him as my senator. I’m embarrassed to have him as my senator.
I also pity you.
If Obama becomes president, you think Kerry is sticking around? Okay…
He really didn’t want to answer that question during the debate. At first I thought I would be mad at him for lying if he were to leave, but now I think I wouldn’t mind (that much) and would welcome the new representation. Frank, Coakley, or Markey anyone?
he has answered the same way thrown at him in the tone it was that he had already answered in nearly the same words at least a thousand times.
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p>Given all Kerry did for Obama and his abilities, a cabinet position would likely be his for the asking. If he does not take one because of the likely loss of Kennedy as well, will you give him credit for doing so?
especially since one of the main arguments for Kerry and against O’Reilly was exactly that…..that we need to keep a senior Senator for Massachusetts since Kennedy will likely be leaving in the next couple of years or so.
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p>As I’ve stated however I, along with many others, believe he has his eyes on the horizon for higher positions. We’ll see what happens.
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p>And to be fair, the same goes for Deval Patrick whom I really respect and like. He also stated he wouldn’t take a position and wanted to only be Governor of Mass.
a powerful Senator. (And President will (we hope) not be “open” until 2016, more than 6 years from now and Kerry would be 73 (and Teresa 78) when that race’s winner takes office.)
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p>Cabinet positions require you follow and, in the best circumstances, help create the President’s agenda. The one that had been most spoken of SoS, will likely be a less powerful independent position than it sometimes is because it seems likely that Biden will certainly be the top Foreign policy aide to the President. It may well be the more administrative position that it sometimes is. (the power of that job has differed in different administrations.) In terms of impacting policy, Kerry might do as much as a trusted adviser, who may chair the SFRC. Both Obama and Biden have complimented Kerry’s insight on foreign policy in comments that were not forced.
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p>Kerry will have more independence and an increasing amount of power as a Senator. Here is one example of what would be landmark legislation if passed (2 links: http://www.ajc.com/metro/conte…
and http://www.ajc.com/metro/conte… )
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p>Think of what this impacts – it is the type of classic infrastructure project that is a real stimulation to the economy (think FDR), when completed, it will help the economy making transportation of people and products faster and potentially cheaper as it becomes used more heavily, it also will reduce the use of energy and reduce the overall carbon emissions. Kerry is on the transportation sub-committee of the Commerce committee (headed by Lautenburg) – and it is impressive that he has reached out so far across party lines increasing the chances of getting enough support.
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p>This shows a recognition that our infrastructure is crumbling in some places and becoming antiquated in others. That is what historically leads a country to having a harder time competing with other countries. I take the fact that he is working on such complex, visionary legislation to mean that he is working hard as the Senator he says he wants to be.
If you don’t want to be asked the question, the answer is as follows:
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p>”I am committed to the people of Massachusetts for the next six years. If asked to assume any other post in government, I will say no. If appointed, I will not serve.”
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p>Instead we get the typical boilerplate of “intending” not to serve. As I said earlier, I intend to go to work tomorrow, but if I win the Lottery, all intentions go out the window.
Politicians, Kerry included, choose their words carefully and leave such openings deliberately.
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p>Another good example of choosing his words carefully is the marriage equality issue. Kerry tried to tamper down his stance against it in the face of a pro-equality challenger and so he said it was a “settled issue” in Mass (of course, after he worked against it and lost). Now that doesn’t mean he supports it. If he did, he would’ve stated so explicitly. That’s his way of straddling the issue and trying to get as many votes as possible from both sides without having to take a real stance on it.
as to the gay marriage issue – he actually did help defeat the attempt to end it MA – least according to Bay Windows.
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p>ere is something that supports the Kerry campaign’s contention (6.00 / 2)
that Kerry did help. This seems to have more substance than a lead activist, who like many here, wanted a strong public Kerry statement in favor of gay marriage and was willing to accept nothing less. (Caveat: I do not know him and know only the three words quoted. )
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p>This article in the Bay Windows, which, to me carries more weight because it is impatient with Kerry’s position on this issue. It provides proof that Kerry did work behind the scenes to defeat the amendment. That information did not coming from Senator Kerry’s campaign, but from the state representative himself.
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p>”State Rep. Brian Wallace, whose vote against the amendment surprised many, said that Kerry called him just before he headed to the House floor for the roll call vote. “He said, I know where you’re coming from, I know this a very tough vote for you, he said, but you need to make it, it’s an important vote,” Wallace recalled, adding that Kerry also said, “If we lose this a lot of things change.”
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p>Wallace said that Kerry did not articulate a personal position on civil marriage rights, nor did Wallace ask him about it. “By that time I had taken calls from so many people,” Wallace explained. “I had the Cardinal [Sean O’Malley] on the other line. … I wasn’t really concerned with what his stance was, to be honest. I was more concerned about what was ahead of me.” Nonetheless, Wallace said, Kerry’s appeal for him to vote down the amendment, “meant something,” to him. “I thought it was important for him to lay that out with me.”
http://www.baywindows.com/inde…
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p>This says Kerry did work on your side and that he was part of the reason for his vote – that was described as surprising. You can’t beat this comment for showing that Kerry does have influence,
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p>”Kerry’s appeal for him to vote down the amendment, “meant something,” to him. “I thought it was important for him to lay that out with me.”
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p>the kind of Influence needed with the type of people that you need to reach nationally – those not inclined to vote in favor of it. This is consistent with Kerry’s own action in voting against DOMA.
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p>Maybe you should research Jeff Beatty’s position. I seriously doubt it is better than Kerry’s.
This isn’t about Beatty vs. Kerry now just like it wasn’t about O’Reilly vs. Kerry before. It’s about Kerry’s wrong stance for not supporting marriage equality.
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p>And Kerry helping, are you talking about in 2006? Cause in 2004 he supported the constitutional amendment which is a pretty darn big deal.
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p>And I will be voting for Kerry this fall since he is a Democrat and much better on the issues overall, however I will continue to be vocal about Kerry’s anti-equality stance.
It’s an important issue to you and should be – and he is not where you want him on that issue.
…but it’s also true that as long as somebody leaves open the window, they’ll be asked this question repeatedly. That’s how it works, and you, me, and Senator Kerry all know this, so why get upset?
If Obama/Biden win, then Kerry would be chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, so I think your assumptions are unfounded. (Biden will leave the Senate and Dodd will remain chairman of the Banking committee)
But I think the odds aren’t shabby. Kerry got what he wanted from the Senate — a platform from which to run for president. Why stick around?
You may not be able to answer your own question. But I can tell you that Senator Kerry will have a great deal of seniority, power and influence in this next session. It is very possible indeed that he will become chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee if Obama and Biden are elected. This, along with a stronger Democratic congressional majority and a Democrat in the White House (not only a Democrat, but one who knows Kerry’s worth) will enable him to help change our foreign policy — working to end the war without endangering our troops or making things worse in the Middle East, working with the new government in Pakistan to end the influence of terrorism there, working to further his vision of a world where America offers real solutions to violence rather than adding to that violence.
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p>If Obama and Biden do not win, Kerry and other progressive Democrats will have to continue to fight for our rights and our economy and our environment. And they will. America will fall even further behind, but true progressives like John Kerry will keep fighting to make things better. It’s their duty and their life’s work.
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p>But I think the Democrats will take the day and then you’re going to see something exciting. And John Kerry will be leading the fight in the Senate to move America forward. As he says, if Obama wins and we get a real majority in Congress, we will have the first chance for truly progressive legislation since LBJ.
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p>It’s time!