In 1946 the Massachusetts 11th Congressional District was an open seat. For some reason having to do with the war and returning veterans’ schedules the state primary was held in June. Former Speaker of the House and then current mayor of Cambridge Mike Neville was the did-more-favors-than-anyone-pol around at a time when that mattered most. It was his seat for the asking more or less.
John Cotter was a Townie (Charlestown) and top-go-to-guy for the previous Congressman. He knew the district better then anyone and had a rolodex. He too did favors for many people.
There was also an Italian pol named Joe Russo from East Boston I think who could capitalize on being the only Italian. (The Kennedys threw in another Italian as insurance)
Then came JFK. Out of nowhere. WTF said Irish political types. Who the hell do they think they are. Privileged bastard. Right there and then many started a hate-on for the Kennedys and it has been carried down generations to many Italian and Irish Catholic homes in greater Boston.
Kennedy needed to split the vote within each opponent’s base. And damn it that is exactly what he did. He got 22,000 which was close to the votes gotten by Neville, Cotter, and Russo combined. (There were also 4 or 5 no-names in the race.)
How did they do it? Money, money, money, power, and charm.
JFK left and Tip O’Neill replaced him and Tip O’Neill left and Joe Kennedy replaced him then Joe left and Capuano replaced him and now Capuano might be leaving. And if he does? Right, Mathew Kennedy the next Congressman from the eighth (formerly the 11th)
Point being; these Kennedys are smart and affective bastards and right now we maybe witnessing them at their best. Teddy is dead but look what is happening. Talk about from-beyond-the-grave stuff. Now this is what I call estate planning.
The goal all along is to move Capuano out. So he needs to be elected (and hopefully appointed before election – but that ain’t gonna happen)
Cap has a good chance now. Who will deliver the bacon? Capuano of course. he understand Washington. Coakley is vulnerable on her record and lack there of. This is going to be a great match-up to watch
So Cap wins then who will be the sacrificial lamb(s) to take on Matty K.? So many reps and senators all thinking about running in a special election.
Will this be the election that ends the Kennedy legacy?
I don’t think so. Today I see Cap winning and Mathew Kennedy replacing him.(The behind the scenes Kennedy factor gives Capuano the advantage right now)
Then in Obama’s second term John Kerry gets a cabinet position and Matty goes to the Senate.
A last request from Teddy to Obama? Get Kerry out of there. But not until young Matt is 30.
The Kennedy’s. You have to love them, or love to hate them.
———————————–
Good to see Pags isn’t disappointing. He’s holding his senate campaign announcement at the Garden.
Pags you schmuck. You should be avoiding any connection. Will you be flying in aboard your helicopter and leave on your yacht docked behind the Garden. I hope you took off your ring for the campaign. Probably not.
Man am I gonna have a ball with you.
(like he cares? – he has $400 million – fuck us all – really, who can blame him?)
I don’t suspect a fix in the works and I dont see the district this time just jumping to any candidate with a Kennedy last name. The big wins are Somerville and Cambridge. Curatone could carry Somerville and has been waiting for this opportunity and I suspect Galluccio will run as well, he has Chelsea and Cambridge in his district.
<
p>That said a Kennedy with money could run hoping to get enough 2nd place votes in the other candidates home districts to win. But I just don’t see their brand being as strong as it was in the 80s when Joe ran. Also Tip was very powerful and made sure no one else ran against Joe. Cap doesn’t have the same amount of clout even if he was planning this with Joe.
<
p>Also if the Kennedy’s wanted a Senate seat so bad why not this one which was theirs for the taking in the aftermath of Ted’s death? Their influence will only decline with time now. I just don’t see it. Just like the 9th rejected Max Kennedy the 8th will reject Matt, especially because Joe was a very polarizing Congressman.
Just the way things work out. I just think it’s interesting how the field of congressmen with nothing to lose has narrowed down to just Cap.
<
p>Not a fix, just a little push and pull here and there.
I think you could use a little of Occam’s razor here, but it’s an interesting theory.
I wouldn’t put it pass the Kennedy’s. I just don’t see why they would plan to have the Senate seat later when they easily could have had it now. Whats the benefit of ushering Matt through congress and the Senate if his father or Vicki could’ve grabbed the Senate outright? That’s the magic bullet that destroy’s Ernie’s conspiracy theory IMO.
<
p>It will be Curtatone v Galluccio and it will be a very ugly fight. Part of me could see Jehlen or Wolfe try to run as well to get the lefty vote but I also suspect both are too old/too comfortable where they are to bother, and besides the safer bet for Wolfe would be running for Galluccio’s seat. Then Decker can give up her quixotic write in campaign for councilor and run for Wolfe’s seat. The really far out crowd in Cambridge will likely sweep her in and her fellow councilors will endorse her just so they don’t have to deal with her f—ing up their meetings anymore. That’s why Cap winning is so exciting since it ushers out a ton of incumbents and begins the most amusing musical chair routine we’ve seen in awhile.
<
p>If Coakley wins then I see her assistant stepping in, btw we concluded the leg can’t appoint her replacement so its unlikely the rumors about this Armenian dude seeking the seat are true. Her assistant will either run and lose against Gerry Leone and Frank Cousins or he will back down and let Leone win.
<
p>On the Middlesex DA side I could see Michael Sullivan moving to the other side of the court house with his cousin Eddie backing out of his quixotic council race and running for his clerk’s seat. Galluccio could take a swing for it but his ambitions have always been bigger than county government. Barrios could also come back in but I suspect he’s been out of the game too long and Michael’s got a solid machine to back him up. Curtatone could also run for the DA spot but I suspect he’d wait it out until Cap runs against Baker in 14′.
<
p>on what evidence did u conclude?
Her assistant David Friedman will take over and the leg can only appoint a successor if it determines he is not qualified. It could do this to elevate one if its own but again I suspect a big political backlash.
What statute is that? The first assiaitant attorney general is not a stautory position so how can legislature bestow this operation of law upon it.
<
p>No. It goes back to the authority to appoint. Either the governor, the legislature or perhaps the SJC.
The 1st Assistant steps in only until the legislature fills the seat — and with less than a year ’til election day, you can bet they will do so as fast as possible. No political backlash — it’s in the Constitution.
1st assistant is in fact a statutory position. Link.
Now where’s my coffee?
i hope there’s something to it.
<
p>why the hatin’-on-the-wealthy-privileged? they are not other, they are just wealthy.
OMG, EB3, thanks.
<
p>This has been the single laugh I’ve had about this during this hellish week which will continue until snow flies!
… full of projection, reaction formation, neuroses, psychoses and a few -oses I’ve never even heard of!
<
p>Didn’t we just get through with talking about how Teddy Kennedy thoroughly confounded nearly everyones expectations? I mean, seriously… If anything is glaringly evident it’s that Teddy Kennedy spent his entire life trying hard NOT to be Joseph P Kennedy Sr, that uptight conniving manipulator that everybody still loathes. Joseph P Kennedy is who you hate.
<
p>In case you didn’t get the news: that Kennedy died in 1969.
<
p>If Ted Kennedy had any interest at all in manipulating political outcomes, like his father did, he’d have chosen his heir(s) long ago and, here’s the important point, not given them a choice in the matter, like his father did. It hardly seems fitting to assume that he wants, from beyond the grave, to do what he could more easily have done in his lifetime.
<
p>It seems Kennedy was content to let the Kennedy senatorial line of succession die with him. a Democrat to the end.
I was thinking of something else. Never mind the post.
Dear Ern
<
p>I don’t care what anyone says. This diary rocks! You take care now.