From an email recieved this evening:
More than 100 community leaders, elected officials and residents from across the Commonwealth gathered at the Harriet Tubman House on November 19th to endorse Martha Coakley for United States Senate. The event highlighted Martha Coakley’s record of accomplishment for a broad range of constituent groups.
In announcing their endorsement, the leaders pointed to Martha Coakley’s record of proven leadership on behalf of communities of color in Massachusetts. Former Suffolk County District Attorney Ralph Martin, former Boston City Council President Bruce Bolling, Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong, Lawrence State Representative and Mayor-elect William Lantigua, Brockton City Councilor-elect Jass Stewart, and Chelsea Collaborative Executive Director Gladys Vega praised Coakley for her ability to bring together diverse communities to get results.
Martha Coakley cares about what happens in our cities and towns and fights for better services for citizens and consumers,” said Lisa Wong, Mayor of Fitchburg. “Her track record and tenacity are why I’m supporting her for the US Senate.”
“In this critical time, we need someone in Washington who will follow in the footsteps of Senator Kennedy, someone who will be a champion for human rights and a voice of reason,” said State Representative and Lawrence Mayor-elect William Lantigua. “I support Martha Coakley because I believe she’s that kind of leader.”
“At every level of government, the country is yearning for leadership that breaks the most important barrier of all: taking on the toughest, most complicated issues of our day and getting results,” said Brockton City Councilor-elect Jass Stewart. “Martha Coakley has a proven track record of fighting for our best interests and values, and getting the job done. I’m proud to endorse her candidacy for U.S. Senate.”
Gladys Vega, Executive Director of the Chelsea Collaborative, described how Martha Coakley’s leadership on workers’ rights made an impact on the community.
“I am proud to endorse Martha Coakley for the U.S. Senate,” said Vega. “Since the time when I first met her as Middlesex District Attorney, Martha has been a strong voice for communities of color across the state. She has been committed to fighting for justice and equal rights within our communities. I am confident she will demonstrate that same leadership when she is elected to the United States Senate.”
Grassroots endorsements heading into the last 20 days.
These are the endorsements that truly matter-especially during these tough economic times. Also, as we know from another post, having Elizabeth Warren as an advisor is another major advantage for Martha Coakley. Pretty good stuff!
…but neither Bolling nor Martin has any constituency outside of Mayor Menino’s office and the Globe editorial board.
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p>Martin has always been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Menino: his election was a direct result of a pissing contest between the Mayor and the Patrolmen’s Union back in ’94 (the union newspaper ran an editorial cartoon, with Martin and Menino in bed together wearing clown suits). At that point, all the Democratic activists in Boston were given marching orders to support a Republican, to the background of much wailing, knashing of teeth, and extended drinking at Doyles on the part of said activists.
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p>Bolling is tied to the development community, and hasn’t done squat at the grassroots since he ran for Mayor in 1993. The development community also being in the Mayor’s, um, hip pocket.
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p>It’s purely an astroturf move, but it’s beautiful astroturf, and I salute Coakely for it.