I’ve already posted on Bump’s endorsements by the Boston Globe, the Newton TAB, the Brookline TAB, the Cambridge Chronicle, the Somerville Journal, the Needham Times, and the West Roxbury Transcript, but there are several more to report:
The Bay State Banner:
The major qualification for auditor is unchallenged probity. Suzanne Bump’s opponent, Guy Glodis, has not lifted a disturbing cloud of impropriety. Ten days before the election for sheriff of Worcester County on Sept. 14, 2004, he borrowed $20,000 from a friend. He immediately loaned his campaign $22,000. It is unlawful for candidates to accept personal loans from individuals for more than $500.
Bump should win by default, but there is much more to recommend her. An attorney, Bump has served as state representative and as state secretary of Labor and Workforce Development in Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration. Her objective is simply to assure that state funds are honestly spent and to determine whether programs perform as expected.
The Boston Phoenix:
SUZANNE BUMP, former state representative and secretary of labor and workforce development, is a superb candidate to take the auditor’s office in that direction.
Bump’s experience in and around state government have given her impressive insight into how it all works — and how it should work better.
She has also demonstrated the independence voters should rightfully demand from their auditor. She stood firm against powerful interests as a state legislator, spearheading landmark workers-compensation reform, and she fought the bureaucracy to streamline and professionalize her cabinet department. Many of her proposals continue that trend.
Political newcomer Mike Lake shows terrific potential, but lacks the experience of running such a high-level office.
Bump, however, has the skills and attitude to quickly turn the state auditor into a major factor for reform on Beacon Hill.
The Salem Evening News:
In the race for state auditor, our choice is the same as that of longtime incumbent Joe DeNucci, who’s retiring after 24 years of service.
Suzanne Bump, who resigned her post as labor secretary in the Patrick administration in order to run, has impressive service in both the public and private sectors and the credentials to serve in this important watchdog role.
And the Watertown TAB, with an endorsement similar to the other TAB Bump endorsements.
Glodis has the endorsement of the Metrowest Daily News and something called the Somerville News, and we know that Lake got the Boston Herald endorsement — anyone have any information on other newspaper endorsements?
…you must mean “identical” in the case of the Tab publication in Newton, Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, & and Watertown…with the Needham one being the same as the others, except for a couple paragraphs cut out for space. West Roxbury is not on-line, but I’ll take your word that the same endorsement will be printed in that Tab too. Not sure why one would feel the need fudge this, Bump obviously has plenty of establishment support without trying to make one endorsement look like eight different ones.
This has been explained elsewhere: the local editors of these local papers have control over endorsements. That they used the same text of one of their sister paper’s has less to do with corporate policies as it does the fiscal constraints of local papers today.
A person guessing or the actual editors? If they do each have a separate opinion, but don’t have enough money to actually write down a paragraph explaining it in they’re own words once every four years for the state-wide offices, then they are in deep doo-doo indeed. In fact, it would be hard to imagine how they could still be in business.
I meant their own words.
who are paying attention to the industry would deny the fact that they’re “in deep doo-doo indeed.” A loooooot of papers are paying out way more than they’re taking in these days, big and small. Of course, that’s an entirely different subject, even if it’s now become tangently related.
The fact that the Metro West Daily News, which is part of that same newspaper chain, endorsed Glodis should be sufficient evidence that the individual endorsements, whoever wrote them, are not imposed from above but left to the discretion of each newspaper’s editor.
Hey – I recognized in each of my posts that the community newspaper endorsements are similar — in my first post I clearly said that they were from the same newspaper chain and “were almost the same endorsement”. And I posted links wherever I had them – only didn’t have one in one case. And don’t take my word about the West Roxbury endorsement – I clearly indicated that I got that not from the source but from Bump’s Faceook page, which I linked.
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p>I wasn’t fudging or hiding anything. I am led to believe that each local paper can accept the editorial or do its own. And my bias for Bump is well-known here. I’ll accept the charge that I am a Bump partisan, but I reject the insinuation of dishonesty.
They’re the same endorsement. Whether or not each local paper can run the endorsement or run a separate endorsement of its own is a separate issue. The Wicked Local endorsements are not “similar,” and they’re not “almost” the same. They’re entirely the same.
Well, I am sorry that I didn’t parse every word in every one of those endorsements before I referenced them. I did notice that they appeared to be identical, but I found some things different in one or two of them, so I thought that “almost the same” was a more appropriate description than “identical”. But I also linked to each endorsement, so I wasn’t hiding anything.
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p>So I’ll accept that they are “identical”. Which means what? Were those endorsements imposed from above by the corporate owners? If that’s the case, why did the Metro West Daily News get to endorse Glodis? What’s the point?
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p>And why is everyone jumping all over me about this while you give Steve Grossman, who had the same endorsements by the same papers, a free pass? Why the double standard? What is the criticism really all about?
…they are the same. Still doing it.
In addition to all of the endorsements mentioned by yellowdogdem, Suzanne Bump also was endorsed by Bay Windows today. Bay Windows Endorsements:
But I suspect they really don’t. Martha Coakley sure got enough of them.
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p>I think Bump is in grave danger of losing due to her campaign managers. For instance, I frequent a lot of political sites and have seen countless banner ads there for Glodis, Lake, Jain, and Connaughton. I haven’t seen a single one for Bump. Not one. Has anyone else?
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p>I went to Bump’s Web site a few weeks ago and requested a sign for my lawn, leaving my contact information in the on-line form. I received no response. None.
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p>I’ve seen tons of signs for Glodis in my travels; one for Bump. Glodis is carpet-bombing with radio ads, jingles, and glossy (if typographically challenged) literature. Meanwhile, if the latest polls are correct, 50% of the electorate is undecided when it comes to the Democratic slate for Auditor. I suspect a significant portion of those undecideds will cast their vote for the person who they think will win (who wants to vote for the losing team?) and will base that uninformed decision on stuff like advertising and signage.
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p>Sigh.
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p>Anyone want to talk me off the ledge?
But Glodis has them all outdone. Have seen his signs in the city, in the suburbs and on the Cape. Hard to miss them with the ugly color scheme, but they get your attention, even the big ones with the sheriff’s star on it.
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p>The field for MA Auditor is very strong this year befitting what I believe to be a very important office (as an aside, wouldn’t it be great to have fields like the one for Auditor for many more races). I start with the disclosure that I support Mary Z. as she is the best for the role. However, that is not the subject of this post so will focus on how Glodis would be the worst of 3 alternatives to take on Mary in the General.
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p>I have had the opportunity to meet all 3 candidates for Auditor on the Dem side over the last few months and Guy is the one that I see least involved in how the office could be used to enhance government for the people. I have heard ads on how Bump should not be elected. I have heard ads on how Guy should be our “guy”. But I am not hearing original ideas from him on what he brings to the office.
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p>I want to have a series of good debates to select the best Auditor for MA. I think that will ultimately be Mary, but the debates and discussion for MA about the Auditor and their role in making government better for the people of MA would be better if Bump or Lake are nominated on Tuesday.
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p>Please do not nominate the person who is the worst fit for the role. MA deserves better.
I’m not posting these endorsements for their predictive value or an indication that Suzanne Bump will win the Primary, but only as a reflection of something about her campaign. Much of what you write is accurate — Glodis is a heavy favorite, mostly based on the money he has accummulated throughout his political career (which allows him to carpet bomb his radio ads and send out glossy lit) and his Worcester County base. But Bump is reaching out to a wide spectrum of supporters, and getting some significant support from unexpected sources (see more endorsements posted above). If you feel, like I do, that Guy Glodis will hurt the Democrats in November, and you are undecided between Lake and Bump, the fact that Bump has garnered so much support should mean something. After all, the State House News poll did have Bump with a lead over Glodis — it was certainly insignificant, but, at the same time, it was certainly not what you or I would have predicted.
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p>So get off the ledge, send out e-mails to all your contacts, and let’s hope for the best.
…despite the Watertown TAB’s cut-and-paste “endorsement.”
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p>Also zero Bump presence in the Labor Day Parade in Marlborough on Monday. Even Martha Coakley finally decided to show up for an event.
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p>She’s got a few newspaper endorsements and plenty of volunteers willing to snipe at the other candidates, but I just haven’t see her presence anywhere I’ve been.
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p>Full disclosure: I’m Lake’s Town Coordinator in Watertown.
Last year’s VA Dem gubernatorial primary featured Brian Moran (Delegate from Alexandria and brother of Congressman Jim Moran), Terry McAuliffe (former DNC chair and resident of McLean) and Creigh Deeds (former AG nominee and Senator from southern VA). The first two were from suburban DC yet the Washington Post is credited with pushing Deeds over the top in the primary because they did not endorse one of the local candidates. They endorsed Deeds again in the general over Bob McDonnell who has some NOVA roots, but unfortunately not with the same result, but the Post was probably expected to endorse the Dem in the general.
In my neighborhood in Roslindale/W.Roxbury, I ave seen no Bump signs, one for Lake, and a few for Glodis (BTW, he has just about the ugliest color scheme I have seen in a political sign).
Bump is picking up a number of significant endorsements other than newspapers. Here are just a couple from today:
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p>Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts:
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p>Also, I don’t have a link, but I received an e-mail from the Bump Campaign about an endorsement from the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus. In the past few days — the Boston Globe, the Boston Phoenix, the Bay State Banner, the Salem Evening News, the Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts, and the Mass. Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus. That’s a pretty impressive array of endorsements, and I bet there are more to come.
THE LOWELL SUN:
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p>State Auditor: Suzanne Bump fought to reform workers’ compensation costs as a state legislator, was successful, and then lost her re-election bid when unions targeted her in a persona non grata campaign. That alone is reason to believe in her conviction to see that government gets the oversight it requires to run efficiently. Respect for her work ethic and privatesector experience landed her a key role in the Patrick administration as labor secretary. When Auditor Joe DeNucci announced his intent to retire, Bump stepped down to launch her bid for the office and finds herself in a competitive three-way race. It’s right where she wants to be.
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p>The Republican:
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p>Editorial: In Massachusetts auditor’s race two women stand out
Published: Thursday, September 09, 2010, 12:07 AM
The Republican Editorials
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p>State Auditor Joseph DeNucci’s decision to retire after 24 years has sparked one of the most hotly-contested races in Tuesday’s primary.
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p>Three Democrats and two Republicans are squaring off in an election that will decide who is on the Nov. 2 ballot.
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p>Suzanne Bump
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p>On the Democratic side the candidates seeking nomination are: Suzanne M. Bump, 54, of Great Barrington, former state secretary of labor and workforce development and a former four-term state legislator…
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p>… we believe Bump’s experience at both the legislative and executive levels trumps his. We think Lake is too inexperienced to get the voters’ nod.
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p>Bump, whose slogan is “Counting Dollars, Making Change,” has DeNucci’s endorsement.
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p>We believe her proven management skills – and her commitment to provide the taxpayer with better service – will enable her to bring some fresh energy to the office.
Maybe Glodis would do better with the newspapers if he didn’t blow off debates. Here is what the Worcester Telegram thought of his last misadventure:
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p>http://www.telegram.com/articl…
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p>This is not the first major forum that Glodis has blown off. He also missed the MA Vote Forum at the Reggie Lewis Center. He chose instead to attend a fundraiser in Lynn.