It looks like Mike has been quick to step up and acknowledge his mistake, issuing an official apology for his comment at this week’s Labor rally. Here’s the quote from the Globe article:
“I strongly believe in standing up for worker rights and my passion for preserving those rights may have gotten the best of me yesterday in an unscripted speech,” the Somerville Democrat said in a statement released this afternoon. “I wish I had used different language to express my passion and I regret my choice of words.”
I’m glad to see Rep. Capuano address this so quickly.
Like many of you, I was surprised by Capuano’s comment, especially considering how adamantly he’d spoken out in favor of a calmer political rhetoric following last month’s shooting. I’m relieved to see he recognizes his mistake and is willing to apologize for it. One thing we know about Mike is that, yes, he gets fired up…call it a strong will, call it hot-hotheadedness, call it anything you like. There’s no denying it can draw political flack.
I guess it’s a double-edged sword. Interestingly, though it can get him in trouble as a politician, I think it can also be one of his strengths as a legislator. You don’t misspeak when reading listlessly from a prepared statement. You make this kind of slip up when you’re riled up, enthusiastic, off-the-cuff. I’d guess this happened because Capuano is engaged in his work and truly frustrated with the hurdles the Labor movement faces… which is one of the reasons why I voted for him the first time around. I really wish he’d been more careful about the implications of what he was saying, but on the other hand, I’d much rather see fire from my legislators than apathy.
It helps that Capuano is willing to suck it up, acknowledge his mistake, and apologize when (like now) the situation calls for it. In the age where it’s a cardinal sin to be a “flip-flopper”, it’s nice to see that Mike is willing to own up to it when he’s wrong, and apologize without a fuss.
by the behavior of the right wing Republicans. And please don’t call them “conservative.” In the past I have voted for Republicans when their party supported traditional conservative values. These people are right wing radicals, out of touch with reality. They have very little in common with Saltonstall, Brooke, or Eisenhower, who would be unwelcome in the Republican party today.
<
p>Today the Republican party clearly cares only about the wealthiest one or two percent. They don’t mind running huge deficits in order to pay for tax breaks for the extremely wealthy – in fact that is how our current national deficit was first created by Bush, who inherited a surplus from Clinton.
<
p>In Wisconsin, as a recent Globe column said, “The demonization of public employees is a calculated strategy to steer the political spotlight away from those who brought us the recession.” The Koch brothers and their ilk, with an obscenely high percentage of the national wealth, hope that those less fortunate will fight each other for the ever diminishing share left to the bottom 98%.
The first front-page post that made this point wasn’t enough. We’ve really got to wag our fingers in disapproval of our progressive heroes when they say something that can be taken out of context, huh? I mean, it’s not as if there’s things to cover on Republican hackery and the take-down of the middle and working classes of this country, or anything.