From the Daily Kos Elections Morning Digest, below the part about the House GOP being the most politically extreme Congressional caucus since at least 1879. It seems Capuano had some strong words for those seeking to anoint Ed Markey. Citing the report from the WBZ website, the money quote is:“It seems that the big names of our party are trying to choose our nominee for us. When I became Mayor of Somerville the establishment wasn’t with me. When I became a Member of Congress the establishment wasn’t with me. If I make this run it will be the same way—from the streets up, not from the elite down.”
Note the “if.” I wonder if he’s still considering it for real, or if he’s just making noise to save face. If he’s going to make a Senate campaign “from the streets up,” time’s-a-wasting.
DK also mentioned Ben Downing’s considering a run, Markey or no Markey.
Mike is just yanking Eddie’s chain.
and signaling to his own supporters he’s still scrappy.
Unless “fugured” is a new word combining rational analysis with the avian approach of the Roman augurs.
I love Cap. And whether he’s only signaling or serious – he’s still right. I hate that we’re getting an annointment rather than a real race.
also complaining that there’s an anointment? Seriously? Sorry, but IMO you only get to do one of those things, not both. What, nobody’s allowed to have an opinion on a candidate until Capuano has finished navel-gazing and has graced us with his decision, whenever the hell that may be?
Nobody stopped him from announcing before anyone was making endorsements except himself. It appears Capuano was tactically outflanked and is now ticked off about it. OK, but he needs to either regroup quickly and go all in or be graceful about it and stop sniping. I was angry at him last time for going all-out negative in a primary he had little chance of winning, and he’s certainly not doing anything to win me over this time around so far. “Scrappy” should not be synonymous with “It’s all about me me me and only me.”
Well….I disagree. Are you seriously questioning whether the party elites were clearing the field for Eddy with an announcement ten minutes after John Kerry was announced as a nominee for State? This is the same Eddy that pulled out of tough races in the past. Capuano is not dithering. This is short, serious race, once Senator Kerry is confirmed, that deserves some thought and consideration from all potential candidates. I hope we have a real race and not a coronation.
Well … I disagree. The special election timeframe is too short as it is. This isn’t the Kennedy seat, where it would have been unseemly to say the least to start campaigning while he was ill. It wasn’t a big surprise to anyone that Kerry was a top prospect for State. It makes complete sense to me that a savvy politician would try to get a jump on it and start amassing support ASAP. Either you want the seat and are willing to do what it takes, or you don’t.
Were Markey’s supporters trying to show he had a high level of backing that would be tough to overcome? Absolutely. But if three endorsements are too much of a barrier for you, then I question whether you belong in a race like this, period.
I am not so enamored by “process” that I’m interested in another replay of Capuano’s 2009 run where he was continuously ripping the eventually Democratic nominee even though he had very little chance of winning. Not quite Marissa DeFranco, but he lost by almost 20 points. Was all that negativity worth it? Not to me.
I finally got rid of Scott Brown. I don’t want him back. If Capuano or anyone else wants to run a positive campaign pitching to me why they’d be a great U.S. Senator, I’m willing to listen. But if someone is just going to whine about process and how it was oh so unfair to poor deserving him that someone else announced before him and got support of several influential party members, I do not want to hear it.
Eddy? I’ve heard of Edy’s, but that ain’t the same.
Oh? You mean Ed Markey? Congressman Markey? Mr. Markey? Drop the “Eddy” crap. It’s juvenile and disrespectful.
Really – so if we know a Congressperson personally, we still have to bow and genuflect? The folks on this street still call him Eddy. I’ll let them know that some guy on BMG said to knock it off.
BMG is read by hundreds of thousands of people. We know that many of our readers and commentators are major players, both locally and nationally. Using diminutive terms in written comments here — “Liz”, “Teddy”, “Barry”, and yes, “Eddy” — is a hallmark of the kind of talk-radio and tabloid rubbish that demeans the subject, the publication, and perhaps most of all, the author.
Many of us, certainly including yours truly, have disagreement verging on contempt for public figures we disagree with. We were and are still able to use references like “Mr. Romney” instead “Mitt” or “The Mittster”, “Mr. Brown” instead of “Scotty”, “Mr. Bush” instead of “Dubya”, and so on.
This is hardly an onerous standard for a VERY public forum like this, and is hardly a request to “bow and genuflect”.
And my response was not, if you read it, the hallmark of talk radio or tabloid rubbish. It springs from a real familiarity. I really didn’t even think about it, to be honest. As I noted, the people on this street have called him Eddy since his childhood days.
Kerry has neither been confirmed as SOS or tendered his resignation to the Governor. Let’s at least give it until those two things happen before we say the field is set.
My idiot rep Lynch hasn’t said anything yet, but I still hate him enough to dump on any thought of that idiot announcing.
That sounds so pompous that it suggests treatment for tone deafness is in order.
I recall the entire House delegation-including Rep. Markey and Frank, liking up behind Capuano. Looks like he’s just a little teed off at not being the chosen one now. And to those sour pusses still complaining about endorsements just look at Capuano who had a boatload and lost, or Coakley for that matter who had the entire state, Kennedy’s, and even the President campaign on her behalf-and still lost. It will take a candidate willing to go out and fight for our principles and not get bogged down. I strongly question based on his last run and his actions since if Capuano is that candidate, I will proudly support him if he’s the nominee against Brown and that goes for all the candidates even Lynch. But to use another “street level” phrase piss or get off the pot Mike.
I strongly supported Mike Capuano in the special election primary, and I think he would have wiped the floor with Scott Brown. If there is anything to “provenance” and “divine intervention”, then the Deity has been smiling on my residences lately. I was fortunate to be represented by Barney Frank during my eleven year residence in Brookline, and now (as Barney Frank steps down) by Mike Capuano after my move to Somerville.
Having said all that, I think Mr. Capuano’s strengths, manner, and street-smarts are far more valuable in his current role than as the Junior Senator, especially for a short interim period. I’d much rather work to help Mike Capuano be a member of the majority party in the House (again) two years from now.
Ed Markey suits me just fine. He was my representative years ago when I lived in Billerica, and I’ll happily support and work for him.
I’m speaking as a strong Ed Markey supporter based mostly on his environmental record, a super important issue for me. I think everyone is being awfully thin skinned about all this. Nobody has committed any fouls that I can see.
Capuano used to be my mayor before I moved to the Left Bank of the Alewife. He’s done a first rate job representing the 8th. I’m sorry he didn’t get to face Brown last time.
To be honest I think both he and my guy Markey have some worrisome weaknesses as campaigners. Anyone running statewide for an open seat is a crapshoot. That’s just how it is.
If Cap really does want to run, he has every right to do that, doesn’t he? though (a) I hope he doesn’t this time and (b) I think he won’t.
His “street level” comments that have people in a dither strike me as skirting the line but not crossing it. I see that talk as playful, actually, but it also positions Cap very cleverly in 2014 should Markey fail.
So chill a little, maybe? PS Not directing this as jconway in particular.
I think Downing and Cap supporters, and Cap himself, ought to chill and quit bitching and moaning about Markey and his endorsements. Keep it positive except when your attacking Brown and the GOP. That’s the rule ill try and follow anyway, hopefully the candidates will too.
I also agree with you on Markey, he just has the leadership and temperament to be a Senator, particularly on issues I care about.