Hi BMGers –
I wanted to invite all of you to join us on the Irish Riviera this Saturday for the Plymouth County Democratic League’s annual Dorothy Landry St. Patrick’s Day dinner. We have almost all of the statewide candidates coming down so this will be a great chance for elected delegates to have a chance to speak one-on-one with the candidates as you work to narrow down your choices. This is always a great event with great entertainment, great food, and great candidates.
Many of you know my good friend John Bowes from his super-activism all over the state – he is the new Chairman of the Plymouth County Democratic League following in the footsteps of many legendary Dems, including John Walsh, who have held the position since 1935. So come on down to the South Shore, show your support for John, say hello to me, speak with the candidates and enjoy a taste of the homeland. Plus, you’ll be supporting an organization that works to elect Democrats in one of the reddest (and greenest) parts of the state!
We kick off at 6pm on Saturday night at the Pembroke Country Club just a few minutes off Route 3 in Pembroke. You can read more about the event and RSVP by visiting our website at plymdems.com/stpaddys2014.
Best,
Chris Matthews, Treasurer
Plymouth County Democratic League
P.S. – I’ve included our newsletter after the flip for anyone interested in what’s going on in Plymouth County.
Dear Plymouth County Democrats,
Let me begin by saying how much I am looking forward to seeing you all this coming Saturday, March 8th at the Dorothy Landry St. Patrick’s Dinner in Pembroke. It’s always a great event filled with great people, even if we’re occasionally reminded that some of our elected officials are much better politicians than they are comedians or singers!
Democracy – with a little d and with a big D – is alive and well in Plymouth County. We held our annual Chair’s Breakfast in January and over 200 committed Democrats braved the snow and bitter cold to hear from Congressman Bill Keating, Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin and every candidate for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and Treasurer. This was a very successful event and we couldn’t have done it without the help of our volunteers. A big thank you to my friend and Vice Chair Jeanne Barghout as well as Maureen Bates, Howard Cutter, Ellie Donovan, Brian Dunn, Sam Hooper, Chris Matthews and Bonnie Pajic for helping to make sure things ran smoothly all morning. A big thank you to Middleboro Chair Tom McGuire for working out the logistics of renting the Elks hall and to the kitchen staff at the Elks for a great meal.
As I’ve crisscrossed the county attending as many of our caucuses as possible since the breakfast I have been amazed by the turnout of energized activists in every city and town. Plymouth County Democrats are ready to win in November.
The past few weeks have brought a flurry of announcements to Plymouth County – our friend and ally Senate President Terry Murray has announced her decision not to seek another term in the Senate. Plymouth County Register of Probate Bob McCarthy is retiring after decades in public service as a State Representative, State Senator and as Register of Probate. Representative Christine Canavan will be retiring at the end of the year after 22 years in the House. We thank these three elected officials for their commitment to Plymouth County and to the values of the Democratic Party.
With retirements come announcements – so far we have Rep. Matthew Patrick of Falmouth running for Senator Murray’s seat; Mark Linde of Brockton, Matt McDonough of Marshfield and Jack Riordan also of Marshfield have all announced their intentions to run for Register of Probate; Paul Beckner, Peggy Curtis and Michelle DuBois have thrown their hats in for the 10th Plymouth District seat. We also have Scott Vecchi running against incumbent Republican Sandra Wright for Plymouth County Commissioner.
Add to that the need to re-elect Senator Markey, Congressmen Keating, Kennedy and Lynch, Secretary Galvin, Auditor Bump, Treasurer O’Brien, as well as our fantastic delegation to the state legislature and a new DEMOCRATIC Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and Treasurer and you quickly realize how important and busy a year 2014 is for Democrats in Plymouth County and across Massachusetts. When Scott Brown won in 2010 it was looked at as a turning point for the Republican party and a precursor to the red tidal wave that followed that November. If the voters of Massachusetts elect Charlie Baker the national Republican party will once again look to Massachusetts as a sign of good things to come for their party in 2016.
We cannot allow that to happen. We must join together today and promise to support the Democratic nominees up and down the ballot after the September primary. We must remind our friends and neighbors of what happened to our commonwealth after 16 years of Republicans in the corner office. We must remind ourselves that the Republican Party is trying to trick us by running a new candidate in the same body – Charlie Baker 2.0 – “the nice version.” Last time we elected a “nice” Republican in Bill Weld we ended up with the disaster that was the mismanaging of the Big Dig and Charlie Baker’s plan to fund it.
Let me close by reminding you of something very important – when we, as Democrats, talk to our friends and neighbors about our values, our ideals and our ideas we win. Every time.
I look forward to seeing you on March 8th in Pembroke and if you can’t make it I’m sure we’ll be joining each other on the doors and phones before you know it!
Democratically,
John F. Bowes, III
Chairman
Dorothy Landry St. Patrick’s Day Dinner This coming Saturday, March 8th
Saturday, March 8, 2014 – 6pm
Pembroke Country Club – 94 West Elm Street, Pembroke
$40 per person / $75 per couple / $300 per table
ALL TICKETS $45 AT THE DOOR
RSVP by clicking here OR email info@plymdems.com
Full Boiled Dinner | Cash Bar | Dessert | Silent Auction
Please join the Plymouth County Democratic League and emcee Tim White as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the memory of committed Democratic activist Dorothy Landry. With Irish entertainment from Jack Glennon and the Fogg and The Suzanne Dunleavy Irish Step Dancers this is always a fantastic event!
This event will also be a fantastic opportunity for delegates and activists to hear directly from candidates. All candidates have been invited and those confirmed (so far) include: For Governor – Joe Avellone, Martha Coakley, Steve Grossman, Juliette Kayyem; For Lieutenant Governor – James Arena-DeRosa, Jonathan Edwards, Mike Lake; For Attorney General – Warren Tolman & Maura Healey; For Treasurer – Deb Goldberg, Tom Conroy, Barry Finegold; and Auditor Suzanne Bump.
Local Elected Officials who have confirmed their attendance so far include: Register of Deeds John Buckley, Treasurer Thomas J. O’Brien, Register of Probate Bob McCarthy, County Commissioner Greg Hanley, State Rep. Jim Cantwell, State Rep. Josh Cutler, State Rep. Tom Calter, and State Rep. Mike Brady. Candidates for local office who have confirmed include: For Register of Probate – Matt McDonough, Mark Linde, Jack Riordan; For County Commission – Scott Vecchi.
RSVP by clicking here OR email info@plymdems.com
Silent Auction
The Silent Auction at the Dot Landry Dinner is shaping up… here is just a sampling of the items:
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Framed Water Color painting by MaryAnn Simmons
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Custom Framed JFK poster with quote
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Framed Folk Art Print
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Ted Kennedy bumper sticker from his first run for the senate
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$100 to Kam Appliance
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Gift card to The Beehive Salon in Duxbury
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Framed autographed photo of Larry Thomas aka the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld
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$100 to Verc car rentals
- A variety of beautiful gift baskets designed by Jeanne Barghout and Ellie Donovan
We will also have a round of golf for four at the Pembroke Country Club to benefit our scholarship fund!
Upcoming Events
- Friday, March 7: Andrew Smith in Concert for Rep. Jim Cantwell
- Saturday, March 8: Dorothy Landry St. Patrick’s Day Dinner
- Sunday, March 9: Rep. James Murphy’s St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast
- Sunday, March 9: Senator John Keenan’s St. Patrick’s Celebration
- Saturday, March 15: Treasurer Tom O’Brien is turning 50!
- Monday, March 17: Nyman Scholarship St. Patrick’s Day Party
- Friday, March 28: Politics at the Pub in Support of Rep. Josh Cutler
- Saturday, March 29: St. Patrick’s Celebration with Rep. Jim Cantwell
- Saturday, March 29: Rep. Tom Calter’s Kick-Off
- Sunday, April 6: Scituate Democratic Town Committee’s Candidate Breakfast
- Sunday, April 27: John R. Buckley Jr.’s Annual Jefferson-Jackson Breakfast
Ed’s Reality Rant
by Ed Miller
Good Morning Fellow Democrats:
The St. Patrick’s Day event is March 8th. I hope that I will see you all there. I’ve requested that it doesn’t snow that evening so it should be a great event.
Before I start I would like to share with you a extremely funny story.
John Bowes asked me on a Thursday if I could come up with rant by Sunday.
Before I start…that’s it, that is the funny story!
Before I start I have some sad news. Robert McCarthy, Clerk of Probate, Representative Christine Canavan and Senator Therese Murray will not be seeking another term. We will sorely miss them all. Bob was one of those people that always had a smile on his face and helped everyone and anyone who entered his office. We were very lucky to have Bob as Plymouth county’s Clerk of Probate.
Rep. Christine Canavan served 20 years as a Representative. A former nurse who served her constituents with dedication and perseverance. She treated everyone more as a friend than just a resident.
Senate President Therese Murray was a strong advocate for the residents of her district and Massachusetts. As a Democrat, she supported both the interest of the business’s and the middle class. The interest of both should not be on different pages but unfortunately, in the real world, that is not always true. Senator Murray had to walk the razor thin line to do just that and she did that admirably. Senator Therese Murray will be sorely missed.
I hope that they all know I still expect them to remain members of the PCDL and attend all the Plymouth county events and regale us with stories of “I remember when…”
The 2014 Chair’s Breakfast
Photos by Arnie Briggs
View more photos on Facebook
2014 Dues Are Due!
Please pay your dues online here or mail a check for $25 to the Plymouth County Democratic League, PO Box 1388, Marshfield MA 02050
Thanks for posting, Chris! This is always a great event. I hope people can make it. http://www.plymdems.com/stpaddys2014