Snark-Infested Waters by Mike Bailey

Snark-Infested Waters by Mike Bailey

Subscribe  |  Share    |  Print

Follow me on Facebook

Posts Tagged ‘Dan Wolf’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

The Week In Politics For January 6, 2012

Friday, January 6th, 2012

Great googily-moogily, is it that time already? Yes it is!

For new readers, welcome to the Enterprise’s regular dose of news briefs and witty(ish) commentary on Campaign 2012. In this column, I’ll post candidacy announcements, campaign event information, little newsy odds and ends that amuse me, and pepper it all with snarky wisecracks and obscure pop-culture references.

The focus here will be on the local races, so let’s start with an overview of those who are already in the game for this election cycle.

One of the big contests for Massachusetts will be for the US Senate seat currently held by Scott P. Brown (R), who was chosen in a 2010 special election to succeed the late Edward M. Kennedy. Sen. Brown is planning to seek a full term, and as early as it is, it’s almost guaranteed he’ll be facing Elizabeth Warren in November.

The Harvard law professor and adviser to the Obama administration has already managed to rack up a small body count of would-be primary opponents, including Newton mayor Setti Warren (no relation), City Year founder and 2010 US Senate candidate Alan A. Khazei, and State Representative Thomas P. Conroy (D – Wayland). They all dropped out because Ms. Warren is the Democratic Party’s darling in the race, so she’s getting all the party support (and money), making their continued participation no longer viable.

However, attorneys Marisa DeFranco and James C. King are (as of this writing) still in the running, as is non-party candidate Peter A. White of Mashpee, who is making his third run for federal office; he ran against then-Congressman William D. Delahunt in 2006 and ran a partial race for the 10th Congressional District seat in 2010, dropping out part-way through.

Speaking of Congress, William R. Keating (D) has announced that he will make his long-time second home of Bourne his formal address so he can run for the Ninth Congressional District. Rep. Keating was elected to the 10th district in 2010, but the 10th was eliminated as part of the decennial redistricting process, so the Cape and Islands was rolled into the new Ninth District.

No one else has formally announced their candidacy for the Ninth, but when you combine a first-term legislator with a reconfigured district with the general hurly-burly of a presidential election year, expect a large field of candidates for this race to develop soon.

At the state level, Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth) and State Senator Daniel A. Wolf (D – Harwich) have both announced they will run for re-election.

Although a formal announcement has not yet been made, it looks like Republican Thomas F. Keyes will throw down against Sen. Murray once again. He lost a tight race to Sen. Murray in 2010, and over the past year Mr. Keyes has issued semi-regular press releases criticizing Sen. Murray’s major decisions and has continued to raise money.

As of this week, State Representative Randy Hunt (R – Sandwich) is the only one of the Cape’s six House members to formally announce a re-election bid. I predict we’ll have a full slate of incumbents, so the interesting part will be waiting to see who pops up to challenge them.

There could be quite a bit of action on the county level this year. County Commissioners Sheila R. Lyons and Mary L. (Pat) Flynn are both up for re-election, as are Register of Deeds John F. (Jack) Meade, Clerk of Courts Scott W. Nickerson, and the 15 seats on the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates.

If anyone has any interest in running for public office, nomination papers will be available by February 14. Go to the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth – Elections Division website for a full 2012 election year calendar detailing the key deadlines for candidates.

Political news and announcements may be e-mailed to Michael Bailey, senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Politics | Comments Off

The Week In Politics – Dec. 16, 2012

Friday, December 16th, 2011

You heard it here first: Daniel A. Wolf (D – Harwich), state senator of the Cape & Islands district, will run for re-election in 2012.

Sen. Wolf made that official this week during a phone interview with the Enterprise (by which I mean me). He’s had a good first year in office, and if he can keep it up through 2012 he will be a tough man to beat.

***

Who is Ronald Beaty Jr. and why is he so interested in county government all of a sudden?

We might find out more as the local election cycle powers up, but for now Beaty is a good reason to scratch your head and say “Huh?”

The West Barnstable man has become a man of letters, so to speak, over the past month, speaking out about Barnstable County government issues. Earlier this month he wrote to the Enterprise exhorting a special commission charged with studying and, if appropriate, submitting recommendations for changes to the county governmental structure to leave things as they were.

Okay, so far, so benign. Then Beaty wrote a second letter berating the same county officials he had previously praised for failing to fill the very minor position of county clerk. The post has been vacant since Scott Nickerson, who is also the county clerk of courts, resigned to focus on his court duties (and, perhaps, in response to a noteworthy bungle in his office regarding five candidates for the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates, whose nomination paperwork was not processed properly).

The county clerk has few responsibilities, but Beaty called the vacancy a “major problem” and the need to fill it an “urgent matter.” Okay, maybe overstating things here, but nothing controversial.

Then I got a copy of an e-mail that I present in its entirety:

It seems a bit “ironic” that County Commissioner Bill Doherty should advise and encourage a man with “my background” to run for election next year for one of the Barnstable County Commissioner seats.  After all, a little over 20 years ago (1991) I was arrested, convicted and sentenced by federal authorities for threatening various elected public officials, including the President of the United States. I will have to reflect long and hard about Bill Doherty’s proposal. I shall seek advice, feedback and counsel from family, friends, and the public at large before any firm decision can be made.  Perhaps after twenty years, it is also about time that I finally ask for formal “forgiveness” from the federal government as well. With that in mind, I will be seeking a Presidential pardon from President Barack Obama relative to the previously mentioned legal issues…

HubbaWHAH?!

First of all, what’s up with all the unnecessary quotation marks?

Second, here’s the deal: Beaty filed a letter of interest for a vacancy on the Barnstable County Human Rights Commission. Bill Doherty, sitting chairman of the county commissioners, saw it and (according to copies of e-mails Beaty received from Doherty and sent to me for some reason) remarked:

Now that I read your resume I must tell you that I have a greater reason to support the possibility of your candidacy for public office…The fact that you have a background in civil rights issues and want to continue that by joining the HRC says to me you already have two of the qualifications for public office (in my opinion) Intelligence and a good heart. The third is an ability to work hard. Think about it if not the county the town there is so much need for new and younger people at all levels.

There’s no indication that Doherty was aware of Beaty’s criminal background, which is this: according to several stories I found online (including two Beaty himself provided links to), in 1991 Beaty was convicted of sending threatening letters to President George H. W. Bush, Ted Kennedy, and then-State Senator Lois Pines (he also made threats against his then-wife, but he doesn’t mention those in his e-mail) and spent time in prison for it. As you can see, Beaty is not hiding this fact.

In Beaty we have, in a microcosm, a lot of the challenges that have become so commonplace in politics. Here is a man who was convicted of some pretty serious crimes, but did his time and has by all accounts stayed out of trouble for a considerable period of time. What has greater weight: the severity of his acts, or the life he has led since? Is 20 years enough time to erase what is either a terrible lapse in judgment or a sign of an unstable and violence-prone personality?

As is too often the case, partisan politics could play a role. To use the late Ted Kennedy as a somewhat ironic example, his foes never forgave him for Chappaquiddick, while his supporters were quick to dismiss that dark chapter in Kennedy’s life as ancient history. Right now, Newt Gingrich’s boosters are turning a blind eye to his infidelity, but a lot of those same people would wag a damning finger at Bill Clinton for his sexual shenanigans.

One thing’s for sure: if this guy runs, I’m going to have some interesting things to write about next year.

***

Tom Conroy, we hardly knew ye.

The Democratic candidate for US Senate has withdrawn from the race, citing (and boy, have we seen a lot of this lately) his inability to compete against front-runner and candidate apparent Elizabeth Warren, who has a ton of money and the party’s blessing.

Those same factors have previously shoved Setti Warren and Alan Khazei out of the race prematurely — by which I mean LONG before any of us pesky voters get our say on the matter.

***

Speaking of early dropouts, Thomas Hodgson, Bristol County sheriff, announced this week he is not going to run for Congress after all. Sheriff Hodgson had been toying with the idea of running in the Fourth or Ninth District, also known as, respectively, Barney Frank’s (D) soon-to-be-former district and William R. Keating’s (D) soon-to-be-new district, but decided to stay put.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Local issues, National issues, Politics | Comments Off

The Week In Politics

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Last week Cape Cod Community College held one of the last (if not the last) major debate among all five Congressional candidates, and somehow the night managed to avoid turning ugly, as have so many other debates.

Not only did the audience refrain from hooting, hollering, cheering, and jeering, but the candidates themselves were completely civil – and by “candidates” I mean State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich) and Democrat William R. Keating, who have sniped at each other almost relentlessly since the primary race wrapped.

I won’t go so far as to declare any kind of winner, but Mr. Keating, Rep. Perry, and unenrolled candidate MaryAnne Lewis came across as solid candidates. Perry especially stayed on-topic and always answered the questions as posed to the panel, but Keating and Lewis came across as well-informed and were able to articulate their thoughts.

Then there was unenrolled candidates James A. Sheets and Joseph van Nes. Sheets seemed to spend as much time taking potshots at the Democrats as he did discussing the issues. Several times during the evening they went badly off-topic and often failed to directly answer questions, and at times van Nes’s lack of knowledge on a given topic was glaring.

***

Another note on the Congressional race: a WGBH poll of 400 voters showed that Rep. Perry held a narrow one-point lead over Mr. Keating – 41 percent support to 40 percent – but when voters who are still waffling were asked who they were leaned toward, Keating pulled ahead and took a three-point lead over Perry (46 percent to 43 percent).

On the fundraising front, Mr. Keating is closing in on the $1 million mark, much of that money coming from unions, while Rep. Perry has raised more than $800,000. Ms. Lewis has raised about $57,000, Mr. Sheets has raised about $8,500 according to unofficial sources (he failed to file a report with the Federal Election Commission by the most recent deadline), and Mr. van Nes has not raised enough money to warrant filing a report.

***

When Charles D. Baker Jr. first hit the scene, there was an air of promise around this fiscally conservative but socially moderate candidate. Governor Deval L. Patrick was not faring well in the court of public opinion and was a prime target for a well-coordinated, focused campaign from the former high muckety-muck of Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare.

Over the summer and into the fall Mr. Baker made slow but steady progress on Gov. Patrick, and every month the voter polls showed the Republican challenger was gaining ground on the incumbent. Now the governor appears to be pulling away again.

The latest Suffolk University/WHDH-TV poll of 500 voters revealed that Gov. Patrick was the preferred candidate, receiving 46 percent support to Mr. Baker’s 39 percent. Baker’s numbers are up five points from the September poll, but so are Gov. Patrick’s.

Dr. Jill E. Stein has lost what little support she had; last month four percent of voters backed her, now she’s down to one percent. Two percent of voters have made up their minds, leaving the “undecided” category.

And, not surprisingly, some of those voters came from Timothy P. Cahill’s base; his support dropped four points from September, to 10 percent.

While several voters said they would vote for Baker if Cahill were to vanish from the ballot, one in four said the whole debacle between Baker and Cahill involving turncoat running mate Paul Loscocco and several staffers who may or may not have been GOP moles, is driving them to the Patrick camp.

***

James H. Crocker Jr. is back on the campaign trail after helping his family deal with the loss of his in-laws.

Mr. Crocker, the Republican candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands District, briefly suspended his campaign last week after his in-laws were killed in a car crash.

His opponent, Democrat Daniel A. Wolf, gracefully limited his own campaign work during that period out of respect for Mr. Crocker instead of pouncing on the opportunity to glom all the attention for himself.

***

Patricia L. Mosca of Bourne, the lone woman in the Democratic primary race for governor’s councilor of the first district, is back to try again. She has announced she will be challenging the brothers Cipollini – Democrat Oliver and Republican Charles – as a write-in candidate.

I normally am not a write-in candidate fan, but considering that this is such a non-race – Charles has said quite clearly he wants his brother to win – I applaud Ms. Mosca for wanting to make Oliver C. actually work for this gig.

***

And now for the endorsement lightning round!

Thomas F. Reilly, the state’s former attorney general, has jumped party lines to endorse Mr. Baker for governor (delayed revenge for Gov. Patrick trouncing him in the 2006 primary?).

Congressman William D. Delahunt (D) has endorsed State Representative Matthew C. Patrick (D – Falmouth) in his re-election bid.

Rep. Perry was endorsed by the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business.

F. Randal Hunt, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Fifth Barnstable District, received an endorsement from Citizens for Limited Taxation.

***

This week’s event reminders:

The Committee to Elect Therese Murray and Olive and Dave Chase are hosting a fundraiser this evening for Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth) at the Sandwich Glass Museum from 6 to 7:30 PM. Suggested donation for both events is $50 per person.

Mr. Hunt is holding his final campaign fundraiser tomorrow at the East Sandwich Grange Hall. The Tony Lujan Quintet will perform.

Lance W. Lambros, Democratic candidate for State Representative of the Fifth Barnstable District, will be holding a (not quite) Halloween  meet-and-greet at the Grundman household on Wing Boulevard East in Sandwich. That’s happening tomorrow from 5 to 7:30 PM.

Desperados in Mashpee will on Monday hold a “meet the candidates” night from 5 to 7 PM. That will feature candidates for the Legislature who represent Mashpee.

James M. Cummings, Barnstable County Sheriff, is hosting a fundraiser for Rep. Perry on Wednesday. That’s at the Hyannis Conference Center from 5 to 7 PM.

Political news and announcements may be sent to Michael Bailey, Region editor and senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Politics | Comments Off

The Week In Politics

Friday, October 15th, 2010

Welcome to the extra-scandalous edition of the column. You may want to shower afterwards, ’cause this ain’t pretty. I’ll start with the nastiest stuff and try to bring the tone up from there (good luck, me).

Things are getting seriously ugly between Democrat/Norfolk County DA William R. Keating and State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich), and that’s saying something considering the tone of this race from the get-go was far from cordial.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently unveiled an attack ad that strips down (and in the process, slightly sensationalizes) the Scott Flanagan/Wareham PD scandal. The Massachusetts Democratic party has also launched a “fact-based” anti-Perry website called “The Perry Files,” which links to a ton of media stories about Rep. Perry’s various controversies.

Meanwhile the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee launched a new website, “Bill Keating – Just the Facts,” a blog-style site that picks apart Keating’s political career, and boy, what timing! That launched just as news broke that Mr. Keating was accepting campaign donations from a defense attorney on the other side of a case Mr. Keating’s office is prosecuting.

Keating is dismissing this as no big deal, attorneys donate to him all the time, but the GOP is calling this a conflict of interests.

Then there is the startling new wrinkle in the form of a new endorsement for Rep. Perry from Thomas Joyce, who was the chief of the Wareham Police Department during the Flanagan scandal – a man who has completely avoided the media (and continues to do so) to discuss the matter.

Why he has emerged from hiding has not been revealed, but his endorsement has only served to embolden the converted and provide the Keating folks with more ammo; recent e-mails from the Keating campaign gleefully point out that the former chief was himself a co-defendant in the court cases resulting from the Flanagan incidents.

This is tiresome, guys. Really. This negativity is making both candidates look like a word I can’t print here in a family newspaper.

***

Now, here’s a surprising and related bit of news: last week the five Congressional candidates met in Plymouth and debated (read: Perry and Keating sniped at each other), and the candidate who came out on top in a subsequent straw poll was unenrolled candidate MaryAnne Lewis.

WATD, which sponsored the event, held the poll following a Friday rebroadcast of the debate, and Ms. Lewis – who, as you might have noticed, is profiled this week – came out on top with a whopping 76 percent support. Rep. Perry came in second (16 percent) and Mr. Keating (eight percent).

Ms. Lewis apparently scored major points when, at last Thursday’s debate, she remarked to the two party candidates that people were sick of listening to them slap each other around (I know I am). Whether she can successfully parlay voter irritation at both the current status quo and at Perry and Keating’s carping has yet to be seen, but she has become a much more interesting and potentially dangerous candidate.

***

Back to Scandalville and its growing population. Suzanne M. Bump, Democratic candidate for auditor, is defending (read: rationalizing) her decision to claim two big tax breaks in Great Barrington, which she calls home, and in Boston where she owns a condo.

Ms. Bump — a lawyer, mind you — insisted she was not doing anything illegal, but the Massachusetts Department of Revenue begged to differ: the DOR said residents cannot claim two primary residences in Massachusetts to get two sets of property tax breaks.

Despite her adamant belief she was getting the tax breaks legally, she last week ponied up $5,875 to reimburse the City of Boston for the taxes she didn’t pay. The city then reviewed the situation and confirmed that yes, she was not entitled to both perks.

And this is the woman who wants to be the person who ensures our tax money is used properly. Lovely.

***

From the world of weird endorsements: James A. Sheets, one of the three unenrolled candidates for Congress, recently announced that he’d received an endorsement from Peter Boylston Adams, a descendant of President John Quincy Adams.

And that’s all he’s got: he’s related to someone famous and influential in shaping the United States. Whoop-de-do.

***

And now, a nice endorsement: for Daniel A. Wolf, Democratic candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands District, from environmental groups the Sierra Club and Clean Water Action.

***

On Friday, October 29 starting at 6 PM, there will be a multi-candidate Republican rally at the Hemisphere Restaurant in Sandwich. On the roster of attendees: Rep. Perry; Thomas F. Keyes, Republican candidate for State Senator of the Plymouth and Barnstable District; F. Randal Hunt, Republican candidate for State Representative for the Fifth Barnstable District; Michael D. O’Keefe, the Cape and Islands’ district attorney (who is unopposed this year); and James Killion, who is running for the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates.

***

This week’s event reminders:

Rep. Perry is the guest of honor at a reception at the Flying Bridge in Falmouth on Sunday. That runs from 5 to 7 PM.

That same day Mr. Keyes will hold a fundraiser at the Aqua Grille in Sandwich beginning at 4 PM.

Next Friday, October 22, the Committee to Elect Therese Murray and Olive and Dave Chase will host a fundraiser for Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth) at the Sandwich Glass Museum from 6 to 7:30 PM. Suggested donation for both events is $50 per person.

Mr. Hunt is holding his final campaign fundraiser on Saturday, October 23 at the East Sandwich Grange Hall. The Tony Lujan Quintet will perform.

Political news and announcements may be sent to Michael Bailey, Region editor and senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Politics | Comments Off

The Week In Politics

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Greetings, readers, and welcome to my extra laugh-filled edition of the column. I figured with how nasty and serious the campaign trail is getting, a little light touch would be appreciated.

To start: What’s the difference between the governor’s council and my appendix? My appendix doesn’t cost taxpayers $400,000 a year.

***

Last week I noted that unenrolled gubernatorial candidate Timothy P. Cahill had lost a key staffer, and remarked that it was no big deal.

It is, however, a very big deal when your  running mate bails out on you.

Paul Loscocco, a former Republican state rep, made what I regard as the utterly gutless move to abandon Mr. Cahill, renounce his lieutenant governor candidacy, and formally endorse Republican Charles D. Baker Jr. for governor.

“I cannot sit idly by as my friends and supporters cast their votes for my ticket, knowing that the best chance to defeat Governor Patrick is with Charlie Baker,” Mr. Loscocco told the media. “I cannot and will not let my ego get in the way of doing what is right for Massachusetts. So while this is a tough decision for me today personally, it is the right decision to put the future of our state ahead of my own self-interest.”

Now, make no mistake: by all measures Mr. Cahill indeed cannot win this race. He’s behind in fundraising, he’s way behind in the polls – there is nothing to suggest that his message has clicked with voters.

For Loscocco to abandon the race because he knows he won’t be part of the winning team is cowardly and absolutely self-serving. For him to pass off his party loyalty as somehow a benevolent act in the name of promoting the greater good for Massachusetts residents is absolutely slimy.

Unfortunately for Mr. Cahill, he’s not making things any better for himself by espousing conspiracy theories that this is all part of the GOP plot to crush his campaign (not that the Republican Party hasn’t been trying really hard to defuse Mr. Cahill’s spoiler potential, but let’s not go all Oliver Stone here).

***

As you may have heard, Daniel A. Wolf has stepped down as president of Cape Air, the company he founded, to focus on his State Senate campaign. He remains the company’s CEO. I know nothing about big business, but I assume this is actually kind of a big deal.

And hey, if the senate thing falls through, I bet Dan knows someone who could get him that president gig back…

***

Knock knock. Who’s there? Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates. Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates who? Oh, you don’t know anything about them either, huh?

***

James P. McKenna may have already bumbled his momentum coming out of his historic write-in victory in the primary race for Massachusetts Attorney General. During a televised debate with incumbent Martha Coakley, Mr. McKenna avoided answering some questions and gave stumbling answers to others.

He’s also not doing great in fundraising; he has about $13,000 on-hand, compared to AG Coakley, who has about $50,000 according to her latest campaign finance report.

***

This week’s event reminders:

F. Randal Hunt, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Fifth Barnstable District, is holding “Pizza & Politics with Pizzazz” at Two Brothers Pizza & Mexican in Sandwich on Monday at 5:30 PM.

David T. Vieira, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Third Barnstable District, invites the public to a “meet the candidate” at the Pocasset Golf Club on Wednesday. Dutch and Addie Drolette are hosting the event, which runs from 4 to 6 PM. RSVP by calling 508-540-6727.

State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich), candidate for Congress, is the guest of honor at a reception at the Flying Bridge in Falmouth on October 17. That runs from 5 to 7 PM.

That same day Thomas F. Keyes, Republican candidate for State Senator of the Plymouth and Barnstable District, will hold a fundraiser at the Aqua Grille in Sandwich beginning at 4 PM.

On October 22 the Committee to Elect Therese Murray and Olive and Dave Chase will host a fundraiser for Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth) at the Sandwich Glass Museum from 6 to 7:30 PM. Suggested donation for both events is $50 per person.

Also, there are several debates and candidates’ forums coming up, including Tuesday’s Bourne candidates’ night at the First Baptist Church of Pocasset, starting at 7 PM; and Thursday’s debate at Cape Cod Community College, featuring all the Congressional and Cape and Islands State Senator candidates. That begins at 6:30 PM and is open to the public.

***

In closing: How many members of the Tea Party does it take to screw in a light bulb? Just Sarah Palin, and all she does is hold the light bulb up while the world revolves around her.

Thank you, you’ve been a great audience!

Political news and announcements may be sent to Michael Bailey, Region editor and senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Politics | 2 Comments »

An interview with Jennifer Nassour

Friday, October 1st, 2010

(The following feature ran in this week’s Region section and is re-produced here in full.)

When Jennifer A. Nassour, chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party, looks into the future to Election Day 2010, she sees the promise of a major change in the complexion of the state Legislature.

“There are plenty of candidates, so if everyone won (their races), we actually turn the tide a lot and change the course” of state government, Ms. Nassour said. “I feel optimistic about everything right now.”

Ms. Nassour was on the Cape Monday to accompany David T. Vieira of Falmouth, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Third Barnstable District, as he met with residents and business owners in Mashpee.

“We’re doing this for candidates here and there,” Ms. Nassour said of her trip to the Cape, part of a statewide effort to give select candidates an extra boost through personal appearances. “I wish I had time to hit everyone.”

Preventing that wish from coming true: a lack of time and, for the first time in several years, an abundance of candidates.

Mr. Vieira is one of eight Cape Cod Republicans running for legislative seats this year, and according to Ms. Nassour one of 109 Republicans running for the Massachusetts Legislature — “Twice as many as in 2008,” she noted — making this the most active field of GOP candidates since the ill-fated “Romney Reform Team” initiative of 2004.

That effort, which assembled 131 Republicans to challenge Democratic incumbents, ended with the GOP experiencing a net loss of two seats in the Legislature. Critics speculated that the initiative failed because of the aggressively negative tone of many of the races, coupled with the fact that many candidates were not established residents of the districts in which they ran.

Dr. Gail B. Lese and Timothy E. Duncan, Romney Reform Team candidates for the region’s two Senate seats in 2004, were not full-time Cape residents; Dr. Lese moved to the area two months before announcing her candidacy, and Mr. Duncan owned a summer home in Falmouth but claimed Cambridge as his permanent residence.

Ms. Nassour said the Romney Reform Team recruits “might not have had their finger to the pulse” of their adopted districts, while many of this year’s hopefuls “were locally elected officials that now stepped it up and are running for state rep, state senate” in their districts. “They have a base, they know their neighborhoods, they know their districts, they know the people that are in there, they understand the on-the-ground issues.”

Ms. Nassour said she felt extremely confident in this year’s crop of candidates, calling it “the best team that we’ve had in two decades,” and believed that lingering voter dissatisfaction with the status quo of state government would propel many of these legislative hopefuls to wins next month over their incumbent opponents.

“There’s a lot of anger and frustration out there” over the thin job market, the still-weakened economy, and a series of tax hikes championed by the Democratic legislative majority and Governor Deval L. Patrick, Ms. Nassour said. “There are candidates on the ballot that won’t put that they’re incumbents. They don’t want anyone to know they’ve been up there making the wrong decisions.”

She added that there are across the state several open seats – eight in the state Senate, 20 in the House – and she said many of those are due to incumbents who stepped down because “they didn’t want to face challengers.”

“Many Opportunities” On Cape

This year there are two open seats within the Cape delegation, one of them being State Senator of the Cape and Islands District; State Senator Robert A. O’Leary (D – Barnstable) opted not to run for re-election to instead focus on his ultimately unsuccessful Congressional run.

Republican James H. Crocker Jr. of Osterville and Democrat Daniel A. Wolf of Harwich have emerged as the two contenders for that seat, and Ms. Nassour said Mr. Crocker stands an excellent chance of reclaiming a post that, until Sen. O’Leary’s election to the Senate in 2000, had been held by Republicans for 140 years.

“Jim Crocker – amazing candidate,” she said, “and I think that no matter how much money his opponent has, it doesn’t make a difference because at the end of the day voters are looking for someone that they can connect with. They’re not looking for the richest guy on the road to buy an election.”

Ms. Nassour identified F. Randal Hunt of Sandwich as another local candidate in a prime position to win a race for an open seat — in this case the race for State Representative of the Fifth Barnstable District.

“He has so many opportunities there, I think that’s a great one for us,” she said, noting that Mr. Hunt hails from the same town as State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich), who has served the district since 2002.

She described another Sandwich Republican, Thomas F. Keyes, as “an amazing candidate” and a “very viable alternative” to Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth). “He just kind of understands what people are going through right now in trying to raise a family and trying to make a buck.”

Although Sen. Murray holds one of the most powerful positions in state government and boasts an imposing campaign war chest, Ms. Nassour said Mr. Keyes holds an advantage in that he is not part of the entrenched State House establishment. To overcome Sen. Murray, Ms. Nassour said Mr. Keyes needs to focus on “showing that he’s a viable alternative to someone who has spent way too long on Beacon Hill, who can be very affected by special interests.”

“I think that he has something that voters are actually looking for, and we will see him pick up steam,” she said.

The state GOP is also keeping a very close eye on the hotly contested race for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District. Rep. Perry emerged from this month’s primary as the party’s standard bearer in that race, and will face Democrat William R. Keating, and three unenrolled candidates: Maryanne Lewis, James Sheets, and Joseph van Nes.

Ms. Nassour called that contest “a fantastic opportunity for the Republican Party to pick up a seat again” in the US House of Representatives. “Jeff Perry is a quality candidate. He’s been a great state rep, he’s known and loved down here for all the work that he does and for kind of being the outspoken voice on Beacon Hill, and I’m sure he’ll do the same on Capitol Hill.”

The Massachusetts US House delegation consists entirely of Democrats. Eight of the returning incumbents have Republican challengers.

The other big race for the party is for the Corner Office, as Charles D. Baker Jr. attempts to unseat incumbent Deval L. Patrick, and Ms. Nassour dismissed the idea that Mr. Baker’s campaign has failed to effectively capitalize on Gov. Patrick’s lagging approval ratings.

“Charlie has absolutely hit his stride,” she said, adding that Mr. Baker’s poll numbers are following the same track Gov. Patrick’s 2006 campaign followed. “Charlie has actually all along been on pace with where Deval was in 2006 when he was running against Kerry Healey,” at the time the state’s lieutenant governor under W. Mitt Romney. “Same exact numbers.”

She said this week’s Boston Globe poll, which had the governor and Mr. Baker in a virtual dead heat, was “the telling sign…if you take out (unenrolled candidate) Tim Cahill and put those voters where they’re supposed to be, with Baker, Baker is far ahead of where Deval is.”

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Politics | Comments Off

The Week In Politics

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

The countdown has begun to the November 2 primaries, but first, a quick look back at the primary races that will shape the ballot.

Of the relatively few primary contests from last week, there were only two surprises to my mind, the first of which was Eric R. Steinhilber’s loss to James H. Crocker Jr. in the Republican primary for State Senator of the Cape and Islands District.

Mr. Steinhilber was an active candidate, he had a decent platform, he presented himself very well in interviews and debates, and had the support of several well-known Cape Republicans…so what happened?

Simply put, I think name recognition played into this race. Mr. Crocker has been around for a while and, especially in Barnstable, is very well-known, whereas Mr. Steinhilber is a relative newcomer.

That factor I think is a non-issue now, since Mr. Crocker’s Democratic opponent is Daniel A. Wolf, who is well-known in his own right. Their race will come down to which candidate’s platforms better resonate with Cape voters, now that what each candidate will stand in clearer contrast to the other.

Surprise the second was State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry’s (R – Sandwich) win over Joseph D. Malone in the Congressional race – which is to say, his victory was not a surprise, but how badly he crushed Malone was. I was never especially impressed by Malone, as regular readers well know, but I thought the contest would be a LOT closer than it was.

The results are not just a result of Rep. Perry’s aggressive campaigning, they are not just the result of a guy who has been in the game for the past eight years running against a guy who has been out of the game for the past 11; I firmly believe that Malone’s negative campaigning backfired in a big way.

I’m not here to slog through the merits of any of the accusations that have been tossed at Rep. Perry by Malone, the media, or a handful of bloggers with an anti-Perry bug up their collective butts. I’m only pointing out that there’s a standing theory of Massachusetts politics that Malone ignored to his peril, and indeed in his loss provided further supporting evidence: negative campaigning doesn’t work.

I wonder if William R. Keating, the Democratic candidate, will embrace that message? I somehow suspect he will not; in his victory speech he alluded to Rep. Perry’s past controversies, stating, “You stood five steps away as your partner sexually assaulted a young girl. If you couldn’t see something so despicable right under your nose, how can we depend on you in Washington?”

If Keating cannot stick to the issues and keep the mudslinging to a minimum, if not avoid it altogether, you can put good money down right now that we will in seven weeks be saying “Congressman-elect Jeff Perry.”

***

A surprise of a different sort from last week: James P. McKenna’s write-in campaign was a success, and he is now the official Republican candidate for Massachusetts Attorney General. I’m curious to see whether he can mount a successful formal campaign against Martha Coakley, who has a very solid record in that office – and he January special US Senate election loss is far enough in the background that it is unlikely to haunt her (not that the GOP won’t try, mind you).

***

Back to Mr. Keating for a moment. His campaign announced this week the candidate had been named to the “Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) highly competitive Red to Blue program by surpassing demanding fund raising goals and skillfully demonstrating to voters that he will work to create jobs and stand up for the middle class.”

This appears to be the Democrats’ answer to the GOP’s “Young Guns” initiative, to which Rep. Perry has been named.

***

Obviously the Democrats in Massachusetts, who are currently running the show, want to stay in power, and are now trying to rally supporters to keep any kind of Republican takeover from occurring — not likely, considering not enough Republicans are running for the Legislature to take away the Dem’s majority stake, but they’re still a-tryin’.

Governor Deval L. Patrick sent a strong message to his party colleagues last week, telling the Democratic Party to “grow a backbone” and take a stand against the GOP.

Now, while I’m not a fan of any one party holding all the cards and would love to see true balance in the State House, kudos to Gov. Patrick for telling the Dems to stop acting like such wimps.

***

Speaking of the governor’s race, Gov. Patrick continues to hold a slim margin over Republican Charles D. Baker Jr. in the latest Rasmussen poll: 45 percent to 42 percent. Timothy P. Cahill continues to fade into the distance, earning only five percent support from those surveyed. Another five percent supported “some other candidate” (wow, Dr. Jill E. Stein still doesn’t even merit a mention by name), and two percent were undecided.

***

Event reminders for this week:

F. Randal Hunt, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Fifth Barnstable District, is holding a pasta supper fundraiser at the American Legion Hall in Sandwich on Saturday, September 25 starting at 6 PM; a golf tourney fundraiser at Holly Ridge on Sunday, October 3 starting at 8:20 AM; and “Pizza & Politics with Pizzazz” at Two Brothers Pizza & Mexican in Sandwich on Monday, October 11 at 5:30 PM.

Thomas F. Keyes, Republican candidate for State Senator of the Plymouth and Barnstable District, is the guest of honor at a reception at the Beachmoor Inn in Bourne Wednesday starting at 6 PM.

David T. Vieira, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Third Barnstable District, invites the public to a “meet the candidate” night at the Pocasset Golf Club on Wednesday, October 13. Dutch and Addie Drolette are hosting the event, which runs from 4 to 6 PM. RSVP by calling 508-540-6727.

Political news and announcements may be sent to Michael Bailey, Region editor and senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Politics | Comments Off

The Week In Politics

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Here we are, the final column before Primary Election Day!

As is often the case, the turnout for the primaries will probably be on the light side, but if you’re reading this then you better bloody well get off your cans and go out to vote on Tuesday.

There are four Republicans and two Democrats vying for their respective party nomination for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District, perhaps the Cape’s most crucial race of the season. Congressman William D. Delahunt (D) was a strong voice for the Cape for many years, and the region can’t afford to be without a staunch advocate in Washington.

Although this paper is not going to offer any endorsements for the primaries, I’ll exercise some editorial privilege and urge voters to support State Senator Robert A. O’Leary (D – Barnstable) and State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich) for the very reason I just cited. As Cape residents themselves, either man would immediately be a superior spokesman for the region’s needs in federal government.

You might think their general credentials pale when compared to those of, respectively, William R. Keating and Joseph D. Malone, and I’d argue that point, but there’s a greater concern here: considering the state of the economy, Cape voters need to be more than a little self-serving and stick with the hometown boys.

PS: If you don’t go out to vote and the guy you wanted to win doesn’t, you waive your right to gripe about it later.

***

By the way, Gatehouse Media’s poll on the Congressional race augers good news for Rep. Perry, bad news for everyone else. As of Tuesday Rep. Perry was winning with 48 percent of 652 voters supporting him, 36 percent backing Malone, eight percent for Republican Raymond Kasperowicz, and Sen. O’Leary and Mr. Keating each receiving two percent support.

***

Regular readers know that, while I list noteworthy endorsements in this column, I find them generally useless. They’re more reflective of a candidate’s political allegiances than a true measure of his or her value to the masses as an elected official.

And yet, sometimes endorsements are very telling. I look to Mr. Malone, whose endorsements have been largely from people like him: guys who used to big kind of big wheels in politics and haven’t done anything worthwhile in that arena for years. That always said to me this was a guy set in old and perhaps outdated ways of thinking.

Last week Mr. Malone got an endorsement from Christy P. Mihos, former (and spectacularly failed) gubernatorial candidate. In his endorsement, Mr. Mihos harkens back to a golden time when state government was flawless and effective and everyone was a establishment-defying reformer, and applauded Malone for being part of a glorious time that I’m sure was not at all quite that spiffy in reality.

Let’s be honest: as the saying goes, the past was never as perfect as we remember, just as the future is not always as bleak as we dread. Sometimes old ways fade into the mists of history for a good reason, and in an election cycle when – according to the national media narrative, at least – voters are crying out for fresh ideas, why should voters turn to someone whose heyday was 20 years ago?

***

Remember what I said about endorsements being about political allegiances? Well then, make of these what you will: State Representative Susan D. William Gifford (R – Wareham) is endorsing Rep. Perry’s Congressional campaign, and State Representative Demetrius J. Atsalis (D – Barnstable) is endorsing Daniel A. Wolf for State Senator of the Cape & Islands District.

And yet more: Sen. O’Leary and Mr. Malone got the nod from the Boston Globe last week.

Sheila R. Lyons, Democratic candidate for State Senator of the Cape & Islands District, received the endorsement of the National Association of Social Workers Massachusetts Chapter – Political Action for Candidate Election.

Patricia L. Mosca, Democratic candidate for governor’s councilor of the first district, received the formal endorsement of Carole A. Fiola, the current and departing councilor.

Rep. Perry got the endorsement of the National Rifle Association’s Political Victory Fund.

James M. Cummings, Barnstable County sheriff, has endorsed Democrat – yes, a Republican has endorsed a Democrat! – Walter Moniz in the race for governor’s councilor of the first district.

***

Now that we have all the praise out of the way, let’s move on to the obligatory last-minute controversies.

Last week the Boston Globe discovered that Timothy P. Cahill, Guy W. Glodis, and Timothy P. Murray – candidates for governor, state auditor, and lieutenant governor, respectively – all had some tax issues in their backgrounds.

The campaign committee for Mr. Cahill, the sitting state treasurer, had failed to pay about $15,000 in state taxes over the past decade. Mr. Glodis, Worcester County sheriff, had neglected to pay $2,568 in taxes on interest collected by his campaign committee between 2007 and 2009. Lt. Gov. Murray’s campaign committee failed to make tax payments on campaign fund interest in 2007 and 2008.

Mr. Cahill and Lt. Gov. Murray acted on the delinquencies right away and offered the perfunctory “This was just a simple mistake” explanations.

Sheriff Glodis, however, is being a bit more obstinate and is insisting that his campaign does not also owe federal tax payments on his accrued interest, which runs contrary to federal tax code. Not a wise position to take in light of recent revelations that he once received a questionable loan from a hedge fund manager now doing hard time in federal prison for bilking investors.

***

The gap between Governor Deval L. Patrick and Charles D. Baker Jr. continues to shrink. That latest Rasmussen poll showed that 44 percent of voters surveyed currently support Gov. Patrick, and 42 percent support Mr. Baker. Mr. Cahill trails waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay behind at 8 percent (Green-Rainbow Party Dr. Jill E. Stein was not named in the poll).

***

It’s not too late to plan to hit the Daily Brew in Cataumet this evening, for a fundraiser for State Representative Matthew C. Patrick (D – Falmouth). He’ll be there starting at 5:30 PM for a casual meet-and-greet with voters. His special guest is Cape Cod RTA director Thomas S. Cahir, who previously held the Third Barnstable District state rep seat.

Call 508-540-6308 to RSVP.

***

This week’s event reminders:

William Zammer is hosting at his Flying Bridge restaurant a fundraiser for David T. Vieira, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Third Barnstable District. That is scheduled for Sunday from 4 to 6 PM. Donations will be accepted at the door.

James F. Munafo Jr., Republican candidate for State Representative of the Second Barnstable District, invites supporters to a “FUNdraiser” in support of his campaign. Join Mr. Munafo at Sandwich Mini-Golf on Route 6A in Sandwich for the “Vote Munafo Mini-Golf Tournament” on Sunday. The tourney runs from 4 to 7 PM. E-mail votemunafo@integrity.com to reserve a spot in the tournament. Cost is $10.

F. Randal Hunt, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Fifth Barnstable District, is holding a pasta supper fundraiser at the American Legion Hall in Sandwich on Saturday, September 25 starting at 6 PM; a golf tourney fundraiser at Holly Ridge on Sunday, October 3 starting at 8:20 AM; and “Pizza & Politics with Pizzazz” at Two Brothers Pizza & Mexican in Sandwich on Monday, October 11 at 5:30 PM.

***

Finally, a quick correction of sorts. In the ongoing verbal girly slap-fight between Sen. O’Leary and Mr. Keating, the former recently chided the latter for collecting a pension from his State House days while also serving as Norfolk County DA and running for Congress.

According to an official statement from the Keating campaign, “Bill Keating is not colleting [sic] a pension at this time. If he is elected to the serve in the Congress, he will donate the state pension he has contributed to for 33 years to the Norfolk Advocates for Children. Bill founded the Norfolk Advocates for victims of sexual abuse with money obtained in drug seizures.”

So there.

Political news and announcements may be sent to Michael Bailey, Region editor and senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Politics | Comments Off

The Week In Politics

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

You kids get off my damn lawn!

By “lawn” I mean the hill near the Bourne rotary, and by “you kids” I mean off-Cape candidates for office sticking their campaign signs in among those for local candidates. Take a look sometime and you’ll see names for people running for office in and around the Norfolk County area…you know, races that Cape Cod residents know nothing about and can’t vote in. (more…)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Politics | 1 Comment »

The Week In Politics

Friday, August 27th, 2010

As mad as it sounds, the wheels have begun to turn for one potential 2012 campaign.

A movement is underway to recruit Victoria R. Kennedy, widow of the late US Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D), to run for her husband’s former post herself in the next election to “take back” the seat from US Senator Scott P. Brown (R).

“We must reclaim the Kennedy Seat for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts not because she is a Kennedy but because we need a strong Democrat in Washington to represent the people from Massachusetts,” reads the message on the movement’s official Facebook page.

I was not a fan of Sen. Brown during the special election, and he has yet to win me over in any big way, but I will nevertheless invoke one of his catchphrases from the campaign: it’s not the Kennedys’ seat, it’s not the Democrats’ seat, it’s the people’s seat. It belongs to whoever the voters say it does.

This idea that a seat has to be “reclaimed” smacks of pointless entitlement on the Democrats’ part; just because a Democrat – Sen. Kennedy – occupied that office for 47 years and the last Republican to hold the post was Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (1947 to 1953) doesn’t mean it’s “theirs.” By their own logic, the seat belongs more to the GOP, since they held it from 1851 to 1926 (75 years vs. the Democrats’ 56).

***

For some time now, the Republican Governors Association has been funding some harsh and rather negative-in-tone ads targeting Governor Deval L. Patrick and gubernatorial hopeful Timothy P. Cahill.

The Massachusetts Democratic Party is turning the tables a bit with its somewhat tongue-in-cheek new website “Charlie’s World” (http://charliebakersworld.com/), “a special place where Charlie Baker can use ‘facts’ that aren’t true; a place where, when things don’t go well, it isn’t his fault or he wasn’t involved; a place where anything might happen.”

I have to wonder if Green-Rainbow Party candidate Dr. Jill E. Stein sees all this stuff going on and, on occasion, finds herself oddly grateful that no one is paying attention to her.

***

Joseph D. Malone, Republican candidate for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District, recently won a straw poll conducted by radio host Jeff Katz on his eponymous talk show on Rush Radio 1200 AM (their motto: “Harkening back to the Golden Days of Radio, when reception was terrible and static was king.”)

Mr. Malone walked away with 80 percent support, and rival State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich) received 15 percent support. Five percent supported Mr. Katz, because they mistakenly thought it would be humorous to kiss up to the host.

***

Raymond Kasperowicz, the third of four GOP candidates for Congress, just gave his campaign website a snazzy new look. Hie thee hither to http://rkasperowicz.com/congress/ and scope it out. It’s all red, white, and blue and patriotic and stuff.

***

James F. Munafo Jr., Republican candidate for State Representative of the Second Barnstable District, invites supporters to a “FUNdraiser” in support of his campaign. Join Mr. Munafo at Sandwich Mini-Golf on Route 6A in Sandwich for the “Vote Munafo Mini-Golf Tournament” on Sunday, September 12. The tourney runs from 4 to 7 PM.

The “suggested greens fee” (a.k.a. campaign donation) is $10 per person. Prizes will be awarded for best scores in the child and adult categories, as well as for the youngest golfer, the older golfer, and for the best golfing outfit.

Shoot an e-mail to votemunafo@integrity.com to reserve a spot in the tournament.

***

William Zammer is hosting at his Flying Bridge restaurant (which, I report sadly, neither flies nor has a bridge) a fundraiser for David T. Vieira, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Third Barnstable District. That is scheduled for Sunday, September 12 from 4 to 6 PM. Donations will be accepted at the door.

***

Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy!? Daniel A. Wolf is! Yes he is! Yes he is!

Mr. Wolf, Democratic candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands District, has picked up a new endorsement from the Massachusetts chapter of the Humane Society.

He’s also received an endorsement from the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters, for which I do not have dumb jokes.

But wait, there’s more! Mr. Wolf has also official earned nods from several notable figures on the Cape, including Margo L. Fenn, director of the Cape Cod Commission; Susan L. Nickerson, former executive director of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound; and former state representative Eric T. Turkington.

***

State Senator Robert A. O’Leary (D – Barnstable) probably didn’t need this little tidbit coming out right now as he runs for Congress. This week’s Beacon Hill Roll Call Report listed Sen. O’Leary as tied for having the fourth-worst attendance record in 2010 (he missed 22 out of 227 roll call votes, a 90.3 percent attendance record).

Granted, that’s only 10 percent of the votes taken this year, and lord knows other lawmakers have been far less diligent, but one can only imagine how this might come back to haunt him (courtesy of his many rivals for the hotly contested seat).

***

This week’s event reminders:

Lance W. Lambros, Democratic candidate for State Representative of the Fifth Barnstable District, will hold a meet-and-greet tomorrow from 4 to 7 PM at Merchants Square, at the Sandwich Democratic Headquarters annual barbecue; and on Monday, August 30 he’ll attend from 3 to 5 PM a senior citizens forum at the Barnstable Senior Center.

William R. Keating, Democratic candidate for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District, will also be at tomorrow’s barbecue in Sandwich.

Mr. Wolf is the guest of honor at a house party fundraiser in Hyannis on Sunday. Check out his official website at www.danwolfforsenate.com for more information about that, and his upcoming “Howl for Dan Wolf” (seriously, dude?) at the Cotuit Art Center on Sunday, September 5. That event, featuring comedian  Jimmy Tingle, runs from 8 to 10 PM.

This Sunday is also the end-of-summer lobster and clam bake in support of Rep. Perry’s Congressional campaign. That’s at the Sandwich American Legion Hall that runs from 1 to 3 PM. Go to www.jeffperryforcongress.com for more info and to make any necessary reservations.

Stephen J. Murphy, Democratic candidate for state treasurer, will be in Hyannis on Tuesday, August 31 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Mr. Keating is also scheduled to be at that event at the Hyannis Anglers Club House on Ocean Street.

Sheila R. Lyons, Democratic candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands District, is holding a fundraiser at the Anchor Inn in Hyannis on Tuesday starting at 7 PM. Go to http://sheilalyons2010.com for more info.

Steve Grossman, Democratic candidate for state treasurer, has a visit to Cape Cod planned for September as part of his “Ice Cream Tour.” He’ll be at Four Seas in Centerville from 5 to 6 PM on Friday, September 3.

F. Randal Hunt, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Fifth Barnstable District, is holding a pasta supper fundraiser at the American Legion Hall in Sandwich on Saturday, September 25 starting at 6 PM; a golf tourney fundraiser at Holly Ridge on Sunday, October 3 starting at 8:20 AM; and “Pizza & Politics with Pizzazz” at Two Brothers Pizza & Mexican in Sandwich on Monday, October 11 at 5:30 PM.

Political news and announcements may be sent to Michael Bailey, Region editor and senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Politics | 2 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Other blogs

Follow us on Facebook

Advertisement