Snark-Infested Waters by Mike Bailey

Snark-Infested Waters by Mike Bailey

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The week in politics

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Were you one of the lucky Cape Codders who witnessed last month’s debate between Republican gubernatorial candidates Charles D. Baker Jr. and Christy P. Mihos?

Yeah, well, savor the memories because it ain’t happening again.

Mr. Mihos got bumped from the race over the weekend after he failed to collect enough delegates at the state GOP convention, leaving Mr. Baker free and clear to focus his resources on the November general election.

In terms of strategy, this was a wise move by the GOP. The Mihos campaign has been dying a death of a thousand cuts, bleeding out staffers and money since late last year, and that indicates a serious lack of confidence in the candidate both within the campaign and without.

Nevertheless, I don’t much care for the decision being taken out of voters’ hands like this. Smilin’ Christy M. had his supporters and they’re probably not too thrilled that their guy was taken out of the race through no fault of their own.

Republicans like to champion the purity of the political process, and it would have been nice of them to step up and give Mihos the opportunity to succeed or fail on his own merits at the ballot box.

All that said, it wouldn’t be presumptuous to say that we have our November ballot ready to go: Mr. Baker for the GOP, unenrolled candidate Timothy P. Cahill, Green-Rainbow candidate Dr. Jill E. Stein, and incumbent Democrat Deval L. Patrick.

Now technically, Gov. Patrick still has a primary challenge in the form of Grace C. Ross, but it’s tough to call her a viable candidate. Financial resources (or lack thereof) aside, she’s been invisible since announcing her candidacy back in February, and I’d bet good money that when the Dems have their state convention in June, Ms. Ross is going to get the Mihos treatment.

Very quick aside: the latest poll from the Western New England College Polling Institute has Gov. Patrick winning a three-way race between him, Cahill, and Baker – 34 percent, 29 percent, and 27 percent respectively, with an error margin of 4.5 percent…in other words, enough to completely change the results, but these findings continue the trend of the incumbent leading the pack.

***

Along with giving Mr. Baker and his running mate Richard Tisei the official nod for governor, the GOP endorsed the following candidates for statewide offices: Karyn Polito for treasurer, Mary Z. Connaughton for auditor (with a “I guess we’ll let you run too” vote for Kamal Jain), and William Campbell for secretary of the Commonwealth. Not really a big deal since they were the only Republican candidates for these seats, but there you go.

Once again, I must note that there is no one from the GOP running against Attorney General Martha Coakley. This, to me, is the biggest surprise of the season thus far.

***

One final note here: Mr. Baker picked up an endorsement last week from Barbara Anderson, co-founder of Citizens for Limited Taxation.

***

Sheila R. Lyons, Democratic candidate for state senator of the Cape and Islands, is holding her campaign kickoff event next month in Hyannis.

The event is scheduled for Thursday, May 6 and will be held in the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum (Oooh! Stately!) from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served, and campaign donations will be accepted. For more information call 508-274-4345.

Ms. Lyons is currently a member of the Barnstable County Board of County Commissioners.

She now has one fewer opponent in the primary as Mark D. Forest, aide to Congressman William D. Delahunt, has dropped out of the race. He said he plans to focus on assisting his long-time boss finish out his term rather than run for the seat currently held by State Senator Robert A. O’Leary (D – Barnstable) – who is, notably, running for Rep. Delahunt’s seat.

Ms. Lyons will face off against fellow Democrat Daniel A. Wolf in September.

***

On that note: Mr. Wolf is holding his campaign kick-off tomorrow at The Paddock in Hyannis, and that runs from 4 PM to 6 PM. To RSVP, call Stefanie Coxe at 508-360-9074 or kickoff@danwolfforsenate.com.

***

Democrat David A. Smith of Wareham has apparently filed his nomination papers for state representative of the second Plymouth district, which includes Bourne, and held his campaign kickoff party in Onset last week.

***

James F. Munafo Jr., Republican candidate for state representative of the second Barnstable district, has scheduled his campaign kickoff event. He’ll bet at the Hyannis Golf Course on Saturday, May 8 from 5 to 7 PM. Contact the campaign at 508-771-8101 or votemunafo@integrity.com.

***

Mr. Campbell, the aforementioned Republican candidate for secretary of the Commonwealth, has launched his campaign website at www.billcampbell2010.com and it’s — well, lame. It’s one page with almost no useful information, and I’m assuming it’s a placeholder until the real site can get up and running.

In the meantime it remains a contender for the Most Craptastic Campaign Website of 2010, along with the equally aforementioned Ms. Connaughton, who has had a placeholder page, complete with promise of “website coming soon,” up since November. NOVEMBER.

Fellow auditor candidate Earle Stroll was also on the list of nominees, but he has dropped out of the race…just like he did in 2005. Man, why does this guy even bother?

State Representative Demetrius J. Atsalis (D – Barnstable) is on the list for now, but I’ll give him some credit for at last scrapping his long-disused ghost town of a former site. The coming new site will be at http://www.electatsalis.org.

***

Joseph D. Malone, Republican candidate for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District, continues to rack up endorsements from people who don’t really matter anymore. The latest comes from Paul Doane of Harwich, who served as a state senator from 1981 to 1989.

I generally don’t place much stock in endorsements, but Mr. Malone’s high-profile supporters have thus far been people who haven’t been in the political game for several years. Why should we care? It’s like Foghat bragging about being the most popular band on the King Biscuit Flour Hour.

(If you know what I’m talking about, congratulations: you’re really old.)

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

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The week in politics

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Hey, candidates! A friendly reminder that the deadline for turning in your completed nomination papers for any district or county seat is coming up! Party and non-party candidates have until Tuesday, April 27 to get their paper in.

Party candidates for statewide and federal offices have until May 4, and non-party candidates have until August 3.

As of this week, there are still a few local races with no stated formal challengers to the incumbents: William Doherty, Barnstable County Commissioner; James M. Cummings, Barnstable County sheriff; Michael D. O’Keefe, Cape and Islands DA; and State Representative Timothy R. Madden (D – Nantucket).

Even more curious is how no one from the GOP has emerged to take down Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley. No one. The closest we’ve come? There was a rumor that Peter Flaherty, former aide to Governor W. Mitt Romney and former Suffolk County assistant DA, was considering a run, but nothing’s materialized.

***

The Sandwich Democratic Town Committee opened up on Sunday their shiny new headquarters for the 2010 election season, and the ribbon cutting attracted no less than Governor Deval L. Patrick.

You may be asking yourself what the big deal is. The big deal is that Gov. Patrick’s presence sends the message that the Democrats are going to be focusing on Sandwich this year. The town’s been firmly in the GOP camp since State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich) was first elected to the seat in 2002, and now that he’s moving on to focus on his Congressional run, the seat is vulnerable to a Democratic takeover.

The two gents lined up to duke it out for state rep of the fifth Barnstable district – which includes all of Sandwich – are Democrat Lance W. Lambros and Republican F. Randal Hunt. That’s going to be one of the stronger local contests and could be a very close race.

***

Daniel A. Wolf, Democratic candidate for state senator of the Cape and Islands district, has announced his campaign kick-off event for Saturday, April 24. That will be held at The Paddock in Hyannis and run from 4 PM to 6 PM.

This is actually the third, final, and closest stop on a three-town tour that day which begins in Provincetown and stops in Orleans before ending in Hyannis. To RSVP for the Hyannis event call Stefanie Coxe at 508-360-9074 or kickoff@danwolfforsenate.com.

Mr. Wolf is getting ready to launch his campaign website. The URL is www.danwolfforsenate.com.

***

Another Republican is eyeballing State Representative Demetrius J. Atsalis’s (D – Barnstable) seat. Charles C. Case Jr. of Centerville, an attorney, filed his paperwork with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance last week.

This sets us up for a primary race as James F. Munafo Jr., a Barnstable town councilor, is also running as a Republican.

***

Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth) has given her official website a facelift. It boasts better aesthetics, more features (including more multimedia content), and more active updating. Go to www.theresemurray.com and poke around.

Sen. Murray is running for re-election this year to her ninth term.

***

What the –?! Another candidate for governor’s councilor of the first district?

Yep, and her name is Patricia L. Mosca, and she hails from Bourne. She’s a retired probation officer with the Plymouth District Court and a former social worker supervisor with the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance.

She officially launches her campaign on Saturday, May 8 with a reception at the Hemisphere Restaurant in Sandwich. That starts at 6 PM.

Ms. Mosca is one of four people – all Democrats – running for the seat currently held by Carole A. Fiola, who is not running for re-election.

***

Poll time!

The latest Rasmussen Reports poll of 500 likely voters revealed that Gov. Patrick might be reclaiming a little of his mojo. In a theoretical race between Gov. Patrick, Republican Charles D. Baker Jr., and unenrolled candidate Timothy P. Cahill, the incumbent comes out on top, edging out Baker by an eight percent margin.

This is a better lead than Gov. Patrick had only a month earlier, when he came out winning the same three-way contest by only a three percent margin.

In a scenario in which Christy P. Mihos is the Republican pick, Mr. Mihos replaces Mr. Cahill in the third-placer; Gov. Patrick wins this theoretical election over Mr. Cahill by a five percent margin, and Mr. Cahill beats Mr. Mihos by an 18 percent margin.

(There was absolutely no mention of Green-Rainbow Party candidate Dr. Jill E. Stein, nor of Grace Ross, a former Green-Rainbow Party member who jumped to the Democratic Party to challenge Gov. Patrick in the primary – in theory, at least, because she’s been pretty quiet since she entered the race.)

The poll suggested that Mr. Mihos’s standing is slipping, while Gov. Patrick may no longer be the sitting duck he was a few months ago. The Boston Globe reported last week that the governor has over the past few months displayed a renewed energy and hit hard on some key issues.

No, readers, it’s not at all cynical to think that Gov. Patrick is cranking the volume up to 11 because it’s an election year and his job’s at stake.

***

Mr. Cahill, by the way, is claiming that he is the first candidate to reach the 10,000 signature mark, meaning (assuming all the signatures are certified) he has secured his spot on the November ballot.

“People are sick of the petty bickering between the two major parties, where one party says ‘no’ to an idea simply because the other party came up with it,” campaign mouthpiece Adam Meldrum said in a press release. “This year, the people of Massachusetts are not going to be saddled with the same old partisan choices they’re always been presented with. This year, voters will have a viable third alternative to the Democrats and Republicans who have created the mess this state is in.”

***

Back to the polling thing. While poking around online I found on MassBeacon.com an informal poll to see who the favorites are in the race for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District. The poll – completely unscientific, by their own admission – had our two local boys in the lead: Rep. Perry came out on top on the Republican side, besting Joseph D. Malone by a crushing 54-point margin; and State Senator Robert A. O’Leary (D – Barnstable) beat William Keating by a smaller but still decisive 18-point margin.

Perhaps tellingly, “other” was the third most common choice above other confirmed and rumored candidates in both races. Alas, the site did not hold a theoretical race between the two party candidates and unenrolled candidate Peter A. White.

The odds of an all-Cape slate candidates are not guaranteed, of course, but it would definitely be cool.

***

On a Joe Malone-related side note, Mr. Malone has added Ted Langill to his campaign staff as his political director. Mr. Langill previously worked as a legislative aide to State Senator Robert L. Hedlund (R – Weymouth). Point of interest: Sen. Hedlund himself was for a time a rumored candidate for the 10th district race.

***

Finally, Suzanne Bump, Democratic candidate for state auditor, has launched her campaign website. That’s up at http://suzannebump.com.

The auditor race is unusually active this year – six candidates! – but then again, long-time auditor A. Joseph DeNucci is stepping down, and open seats tend to attract more interest than those with incumbents.

Special online bonus time!

I came across this campaign ad, which is NOT for J.D. Hayworth, the guy trying to oust US Senator John McCain (R – Arizona) in the primary race, but for McCain himself. It’s remarkably whimsical for a campaign ad so I thought I’d share the cheap yuks with y’all.

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

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The week in politics

Friday, March 19th, 2010

(Editor’s note: the content of this column was written on March 12 and set to auto-post today.)

It’s official! David T. Vieira of Falmouth is in the running for state representative of the third Barnstable district!

Mr. Vieira gave me the head’s up last week at a Mashpee Republican Town Committee meeting, and he pulled the trigger on Wednesday. There should be a full profile in the front section of this paper (except for Sandwich, because it’s not in the district…no soup for you!).

This sets the stage for a possible rematch between Mr. Vieira and State Representative Matthew C. Patrick (D – Falmouth), who faced off in 2000 as fellow first-time candidates for the Legislature. If this one goes forward, it’ll be a very cool race to watch.

***

Hey, debate fans! There’s something juicy coming up next week!

The Cape Codder Resort will host a head-to-head debate between Republican gubernatorial candidates Charles D. Baker Jr. and Christy P. Mihos next Friday, March 26, starting at 7 PM. The Cape Cod Republican Committee and the Women’s Republican Club of Cape Cod put this baby together, and I’m betting this is going to be a fun night.

***

Since we’re talking about the governor’s race, I’ll take up this item I’ve been sitting on for a couple of weeks…

The latest Suffolk University/WHDH-TV poll on the governor’s race is not looking promising for Mr. Mihos. In a theoretical primary showdown between the two Republican candidates, Mr. Baker wins with 47 percent of voters polled supporting him, 36 percent undecided, and 17 percent siding with Mr. Mihos.

You know you’re doing poorly if you finish third behind “undecided.” And this is a major turnaround since the last poll in November, which had Mihos in the lead with 33 percent support to Baker’s 30 percent.

(For those of you who care about such things, Baker’s campaign war chest is sprinting toward the $2 million mark. Mihos’s coffers are looking mighty empty at a shade under $4,700. I hasten to add a quick word of advice for the candidates, in particular Charlie Baker: stop bragging about how much money you’re raising. It’s not helping you win hearts and minds. Really.)

Democrat Grace Ross is in a similar boat. In a theoretical primary race between her and incumbent Deval L. Patrick, Gov. Patrick, 59 percent of those surveyed said they’d vote for him, 26 percent were undecided, and 15 percent chose Ms. Ross.

Now, in a theoretical four-way race between Gov. Patrick, Mr. Baker, Green-Rainbow Party candidate Dr. Jill E. Stein, and unenrolled candidate Timothy P. Cahill, the results were, respectively: 33 percent, 25 percent, three percent, and 23 percent.

A Rasmussen Reports poll generated the same basic results: Gov. Patrick narrowly beat Mr. Baker, and Mr. Cahill came in third. Dr. Stein was nowhere to be seen in this poll; the fourth slot went to “undecided.”

Interestingly, in a theoretical race in which Mr. Mihos was the Republican candidate, Gov. Patrick still won and Tim Cahill was the runner-up, and Smilin’ Christy M. came in third.

***

In other gubernatorial news, Mr. Cahill announced last week he has added to former strategists from US Senator John McCain’s (R) 2008 Presidential campaign: John Weaver and John Yob.

Supporters are promoting this as the addition of some serious muscle to Mr. Cahill’s campaign, but I don’t know if I’d crow too loudly about having guys on my team whose last big gig was helping the guy who lost.

***

And as Mr. Cahill’s campaign team grows, Mr. Mihos’s shrinks. Joe Manzoli, Mr. Mihos’s campaign manager, left the team last week, stating only that he wanted his professional life to move “in a different direction.”

The candidate insists all is well within his camp, despite a recent spate of campaign staff and personal finance issues.

I should note that Mr. Mihos recently attended a Tea Party-sponsored event in Westborough. This appearance has fueled speculation that he’s courting the Tea Party movement to revitalize his flagging campaign.

Whether this is true and proves a shrewd and successful new strategy or a dying candidate’s desperate Hail Mary play has yet to be seen, but it could work; Baker has been heavily criticized in some corners as being a big-money mainstream candidate, so a well-played “outsider” card could yield some positive results.

***

Our last note this week on the governor’s race: Ms. Ross, who jumped ship from the Green-Rainbow Party to join the Democrats, has launched her campaign website at www.graceross.org.

***

We’ve previously seen “Jokes With Jeff,” now it’s time for “Pizza With Perry.”

State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich), candidate for the 10th Congressional district, will hold a fundraiser on Thursday, April 15 – not coincidentally, the day after the deadline for filing your taxes – at the Hyannis VFW near the airport rotary. That runs from 6 PM to 7:30 PM, and campaign donations will be accepted at the door.

Go to www.jeffperryforcongress.com/events.html for details.

***

Eric Steinhilber is Everywhere Man!

The Republican (and so far only) candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands district will be putting in face time at several events across the Cape this spring, including a candidates’ night in Eastham (March 25), the aforementioned gubernatorial debate, a fundraiser for Barnstable County Sheriff James M. Cummings (April 2), a Woman’s Republican Club of Cape Cod luncheon (April 9), the “Brewster in Bloom Parade” (May 2), and the Cape Cod Republican Club’s annual meeting (May 17).

Go to Mr. Steinhilber’s campaign website at www.electeric2010.com for more info, then get out and say hi to the chap.

***

State Representative Karyn Polito (R – Shrewsbury) has launched her new website in support of her campaign for state treasurer. Go to www.karynpolitofortreasurer.com to learn more.

Meanwhile, Republican Brian J. Herr has dropped out of the treasurer’s race and is now running for the third Congressional district.

***

The official campaign website for Walter Moniz, Democratic candidate for governor’s councilor of the first district, is also up and running. That’s at http://waltermoniz.com.

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

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The week in politics

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Hey, Democrats! Got anything planned for this Monday?

Then hie thee hither to the 12th annual Presidents Day Brunch at the 400 East Restaurant on East Harwich (at the intersections of Routes 137 and 39). The event runs from 11:30 AM until 1:30 PM and is sponsored by the Harwich Democratic Town Committee.

The HDTC folks have invited Democratic candidates for state auditor and state treasurer to the event, and at last word Suzanne Bump and Steve Grossman, candidates for auditor and treasurer respectively, will be in attendance.

The committee will also announce during the brunch the recipients of the Mabel Canto Democrat of the Year Award and the James Noonan Community Service Award.

The cost to attend is $20. To RSVP or for more information contact Ray Gottwald, HDTC chairman, at 508-430-1666 or RayGottwald@aol.com.

***

I’ve yet to mention Ms. Bump in this column, so let me rectify that. She’s a former state representative and, more recently, was the executive office of labor and workforce development under Governor Deval L. Patrick. Her official bio says she lives in Great Barrington in the village of Housatonic, which sounds like a sinister New England village in an H.P. Lovecraft story.

Her official website is http://suzannebump.com.

***

F. Randal Hunt, Republican candidate for state representative of the fifth Barnstable district, has his campaign website up and running. Trot on over to www.electrandyhunt.com and poke around.

Mr. Hunt has also scheduled his campaign kick-off/first fundraising event for Tuesday, March 9 at the Sandwich Hollows Golf Course. That runs from 5 PM to 7 PM, with “speeches (and other campaign rhetoric)” – his words, not mine – beginning at 6 PM.

***

And guess what? Mr. Hunt already has an opponent, and he’s a blast from the not-too-distant past: Lance W. Lambros of Sandwich announced this week he’s taking out nomination papers and plans to run for state rep.

Those familiar with county government will recognize Mr. Lambros as a former county commissioner and member of the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates.

***

The governor’s race continues to heat up. Democrat-turned-independent candidate Timothy P. Cahill formally launched his campaign last week, and in an odd bit of turnabout, a former third party candidate has announced she plans to run against Deval L. Patrick in the primary.

Grace Ross, who ran for governor as a member of the Green-Rainbow Party in 2006 (and collected only two percent of the vote in the four-way race), is challenging Gov. Patrick for the Democratic nomination. I don’t expect her to receive much, if any backing from the party, so enjoy her candidacy while you can, folks.

***

Another note on the gubernatorial race. In case you were in doubt, Republican Christy P. Mihos is “in it to win it.”

Mr. Mihos last week issued a statement to dispel rumors that his wobbly campaign was perhaps about to end – rumors spurred on by recent stores about disgruntled former campaign staff, back-owed business expenses resulting in property liens, and the fact his campaign account is on the thin side.

He’s currently got about $17,000 in the bank, which is better than a few weeks ago when he was down to $2,000 or so, but still WAY behind Charles D. Baker Jr. ($1.6 million), Mr. Cahill (approximately $920,000), and Gov. Patrick ($657,000 and change), and not too far ahead of Jill E. Stein, the Green-Rainbow candidate ($11,425).

“It’s time that the privileged few stop profiting from the rest of us,” he wrote. “If you’re for a candidate who’s stood up to big government and big business before, who’s really for lowering taxes, cutting the size of government, returning rights and money to the people, and getting Massachusetts working again for you, then I’m your candidate for governor of Massachusetts 2010.”

Still, things are not looking promising for Mihos at this time. He has enthusiasm to spare, but he needs a lot more than that if he’s to survive even to the primary race (which I hope he does; a solid primary race is good for the process and for voters).

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

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The week in politics

Monday, February 8th, 2010

It’s happening! State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich) is running for US Representative of the 10th District!

Should Rep. Perry make it through the primaries, he would pose the strongest challenge to Congressman William D. Delahunt (D) since the latter gent took office in 1996. Rep. Delahunt’s opponents read like a Who’s Who of Who’s That?: Eric V. Bleiken in 1998 and 2000 (Delahunt took about 70 percent of the vote both times), Luiz Gonzaga in 2002 (70 percent of the vote, again, to the incumbent), Michael J. Jones in 2004 (60 percent of the vote), Jeffrey K. Beatty and Peter White in 2006 (65 percent). In 2008 no one bothered to challenge him at all.

What are the chances Rep. Perry will make it to the Big Show? Well, let’s look at the other prospects: Ray Kasperowicz has very limited government experience (nine years on the Cohasset Sewer Commission). Joseph D. Malone did two terms as a state treasurer, but dropped off the political radar for 12 years after losing a gubernatorial primary in 1998. Donald A. Hussey is a former (unsuccessful) candidate for governor’s councilor.

Rep. Perry’s greatest hurdle in the primaries could be a State House colleague: State Senator Robert L. Hedlund (R – Weymouth), who has more experience in the Legislature (he served in the Senate from 1991 to 1992, got bumped, then came back in 1994 and has remained there since). However, Sen. Hedlund has not formally announced he would run, so he may not be an issue.

The only other complication would be the aforementioned Mr. White, a Mashpee resident who announced this week he planned to take another shot at the office. In an e-mail sent to a handful of friends Mr. White said he planned to run on “a platform to end the wars for oil, develop jobs and clean up the environment through a ‘Green’ economy, Medicare for all who need it, and federal support for community-based solutions to renewable energy development, affordable housing, recycling, and wastewater management.”

“We shall overcome the corruption of the two-party system if enough people try!!” he wrote in conclusion.

Yeah, this is gonna be fun…

Rep. Perry’s new campaign website is at www.jeffperryforcongress.com. His official campaign kick-off event is on Friday, March 5 at the Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis.

***

On a related note, Republican F. Randal Hunt, a Sandwich selectman, announced last week he planned to run to succeed Rep. Perry should the latter gent launch his Congressional bid, so I guess that’s all official-like.

The question now is: how long will he be alone? Whenever incumbents step down there is usually surge in candidates, so I think Mr. Hunt will soon have LOTS of company.

***

Wow, barely a month into the 2010 election cycle and already it’s getting a bit ugly in the race for governor.

Last week the media was abuzz about alleged issues with Christy P. Mihos, Republican gubernatorial candidate, after three former campaign consultants filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance claiming they were back-owed about a total of $43,500 in pay.

The complainants are web designer Geoff Fudge, communications director Kevin Sowyrda, and media strategist Rick Wilson. Mr. Mihos said all three had been paid in full.

Things got even worse when a subsequent story reported that a judge had placed liens on three of Mr. Mihos’ business properties as leverage against an outstanding $634,000 fuel delivery bill. His lawyer nevertheless called this ruling good news for the candidate, since no liens were placed on any personal property – indicative, the lawyer said, that Mr. Mihos himself was not personally liable for the back-owed money.

The first story also illuminated where the four active gubernatorial candidates’ respective war chests are, and things don’t look good for Smilin’ Christy M., who largely self-financed his 2006 run for the Corner Office.

As of mid-January Mihos had all of $2,000 in his account (which would be great if he were a Green-Rainbow Party candidate, but for a Republican? Eesh). Republican rival Charles D. Baker Jr. is leading the pack, with more than $1.6 million to burn, followed by independent Timothy P. Cahill at about $800,000 and then the incumbent, Deval L. Patrick, at a shade under $650,000.

I said it before and I’ll say it again: if he doesn’t pull a Coakley on the campaign trial, Charlie Baker could be the man to beat.

***

I’ll mention Mr. Baker again since his campaign is now officially underway. Yeah, I know the guy’s been running since last year, but he held a kick-off event in Boston Saturday, so now it’s really really super-duper official.

***

One last note of the governor’s race: why is Tim Cahill holding a fundraiser in New York City? Yes, he has a fundraiser scheduled for next Thursday in NYC. Shouldn’t be trying to drum up support in – oh, I don’t know – the state in which he’s actually running?

***

Did you catch State Representative Timothy R. Madden’s (D – Nantucket) appearance in the Boston Herald this week? It was under the headline “Mass. Hacks Rack Up Per Diems” (always a class act, the Herald). Rep. Madden got lambasted for collecting in 2009 $13,900 in per diem payments, the most of any member of the Legislature.

The payments are made available to State House lawmakers to cover travel, lodging, and meal expenses in connection with their jaunts up to Boston, and are based on where they live. Nantucket has the highest per diem rate at $100 per day.

The Herald took a “how dare you” attitude, blasting Rep. Madden and other legislators for collecting the payments A) when the state budget is so tight and B) when they all make at least $61,439 a year (not counting stipends for chairman duties and leadership positions).

What they never mentioned is that the cost to bring a car over on a Steamship Authority ferry costs $260 a pop for a round trip. A round-trip Nantucket-to-Boston ticket on Cape Air runs $122 – half the cost of the ferry but still more than the per diem (and that’s not counting whatever it costs to take a cab or the T to the State House).

I’m personally not in favor of the per diem program – my taxes already pay for their salaries, which I think are too high – but the Herald’s slant on this was not terribly fair toward Rep. Madden.

***

Earle Stroll, Republican candidate for state auditor, has launched his official campaign website. Sort of. Go to http://stroll2010.com/ to see the placeholder image and sign up for his mailing list.

***

Finally: We have some video of US Senator-elect Scott P. Brown’s (R) reception in Falmouth last week on the website, so go to www.capenews.net and check it out.

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

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The week in politics

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

And the winner is…State Senator Scott P. Brown (R- Wrentham)!

And I gotta tell you, I’m not surprised to be writing this. Martha Coakley made some disastrous missteps in the later weeks of the campaign: tossing out the first harshly negative TV ad; passing on local campaigning to attend functions in DC; and bringing in the President, which absolutely smacked of desperation, just to name a few.

In short, this was Martha Coakley’s race to lose, and she did, spectacularly. Her complacency and garden-variety weak campaigning cost her what I think was, very early on, a sure-fire victory.

Whether Sen. Brown now lives up to his promises to be an independent voice in the US Senate is the big question now, but if he proves just another party loyalist, expect the Dems to make a major push to reclaim the seat in 2012.

Meanwhile, the immediate repercussions of Coakley’s loss could be significant. For a Republican to defeat a Democrat to claim the late Ted Kenney’s seat in Blue State Massachusetts could serve as a HUGE rallying cry for the GOP in the coming regular election cycle, and we could see a major party resurgence this year after several years of foundering.

Was Senator-elect Brown’s victory a mandate by the voters? Debatable; a five percent margin of victory in and of itself is hardly a mandate, but considering the surrounding circumstances, it’s clear voters were sending a message.

Was that message in essence a repudiation of the Obama Administration? Hardly; one man does not a repudiation make, and I’m sorry, while Obama hasn’t been as aggressive in making his much-ballyhooed changes as he said he’d be, it’s unrealistic to expect eight years of damage by the Bush Administration to be magically fixed in a year.

Nevertheless, every Massachusetts Democrat now has a target on their backs, and it should be interesting to see who goes gunning for whom.

As for Coakley herself, her post as Massachusetts Attorney General is now very vulnerable. Her blood is in the water, and the GOP would be remiss not to capitalize on it.

Look for detailed coverage of the special election elsewhere in this section, and in the front section of the Enterprise for town-by-town results.

***

As if on cue: we have a possible race for a local legislative seat!

Last week David T. Vieira of Falmouth said he was considering running against State Representative Matthew C. Patrick (D – Falmouth) this year. Mr. Vieira, who oversees the Cape’s Triad programs through the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department and is finishing his 10th year as Falmouth’s town moderator, has filed his paperwork Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance and expects to make a final decision on his candidacy soon.

I’m hopeful he’ll go for it. I expect Mr. Vieira would run a solid campaign against Rep. Patrick, now in his fifth term, and a robust campaign is always a good thing (particularly for voters, who would actually have to give some serious thought about who to vote for).

If he runs, Mr. Vieira would be the third Republican to challenge a Democratic incumbent in the Cape delegation; folks have already popped up to challenge State Representatives Cleon H. Turner (D – Dennis) and Sarah K. Peake (D – Provincetown).

I want to see the trend continue, until we have a chock-a-block full ballot. That said, I don’t expect anyone to announce a run against Senate President Therese Murray (D – Plymouth). She has some crazy cash in her war chest – she ended 2008 with more than $150,000 – and from a strategic standpoint, losing her would greatly diminish the region’s clout in the State House, and the Cape and Islands cannot afford that (literally or figuratively).

Who is the most vulnerable to the GOP? That would be State Representative Timothy R. Madden (D – Nantucket). First-term legislators are generally good targets because it’s easy to claim they haven’t done anything of substance. While this is technically true – precious few freshman lawmakers get anything huge accomplished in their first outing – it’s also a bit disingenuous for the same reason.

***

Now that the US Senate special election has wrapped, expect the race for governor of Massachusetts to take center stage as The Big Race. There are five people in the mix right now: incumbent Deval L. Patrick; Timothy P. Cahill, the state treasurer, who is running as an independent; and Republicans Christy P. Mihos and Charlie D. Baker Jr.

Number five is Jill E. Stein of the Green-Rainbow Party, who announced her candidacy earlier this month. Dr. Stein ran for secretary of the Commonwealth in 2006 and for governor in 2002 (and got trounced in both races).

While Mr. Mihos has been a bit more active than his Republican rival in the early days of the campaign, it looks like Mr. Baker has been quietly building a well-financed support base. The Boston Herald reported last week that Smilin’ Charlie Baker raised $1.85 million in the last five months of 2009—twice the amount Gov. Patrick raised over the course of the entire year.

If Mr. Baker can put some substance behind the spending and put in some solid work into getting his name and message out to voters, he could be the man to beat in the primary and—dare I say it?—in the general election. Despite its widespread Blueness, Massachusetts has never been hesitant to put a Republican in the Corner Office; 20 of the state’s 34 governors since 1900 have been Republicans.

However, a recent poll by the Boston Globe suggests that neither GOP hopeful will prevail in a three-way race against Gov. Patrick and Mr. Cahill. About a third of those surveyed currently back the incumbent, despite his low approval ratings, with Mr. Cahill coming in second. Regardless of who represented the GOP, that man came in third.

I can’t take this poll seriously, not this early in the process. If this had come out, say, in October, I’d say the Republicans are in deep trouble, but a lot can change over the next 10 months.

***

Speaking of our treasurer (part the first), a fellow by the name of Brian J. Herr has filed his paperwork with the OCPF as a candidate for state treasurer. Mr. Herr, a Republican, is currently a selectman in the town of Hopkinton. He was elected to that post in 2007 and this year is the board’s chairman.

He joins Democratic candidate Steve Grossman.

***

Speaking of our treasurer (part the second), Mr. Cahill has chosen his running mate: former state representative Paul Loscocco. “As a former Republican, Loscocco makes the ticket truly bipartisan and independent, helping the campaign represent the 51 percent of Massachusetts voters who are not affiliated with either major political party,” read a press release from Cahill’s camp.

***

So with AG Coakley not going anywhere, where does that leave Democrat William Keating, Norfolk County district attorney and a former state senator? The man who threw the state Senate in a tizzy back in 1994 when he challenged William M. Bulger for the Senate presidency he’d held for 15 years announced his candidacy recently, but will that change with Coakley potentially staying put?

His campaign website is up at www.billkeating.org.

***

Over in the surprisingly active race for state auditor – five candidates so far! – Republican Earle Stroll has launched his campaign website at http://stroll2010.com, and Democrat Michael E. Lake has his site up at www.electmikelake.com.

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

For more political commentary, visit Michael’s blog “Snark-Infested Waters” at http://capenews.net/blogs/snark-infested_waters/

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Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!

Sunday, January 17th, 2010

The morning news has been punishing today. More precisely, the advertisements in-between segments of the morning news have been punishing, because every other commercial has been for Scott Brown or Martha Coakley, and I think both sides are running nothing but their slate of negative ads.

Thank you both for souring me on this election.

I was soured on Brown from almost day one, because — as a recipient of his campaign e-mails — I’ve seen nothing from him but condemnations of everything Coakley said or did throughout this process (“Martha Coakley drinks Pepsi Throwback, deprives the high-fructose corn syrup industry of vital revenue!”), followed by very superficial retorts meant to extol Brown’s virtues (“Scott Brown will support high-fructose corn syrup by drinking one bottle of Karo every day”).

His denouncement of Coakley’s negative ads are, in this light, hypocritical, but I have to agree: they’re low-road politics and are distracting voters. That Coakley ran negative at all, much less launched the first high-profile volley, is hugely disappointing and, as WHDH-TV’s Andy Hiller observed, not something a candidate with any confidence in her campaign would do.

This always has been Coakley’s race to lose, and she may well lose it. Eschewing on-the-street meet-and-greets with Massachusetts voters to go to out-of-state events? Jeez, Coakley, who are you? Mitt Romney? Running negative instead of pushing hard your considerably positive record as AG? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

Should Brown win Tuesday, well, first I’m going to bang my head against a wall to dull the pain of seeing Coakley blow the election, then I’ll start looking for candidacy announcements from people looking to boot Coakley out of the AG’s office (because if she loses Tuesday, the GOP is going to just see blood in the water). Then I’m going to hope all this talk about intentionally dragging out the certification process to delay Brown’s entry into office is just that — talk — because I don’t know if I could calmly handle with any degree of aplomb the second most flagrant flouting of good public process since Massachusetts changed the Senate succession laws to allow Deval Patrick to plop Paul Kirk in Kennedy’s seat. If Brown wins, then he wins. Seat him.

Otherwise, everyone involved with such an affront to the political process will be facing voter wrath come November.

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The week in politics – special editior director’s cut

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Happy New Year, everyone!

Normally I would only now be welcoming everyone to the triumphant return of my weekly political column, but thanks to the US Senate special election this puppy has been rolling for a few months now. Yet, in about two and a half weeks that election will be over and, hopefully, the state and local races will start to pick up.

And this year stands to be fairly active as all our constitutional officers – governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of the Commonwealth, attorney general, treasurer, and auditor – are up for re-election along with all state legislators. More locally, the positions of Barnstable County sheriff and Cape & Islands district attorney are up for grabs, along with one seat on the Barnstable County Board of County Commissioners. (more…)

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The Week in Politics

Friday, October 30th, 2009

Hidey-ho folks. I’m back from vacation, and I return to the column with a brief requiem for Bob Burr, would-be Republican candidate for US Senate.

Oh, Bob, we hardly knew ye, and I suspect that’s because you never really did anything with your campaign once you entered the race. I infer that by your inability to collect 10,000 signatures on your nomination papers by last Tuesday’s deadline.

So that brings our official field of candidates for the late Edward M. Kennedy’s US Senate seat down to one Republican – State Senator Scott P. Brown (R – Wrentham), who Mr. Burr is now supporting – and four Democrats: Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, Congressman Michael E. Capuano (D), Alan A. Khazei, and Steve Pagliuca.

The Fab Four engaged in a rather tepid debate Monday night, and you can read my analysis below.

***

AG Coakley, by the way, is under no small amount of scrutiny thanks to the Massachusetts Republican Party. The Mass. GOP recently filed a complaint against AG Coakley, claiming she was running a “shadow campaign” (insert dramatic musical sting here) for US Senate using money from her AG campaign coffers, which is a no-no.

The GOP specifically charges that AG Coakley spent about $31,000 from her state campaign fund on consultants in preparation for her Senate bid. Notably, she has reimbursed her state fund for $35,000 in expenses out of her federal campaign fund. File that under Things That Make You Go Hmmmm…

The Federal Election Commission is reviewing the matter but, as of this writing, has yet to announce whether it will launch an official investigation into AG Coakley’s campaign finances — so it will be a while before we learn whether this is a case of eagle-eyed diligence on the GOP’s part or they’re just out to get her.

One might suspect the latter in light of the new GOP-sponsored “Where Was Martha?” website, which focuses on the AG’s failure (real or imagined, you be the judge) to go after disgraced fellow Democrats – namely former House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, former State Senator Dianne Wilkerson, and Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner.

***

For those who care about such things, State Senator Robert A. O’Leary (D – Barnstable) and State Representative Timothy R. Madden (D – Nantucket) have officially endorsed AG Coakley’s candidacy. The only Cape Dem who’s not on the Coakley bandwagon: State Representative Cleon H. Turner (D – Dennis), who has yet to pick a favorite.

***

A final note on the Fab Four: a new Western New England College survey has AG Coakley as the person to beat: 37 percent of the people surveyed chose her as the favorite, followed by Mr. Pagliuca and Rep. Capuano running in a near dead-heat with 14 percent and 13 percent support respectively, and Mr. Khazei bringing up the read at a distant four percent.

***

A reminder: Sen. Brown will be on the Cape next month, specifically at the Hyannis Golf Course on Route 132 on Sunday, November 15 from 3 to 5 PM.

Shoot State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich) an e-mail at ElectJeffPerry@aol.com if you’re interested in serving on the host committee for this campaign fundraiser.

***

Want to talk directly to Christy P. Mihos, Republican candidate for governor? You’ll get several chances during the campaign, thanks to his new series of live webcasts.

Go to Mr. Mihos’s official campaign website to check for the next scheduled webcast, which will allow viewers to call into his Hyannis campaign office and chat directly with the candidate. The shows will be, as the name suggests, broadcast live over his site. He hopes to hold the webcasts up to three times a week.

***

On the topic of the gubernatorial race, I can’t help but take this as a bad sign – whether of the economy or Deval L. Patrick’s re-election campaign, I’m not sure, but when President Barack H. Obama rolls into Boston for a fundraiser and the place is not standing room only, something is amiss.

According to several media accounts of last Friday’s fundraiser for Gov. Patrick, a high-priced private reception with the President was about half-full, and a subsequent $500-a-head fundraiser for those without such deep pockets was two-thirds full.

***

Ray Kasperowicz, Republican candidate for the US House of Representatives – 10th Congressional District, will be on the Cape next month – November 10, to be precise, when he meets with the Sandwich Republican Town Committee. Keep your eye on his website and www.sandwichrepublicans.org for details as they’re announced.

***

Republican Earle Stroll of Bolton has filed his paperwork with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance in preparation for his planned run for Massachusetts State Auditor.

If Mr. Stroll’s name sounds oh-so-vaguely familiar, it’s because he almost ran for the post in 2006. I say “almost” because he failed to get enough signatures on his nomination papers. Better luck this time around, dude.

***

State Representative Susan D. Williams Gifford (R – Wareham) has resurrected her dead website. Go there to see what’s new, and let’s hope she takes better care of it this time around.

***

Here’s a handy website promoting one of the possible ballot questions for 2010, which seeks to establish instant runoff voting in Massachusetts: http://voterchoicema.org, the official site for Voter Choice Massachusetts.

Under instant runoff voting, voters basically rank the candidates for a given race. During the tally the candidate who receives the least support (that is, the one who is the top pick among the fewest voters) is bumped out, elimination-style, and that vote is then automatically reassigned to the voter’s number two pick. This goes on until a winner emerges from the flaming heap of defeated also-rans like the lone NASCAR driver from a 30-car pile-up on a hairpin turn.

It sounds, and kind of is, complicated, but proponents claim that instant runoff voting avoids the “spoiler effect,” that voting phenomenon in which two similar candidates split the electorate, allowing a possibly weaker third candidate to sneak through with a win.

I don’t have another car racing metaphor for that one. Sorry.

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

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Check me out, being all involved and junk…

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

Below is the full text of a letter I e-mailed this morning to my legislative officials, State Rep. James Fagan and Senator Marc Pacheco. I doubt they’ll respond and even more doubtful they’ll act as I hope, but hey, it made me feel better to vent. I recommend it.

Gentlemen,

I am writing, simply, to request that you both reject the proposal heading to the State House floor to amend the state’s US Senate succession law.

Senator Kennedy himself once said to Congress that you do not change the rules in the middle of the game, and ironically, that is precisely what the late senator in his July letter asked Governor Patrick, House Speaker DeLeo, and Senate President Murray to do: change the rules mid-game — this after, in 2004, Mr. Kennedy himself advocated for the law as it currently stands.

While I understand Senator Kennedy wanted to ensure the state’s full representation in the event a health care reform bill came up for a vote — a proposal I generally support, I add — I do not believe that the Legislature should change the law, essentially, to support a single initiative.

Nor do I believe it should support a change that seems to me to be as much about maintaining a Democratic super-majority as serving the public. I always believed the true motivation behind the 2004 changes was to keep Governor Romney — who I did not and still do not care for, to put it mildly — from naming a Republican successor in the event Senator Kerry won the Presidential election. That the Democrats are now embracing a concept the Republicans (unsuccessfully) pitched as an amendment to the 2004 law — giving the governor the authority to appoint an interim Senator — only reinforces this opinion in my mind. As does the latest news I’ve read: that the proposal you may be voting on as early as tomorrow would mandate that any appointees would be of the same party as his or her predecessor.

This is standard in other states, I realize, and is meant to de-politicize such appointments, but in this instance I believe it very much politicizes the process. Mr. Kennedy requested that any appointee offer a personal guarantee that he or she would not run in the special election, specifically to avoid giving that individual an edge in the election. I understand the Legislature does not plan to formally support that request (a good thing as it is, by my understanding, unconstitutional anyway). I wish I could say I could not imagine Governor Patrick appointing, for example, Martha Coakley, as the interim Senator and would instead choose someone with no interest in running for the post, but frankly, my faith in my elected officials’ capacity to conduct business in an above-board manner has been greatly diminished over the past few years.

The argument I’ve heard from proposal supporters is that Massachusetts needs continuous representation in Congress. I cannot support that theory in light of the numerous votes Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Kerry missed because of, respectively, their health issues and Presidential campaign. According to data posted on Govtrack.us, Mr. Kennedy made only nine out of the 270 votes held in 2009 up until his passing. Mr. Kerry missed all but 40 out of 285 votes taken in the 12 months before the election, and missed all 42 votes in the three months immediately preceding the election.

To summarize, I do not believe there is a crucial need to fill Mr. Kennedy’s seat by gubernatorial appointment, nor do I believe that the current effort is geared toward serving the voters. Rather, I see it as making, for the second time in five years, amendments to a law based on current circumstances and a desire to maintain single-party rule. I urge you to fight to keep the law as it is and perhaps revisit the issue when there are no extenuating circumstances that, in perception or in reality, contaminate the noble intentions so many are trying to claim apply to the situation at hand.

Sincerely,

Michael Bailey – unenrolled

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