Snark-Infested Waters by Mike Bailey

Snark-Infested Waters by Mike Bailey

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The Week In Politics – November 18, 2011

Friday, November 18th, 2011

It looks like people are already eyeballing Congressman William R. Keating’s (D) seat for 2012.

The Legislature this week approved the revised Congressional districts, which eliminates Rep. Keating’s 10th District and, with some revisions to its borders, replaces it with the Ninth District. Keating already plans to run for re-election, and a handful of potential challengers has already emerged, including Bristol County’s DA Sam Sutter and former State Senator Robert A. O’Leary on the Democratic side, and Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson on the Republican side.

Jeff Perry, the former Republican state rep who ran against (and lost to) Keating last year, said he is not planning on a re-match in 2012, and that’s not at all surprising. As you might recall, Perry was roasted over an open fire because of his past relationship with a disgraced Wareham cop, and I can’t imagine he’d want to go through that again — because it’s pretty much a guarantee that the folks who ground their axes down to nubs last year would buy brand-new axes to grind next year.

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The Week In Politics – October 27

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

That’s right, people — I’m back, baby!

Well, sort of. The print edition of this column is still a ways off — it’ll probably debut in January — but there’s enough going on that I felt compelled to resurrect the column early as an online-only dealie.

Quick aside: this blog’s guts are a bit befouled at present, so trying to comment will lead only to frustration and heartbreak. If you feel the need to chew me out for anything, you can e-mail me at bailey at capenews dot net (sorry to spell it out, but man, the spambots have it out for me lately).

The development that really inspired my early return to whinging about politics is this week’s development with Alan Khazei, who on Wednesday dropped out of the US Senate race, citing an inability to raise money and gather support now that the Democratic Party has embraced Elizabeth Warren as its official horse in the race.

Alan. Dude. Has the Presidential race taught you nothing? A couple months ago, Rick Perry entered the Presidential race and everyone went “Michele who?” Now look at him! He’s running third in most polls behind Mitt Romney and Herman freakin’ Cain — and Herman is kind of crazy! Warren still has plenty of time to say or do something insane and give you a shot at overtaking her!

She’s already dipping her toe into that pool with a recent comment to The Daily Beast that she “created much of the intellectual foundation for what” Occupy Wall Street and its spinoffs are doing now. She’s since backtracked on that remark, so she’s obviously mastered the necessary campaigning skill of saying something rather outrageous and/or self-aggrandizing and then nimbly backpedaling when someone calls her on it.

But, to my intended original point: Khazei was the most promising candidate in the field beside Warren, who really needs someone to run her through the paces, if nothing else. There are four other Democrats that I know of who are still in the race — Tom Conroy, Marisa DeFranco, Jim King, and Herb Robinson — and I’m betting you haven’t heard of ANY of them.

And chances are you will continue to hear nothing about them, because the media, like the Democratic Party, is currently latched onto Warren, and now that Khazei — who had a degree of name recognition — is gone, it’s going to be All-Warren All The Time until after the September primary.

Anyone remember what happened the last time the Dems named an heir apparent to the Senate seat and left that candidate to cruise to an “easy victory”? The Democratic Party apparently doesn’t. Party leaders should have at the very least given Khazei enough support to keep him active through the primary so we the voters — remember us? We (ostensibly) choose elected officials — could see who the better candidate truly was.

***

Speaking of denying voters choice, it was also announced yesterday that longtime Congressman John Olver (D) is retiring, freeing up the race for the First Congressional District — and, perhaps more notably, giving the special joint legislative committee on redistricting every excuse in the world to let the First District take the big hit so the committee can, for the most part, maintain the existing boundaries for the other eight Congressional districts.

You see, when Massachusetts lost a district following the 2010 Census, there was a lot of concern that redrawing district lines would end up pitting two incumbent Democrats against one another in the primary race, and there was heavy speculation that the 10th Congressional District (which includes the Cape and Islands) would be eliminated and its towns folded into the Fourth or Ninth Districts — potentially setting up a contest between freshman Congressman William R. Keating and, respectively, Barney Frank or Stephen Lynch.

But now that Olver is out of the picture, the committee can carefully redraw the district boundaries to avoid any hot Dem-on-Dem action in September. Convenient, isnt it?

***

On a more local note: while there has not yet been an official announcement, there’s every indication that Republican Thomas F. Keyes is planning to challenge Senate President Therese M. Murray (D) in 2012. Keyes lost to Murray in 2010 in a surprisingly tight race: 52.5 percent of voters in the Plymouth and Barnstable District sided with the eight-term incumbent Murray, and 47.5 percent voted for Keyes, making this Murray’s tightest re-election race ever.

After the 2010 election, people on Keyes’ e-mail list (including me) continued to receive e-mails from the campaign, in which Keyes was referred to as the man “who is seriously considering” a rematch in 2012. The e-mails started out as stock rebuttals to everything Murray did (“Keyes Disappointed Murray Refuses To Create An Independent Commission On Redistricting” read one early notice), but soon turned into rally and fundraiser announcements. Once you start raising money, I think it’s safe to say you’re no longer merely “considering” running for office — especially when, according to a mid-year finance report filed with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, you’ve raised a little over $11,000 over the first six months of 2011.

The question is not whether Keyes is running, the question is: can he effectively run against Murray on his own? Last year Keyes’ campaign ran concurrently to those of two strong candidates — State Representative Randy Hunt (R – Sandwich) and Jeffrey D. Perry, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress — and Keyes’ detractors insisted the only reason he made as good a showing as he did was because he hitched his faint star to two much brighter and, in Perry’s case, more high-profile wagons.

An upset victory is certainly not out of the question, but Murray’s undeniable clout has benefited the region for many years, and that’s going to be a hard thing for voters to give up in favor of a man with no clout, few connections in the State House, and little political experience beyond the town and county level.

***

Finally, we bid a fond farewell to State Representative Susan D. Williams Gifford (R – Wareham), whose Second Plymouth District has been shifted completely off Cape Cod due to the aforementioned redistricting. She represented three precincts in Bourne, which will now be divvied up between Hunt and State Representative David T. Vieira (R – Falmouth).

While the Cape delegation is losing one of its number, Gifford had a minimal presence on Cape Cod, so I expect her loss to be negligible. I very rarely saw her at any major event attended by the other members of the delegation, and I’ve on occasion heard some critical remarks about her non-attendance from a couple of her colleagues.

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The Week In Politics

Friday, November 5th, 2010

Welcome, ladies and gents, to the final column for the 2010 election season.

I would have to say the big news for this week is State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry’s (R – Sandwich) loss to William R. Keating in the Congressional race. It was a long, hard, and very ugly fight, and Rep. Perry lost by a mere five-point margin.

The Perry haters, who have fanatically railed about his past controversies, are no doubt doing a happy dance this morning, but I’d have to question how much of that issue actually played into the loss. Let’s not forget that Massachusetts, despite its majority of unenrolled voters, still leans left, and Rep. Perry was espousing unabashedly hard right-wing values. It’s just as likely voters were turned off by his heavily partisan message as they were his background.

Then there is the Tale of Two Patricks, Deval and Matt. Governor Deval L. Patrick also won a rather tight race, besting Republican Charles D. Baker Jr. by a seven-point margin. Mr. Baker tried to convince voters Gov. Patrick was taking the state in the wrong direction, but recent signs of economic turnaround undermined that message.

It didn’t help that Baker’s campaign never hit high gear. He was active, but somewhere along the way his momentum faltered and he failed to make that final big push in the closing days.

The other Patrick, State Representative Matthew C. Patrick (D – Falmouth), was one of the precious few exceptions to the Democratic rule this year. Rep. Patrick lost his re-election bid to Republican David T. Vieira, the man who Rep. Patrick beat in his first bid for the office in 2000.

So what happened there? Hard to say. Maybe Rep. Patrick’s support of the Cape Wind project finally caught up to him. Maybe voters sensed that he’d lost his influence in the State House following his falling out with Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (R – Winthrop). Maybe voters didn’t care for his increasingly stinging criticism of the GOP and wanted someone a little more cooperative.

In any event, the loss of an incumbent always means a bit of a step back for a district since there’s a learning curve and settling-in period for the new guy, but hopefully Mr. Vieira will find his stride sooner rather than later. He’s got the potential to be a great state rep.

As a point of amusement, I’m tickled that Charles O. Cipollini won the race for governor’s council of the first district. As regular readers know, Charles was running a non-campaign for the seat against his younger brother, Oliver P. Cipollini of Marstons Mills, and said very publicly that he wanted Oliver to win.

And yet, Charles won. Why? My theory is simple: no one knows jack about the position (or cares) so they just voted for the first name on the list of candidates. I firmly believe that’s what Oliver won the Democratic primary in the first place: his name was at the top of the list.

For more details and candidate reaction, check out the story in the front section of this week’s Enterprise.

***

Personally, I’m very grateful this whole election thing is done with for a while. This has been an exhausting year, not only due to the effective length of the campaign – a few folks declared their candidacies last summer – but because of the rampant negativity that has been inflicted on voters.

The races for governor and the 10th Congressional District have been particularly nasty as national organizations representing the Big Two Parties dumped millions into advertising, ostensibly to promote their respective candidates, but really their motivations are more self-serving: the Democrats want to hold on to their precarious majority rule, the Republicans want to wrench it away.

Thanks for thinking of the American public first, guys.

Voters, regardless of whether your candidate won or lost, your job is not over. You still have a responsibility to be involved in the process, and you can do that by reaching out to your elected officials and letting them know how you feel on the issues.

Don’t write them, don’t e-mail them, CALL them (we’ll help you by continuing to post their contact info in the Beacon Hill Roll Call report). Tell them who you are and what you want out of the next two years. If an issue of particular concern pops up, call them and let them know how you feel about it.

In short: pester the hell out of them. Drive them nuts. Make your name a Pavlovian trigger that causes them to roll their eyes and grumble, “This guy again…” It’s civic-minded, it’s occasionally productive, and yeah, it’s sometimes a lot of fun.

***

I leave you all with a handy household hint, for removing those bumper stickers from your car: soak them in vegetable oil. Let the oil sink in and you should be able to pull the stickers off fairly easily.

Catch you all in 2012, and in the meantime you can get your semi-regular dose of commentary, sarcasm, and obscure pop-culture references at this here blog thing o’ mine.

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Election Day!

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

Hidely-ho, voterinos!

So, here we are. For the next several hours, voters will hit the polls (hopefully in appreciable numbers), and then this evening we all play the waiting game to see who won, who lost, and who will be dragging this mess out for several more weeks with recounts and court challenges.

Around here the big race is, of course, for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District. Who will win? I honestly can’t make a call, but here’s one scenario to consider: moderate and left-leaning unenrolled voters look at Bill Keating and see a guy who more or less represents their own stances on the issues, but has disenchanted voters with his relentlessly negative campaign (and maybe the fact he moved into the district specifically to run for this seat).

Does this drive them all to State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich)? Not necessarily. Many are unsatisfied with the answers he’s given to his various controversies, and besides, his very conservative views don’t jibe with voters’ opinions, so the liberally inclined and some of the moderates float over to MaryAnne Lewis, who is close to their own political viewpoints and has run a clean campaign.

The result? Perry has the Republican block sewed up, Keating likewise with the Democrats, but Lewis steals unenrolled voters away from Keating, allowing Perry to score a victory — not a landslide or even a “clear voter mandate” win, but enough of a victory to prevent Keating from challenging the outcome.

The there’s the governor’s race, and my hunch is that we’ve got four more years of Deval Patrick ahead of us, and I say this as a guy who, for most of Patrick’s administration, was ready to dump the guy.

I want to say Charlie Baker will pull off a win, because I’m cool with the idea of a fiscally conservative/socially moderate Republican in the Corner Office to balance what I’m sure will remain a Democrat-controlled State House, but Baker just never lived up to my expectations. His campaign never felt like it hit high gear, his ideas (which were decent, if not especially noteworthy) got buried under all the sniping between him and Patrick, and — like it or not — the state has shown positive steps forward in terms of economic recovery over the past several months.

There’s still a ton of work to do to get the state back on its feet, but it’s heading in the right direction, slowly but surely, and I personally am disinclined to switch horses midstream.

There are a few races I’d qualify as slam-dunks for the incumbents: I fully expect Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth), State Representative Susan D. Williams Gifford (R – Wareham), AG Martha Coakley, and Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin to all be returned to office by wide margins.

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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

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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

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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

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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.”

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The Week In Politics

Friday, October 1st, 2010

Happy October, everyone, and welcome to the special “Who cares?” edition of the column.

First we start out with a bit that was circulating last week, about State Representative (and Congressional candidate) Jeffrey D. “Young Gun” Perry (R – Sandwich) calling Sarah Palin an “entertainer” and stating he would decline any offer of campaign assistance from the former Alaskan governor/former vice-presidential candidate/person whose 15 minutes of fame dried up two hours and 42 minutes ago.

Apparently Rep. Perry caused a bit of a stir by having the audacity to not kiss the feet of the Mighty Palin and state that her version of the Tea Party Movement — a.k.a. the New and Improved Republican Party, now with 15 percent more self-righteous indignation — was not the same as the 10th Congressional District’s version (which has 30 percent less insanity and no high-fructose corn syrup).

While I think the statement was a bit of a calculated move on Rep. Perry’s part, an effort to maintain his Tea Party ties while distancing himself from the national movement’s more radical elements, people are making way too big a deal out of this. So what if he offered, really, a very mild criticism of Sarah Palin? It’s not like he called her the Paris Hilton of national politics.

(I did that. Just now).

***

Next we move on to the race for governor’s council of the first district, which features Oliver P. Cipollini Jr. of Marstons Mills, a Democrat…at least, he is right now, and that is part of the kerfuffle surrounding him.

Apparently, Mr. Cipollini has over the past 14 years or so jumped in and out of the Democratic and Republican parties, sometimes entering and leaving and re-entering the parties within a matter of weeks.

Were he running for a major seat this might be cause to question his motivations, but it’s the governor’s council race — the race no one knows bupkiss about and no one cares about. Bigger fish to fry, people.

The real issue lies with Charles O. Cipollini – Oliver’s brother and the Republican candidate for the post – and his rather lackadaisical attitude toward the race. Charles has made it quite clear he would prefer to see his younger brother win the race: “My brother is more qualified than I am, I must admit…I would still rather see him win.”

Charlie, if you’re not going to work for the job, if you’re not going to make even a token attempt to compare and contrast your positions to those of your brother, spare us all the sham of a non-campaign and go away.

I hate to say that because I think voters should always have a choice, but Charles Cipollini is practically handing the race over to Oliver Cipollini, and that’s just appalling.

***

One more, before I move on to stuff you can give a toss about: Timothy P. Cahill last week lost advisor John Weaver, who left the campaign because he did not believe Mr. Cahill stood a snowball’s chance in the gubernatorial race, and he would rather see voters jump the sinking Cahill ship and get with Team Charlie Baker.

“As much as I like Tim Cahill, I can’t be party to helping elect the most liberal candidate in the race,” Mr. Weaver told the press.

Don’t read into this development too much; campaigns lose people all the time. This isn’t a sign of how badly Mr. Cahill’s campaign is tanking (the poll numbers are doing that), but more a measure of Mr. Weaver’s professionalism; quitting is one thing, kicking dirt on your employer on the way out is another.

***

David T. Vieira, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Third Barnstable District, last weekend opened his Vote Vieira Campaign Headquarters at 699 Teaticket Highway, so drop on in for all your Vieirabilia.

Mr. Vieira has a couple of events coming up. He invites business owners to a “Business Town Meeting” with the candidate on Wednesday from 7:30 to 9 AM. That’s at Landucci on Main Street in Hyannis, and people can register by contacting the campaign via info@votevieira.com or call 508-563-7292.

The general public is invited to attend a “meet the candidate” night with Mr. Vieira 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.

***

While this race is not in the Enterprise coverage area, I felt compelled to comment nevertheless. Patrick J. Foran, who is challenging State Representative Cleon H. Turner (D – Dennis), has launched a new radio ad, in which he berates the incumbent for receiving an endorsement from the Democratic Socialists.

You can see where this is going, of course. Yes, Foran is hitting the Socialist Panic Button.

Stay classy, Patrick…stay classy.

So, for the record, what do Democratic Socialists want? This, according to their official website: “Democratic socialists believe that both the economy and society should be run democratically—to meet public needs, not to make profits for a few. To achieve a more just society, many structures of our government and economy must be radically transformed through greater economic and social democracy so that ordinary Americans can participate in the many decisions that affect our lives.”

Ordinary Americans participating in the many decisions that affect our lives? Wait a sec…isn’t that the very same thing the Tea Party movement is promoting?

Take that, fearmongers.

***

Dr. Jill E. Stein got a big boost to her campaign war chest over the past week, passing the $100,000 mark. The drive was sparked in large part by the Boston media’s refusal to allow Dr. Stein to participate in a series of gubernatorial debates due to her (previously) lackluster fundraising efforts.

What she needs to do now is work some similar magic with her exposure level; she’s still trailing in fourth place in every poll out there.

***

Meanwhile, over in the race for Massachusetts Attorney General, the Boston Globe reported that Republican James P. McKenna’s successful attempt to land the GOP nomination via write-in/sticker campaign may not have been strictly legal.

Mr. McKenna formally reported to the state expenses of about $1,600, but has claimed to have spent more than $5,000 in the first leg of his campaign, and has not reported the expense of printing up 100,000 stickers for the primary ballot – an expense he covered on a personal credit card. Nor has he reported the expenses stemming from his campaign website and mailings to voters.

A spokesman for the campaign said Mr. McKenna is fixing the “easily correctable filing error,” but still, this doesn’t reflect well on a guy hoping to be the state’s top legal eagle.

***

This week’s event reminders:

Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth) invites the public to a reception this evening, from 6 to 8 PM, at the Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth. On October 22 the Committee to Elect Therese Murray and Olive and Dave Chase will host a fundraiser at the Sandwich Glass Museum from 6 to 7:30 PM. Suggested donation for both events is $50 per person.

F. Randal Hunt, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Fifth Barnstable District, is holding a golf tourney fundraiser at Holly Ridge on Sunday 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.

And if you want to see a big ol’ truckload of politicians in one contained area, head over to the Sandwich Town Hall rededication ceremony tomorrow at noon. Lots of candidates are going to be there to grab some face time.

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

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

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