In 2010, Eric R. Steinhilber tried his hand at state politics, running for the open State Senator of the Cape and Islands seat. This year he’s focusing his efforts more locally as he runs for one of two spots on the Barnstable County Board of County Commissioners.

“Bottom line is, I just want to serve the community and be involved, do what I can to help and bring about better solutions,” Mr. Steinhilber said. “I just care a lot about the Cape. I’ve got two little kids now, and I want to make sure the Cape’s just as special for them as it was for me growing up.”

He added that he opted against running again for state senate because the incumbent, State Senator Daniel A. Wolf (D – Harwich), “is a millionaire. I got to work for a living, and sometimes you’re going to have a tough time raising more money than what a millionaire can put into a race.”

Mr. Steinhilber said he would be a proactive commissioner who would “see each side of the issue and come to a solution that I feel is grounded in the principle of doing the most good in the most effective manner with the smallest amount of governor.”

“I think that type of leadership is really needed at the county level right now. I think it’s lacking,” he said.

That lack of leadership is most evident in the county’s handling of the wastewater issue, Mr. Steinhilber said, and he has made that the focus of his campaign.

Although the sitting commissioners, including his two opponents Mary L. (Pat) Flynn and Sheila R. Lyons, have voiced their opposition to a proposed “wastewater authority” with taxation powers, Mr. Steinhilber insisted he was “the only candidate in the race that can be counted 100 percent to be opposed to a taxing authority being created and imposed on the people of Cape Cod.”

“I think the proposal is alive and well. I think it’s still being pushed by a number of individuals,” he said, “and I think it is more likely to come to pass if the incumbent county commissioners remain.”

He said evidence of the sitting commissioners’ openness to the concept can be found in their February vote to charge Andrew Gottlieb and Paul J. Niedzwiecki, respectively the executive directors of the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative and the Cape Cod Commission, with exploring the concept, which had been pitched to the commissioners by the Special Commission on County Governance.

“I would have voted not to move the ball even further toward a taxing authority,” Mr. Steinhilber said, adding that by voting on the topic before the special commission had formally filed its final report with the commissioners was proof that “the county commissioners, I felt, couldn’t wait to get their hands on it to vote on it…they were excited to vote for it.”

He said the commissioners, despite their prior opposition, would be likely to accept a new recommendation he expects to emerge from a new task force assembled by the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce — as task force that, like the special commission, is fronted by Robert A. O’Leary.

A task force memo obtained by Mr. Steinhilber noted that the group wants to emphasize “positive messaging during the county commissioners’ election,” and the candidate believed the task force “feels they have a much better chance of getting a taxing authority in place with the two incumbents remaining.”

“I’ve been told by others in county government that this group was formed in direct response to my campaign,” Mr. Steinhilber said, but he declined to name his sources.

Better Communication Needed

Mr. Steinhilber also objected to another proposal by the special commission, to combine the county commissioners and the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates into a single seven-member board with legislative functions. Executive functions now possessed by the county commissioners would be transferred to an appointed county executive.

“You can’t get better government with less representation,” he said, and he expressed admiration for the assembly’s performance, but acknowledged that the delegates — as well as the county commissioners — are not as visible in the community as they should be.

“It’s a communication problem,” Mr. Steinhilber said, and if elected he planned to hold public office hours to create a stronger connection with individual towns.

The candidate did support, conditionally, a proposal by the assembly to create a finance director to keep better control of county finances. Mr. Steinhilber said such an entity was necessary for enhanced transparency, but he thought such a position could be established using existing county personnel and resources.

“I don’t think we should create a brand new position out of whole cloth,” he said. “You can’t keep adding to county government. You need to come up with solutions inside of county government.”

Opposes New County Dispatch

Mr. Steinhilber also wanted to tackle what he regarded as a financial time bomb, the county government’s growing unfunded pension liability. “No one seems to be talking about it,” he said, quoting figures stating that the county’s liability between 2002 and 2010 jumped from $190 million to $475 million.

A report prepared by the Segal Group showed that the unfunded liability was expected to grow by another $25 million between 2010 and 2012, but actually increased by $47 million.

“That’s all on the backs of Cape taxpayers,” Mr. Steinhilber said, and he vowed to take action on that.

He identified another brewing taxpayer expense in the effort to establish a regional 911 emergency dispatch center that served all of the Cape’s police and fire departments. Mr. Steinhilber strongly endorsed the basic concept, but said there was a better way to make the concept reality than creating an all-new regional dispatch center.

“My main concern is that the county doesn’t get into a position where they build a center from the ground up” rather than take advantage of the existing emergency dispatch center run by the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department — where, notably, Mr. Steinhilber has worked as a reserve deputy.

“We already have a top-notch center that’s run by the county sheriff,” he said, and he noted the sheriff’s department is in the middle of a hardware upgrade and is exploring options for expanding the facility in order to serve more towns.

Local law enforcement department heads have expressed concern over this approach due to the fact the sheriff’s department, and by extension its dispatch center, are state agencies, and they fear losing any local control over the center.

Other Massachusetts counties have established governance boards to keep control of regional dispatch centers at the local level, Mr. Steinhilber said, and Cape Cod could emulate such models.

Mr. Steinhilber said he wanted to address the regulations that deter new businesses from setting up shop on Cape Cod. In speaking with business owners, he said he heard a great deal of frustration due to the sometimes convoluted and multi-layered process of establishing a new business, which included dealing with multiple town boards and, in some cases, the Cape Cod Commission.

“To a lot of them it feels like a constant maze to navigate…it’s tough to get quick decisions,” he said, and he wanted to constantly review regulations to make local and regional review processes more streamlined and business-friendly.

He doubted that the launch of the OpenCape regional fiber optic broadband network would prove a potential boon to businesses. “I don’t necessarily know if OpenCape going to be a big part of that. I don’t think people are not opening a business because they don’t have access to the Internet,” he said. “Call Comcast to get the Internet.”

Mr. Steinhilber said he was undecided whether to support the county’s possible purchase of the Dennis-based Aquacultural Research Corporation (ARC), which has been pitched by its current owners as a possible county service. While supportive of the local shellfishing industry, Mr. Steinhilber said he was wary of the $4 million suggested purchase price.

He proposed forming a county subcommittee to review the finances of the business and the proposal to determine if it would be a worthy return on the county’s investment.

For more information on the candidate, visit Mr. Steinhilber’s official campaign website at www.ericforcc.com.

Tuesday marked the deadline for candidates for district and county offices (not including the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates, more on that below) to file their nomination papers with their local registrars of voters, and the final tally is pretty sad: only five of the Cape’s 12 incumbents seeking re-election — two State Senators, six State Representatives, two Barnstable County Commissioners, and two county officers — have challengers in the coming election.

Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth) is poised to first face a new (and so far invisible) primary challenger, Democrat Stephen M. Palmer of Plymouth, and the winner of that contest will face Sandwich Republican Thomas F. Keyes. State Representative Demetrius J. Atsalis (D – Barnstable) will take on Centerville Democrat Brian R. Mannal, and whoever prevails will go on to the November general election unopposed.

The other contested local races are State Representative Randy Hunt (R – Sandwich) and Sandwich Democrat R. Patrick Ellis for the Fifth Barnstable District; and Commissioners Mary L. (Pat) Flynn of Falmouth and Sheila R. Lyons of Wellfleet against Eric R. Steinhilber of Barnstable (see below for the latest wrinkle in this race).

There’s a chance this number could dwindle further if, during the nomination paper certification process, any candidate should become disqualified for failing to collect enough valid signatures, but this happens infrequently.

I’m truly surprised by the slim pickings considering this is a presidential election cycle, which is generally more active than mid-term elections, but I also feel sorry for voters. Solid contests are good all around: they make the incumbents work for their jobs, open up opportunities for new blood and new ideas and government, and lead to more educated voters. A greater number of contested races would have been beneficial all around.

***

On the plus side, the race for US Representative of the Ninth Congressional District is looking ever more robust. Republican Adam Chaprales of Sandwich is throwing his hat in the ring, setting the stage for a GOP primary race; Christopher Sheldon of Plymouth is already running.

Mr. Chaprales is a former one-term Sandwich selectmen whose main claim to fame is that at age 21, he was the town’s youngest-ever selectman. Now 28, he works for New York Life Insurance Co. He launched his campaign this past weekend. His official campaign website is www.adamforcongress.com.

(One bit of web design advice for the candidate: that floating “sign up for updates” bar is wicked annoying. Lose it.)

Incumbent Rep. William R. Keating (D), Democrat C. Samuel Sutter, the Bristol County District Attorney, and non-party candidates Daniel Botelho of Fall River and Peter A. White of Mashpee are also running.

The deadline for Congressional candidates with party affiliations to file their paperwork is this coming Tuesday. Non-party candidates have until mid-summer.

***

Nomination papers for the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates were distributed this week to town clerks and Janice O’Connell, clerk of the assembly, and we already have two confirmed candidates for the county’s legislative body.

One of them is Falmouth’s Andrew V. Putnam, and the other is Ronald R. Beaty Jr. – the same Ron Beaty who was running for county commissioner…and I say “was” because none of the town clerks I spoke received his nomination papers by the Tuesday deadline.

This effectively ends Mr. Beaty’s plan to run dual races for county commissioner and the assembly. Earlier this year Mr. Beaty sought an opinion from the office of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth – Elections Division and was informed that he could legally could hold both seats, as long as he exercised due diligence to avoid voting on issues as a member of one board that directly impacted the other (e.g., he could not as a county commissioner vote to raise the stipend delegates receive).

Now, however, it looks like he’ll be running only for the assembly. “After carefully reevaluating the political ramifications of my non-party candidacy for Barnstable County Commissioner, I have finally decided to formally withdraw myself as an Independent Candidate,” he wrote in an e-mail, “and to throw my complete support to Eric Steinhilber and his candidacy.”

He is dedicating himself to his assembly run, and said his “various positions on the respective issues currently related to county government will now be vigorously pursued via that potent avenue!”

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

Two candidates for re-election have come under fire recently for alleged ethics violations. First we have Sheila R. Lyons, incumbent Barnstable County Commissioner, who was been accused by rival candidate Ronald R. Beaty Jr. of accepting campaign donations from individuals who she has interacted with in her official capacity as county commissioner.

First, Mr. Beaty cites on his blog the fact that Ms. Lyons received in December 2011 a $200 donation from Henri S. Rauschenbach, who the county commissioners appointed to co-chair the Special Commission on County Governance.

Important details number one through three: Mr. Rauschenbach was recommended for the special commission by the Cape Cod Business Roundtable, not the county commissioners, who only approved the selection; the donation was made eight months after that appointment; and Mr. Beaty has made his disdain for the special commission very well known and has made a number of efforts to undermine its work.

I’ll also point out that this is a complete 180 from December, when Mr. Beaty publicly showered praise on Ms. Lyons. In an e-mail sent out to Cape media outlets, he called Ms. Lyons a “shining star” and a “pragmatically insightful and pleasant woman who cares deeply about social justice, the welfare of individual Cape Cod residents as well as Barnstable County as a whole.”

Of course, he wasn’t running for Ms. Lyons’ job at the time.

Mr. Beaty further noted that Robert Ciolek, an independent consultant to the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative, also donated to Ms. Lyons in 2011 — several months after (I repeat: after) he was contracted by the commissioners to serve as the CCWP’s consultant.

Mr. Beaty claims these donations could constitute legal conflicts of interest, but there’s an important piece missing from this equation: did Ms. Lyons derive direct personal financial benefit? There’s nothing to suggest she did, so unless someone can prove otherwise, the claim here falls flat.

(Not that campaign donations for political favors aren’t a real problem, but it’s important to draw a clear distinction between politics as usual, which is unfortunate, and true graft and corruption, which is despicable.)

Ah, but what about the fact that Ms. Lyons last month received a $75,000 bank loan through the Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank, for which Dorothy A. Savarese serves as president — the same Ms. Savarese who sat on the aforementioned Special Commission on County Governance?

Well, unless Ms. Savarese personally signed or pushed through the loan application, the accusation of a conflict of interest is again hollow.

In the case of Mr. Beaty, he appears to be venting his ire at the special commission and its recommendations — specifically to reformat county government and to explore the creation of a regional wastewater management entity — at Ms. Lyons, perhaps in an attempt to undermine her re-election and prime his own campaign.

Problem is, if these charges cannot be proven and do not result in any sort of official sanction by the state ethics commission, Mr. Beaty’s tactic could backfire.

The same could be said for Brian R. Mannal, who is challenging State Representative Demetrius J. Atsalis (D – Barnstable) in the primary. Mr. Mannal last week filed a formal complaint against Rep. Atsalis with the state ethics commission over an e-mail sent by the incumbent.

That e-mail was sent from Rep. Atsalis’s State House e-mail address to Lee Fisher, former lieutenant governor of Ohio, asking if he remembered Mr. Mannal from his and then-Governor Ted Strickland’s 2006 campaign.

Apparently, Rep. Atsalis was trying to clarify Mr. Mannal’s party loyalties, noting that his opponent was involved in President George W. Bush’s campaign in 2000, later got a gig with the state of Ohio under a Republican administration, and remained a member of the GOP until 2004 (Mr. Mannal has openly admitted to jumping ship to the Democratic Party that year).

Rep. Atsalis acknowledged the e-mail, which he called “innocent,” and said he sent it through his State House e-mail account in error.

Here, an ethics violation might not apply because the e-mail did not have any sort of monetary value attached to it, but the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance does prohibit the use of public resources such as state e-mail accounts for campaign purposes.

It should be noted that Rep. Atsalis already has one official strike from the OCPF. In June 2011 the OCPF fined Rep. Atsalis $3,125 for “numerous recordkeeping and reporting errors” on his campaign finance statements from 2007, which he failed to rectify by 2010. He was also required to practice strict “enhanced reporting requirements” through 2014 or face an additional $2,500 fine.

This brouhaha has a little more legitimacy to it than the Beaty/Lyons kerfuffle, but I think the voters might like to see a little more debate on the issues in the coming weeks rather than back-and-forth accusations of ethical lapses (especially if there is no merit to them).

***

This coming Tuesday marks the last day for candidates for county and district elected offices to file their nomination papers, and as things stand this week, we’re looking at a rather empty local ballot.

To date only three incumbents have declared opponents: Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth), State Representative Randy Hunt (R – Sandwich), and Rep. Atsalis. That leaves State Senator Daniel A. Wolf (D – Harwich) and State Representatives Timothy R. Madden (D – Nantucket), Cleon H. Turner (D – Dennis), and David T. Vieira (R – Falmouth) running unopposed.

There’s also been no buzz for two county seats that are up for grabs this year: the Register of Deeds, a seat currently held by John F. (Jack) Meade, and the Clerk of Courts, now held by Scott W. Nickerson.

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HubbaWHAH?!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

Tom Conroy, we hardly knew ye.

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

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

***

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

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

The governor will be at the “Hyannis Communities Connecting for Deval” event at the Zion Union Heritage Museum in Hyannis on Thursday, August 5. That event begins at 7:30 PM. For more information, shoot an e-mail to info@devalpatrick.com.

***

Hey, kids! Guess what time it is!

That’s right: it’s time to see how few people will run for the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates!

Nomination papers are available for the county’s most low-profile and, historically speaking, least active race; very rarely does any candidate have an opponent, and there have been a few years when no one returned papers at all and the seat wound up filled by a write-in candidate.

Papers are available at town clerk’s offices now and must be returned by the end of the business day Tuesday, July 20 with at least 20 certifiable voter signatures. Those signatures must be from registered voters in the candidate’s home town (that is to say, someone running for the Falmouth delegate’s seat must collect signatures from Falmouth voters).

***

Daniel A. Wolf, Democratic candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands District, is using his candidacy to help draw attention to his participation in the Pan Mass Challenge. Mr. Wolf will be riding from Provincetown to Boston (hopefully not in this killer heat) to raise money for cancer research and treatment. Go to his campaign website at www.danwolfforsenate.com to learn more.

In other Wolfish news, the candidate will be holding a meet-and-greet at Starfish Restaurant in Mashpee Commons on Sunday from 4 to 6 PM. Stop by and say hi.

Also, Mr. Wolf has received a big endorsement from the Massachusetts Teachers Association. MTA President Anne Wass said Mr. Wolf “understands the importance of public education and will fight for our schools and our higher education system.”

This endorsement comes as Mr. Wolf and Democratic rival Sheila R. Lyons have begun a war of words in the media, over a challenge from Ms. Lyons to limit their primary campaign spending to $100,000. Mr. Wolf has rejected this challenge, stating that he doesn’t want to limit himself unnecessarily.

Wolf campaign officials have called this challenge a campaign stunt – which it is, one of the many such tactics politicians employ (along with my favorites, the “I won’t accept special interest donations” and “I won’t raise taxes” pledges). More often than not these challenges are “gotcha” bait; by rejecting self-imposed campaign spending limits, Ms. Lyons could try to portray Mr. Wolf as a high roller who’s out to spend his way to victory while touting her own sense of fiscal responsibility.

I will add that Stefanie Coxe, Mr. Wolf’s campaign head, might be going overboard by calling it an “orchestrated attack” (as she did in a recent letter to the Cape Cod Times). No, it’s just politics as usual…let’s not hyperbolize the matter. Be cool now.

***

Former Republican state reps Shirley Gomes and Thomas George, who together covered the Mid- and Lower Cape, have officially thrown their support behind State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich) in his bid for Congress.

Rep. Perry will hold a campaign reception next month, August 3, at the Flying Bridge in Falmouth. Jennifer Bruce hosts the event, which will feature remarks by Michael D. O’Keefe, the Cape and Islands’ district attorney. Go to www.jeffperryforcongress.com for more details.

***

James Sheets, unenrolled candidate for Congress, has launched his official website at www.votejimsheets.com, and for a Johnny-come-lately to the race (and a third-party entry at that) he has a pretty decent site.

Whether Mr. Sheets will actually be on the ballot is still in question; as a non-party candidate he has until August to turn in his nomination papers.

***

James H. Crocker Jr.’s official campaign website is also up and running. Learn more about the Republican candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands District at http://crockerforsenate.com.

***

A reminder (and more details) about an event for Mr. Crocker’s opponent in the primaries, Eric R. Steinhilber: Mr. Steinhilber is holding a fundraiser on Thursday at the Nauticus Marina in Osterville, which will run from 5 to 7 PM.

DA O’Keefe is hosting that event, which will feature special guests Charles D. Baker Jr., Republican candidate for governor, and the aforementioned Ms. Gomes and Mr. George, who recently endorsed Mr. Steinhilber’s candidacy.

E-mail events@electeric2010.com or call 508-957-2676 to RSVP.

***

F. Randal Hunt, Republican candidate for State Representative of the Fifth Barnstable District, is holding a barbecue fundraiser at the end of the month – Saturday, July 31, to be precise, at the West Barnstable Deer Club from 3 to 7 PM. Go to www.electrandyhunt.com for further details.

While you’re there you can also participate in his online survey to let him know your thoughts on what the most pressing issues of the day are.

Here are a few other campaign events to mark on your calendar: Tuesday, August 17, 5 PM: a meet-and-greet at Lakewood Hills; Sunday, October 3, 8:20 AM: golf tournament fundraiser at Holly Ridge (registration required); Monday, October 11 (time TBA): “Pizza & Politics with Pizzazz” at Two Brothers Pizza in Sandwich.

***

I’ve been remiss in listing this for some time now: Senate President Therese M. Murray’s (D – Plymouth) official campaign website: www.electterrymurray.com.

This site is not to be confused with her official legislative website, which is there to promote and discuss things directly pertaining to her job; Sen. Murray the Senate President is a different entity than Therese Murray, candidate for State Senate.

***

Sen. Murray’s opponent, Republican Thomas F. Keyes, will be making a couple of appearances in Falmouth. He’ll be at the Falmouth Republican Town Committee meeting at the Gus Canty Community Center on Tuesday (7:30 PM start time), and will be holding a meet-and-greet in front of Shaw’s Market in Falmouth next Friday stating at 9:30 AM.

To show what a bipartisan kinda guy he is, he’ll be doing a second supermarket meet-and-greet that same day, starting at noon, at the Falmouth Super Stop & Shop.

***

Mary Z. Connaughton, Republican candidate for state auditor, will be in Centerville next week for a reception at the home of Jennifer and John Williams. That’s scheduled for 7 to 8:30 PM on Friday, July 23. Contact Mary Sharkey at 781-492-1728 or marys@maryforauditor.com if you’d like to attend.

***

Finally, a respectful “rest in peace” to John Henning, WBZ’s veteran political reporter, who died last week at the age of 73. He’d been covering state elections literally since before I was born, and you don’t often see that kind of die-hard dedication in any field, much less such a headache-inducing one as politics.

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

The Resort & Conference Center at Hyannis will host the upcoming AFL-CIO gubernatorial candidates’ forum next week, June 24, starting at 1 PM.

So far only unenrolled candidate Timothy P. Cahill has confirmed his participation, but the 2006 forum in Falmouth was attended by almost every gubernatorial candidate that year. The exceptions: Grace C. Ross, the 2006 Green-Rainbow Party candidate, who was inadvertently left off the guest list; and Republican candidate Kerry M. Healey, who declined to attend and got verbally pummeled in absentia and certainly did her campaign no good.

***

So it looks like the much-ballyhooed “anti-incumbent sentiment” trend has already come and gone.

Eleven states held primaries last week, and out of 84 gubernatorial and Congressional incumbent candidates, only two got bumped out of the running.

Two.

What does this mean for local races, if anything? Well, it’s still early in the cycle, but any candidates expecting to ride a wave of anti-incumbent dissatisfaction to any easy victory might want to go back to the drawing board. That tactic depends on voters being angry about something and A) voter anger has a shelf life of six to eight weeks max, and B) there’s no guarantee the incumbents will screw up so dynamically before November that it inspires a fresh surge of outrage.

Would-be upstarts may have to rely on tired old techniques like, I don’t know, talking about the issues.

***

Robert E. Hayden III, we hardly know ye.

I stumbled across Mr. Hayden’s name last week while checking out the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s – Elections Division website to review the list of formal candidates for the 2010 election cycle. He is listed as a Hanover resident and one of four Republicans running for US Representative of the 10^th Congressional District.

Never heard of him? Me neither. Neither has Google. GOOGLE, people.

So Mr. Hayden is now the proud owner of the title “Most Invisible Candidate in the Congressional Race.” Unenrolled candidate Peter A. White previously held that title.

(Receiving angry e-mail from Peter in four…three…two…)

***

Rudy Giuliani, former NYC mayor, was in Massachusetts last week stumping for Joseph D. Malone at an event in Quincy. The parade of political has-beens continues (sorry, folks, but what has “America’s Mayor” done lately?).

Mr. Malone also announced last week he’d added communications specialist Alicia Preston of The Preston Group to his Congressional campaign team. The press release said the Group had worked on both US Senator Scott P. Brown’s campaign and, less impressively, Jim Ogonowski’s spectacular flameout campaign on 2008.

For those who don’t recall that second fellow: he was planning to run for US Senate against John F. Kerry, he got a huge build-up from the Massachusetts GOP as the guy who was going to take Sen. Kerry down, he got all the attention over fellow Republican candidate Jeffrey K. Beatty, then failed to get enough signatures to get his name of the ballot.

Now look sad and say “D’oh…”

***

Nathanael Fortune, who unsuccessfully ran for state auditor in 2006, is back for another go-round. The Green-Rainbow Party candidate’s official campaign website can be found at www.natfortune.org.

***

This week’s event reminders:

Today, June 18, 2 to 4 PM: Thomas F. Keyes, Republican candidate for State Senator of the Plymouth and Barnstable District, will hold a meet-and-greet at Beth’s Special Teas in Sandwich.

Sunday, June 20, 4 to 7 PM: Barbecue fundraiser in Barnstable for Sheila R. Lyons, Democratic candidate for State Senator of the Cape & Islands District. Go to http://sheilalyons2010.com/contact for further details.

Tuesday, June 22, 5 PM: Fundraiser at Tomatoes Italian Grille and Bar in Sandwich for State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich), candidate for Congress.

***

Finally, a minor correction from last week’s column. I said that there were five people running for governor’s councilor of the first district, all Democrats, but I missed Joseph A. Ureneck, the Republican who used to (and for all I know still does) run a Chinese mail-order bride operation and apparently does not actually live in the first district.

Yeah, I don’t know how I could have forgotten a character like that either…

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

The bulk of the meeting gave several local GOP candidates for elected office a chance to make a quick introduction, chat themselves up, offer the usual Rah-Rah Let’s Go Team rally rhetoric, and of course, some obligatory Democrat bashing.

That’s the only real issue I had with the evening. Yes, folks were playing to the audience, but tacit slams like calling the GOP “the party that loves America” or direct slaps like claiming that Democrats never read the Declaration of Independence are petty and demeaning.

I’ve never cared for the strategy of building one’s self up by tearing the other guy down, and historically neither have voters; a lot of candidates on both sides – I’ll provide examples of each in Kerry M. Healey in 2006 and Martha Coakley in 2010 – have gone down to defeat thanks in part to their rampant negativity.

On a more positive note, I must say it was a shrewd move on the club’s part to keep its current leadership team intact through November. With Fran Manzelli in the lead the club has seen some great strides forward since last year, and changing horses mid-stream could have thrown things off during what is shaping up to be a critical year for the party.

***

The evening’s guest speaker, state auditor candidate Mary Z. Connaughton, finally has her campaign website up. That’s at www.maryforauditor.com.

***

I also learned at the meeting that there is a Republican candidate for governor’s councilor of the first district, a chap named Joseph A. Ureneck.

My Google searches have turned up some odd information about Mr. Ureneck, such as a lawsuit filed against him by a client of his when he ran a business called Rainbow International Marriage Service Incorporated – basically, a mail-order bride operation that hooked Chinese women up with American men. Mr. Ureneck sued a Chinese client for failing to pay her $7,500 listing fee.

For the curious: he lost the lawsuit on the grounds such international marriage contracts were, as of the 2003 ruling, not recognized as valid in the United States.

Man, just when you think you’ve seen it all, huh?

***

Final note on the meeting: I must offer a quick “well played, sir” to James F. Munafo Jr., candidate for State Representative of the Second Plymouth District, for his canny push card, which features his qualifications on one side and a complete Boston Red Sox season schedule on the other.

Mr. Munafo, by the way, just received an endorsement from the Citizens for Limited Taxation’s 2 1/2 PAC.

***

Eric R. Steinhilber, Republican candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands District, has picked up the endorsement of former state representative Thomas N. George.

“Eric Steinhilber has worked in the community and learned that we need a new approach for representing this district,” Mr. George said in a press release. “He will listen to all commentary then make decisions based on the needs of all his constituents. He realizes we cannot continue with the old procedures and practices which have resulted in the economic condition under which we now labor.”

Mr. George served four terms (1997 to 2004) as state rep of the First Barnstable District seat, which is now held by State Representative Cleon H. Turner (D – Dennis).

***

The nigh-invisible Ray Kasperowicz, Republican candidate for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District, announced last week he had filed enough signatures to qualify for the September primary ballot.

Now he just has to get out and make his name known, because right now all the attention is going to State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich) and Joseph D. Malone, the latter of whom is making good on his promise to visit the Cape regularly. He was in town last week to congratulate David Braga, who was recently elected to the Falmouth Board of Selectmen, and stopped by Hyannis Monday for another “Joe’s on the Job” tour appearance.

***

Conservative pundit Howie Carr will be on the Cape tomorrow for a joint book signing with Rep. Perry. It’s in Orleans so you’ll have to fight tourist traffic, but if you want to go it runs from 11 AM to 1 PM at Booksmith on West Road (Skaket Corners Plaza).

Be forewarned: Howie signs his books with the blood of liberals he lures into his home with the promise of socialized medicine and all the arugula they can eat.

Rep. Perry has two fundraisers on the horizon: June 14, 6 to 8 PM at Yarmouth House in Yarmouth; and June 22, starting at 5 PM, at Tomatoes Italian Grille and Bar in Sandwich.

***

On the Democratic side of this race, things are starting to come alive for William R. Keating, who last week announced several union endorsements, including from the International Brotherhood of Police Officers.

Mr. Keating and his Democratic rival in the primary, State Senator Robert A. O’Leary (D – Barnstable), will meet for the first time in a public forum on Thursday, June 10. The Harwich Democratic Town Committee hosts that event at Harwich Town Hall, and the forum begins at 7 PM.

Each candidate will give a brief overview of their background, their major accomplishments as elected officials, and will be asked to articulate their specific vision and priorities for the 10th Congressional district. A Q-and-A session will follow.

For more information, contact Ray Gottwald at 508-430-1666 or RayGottwald@aol.com.

***

Suzanne M. Bump, Democratic candidate for state auditor, this week picked up a big endorsement from Congressman Barney Frank (D). Rep. Frank said Ms. Bump’s “many years of experience and passion for her work make her the best choice to be the Commonwealth’s next state auditor.”

***

Here’s the latest poll on the gubernatorial race. According to the Suffolk University/WHDH-TV poll released last week, Governor Deval L. Patrick was in the lead with 42 percent support among those polled, followed by Republican Charles D. Baker Jr., unenrolled candidate Timothy P. Cahill at 14 percent, and Green-Rainbow Party candidate Dr. Jill E. Stein at eight percent.

But the worse and more telling results of this poll: more than half of those surveyed think Gov. Patrick needs to go and almost half think he’s doing a lousy job; 63 percent of people surveyed have never heard of Baker, even though he’s been running since July; and the percentage of voters who view Cahill negatively has more than doubled, from 16 percent to 34 percent.

***

Finally, since we’re on the governor’s race, I would like to state for the record: Tim Cahill, you’re a jerk.

Cahill last week blasted Gov. Patrick for meeting with Muslim leaders and, in Cahill’s words, “pandering” to them and “playing politics with terrorism.”

What did the Muslim leaders want? Things like improved communication with local law enforcement agents to improve cultural awareness of Islam and greater considerations for Muslims that they may better practice their faith. Cahill called this “political correctness run amok.”

Yeah! How dare they ask for understanding and tolerance!

Cahill is, as you’ve just read, getting plastered in the polls and needed to put some fire under his campaign, but taking Gov. Patrick to task for reaching out to the Muslim community, in doing so shamelessly playing to voters’ fears, smacks of desperation and opportunism and only perpetuates the stereotype that “Muslim” equals “terrorist.”

Personally, this is not the kind of narrow-minded thinking I want in my leaders, and I’m disappointed that Cahill felt it necessary to stoop to this.

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

State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich) has been named one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Guns” for the 2010 election season, which means he gets to ride with Emilio Estevez and Lou Diamond Phillips robbing banks.

(Hello, fellow children of the ‘80s!)

Actually it’s a “recruitment and training program” for potential House Republicans, and Rep. Perry, who is running for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District, is one of only two Massachusetts candidates “on the radar” with the NRCC (along with Jon Golnick, a candidate in the fifth district).

So what does that make his primary rivals Joseph D. Malone and Ray Kasperowicz? Old Guns? The Coot Couple? The Fogey Squad, in color, a Quinn-Martin Production?

Rep. Perry has also announced that he’s filed nearly four times the number of signatures necessary to secure a spot on the ballot, so he’s a lock for September.

The man is on a roll, and I’ll say this again: on the GOP side of the coin, he is shaping up to be the man to beat.

***

Ah, but this is not to say that Joe Malone is without love. Last week he got an official thumb’s up from no less than Rudy Giuliani.

“Many candidates claim to be reformers, but Joe Malone has proven that he’s the real deal,” Rudy G. said in a press release that – amazingly – did not ONCE mention 9-11. “I’ve traveled all over the country, talking with people about the issues facing our nation. Joe Malone stands out in my mind as one of the most promising leaders in these tough times.”

Mr. Malone’s camp also announced that Giuliani will be visiting Massachusetts in June and accompanying the candidate for a tour of the district. Details on that have yet to be firmed up.

For those of you keeping score, Malone has landed endorsements from two former Massachusetts governors, one former US Attorney, and now a former NYC mayor/Presidential candidate.

Jeff Perry just has some guy named Scott Brown on his side. Has he done anything of note?

(Sarcasm, people, sarcasm.)

***

Before I leave the subject of Republican Congressional candidates, the Sandwich Republican Town Committee conducted at last week’s Patriot’s Day event a straw poll on the major 2010 races, and Rep. Perry, not surprisingly, was the top choice: 79 votes to Malone’s one and Kasperowicz’s zilch.

The only other contested race covered by that poll was for state auditor, and Mary Z. Connaughton bested Kamal Jain there, 58 votes to 10.

***

An amendment to last week’s brief about campaign fundraising in the Congressional race: I mentioned that unenrolled candidate Peter A. White’s report for the period ending March 31 indicated he had raised no money.

He has in fact raised $3,000 for his campaign, but has not reported it yet as there is a $5,000 minimum reporting threshold, hence the appearance of nothing in the bank. The next update will be issued at the end of the June reporting period.

With that in mind, it makes you wonder about State Senator Robert A. O’Leary’s (D – Barnstable) finances, because his report was also showing straight zeroes — and his campaign declined to announce how much it had raised so far.

He ended 2009 with about $14,000 in his state senate account, and you’d think that he’d have transferred that amount over by now. What is doubly curious is how Democratic rival William R. Keating, who officially entered the race after Sen. O’Leary, is already reporting more than $122,000 in his coffers.

I know, money shouldn’t be the be-all-end-all measure of a candidate, but it is a decent indicator of a candidate’s support base…or how much he’s selling out to special interests, but either way you get a sense of which way the wind is blowing.

***

Sheila R. Lyons, Democratic candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands, finally has her campaign website up. Go to http://lyons.davidechase.com. It’s still a bit of a work-in-progress, and could use a proofreader…unless there is a process for obtaining an “absenette ballot” I’m unaware of.

***

Time for a couple of quick reminders for upcoming campaign events…

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.

Republican David T. Vieira of Falmouth, candidate for State Representative of the Third Barnstable District, is holding his kick-off fundraiser at the Falmouth Navigator (just off Sandwich Road in Hatchville) on Tuesday, May 11 from 5 PM to 8 PM. Tickets are $25. To purchase tickets, call Addie Drolette at 774-836-0100.

***

Wait! Wait! Grace C. Ross is still alive!

The former Green-Rainbow Party member-turned-Democrat had all but vanished from the face of the Earth after announcing in February she planned to challenge Governor Deval L. Patrick in the Democratic primary, but she recently added a couple of campaign events to her previously dead-empty calendar.

Okay, she may not be all that alive. She’s perhaps at best a zombie candidate.

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

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 10^th 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