Snark-Infested Waters by Mike Bailey

Snark-Infested Waters by Mike Bailey

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Posts Tagged ‘State Senate – Cape & Islands’

The week in politics

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Christy P. Mihos, Republican gubernatorial candidate, will be in Falmouth tomorrow for a breakfast time campaign appearance at the Falmouth Elks Club. That’s at 8:30 AM.

He has a few other things coming up on his calendar of events, but that could all be rendered moot next Saturday, which is the state Republican convention in Worcester. That will be a make-or-break moment for his foundering campaign, which has seen staffers jumping ship like they were on the S.S. Minnow and is as fiscally healthy as a five-year-old’s piggy bank (his mid-March financial filing with the state had his campaign account hovering just above the $4,000 mark).

The campaign took another blow last week when, according to the Boston Globe, Mihos missed a deadline to submit his $12,500 (!!!) convention fee because he tried to pay by personal credit card, which is a no-no. He barely made an extended deadline for his committee to deliver a check for the amount.

What does that fee cover, you might ask? Well, I have no idea of the mechanics/rationale, but it essentially guarantees that Mr. Mihos will receive a guaranteed 60 delegates toward the 300-plus he needs to secure a spot on the ballot. Yes, it doesn’t matter how many voters want him on the ballot; if he doesn’t get enough delegates at a party convention beyond the ones he paid for, he’s out of the race.

Isn’t the American political system great? By which I mean seriously screwed up. Captain Kirk made more sense describing a game of Fizzbin.

On one hand, simply for the sake of a healthy process I’d like to see Smilin’ Christy M. stay in the race, but on another level I can’t help but feel that removing Mihos from the mix at this stage would be a mercy killing.

***

By the way, Charles D. Baker Jr. this week picked up the endorsement of US Senator Scott P. Brown (R). In a robocall that went out to registered Massachusetts Republicans, Sen. Brown said Charlie Baker “will bring real change to Beacon Hill and work to restore fiscal sanity to Massachusetts government.”

I must wonder, however, if Sen. Brown’s endorsements carry as much weight as they once might have. Some of his supporters among the Tea Party faction and even the GOP are miffed at their Golden Boy for failing to overcome arcane parliamentary procedures and slay the mighty health care reform dragon.

(I’ve already ranted about that here.)

***

Lance W. Lambros, Democratic candidate for State Representative of the Fifth Barnstable District, is holding his campaign kick-off event tomorrow. The public is invited to swing by Holly Ridge Golf Club (121 Country Club Road in Sandwich) between 4 PM and 6 PM to meet Mr. Lambros and, if so inclined, make a campaign donation.

***

Another Republican state rep candidate, James F. Munafo Jr., who is running for the second Barnstable district, has launched his campaign website at http://jimmunafo.wordpress.com/

Candidates for public office, let this website serve as an example for you. It’s a prefab site set up through WordPress (which also powers this here blog), but it looks as good as some of the other campaign sites I’ve seen – better, in some cases.

***

Last call for “Pizza with Perry”! State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich), that is. The soon-to-be former state legislator and could-be US Representative of the 10th Congressional District is holding his next fundraiser at the Hyannis VFW post on Thursday, April 15 from 6 PM to 7:30 PM.

Rep. Perry, I should add, received an endorsement this week from former Lieutenant Governor Kerry M. Healey. “When Jeff called and told me he was running for Congress, I told him, ‘I don’t care who else is running, I’m with you’,” Ms. Healey said at a reception in Quincy. “Jeff Perry is a solid, strong legislator and I know he’ll work as hard for you in Congress as he has in the state legislature.”

***

Also on the 15th, look for Republican State Senate candidate Eric T. Steinhilber at the Cape Cod Tax Day Tea Party Rally at the Hyannis Rotary. That runs from 4 to 6 PM.

That’s right: there will be a big distraction at one of the town’s busiest intersections during rush hour. Doesn’t that make you want to just run out and hug the Tea Party folks…around the neck, until they pass out from lack of blood to the brain?

***

Daniel A. “Air” Wolf, Democratic candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands District, has named Stefanie Coxe as his new campaign manager. Ms. Coxe is formerly a legislative aide to State Representatives Demetrius J. Atsalis (D – Barnstable) and, more recently, Cleon H. Turner (D – Dennis).

***

Joseph D. Malone, Republican candidate for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District, continues to hunt down endorsements from (former) big names in Massachusetts politics. He has added officials pats on the back from former governor A. Paul Cellucci and Michael Sullivan, a former US Attorney (and acting head of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms – three great tastes that go great together).

***

It’s official: Richard P. Purcell is Dr. Jill E. Stein’s running mate on the Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial ticket. Dr. Stein made it official over the weekend.

Mr. Purcell, a New Mexico native and current Holyoke resident, is a former Democrat who jumped to the Green-Rainbow Party in 2000. He’s been involved with town politics and issues, and is a US Army veteran who served as a medic during Operation: Desert Storm.

And remember, readers, Dr. Stein will be in Waquoit tomorrow evening for the Green-Rainbow Party’s Southeastern Massachusetts Convention at Moonakis Café. That event runs from 5 PM to 8 PM, and Dr. Stein and Peter A. White, unenrolled candidate for Congress, will speak about “Growing the Green Economy.”

For more information contact Daryl Sprague at 617-459-0784 or at dsprague@jillstein.org, or Peter White at 508-477-0238 or peter@peterwhiteindependent4congress.com.

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

The week in politics

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Excuse me, people. I believe when I let for vacation I told you not to do anything interesting while I was gone. But did you listen? Noooooooooo!

Yep, there was a lot of movement last week, and let’s start with what is shaping up to be the big race on the Cape, the race for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District. On Sunday Republican Joseph D. Malone made his candidacy official with a special kick-off event at Plimoth Plantation. The former state treasurer has vowed to reach out to voters of all political persuasions in his campaign.

His official campaign website is up at http://joemalonecongress.com.

With Mr. Malone all in, we now have a slate of six candidates, and we’re waiting on a seventh in William Keating, the Norfolk County District Attorney who has been planning to formally end his bid for Massachusetts Attorney General and shift his attention to the seat currently held by Congressman (and former Norfolk County DA) William D. Delahunt (D).

***

One of the other Republican candidates for the Congressional seat, State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich), is beefing up his campaign in anticipation of a very active primary race.

Rep. Perry recently announced he was adding Swift Current Strategies — which worked on US Senator Scott P. Brown’s (R) campaign — to his team, and launched a new social networking website for supporters dubbed “Perry’s Patriots.” You can find that at www.perryspatriots.com (just look for the logo that is just similar enough to the New England Patriots logo to get him in dutch with Bob Kraft).

Perry's Patriot and Pat the Patriot - separated at birth?

***

Another candidate in this hectic race is State Senator Robert A. O’Leary (D – Barnstable), and his pending departure from the state Legislature has so far attracted three Democrats interested in succeeding him: Sheila R. Lyons, a member of the Barnstable County Board of County Commissioners; Mark D. Forest, longtime aide to Rep. Delahunt; and Daniel A. Wolf, CEO of Cape Air.

Mr. Wolf is well-known in the Cape business community so he’s not a non-entity, but his political experience is, to the best of my knowledge, virtually non-existent. Ms. Lyons has had relatively limited experience, all of it in county government, but she knows how to campaign and get her name out. Mr. Forest knows the game at the federal level and has connections throughout the district, so I have to call him the odds-on favorite.

Barnstable and Mashpee readers can learn more about the candidates in the front section.

So far only one Republican, Eric Steinhilber, is in the mix, but word is that Barnstable Town Councilor James Crocker Jr. has taken out nomination papers.

Since I’m talking about this race, now’s a good time to mention that Ms. Lyons, Mr. Forest, and Mr. Wolf are scheduled to appear at a candidates’ forum sponsored by the Harwich Democratic Town Committee. That’s happening on Tuesday, April 6 at 7:30 PM, and will be held at the Harwich Community Center.

***

The slate is almost full!

State Representative Susan D. Williams Gifford (R – Wareham) was this close to running unopposed for re-election, but Democrat David A. Smith of Wareham is preparing his run for the second Plymouth district seat.

I’ve found no info on the dude in my initial Google search, but as I learn more about the chap, I’ll pass it along.

As I wrap this week’s column up, the only member of the Cape delegation without an opponent for 2010 is State Representative Timothy R. Madden (D – Nantucket).

***

Last week I mentioned that Republican David T. Vieira of Falmouth was officially in as a candidate for state representative of the third Barnstable district. Well, first of all, his campaign website is now live, and that’s at www.votevieira.com. He’s also announced his kick-off fundraiser at the Falmouth Navigator (just off Sandwich Road in Hatchville) for Thursday, May 6 from 5 PM to 8 PM. Tickets are $25.

Meanwhile, incumbent state rep Matthew C. Patrick (D – Falmouth) is officially kicking off his re-election campaign tonight. Rep. Patrick, supporters, and special mystery guests will be at Oysters Too in East Falmouth tonight from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. There is a suggested donation of $50, but all are welcome to attend.

***

Oliver P. Cipollini Jr., Democratic candidate for governor’s councilor of the first district, has his new campaign website up and hummin’. Beat feet over to www.olivercipollini.com and check it out.

***

An unenrolled candidate has thrown his name into the ring for Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. James Henderson of Stow filed his paperwork with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, and now joins incumbent William F. Galvin and Republican William Campbell of Woburn.

***

Now this, I must say, is kind of cool.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker Jr. marked St. Patrick’s Day in an unusual way: People who went to his website last week and made a donation of $20.10 (as in Campaign 2010) received as a thank-you a download of “(F)lanagan’s Ball” by the Dropkick Murphys.

The Dropkick Murphys? Really? How unexpectedly hip of Baker. What next, Christy P. Mihos trading donations for Foo Fighters MP3s?

On that note: those two gentlemen will square off tonight at the Cape Codder Resort. This head-to-head debate starts at 7 PM (doors open at 6:15 PM, presumably to sell beer, popcorn, and giant foam fingers). The Cape Cod Republican Club and the Women’s Republican Club of Cape Cod are co-sponsoring the event.

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

The week in politics

Friday, March 19th, 2010

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

***

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

***

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

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

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

***

Eric Steinhilber is Everywhere Man!

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

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

***

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

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

***

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

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

The week in politics

Friday, March 12th, 2010

As you’ve no doubt heard by now, Congressman William D. Delahunt (D) is not running for re-election this year.

This means the race is officially a free-for-all and it’s anyone’s game. Rep. Delahunt, had he run, would have had the incumbent’s advantage — a combination of money, familiarity, influence in government, and a track record even his critics would agree was generally positive (I won’t say perfect, because perfection doesn’t exist in life, much less in politics).

(more…)

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