Democrats Lynch, Markey trade insults in final debate

[Mass]

Well, it was time that Markey stood up against Lynch, but careful. This primary is not yet won and we could find ourself with Lynch, who is just a step above the GOP (and on some topics, not even).

http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2013/04/23/democrats-lynch-markey-trade-insults-final-debate/BBMcSx4e7pP7QSe7aWQ1HP/story.html

The final debate of the US Senate Democratic primary devolved into an exchange of insults and character allegations Tuesday night, as US Representatives Edward J. Markey and Stephen F. Lynch abandoned collegiality for a bare knuckles confrontation with one week remaining in their contest.

Meeting at a Springfield television station, Markey and Lynch feuded over each other’s Homeland Security records, a particularly salient policy topic after last week’s deadly Boston Marathon bombings.

The sharpest exchange, though, came when Markey claimed Lynch’s opposition to federal financial assistance for manufacturers prompted an endorsement for Markey from an automobile workers union. Lynch retorted that he had voted for that bailout, frequently touted by the Obama administration as a successful countermeasure to the recession.

“I don’t want to call you a liar, but you are,” Lynch told Markey.

In response, Markey said, “Steve was inappropriately, personally insulting.”

After Markey explained the allegation, Lynch turned up the heat and replied, “I take it back, you’re not a liar, you’re just misinformed.”

“He is incorrigible here,” Markey told moderator Jim Madigan of WGBY, which hosted the debate.
...
Lynch, for the second consecutive night, took off the gloves and went right at Markey over Homeland Security, questioning the delegation dean’s votes against establishing the joint terrorism task force that helped track the alleged Boston bombers and against a port security bill.

Markey told reporters he voted against the task force because it would have permitted the US military to play a role in domestic law enforcement.
...
Returning to Markey’s national security record, which he had hammered the night before, Lynch said, “You’re so far out on the left, Ed,” and called his record “ridiculous.”

Markey again hit Lynch on his vote against the 2010 federal health care expansion, pointing to Lynch as an outlier among Massachusetts officeholders in opposing the legislation.

“You were the only one in our delegation that voted no,” Markey said. Lynch shot back, “I think I’m the only one that read the bill.”

[Arkana]

1. Lynch is a prick.

He's going to go down hard on the 30th, though, so no worries.

[Mass]

2. I worry about complacency. Lynch will lose badly with Democrats

but he is trying to get to the Scott Brown's crowd, the ones who are unenrolled and can vote in both primaries. In a normal election year, I would not worry, but here, it really depends who will go out and vote. This is what worries me.

Also, Lynch is a liar and his lies stay unrefuted. He claimed that people in the Bershires could not watch the Red Sox but had to watch the Yankees. They have NESN in the Bershires... Just a little lie among many. And not directed to people in the Berkshires, but more likely in our area, Central Mass where we are stuck with Charter.

http://blog.davidsbernstein.com/2013/04/23/mapoli-notes-on-the-day-423.aspx

[Arkana]

3. MA is 40% registered Democrats.

There's very little Independent vote to go for here, and most of them aren't going to bother during the primary. As for the seven dwarves on the other side, they're basically fighting over who gets to get crushed by Ed Markey in June.

[Mass]

4. 50 % + unenrolled. Hopefully, they will not go and vote, but we do not know that for a fact.

Here in Central Mass, Lynch is everywhere. I know it is not representative of the state, because last year, the only signs you could see were Brown with very few Warren signs. This is what worries me, in a low-participation election.

I know Markey should win, but the lack of interest in the primary worries me.