Massachusetts Senatorial Race

[No Elephants]

It may be easier to start keeping all comments about all of the candidates and the topic in general on one thread?

Anyway, looks as though my guy, Capuano, is accused (NOT convicted, mind you, only accused) of taking trips to Europe on taxpayer money that were primarily for shopping. And, he voted to keep Rangel in place. So, I am watching more closely now. Yet, I don't like Coakley or the rich corporatist. I hope I do not end up feeling as though I have to vote for the lesser (least) of the evils yet another time.

[No Elephants]

1. Oops. No sooner did I post that then I saw Pagliuco (sp?) being interviewed. Gotta say, he

sounded good. Surprised me!

Can I trust him to be as he sounds, though, or am I getting conned?

[robo50]

2. Do you trust a former supporter of Romney for Senate over Kennedy?

I can't.

Now, back to your reason not to like Martha Coakley, please. Why ?

[hokies]

3. Really?

Well, that's the final nail in his political coffin. :rofl:

Martha Coakley sounds very progressive to me, but she seems to have a hint of Sarah Palin type of pandering if you ask me (not equating the two though). She seems like she will be a typical Democrat with no real spine or backbone when tough calls need to be made against public pressure, which qualities in Democrats led to the Iraq War. For example, she like the other candidates are "skeptical" about sending more troops to Afghanistan. Not against it, but "skeptical". Clearly hedging her bets on this one.

[No Elephants]

4. Really? NOTHING about Coakley seemed the least bit progressive to me, until she started running for

Kennedy's seat--and even then..... (Please see Reply #5.)

What about her seems progressive to you? And how do you think her progressive credentials compare with those of Mike Capuano?

[No Elephants]

5. He has said that he was Romney's friend and supported him out of loyalty to a friend. I don't

forgive or forget that lightly, If my friend and co-worker were running and I were rich, I might have had a hard time saying no, too. And it was 15 years ago. And he has supported quite a few Democrats, both before and after he contributed to Romney in the 1994 election season. Still, I'll probably stick with Capuano, unless he's done something really awful.

As far as Coakley, I thought I posted some my thoughts about her on another thread or two in this forum a while back,but maybe not. So here goes.

Her wiki looks as though she was born the year before she got out of law school. If you compare it with Hillary's, you see quite a difference (and this from someone who did not even support Hillary in the primaries).

Coakley's been out of law school since 1979. If you read between the lines of her resume, there are significant gaps in it, as far as periods of time between graduation and becoming Asst DA in Lowell. Also, I don't see one thing about her that is even mildly progressive or very impressive, whether as a lawyer or as a politician. She seems like someone who managed to get a job in one of the best and highest paying firms in Boston early in her career, then could go nowhere but the bureaucracy after that.

Maybe she just loved her some prosecuting, even though it pays a lot less than the private sector. That wouldn't make her seem like much of a progressive. Or maybe, she didn't do very well in the private sector and could not go on to any job better than the Lowell DA's office (whooptie do). That wouldn't make her seem like much of a lawyer.

Besides a bit of corporate law and a lot of prosecuting, she did not do much of anything else until she ran for D.A. of Middlesex County in 1997, almost 20 years after having been graduated from law school. Then, she finally seems to have a semblance of civic mindedness, but, again, it's all about prosecuting.

Meanwhile, she worked in Massachusetts for the D of J during Raygun's administration. Don't know how she managed that, when Massachusetts has so many neglected Republicans and Raygun had purged the D of J of Democrats when he took office.


And, there's her role in one of the biggest laughingstocks the Boston area has ever been caught in:

"During the Aqua Teen Hunger Force bomb scare in January 2007, Coakley was widely quoted in the press defending the reaction of Boston's emergency services.<4> Small electronic signs advertising a cartoon had been mistaken for bombs; Massachusetts authorities halted traffic on two bridges and closed the Charles River before realizing the signs were harmless. Coakley defended the precautions because the LED signs had looked suspicious: "It had a very sinister appearance, it had a battery behind it, and wires."

It had wires AND batteries, oh my! Just like ANYthing electrical that you might find outdoors.

For that, the area spent tons of money and went into a panic--and she still can't admit it was a dumb mistake? Sorry, but inability to own up to a mistake does not sit will with me.

Then, she started campaign spending on her run for Ted Kennedy's seat--while he was still alive, hurting his family. They say they had to pass "Coakley for Senator" signs while his funeral cortege wound its way from Hyannisport to Boston. A little too Hamlet's mom unseemly haste for me.

During that same process, she finally did something that seems progressive, namely suing on behalf of Massachusetts' gays. BUT where were all her progressive instincts and activities from birth in 1953 until July 2009, when she was already hoping and trying to step into the shoes of a beloved liberal (even though he was still in them himself)?

And was even that really her initiative, or that of Governor Patrick (whose daughter is gay)?


What has she done besides earn a paycheck prosecuting for most of her adult life, until she start running for public office, that is? What were her extra-curricular interests? Which charities die she volunteer for? For which great Democrats did she volunteer or campaign before 1997?

All of this, btw, is from her wiki, which I am sure she and her peeps scrubbed and polished before she announced for office and check often since. And it still is not stellar, IMO. Any recognition she's gotten seems to be from working as a prosecutor or from being a woman, including a hefty donation from EMILYs list. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but, that alone does not make her progressive, or a star or anyone I'd want to vote for as a United States Senator.

I don't see her as a profile in courage, either. I don't know what courageous stands she has taken. I can't see her voting against the Iraq War Resolution and the WOT War Resolution soon after 911, or co-sponsoring a single payer bill, as Capuano has done and as Kennedy also did. (The entire Massachusetts delegation did not follow Kennedy; and Capuano had more to lose than did Kennedy, but Capuano voted the right way, even though it meant unpopular votes at the time.

Mind you, I don't think Coakley is the worst person, the worst Democrat or the worst lawyer in the war, just not anyone I see as U.S. Senate worthy or anyone I'd vote for over Capuano. Maybe, if Capuano gets Kennedy's seat, she should run for Capuano's seat and get a legislative record under her belt. Then, I could see what kind of legislator she is and would consider her for Kerry's seat, if and when he vacates it.




But enough of what I see as a lackluster, non-progressive lifetime on the part of Ms. Coakley, especially in comparison with Mike Capuano.




Why do you like her so much?

[Mass]

7. He gave to Weld and GW Bush. What is his excuse on this.

He thinks he can buy his election. I do not see anything good in this. He has no progressive credentials, has not bothered voting in quite a few elections. Why should he be a good choice.

I like the three other ones, but for me, he is a big NO-NO.

[cleveramerican]

6. Coakley has the most statewide name recognition

but Massachusetts has a long history of declining to elect women to the corner office.

I think Capuano will eek out a victory... barely.

the lower the turnout the more likely I will be right.