From Rome to Lowell, Sen. Kerry attends Meehan fund-raiser

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http://www.lowellsun.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?article=2649902

By MATT MURPHY, Sun Staff
Lowell Sun

LOWELL -- Back from Rome after attending Pope John Paul II's funeral Friday, U.S. Sen. John Kerry returned to his political roots in Lowell yesterday for a fund-raiser to support a fellow Democrat, Rep. Marty Meehan.

Smiling as he emerged from a black SUV at the DoubleTree Hotel yesterday afternoon, Kerry said he felt great, despite wearing sneakers and carrying crutches after recent knee surgery.

In a jovial mood, Kerry embraced Lowell Mayor Armand Merciers, made a quip about Meehan's sunburned skin, and teased Attorney General Tom Reilly for not wearing a tie.

“Ah, the nice, relaxed candidate for governor,” Kerry said.

The senator was here, along with Reilly, state Sen. Steve Panagiotakos, of Lowell, and other notable Democrats to help bolster Meehan's constantly growing war chest, which now exceeds $4.5 million.

Though he recently won re-election easily to the U.S. House of Representatives in November, Meehan said the theme of this fund-raiser was no different than any other -- re-election.

“It's a good opportunity for people to hear from Sen. Kerry. When he volunteered to come to Lowell, of course I said yes,” Meehan said.

Tickets to the event, dubbed “An Evening with John Kerry,” cost supporters at least $100. Meehan staffer Bryan DeAngelis said he was expecting around 200 guests to attend, though the event was closed to the press at Kerry's request. Kerry arrived around 4 p.m., an hour into the fund-raiser, and reportedly planned to make a short speech before sojourning to Meehan's home in Lowell for a more intimate gathering.

While Meehan may have been interested in Kerry's Senate seat should the Massachusetts senator have defeated President Bush in November, it appears unlikely that another senate seat will open soon. Sen. Edward Kennedy is widely expected to run again for re-election in 2006. But even if Meehan isn't eyeing a promotion, yesterday's gathering was an opportunity for some to test the waters and get to know those in Lowell politics.