On Tuesday, Howard Kurtz wrote a column at Daily Beast titled “Desperate Dems Attack”
If the Republicans have their way, the election will turn on whether Democrats are the party of runaway government. Now, with time running out, the Democratic Party is fighting back—and not just by trying to brand many GOP candidates as extremists. The new line is that they’re sleazebags. We’re talking ugly stuff here, accusing one opponent of threatening his wife, another of indifference to employee deaths, a third of trying to evict a child.
Kurtz mentioned a lot of different campaigns without ever getting to the 10th congressional district here in Mass.
I made the mistake yesterday of engaging with Blue Mass Group, mostly mocking them for their sudden interest in the moral compass of politicians. Well, I should say politicians who are not Democrats. They selectively published a few tweets, and ignored others. In other words, they did what they do. Lesson learned.
I enjoyed Dan Kennedy’s take on this at Media Nation. Kennedy, a classic old school liberal, makes two key points.
If there is a congressional district in Massachusetts ripe for a Republican takeover, it is surely the 10th, a conservative part of the state that stretches from Quincy to Provincetown.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee understands this and they are spending heavily on negative ads against Perry. The playbook outlined by Kurtz is well underway in the 10th.
I also agree with how Dan Kennedy closed his piece,
What happened to Lisa Allen may have taken place a long time ago. But the questions she raises about Perry’s empathy and judgment are just as valid today as they were in 1991.
Absolutely legitimate point. There are a lot of questions that have been raised, and voters need to weigh them.
There is also the matter of the nineteen years since, specifically, Perry’s time in the Legislature. After all, that is the job Perry is applying for right now, legislator. There, his record is very strong. He’s been good on the issues people are most concerned with today, spending, taxes and the proper role of government. He was one of only two state reps smart enough to vote against Romneycare and he authorized a common sense amendment to deny public assistance to illegal immigrants. No wonder Bill Keating and his supporters want to talk about anything else.
Unlike so many, I am not willing to convict Jeff Perry for something his was not charged with. What I am willing to do is to question his judgement and actions from that evening and weigh that against the totality of his career, both as an officer and a legislator.
Certainly we can afford Jeff Perry the same standard that his critics set for Ted Kennedy for decades?
This is politics. It’s ugly sometimes. Like right now.
As a voter, I feel as though we have two excellent candidates running for state Treasurer. Democrat Steve Grossman and Republican Karyn Polito are both experienced, qualified, serious people worthy of the office.
That said, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t enormous differences between the two. They bring very different approaches to the issue of taxes and reform. One fought to prevent tax cuts, even when the economy was booming. One has a long record of trying to lower taxes. One candidate is for protecting the political class on Beacon Hill, the other is a true reformer.
Two good candidates, two very different philosophies about government, spending, taxes and reform.
That’s why I’m supporting Karyn Polito for State Treasurer.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
This was a great thrill for me personally. Why? Because Michael Gerson wrote some of the most amazing presidential speeches of all time, at a time when the nation really needed it. He was George W. Bush’s chief speech writer, and in the days following the September 11 atrocity, his words helped calm the nation and get back on her feet. I still, nine years later, remember Bush’s speech at the National Cathedral, and of course, a few days later, to the joint session of Congress. I really believe those speeches helped the country recover from the trauma of that Tuesday morning. I had to start by thanking him for his contribution to our recovery.
As for the book, the subject of religion and politics is typically one I shy away from. I’ve never been a fan of the Christian right’s politics. I’m much more positively inclined towards talk and displays of faith in the public square, than I am of religion. City of Man examines America’s long struggle with the topic of religion, faith and politics, and provides a more effective path forward, one that is more inclusive, less divisive and potentially, more effective politically. I highly recommend the book.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Jon Golnik, the Republican candidate for Congress in the 5th district, returned to Pundit Review Radio recently to give us a campaign update in his race to retire Niki Tsongas. Fortunately, his campaign is going better than his attempts to debate his opponent. Like so many others in this Congress, Tsongas is running from her record, especially her Obamacare vote!
That’s ok Niki, we remember.
I was joined in studio by Rob Eno, owner of the state’s leading conservative political blog, Red Mass Group.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
This week Bruce told us about Staff Sgt. Jason Navarrette. From his Silver Star citation,
With automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades exploding around him, he left the safety of his armored vehicle to engage the enemy. Staff Sergeant Navarrette and his fellow Marines eliminated and severely wounded several insurgents, and the ferocity of their defense held the enemy at bay. Finding themselves greatly outnumbered, they fought their way to the rally point where they realized one vehicle team was pinned down and had been unable to egress from the ambush site. Once again exiting the relative safety of his armored vehicle, Staff Sergeant Navarrette attacked the enemy and was subsequently wounded in the left arm. Ignoring his bleeding and immobilized arm, he continued to engage the enemy until all personnel and vehicles were ready to move. With enemy fire focused on the unit from both sides, he again exited his armored vehicle to provide covering fire as the vehicles began to leave town. His actions inspired fellow Marines to continue to repel the enemy attack, ultimately leading to their safe withdrawal. By his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, Staff Sergeant Navarrette reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
What a novel idea, an auditor for state auditor? Mary Z. Connaughton earned her reputation as a champion of long suffering Massachusetts taxpayers on the Turnpike board, and now she is poised to take over as auditor of the commonwealth. Considering her relevant experience, and the fact that her opponent can’t distinguish between her primary and principal residence, this is an easy choice.
Credible, experienced, proven. I’m with Mary Z. Connaughton.
This interview is from Sunday, October 10, 2010, sorry for the delay in posting!
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Flailing doesn’t begin to describe the past 10 days for Tim Cahill. First, he lost his political advisors, then his running mate, followed quickly by his judgment. And now, sadly, he’s lost his dignity.
The Cahill campaign is engaged in strategery the likes of which we haven’t seen. When it comes to the decision making going on over at Cahill HQ, for once, the word astonishing can be properly applied. Tim wants us to know he won’t waste a half a tomato in the kitchen, but he WILL clog up the overcrowded criminal justice system with an utterly frivolous lawsuit.
Working for Tim Cahill sounds like Hotel California, you can check in but you can never leave. As a voter, I can’t decide which is less appealing, that he personally selected these people as his closest confidants, or that he thinks it’s a good idea to sue them a month before the election?
If Cahill can’t staff a campaign, how can he run state government, or Treasury, or Quincy city government for that matter?
In recent weeks he has to have been asking himself, why didn’t I wait another election cycle? Why jump as an independent when everyone knows I’m a lifelong Democrat? He put his political future on the line by leaving the Democratic Party and I think the realization that he’s blown a once promising career has made him snap. What other explanation can there be?
Again, as a voter, this behavior, denying the obvious, lashing out, acting irrational, doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in his leadership abilities.
It didn’t take a conspiracy for 90% of the state to support someone else for governor. It’s too bad this is how he’s decided to go out. Like his staff itself, this too is a problem of his own creation.
Tim should have asked Bob Crane if Treasurer for Life is a good gig or not.
