Tuesday, April 2, 2013
State party believes congressman is using taxpayer-funded resources for his campaign among other complaints, Boston Herald reports.
Congressman Edward Markey (D-Malden) will face an ethics complaint from the Bay State Republican Party that alleges coordination between the U.S. Senate candidate’s campaign and congressional office and improper use of footage from Congress in TV ads, according to a report in the Boston Herald Tuesday. MassGOP Executive Director Nate Little told the Herald they believe Markey has been using taxpayer-funded resources from his congressional office for campaign purposes. The state GOP plans on filing a letter with the House Committee on Ethics Tuesday, according to the Herald. Little also said two Markey campaign ads feature video footage from the House floor, as well as committee sessions, which Little told the Herald is forbidden under …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Over 40 percent of likely voters in both primaries yet to make up their minds for the special election.
Congressman Edward Markey and former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan are leading their respective Democratic and Republican primary fields for the upcoming U.S. Senate special election, according to a new WBUR poll. Markey, a Malden Democrat, has an 11-point edge (35 percent to 24 percent) over fellow Congressman Stephen Lynch of South Boston. Sullivan, of Abington, leads the Republican candidates with 28 percent followed by Norfolk Rep. Dan Winslow at 10 percent and former U.S. Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez of Cohasset with 8 percent. Both races have a high number of undecided voters. According to the poll, 41 percent of likely Democratic voters have not made up their minds. That number is even bigger among likely GOP voters, where 46 percent …
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Bielat and Gomez say they’re in; Sullivan may also join the field.
It’s starting to shape up into quite a race, as the field of potential Republican candidates for U.S. Senate continues to grow. This week, two more Republicans threw their hats in the proverbial ring in the race for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the appointment of John Kerry to Secretary of State - Norfolk’s Sean Bielat and Cohasset’s Gabriel Gomez. Candidates have just under two weeks to meet the Feb. 27 deadline to gather the 10,000 certified signatures needed to appear on the April 30 primary ballot. The special election is June 25. After losing two races for Congress, Bielat has opened up a federal campaign office to raise money for a Senate run, according to a report in the Boston Globe. Bielat lost to Barney Frank in 2010 and …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The 18th Essex representative has filed legislation to restrict welfare benefits.
On the heels of a scathing report by Inspector General Glenn Cunha citing ongoing abuse in the Massachusetts welfare system, lawmakers are demanding transparency. State Rep. Jim Lyons of Andover joined State Rep. Marc Lombardo this week in proposing legislation to do just that. The two Republicans have filed bills mandating stricter monitoring of welfare benefitsa as well as transparency within the system. “Before the Governor asks the hardworking and struggling families and businesses of the Commonwealth for more tax dollars, we should know where every penny is being spent in our state budget,” Lyons said. “We need to ensure that individuals and families that play by the rules and need help are the receiving benefits and those who do not…
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
This Letter to the Editor was sent in support of Barbara L'Italien for State Rep.
Dear Editor, Just a couple of years ago, our country was embroiled in a serious, yet divisive debate on how to manage our nation’s healthcare. Democrats and Republicans refused to cooperate in addressing this pressing issue and Washington DC was left in gridlock. As our nation’s capital stood at a standstill, Massachusetts was in the process of setting an example when it came to both healthcare policy and political cooperation. Leading this example was Barbara L’Italien, who was showing DC that it was possible for the different political parties to work together. While Washington was left arguing, Barbara L’Italien was in Boston working with advocates, parents and politicians of all stripes in building support for legislation that would …
Thursday, September 20, 2012
The two candidates for the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts faced off in their first live debate on Thursday night.
Stark differences came out early and often between U.S. Senate candidates Elizabeth Warren and Scott Brown in their first debate, with disagreements on everything from tax policy, to job creation to women's rights. Over and over during the Thursday debate, Warren chose to bring up Sen. Brown's voting record, and Brown chose to point out that Warren's plan would raise taxes on everyone and stifle job creation. "He has said he will defend the top 2 percent and the top 3 percent...and will hold the other 98 percent of families hostage," Warren said, referencing Brown's position against extending the Bush-era tax cuts unless it also contained cuts for the country's top earners. Brown countered by noting that Warren's policies would raise …
Incumbent Scott Brown and challenger Elizabeth Warren squared off in their first debate Thursday night.
Republican Senator Scott Brown faced off against Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren Thursday night in a debate televised by WBZ-TV. The Thursday debate was the first of four planned tilts between the candidates, and it saw disagreement between the two on just about every topic. Polls have seesawed over the last week, with Brown and Warren swapping small leads, as they have throughout the campaign. The debates may provide one or the other an opportunity to change voter minds and swing the election his or her way. Central to Thursday's debate was the focus on taxes, jobs and the economy. "He has said he will defend the top 2 percent and the top 3 percent...and will hold the other 98% of families hostage," Warren said, referencing Brown's…
"People have sent me down here -- and that’s to vote,” Brown said in an interview with the Boston Globe.
Incumbent Senator Scott Brown may not make it to tonight's debate in Boston versus challenger Elizabeth Warren due to a scheduling conflict in Washington. Brown told the Boston Globe that if there are senate votes scheduled through the rest of the afternooon, he would have to miss the debate. "Voting is 'the one thing that I can’t delegate to the staff,' he told the Globe, according to an article on boston.com. 'I’ve only missed one vote.' Brown told the Globe he would attempt to make a 4:30 p.m. plane so he could make it to WBZ studios by 7 p.m. for the flight. But he said his first priority is to vote. “If we’ve got votes, I’ll make them,” Brown was quoted as saying. “I’m sure if we don’t make [the debate] tonight, we’ll reschedule it …
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Here is a Letter to the Editor from Andover resident Margot Bixby in support of Democratic state representative candidate Barbara L'Italien.
Dear Editor, Whenever I have conversations with friends and family about politics, more often than not the conversation isn’t about which political party is right - it is about the partisan gridlock and complete lack of cooperation. Whatever your political beliefs, no doubt most Americans want to see their officials working together to tackle the tough issues and move our country forward. It is with these feelings in mind that I feel compelled to write about how excited I am to see Barbara L’Italien running for State Representative. Serving 8 years representing the Merrimack Valley, Barbara built a reputation as a thoughtful, hardworking legislator. Perhaps most importantly, Barbara built a reputation as someone willing to work with anyone…
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Legislators decide to take the bottle bill amendment — which would expand the kinds of bottles that can be recycled for cash — out of the jobs act.
The bottle bill will not make it to the governor's desk this year. The controversial proposal was included as an amendment to the Senate jobs bill but scrapped Monday in conference committee, according to an aide to its sponsor, Sen. Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth). The jobs bill is expected to be laid before Gov. Deval Patrick Tuesday, the last day of the legislative session. The amendment had faced strong opposition in the House, with Speaker Robert DeLeo describing it as a tax. Hedlund disputed this view, saying that taxes can't be redeemed. The expansion to the 31-year-old law designed to promote recycling and reduce litter would have added plastic bottles used for water, juices, iced tea and sports drinks to the list of containers subject…
George Lewis
3:31 pm on Tuesday, April 2, 2013
They should change the ethics rules to allow for more videos so we can observe our Congressmen at work! more ›