(Bumped, in case anyone forgot. Vote early and often! - promoted by Jim Corrigan)
It's time to put a little Somerville in the Senate.
There are two ways I can do this: write a straightforward endorsement with endless footnotes and disclaimers, or just tell the story. That seems more entertaining (I hope).
In its November 1985 election issue, the Somerville Journal probably had no trouble deciding on its lead story: the two newly elected aldermen-at-large, Helen Corrigan and Mike Capuano. Someone in my family - I wish I could claim credit for this - called the photos "the Italians vs. the Irish." My father - holding a drink! - is flanked by two women, one named Sullivan and one named Foley; in his photo, Capuano is being congratulated by his former boss, former State Rep. Vinny Piro (Capuano was rumored to be unhappy that the Journal used that photo, one of many possibilities from a crowded celebration). Note: "vs." is a bit of a misnomer - there were eight candidates for four at-large seats.
In 1989, Capuano ran for mayor against John Buonomo, who had provided crucial help in getting my mother elected in '85. But, for reasons I don't fully know, my mother had gone sour on Buonomo and remained neutral in the race. I voted for Buonomo, and I have absolutely no regrets about that vote. If you re-created the atmosphere around that election tomorrow, I would cast the same vote. In the swirling teapot of Somerville politics, somehow, Buonomo was the liberal, Capuano the conservative. This seems to be what we always do in the Democratic Party, when we're faced with a binary choice: one candidate is left, one is right.
But in retrospect, maybe Capuano just didn't interview well. Maybe he still doesn't.
He won, obviously, in a race that was shocking in its intensity. That was the first time I saw campaigns running food vans to refresh volunteers holding signs at polling places. Local lore has it that Capuano won by poll checking, calling people who hadn't voted up until 7:45 p.m. (When I heard that, I had to ask what poll checking was. In my mother's last race in 1997, I was doing poll checking in Davis Square.) The margin was 300 votes or so, out of about 17,000 votes cast. Whoever you vote for, people, vote.
In 1998, when Joe Kennedy was leaving Congress, Capuano entered the race. Once again, the liberals did not want him (it's worth noting that some of us hadn't wanted Joe in 1986, but he worked out). But then, Ray Freaking Flynn got in. Anyone left of Evan Bayh had a single thought: Anybody but Flynn. Capuano's stock rose quite a bit. He won handily.
So what does Congressman-elect Capuano do? Under some pressure to resign as mayor, he announced something to the effect of, "I'm not leaving until my people have jobs." My jaw dropped, but in retrospect, he was right.
The first vote I remember him casting as a Congressman, the first one I noticed, was on whether to approve China's entry to the World Trade Organization. He bucked his Democratic president and voted against it. Grandstanding? Nobody would have noticed it if he voted the other way.
His opposition to the Iraq war is well known; let's look at some other issues.
On Afghanistan, Capuano said:
http://www.bluenewstribune.com...
Mike continues to believe that we should have committed sufficient troops to complete the mission in Afghanistan instead of shifting focus to Iraq. Mike voted to authorize the use of force in Afghanistan in October 2001, after its Taliban rulers refused to act against those who attacked the United States. He has traveled to Afghanistan, not only to talk with American generals and other high officials, but also to listen to officers and soldiers in the field and Afghan leaders at national and local levels.
Mike remains gravely concerned about the conduct and the prospects of our operations in Afghanistan, and about the future of neighboring Pakistan. It would pose a serious danger to world peace if its nuclear arsenal fell into the hands of extremists or non-state actors with no regard for human life. But, just as he refused to give a blank check to President Bush, Mike voted in May 2009 against a proposal by the current administration that would have provided additional war funding without an adequate plan for bringing either conflict to an end. While he trusts that President Obama is sincere in his commitment to new approaches, Mike felt that a vote for additional funding demonstrated an acceptance of the status quo. While he does not believe these problems are simple, he does believe Congress must participate in their solution.
On the economy, he said:
http://www.bluenewstribune.com...
* He has filed legislation requiring hedge fund managers to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to improve federal oversight and provide more information to investors.
* He's working with his colleagues to ensure that credit rating agencies, which were a major contributor to the financial crisis, reasonably reflect the credit risk of financial products so that investors can make informed decisions.
Mike has long focused on affordable housing issues, and during the economic crisis he:
* Fought to ensure that Massachusetts' unique double and triple-decker houses receive the same benefits as single unit homes.
* Guaranteed that tenants were protected when Congress passed legislation earlier this year to help homeowners avoid defaulting on their mortgages. His amendment required that tenants be given 90 days notice before they must vacate a foreclosed home. Prior to Mike's proposal, tenants faced immediate eviction.
Mike voted in favor of establishing the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to help stabilize our economy and prevent a deepening financial crisis. At the time he described it as one of the most difficult votes he ever cast.
Mike felt strongly that doing nothing to prevent a recession that would result in massive job losses was not an option. He voted for TARP because he was not willing to risk Americans' pensions, investments and access to credit.
In January, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to create and save millions of American jobs. Although Mike believed the bill relied too heavily on tax cuts, he voted for the overall stimulus package because he felt it would help with job creation and boost the economy. The bill provided funding for transportation, health care, education, scientific research and housing initiatives. Already over $4.5 billion has been made available to Massachusetts alone.
On equal rights, he said:
http://www.bluenewstribune.com...
Mike Capuano believes that we protect our cherished principles best by respecting them.
In 2001, he voted against the USA PATRIOT Act. He opposed the FISA Amendments Act of 2008. The original FISA legislation permitted wire-tapping with warrants issued by judges in special courts who were able to examine evidence in secret if national security might be jeopardized by arguments in open court. He believed the amended act was unconstitutional, violating the protections of the First and Fourth Amendments.
Mike understands we live in a dangerous world. When considering military commissions to try suspected terrorists, he was willing, for example, to discuss changing standards of proof from "beyond a reasonable doubt" to "the preponderance of the evidence." He was not, however, prepared to tolerate trials conducted on the authority of the President alone, as the previous administration attempted to do through Executive Order. He believes we must remain a government of laws. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts has honored him with their Champion of the Constitution award.
This year, he is a co-sponsor of H.R. 104, To establish a national commission on presidential war powers and civil liberties. This legislation would create an independent bipartisan commission with members appointed by the President and by leaders of both parties in the House and Senate to investigate detention, "enhanced interrogation techniques," "ghosting", extraordinary rendition, and warrantless electronic surveillance.
Mike is firmly committed to individual freedom. He is a co-sponsor of a bill to repeal the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act." He opposes a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and woman.
Mike believes that the United States must support human rights globally. He has opposed trade agreements, such as Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China and CAFTA for Central America, because our negotiators did not insist on minimal protections for human rights and the right to organize independent trade unions. He has joined with Amnesty International to support prisoners of conscience around the world and with programs like "Scholars at Risk" at Harvard in defense of exiled dissidents.
He has worked closely with the International Rescue Committee, the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights, and the Political Asylum and Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project to secure political asylum for survivors of torture and other atrocities and to reunite them with their spouses and children.
So, if issues decide this, why is the personal stuff relevant? I'm getting to that.
If Capuano is one thing, he is WYSIWYG. I get a kick out of his "stand 'em up and shoot 'em" commercials, where he looks overcoached at best. His early message, "I'll bring home the bacon" reflected his blunt style perfectly. Unfortunately for him, that message tanked with voters.
I want to say a word about the other campaigns. This is what happens when you hit your 40s, apparently - you have connections to multiple campaigns. Martha Coakley won the race for Middlesex County D.A. by beating Tim Flaherty, a guy I went to school with. I have some good friends in her camp. I've met Tad Devine, who is an adviser to Steve Pagliuca (presumably a key adviser). I also worked at City Year as a contractor for a year, and I got the job when I really needed it. Lord love a duck, I needed that job - my wife had just gotten pregnant. Did Alan Khazei personally approve my hiring? No, not that I know of, but he hired the guy who brought me in and put a lot of faith in him. I loved working at City Year, and I take NOT endorsing Alan very seriously, because I have to look people I respect and admire in the eye and tell them no.
Yes, it's not about me. But in this case, anything less than telling you my experience of these candidates feels insincere. As so many things do, it all comes back to Somerville.
Let's put a little Somerville in the Senate. Say what you want about the place, it's never been dull. Mike Capuano has a history of interviewing poorly, but being a pleasant surprise in the job. |
