Conservative Party (Massachusetts)

The death of Senator Ted Kennedy left a vacancy to be filled by Governor Daval Patrick. He chose a longtime Kennedy aide, Paul Kirk, to the interim position.  Mr. Kirk has stated he will not seek election to the seat on a permanent basis.   So what choices does Massachusetts have?

The Primary will be held December 8, 2009, with the Special Election to complete Senator Kennedy’s term ending in 2013 on January 19, 2010.

The Conservative Party doesn’t have a candidate listed on the ballot.  I hope from this list I found that you Massachusetts voters will be able to support the most Conservative candidate according to his or her opinions.

DEMOCRATS

Mike Capuano (D) is an attorney who is a former mayor of Somerville, and currently represents District 8 in the US House. This quote on the home page of his website I think says it all:

Achieving real health care reform was one of the causes of Ted Kennedy’s life and I am humbled to have had the opportunity to help advance that cause with my vote tonight. So many Americans are struggling to make ends meet, worried about losing their jobs and concerned that health insurance may not be there for their families. Health care is a right and no one should have to worry about whether they can afford to see a doctor. With tonight’s vote, we have moved closer to the day when all Americans can put these worries behind them.

Martha Coakley is the present Attorney General of Massachusetts and is a former Middlesex County District Attorney.  Her plan for national security includes creating an office of cyber security and increasing screening at airports and ports.  She presented the keynote address titled, “Striving for Universal, Affordable Health Care: Lessons from Massachusetts” at the American Bar Association’s Washington Health Care Summit.   She supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and would have voted against what she terms “the Iraq invasion” had she been in the Senate at the time of the vote.  Even so, she seems to strongly support America’s military.  She is pro-abortion and refers to her stance as “Reproductive Rights.”

Alan Khazei (D) is a philanthropist and Community Activist.  He is co-founder and former CEO of City Year. Their website says that they “unite young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time service, giving them skills and opportunities to change the world.” Newsweek touts him as “Teddy’s Rightful Heir.” On the whole, he seems to support Israel’s right to exist, but he wants to support the “moderate” Palestinians in Gaza.  He is a strong abortion supporter.

Steve Pagliuca (D) promotes himself as a venture capitalist.  He is co-owner and managing partner of the Boston Celtics NBA team and a managing director of the private equity firm, Bain Capital)  In layman’s terms, that means he has more money than he knows what to do with so he invests in other businesses.  He supports pro-choice and marriage equality (marriage for gay partners) in addition to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” for our military.  He considers himself a “vigorous supporter” of the Matthew Shepard Act which expands the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

REPUBLICANS

Scott Brown (R) is currently a member of the Massachusetts State Senate.  He is a 2^nd Amendment supporter and believes in free enterprise.  He supports the Massachusetts health care bill but thinks costs of the bill should be brought under control.  He says that a woman’s right to an abortion is ultimately in the hands of the woman and her physician, but would seek a way to promote adoption as an “alternative to abortion.”  As for gay marriages, Mr. Brown says that he believes marriage is between a man and a woman but that each state should provide their own laws according to the desires of the citizens.

Jack E. Robinson (R) is a businessman, attorney and a frequent candidate for public office.  I was not successful in finding a website, but the Wikipedia entry may provide you the information you are seeking.  The Boston Herald called Mr. Robinson a “scandal magnet.”  During Mr. Robinson’s unsuccessful bid in 2000, Salon.com filed an article calling him “Teddy Kennedy’s unsettling doppelganger” referring to the fact that he has been accused of plagiarism, womanizing and leaving the scene of a car crash.  The state’s Republican Party shunned Robinson after a series of controversies, including failure to pay $70,000 taxes and penalties on his 49-foot yacht, Excalibur.  It is unclear to me if those fences have been mended.

INDEPENDENTS

John Adams is a physician. I was not able to find anything on the web that would give insight into the candidacies or platforms for Mr. Adams or other Independent candidates Adam Azia, an advertising salesman or Sean Brady, an unemployed auto salesman and Army veteran. and/or his platform.   I did find one article that may provide some information if one of these men would be your candidate of choice.

John Howard (Independent) is considered an Anti-Biotech Engineering activist.  According to his website, he wants to “enact three laws”:  stop human cloning, allow married couples to use their own genes for pregnancies, and federally recognize civil unions.  This seems to be a three-fold plan to allow gay couples the right to have children.

Joe Kennedy has filed as a Libertarian and considers himself an activist.  He is no relation to the Kennedy Family we all associate with that name.  Other issues from his perspective are his support of same-sex dependent relationships, calling back the troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, responsible, well-armed and trained citizenry as the best protection against domestic crime, and state initiated laws regarding the use of marijuana.

Jean Anne Kennedy-Windsor, listed as an Independent, is a teacher, and I can find very little except the fact that she ran in 2008 for Michigan State Representative from the 58^th District.   That holds with the other information that I can find where she is listed as a Michigan resident.  Doesn’t the Massachusetts State Constitution require that office holders are state residents?  Perhaps the information I found listing her name as a candidate in Massachusetts is incorrect.

Steward “Lusty” Lustgarten, an Independent, has an interesting website and has a penchant for turning a phrase.  Shown on his website is the Preamble to the Constitution as it was written.  Below that the way he views the change in our nation.  With all due respect, I find it hard to take him seriously as a candidate because of some of the phrases he has used.  Check it out for yourself.  You might disagree with me.

No information was available for the final three Independent candidates I found listed.

Steve MacAusland (Independent) – Episcopal Minister
Brian Muello (Independent) – Teacher & ’07 Braintree Mayor Candidate
Peter White (Independent) – Hotel Manager,  ’02 State Rep. Candidate & ’06 Congressional Candidate

(** UPDATE **  by Marie A Cole

Please note the comment from Mr. White below and my response.  I have removed the word “Socialist” from the wording of the original post.  2/10/10 and I do sincerely apologize for the error.)

If you have updates to these three or any of the others, please let me know.  I am not infallible – I will be happy to make necessary changes to this narrative.  My goal is to inform the Massachusetts voter – not to make his choice for him.

Marie A Cole