Posts from — October 2009

Blue Mass Group commissioned a poll this week to check voter preferences after the televised candidates’ debate.  All of the candidates’ numbers inched up, with Coakley’s growing a smidge more than the others:

Coakley: 42%
Undecided: 22%
Capuano: 16%
Pagliuca: 15%
Khazei:  5%

By an “overwhelming” vote, the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus voted to endorse Martha Coakley tonight, according to a report on Blue Mass Group.

… speakers acknowledged that all of the Democratic candidates were likely to be friends of the community, but that Coakley had been out front on glbt issues, a fighter and leader in contesting DOMA as a violation of the Constitution’s full faith and credit clause, in supporting trans-inclusive employment non-discrimination legislation, and in using the bully pulpit of her office to press for full equality for glbt people. 

Reports from outside of tonight’s AFL-CIO candidate forum say that the Coakley-supporting Teamsters had a truck blasting out music keeping the spirits high.  Other volunteers in the crowd holding Coakley signs included representatives from painters’, pipefitters, and carpenters’ unions. 

Coakley’s flickr stream indicates that questions inside the hall focused on education, the economy and role models.  Who can guess what role models Coakley named?  Hint #1.  Hint #2.

• Vote for Martha in this poll http://bit.ly/3eUUcK #
• Congrats on the Debate Martha! http://bit.ly/3zs42L #

Behind the fluttering coverage of the fact that both Rep. Tsongas and AG Coakley are (stop the presses!) female, there lurks an actual substantive issue: advocacy for veterans.  As Coakley pointed out,

We are both, Niki and I, daughters of WWII veterans.

[Read more →]

NECN’s report of Rep. Niki Tsongas’s endorsement of Coakley demeaned the endorsement by implying that Tsongas’s choice may have been based on gender and therefore not merit.  Why would the reporters do that?  Tsongas and Coakley both denied that gender played a role.  Tsongas said: 

I’m supporting the candidate who I believe will be the most effective US Senator. 

And yet the whole report revolved around gender.  [Read more →]

Today President Obama conferred the Congressional Gold Medal on former 
Massachusetts Senator Edward Brooke, the first African-American Attorney General and later the first elected African-American US Senator. In his remarks, Obama said: [Read more →]

Proving yet again the importance of women in higher office, U.S. Representative Niki Tsongas is breaking from her male colleagues and endorsing Martha Coakley for U.S. Senate tomorrow.

The endorsement is scheduled to take place  at 2:30 p.m. at the VFW Post 662 in Lowell.

[Read more →]

According to the just-released World Economic Forum’s 2009 Global Gender Gap Report, the United States ranks 61st among 134 nations in the political empowerment of women.  We’re behind human rights powerhouses Cuba, Nicaragua, Uganda, Pakistan, and China. [Read more →]