Posts from — November 2009

Does it surprise me that Pagliuca called a press conference to announce that he will be a reliable vote disregarding women?   Nah.  No surprise.  Pagliuca proved his lack of concern for women when he condoned objectifying women’s “square butts” to sell hamburgers.  We wrote about it here in September, when Pagliuca had entered the senate race but hat not yet resigned from the Burger King Board. 

So, thinking this logic through:  In Pagliuca’s value system it’s fine to use and objectify women’s bodies for profit.  However, should any of those women’s bodies turn out to be not objects after all, but human beings in need of complete health care, please don’t bother him with that reality.

Don’t miss today’s Globe column by Joan Vennochi:  Taking a hit on health:  Why, that’s women’s work!  And here’s the second great report of the day from Alison King at NECN:

Remember a couple of days ago, when Pagliuca advocated for limits on the amount a candidate can contribute to his own campaign except in the case of, well, his own campaign?  Well, now Pagliuca says he doesn’t like lobbyist influence on legislators, except in the cases when his own company, Bain Capital, pays lobbyists to influence legislators. Meanwhile, Khazei says he won’t even meet with lobbyists, except when he will. 

A couple of days ago the candidates showed their green credentials regarding the environment, and today they’re showing their green credentials regarding fundraising.  The AP says via WBZ that in the reporting period just closed, Coakley raised almost $2 million on top of the $2 million she’d already brought in.  She proves she’s not just collecting from the routine democratic donors and groups like Emily’s list.  Rather, she’s building a powerful & committed base.

Evelyn Murphy says of yesterday’s Globe headline calling Coakley cautious,

This is outrageous, and it is wrong.  

At the campaign’s fundraiser last night, the former Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor (and first female to hold state-wide elective office) spoke about the importance of language in a campaign. 

When you run for the top offices, whether it’s Governor or US Senator, things change… The language becomes more important. And here’s what happens…

The language of what a US senator needs to be — politically strong and tough – is male. It’s about who has the loudest voice, who has the biggest shape, who is the most aggressive. It’s all those things. And that’s the way it has been defined over and over again, because [having men in high office] is all this state knows, so that’s what political strength and toughness is [defined to be]. But that’s not what it necessarily is.

Murphy stressed that Coakley is plenty strong and tough in the ways that don’t necessarily fit a masculine stereotype, but are the ways that matter. [Read more →]

The contribution I made to attend the Coakley fundraiser last night was the highest per-song rate I’ve ever paid to hear Livingston Taylor, and worth every penny.  The guitar was acoustic, but the pre-primary enthusiasm of the 300-ish attendees was electric.  A couple of quick bits of news:  Coakley has agreed to televised debates with the other candidates on December 1 & 2.  She said,

We’ve had lots of debates; we’re going to continue to have debates.   I am happy to take my fellow candidates on and discuss whatever they want to discuss. [Read more →]

Since he entered the campaign, Stephen Pagliuca has been fighting the apparent disconnect between his core campaign message — that he can create jobs — and the reality of his Bain Capital track record in which he’s both created and killed them.  His campaign insists there’s more creation than killing, and yet annoying examples of the latter keep popping up.  Today, Hillary Chabot at the Herald examines the case of KB Toys, once a Pittsfield, MA company. [Read more →]

If you have friends who are grappling with the Stupak amendment, here are some videos that might help.  The first has impact, the second has information.  Martha Coakley calls trading off women’s rights for health care reform a “false choice,” and would keep working on a bill until it provides both.

Coakley and the three other Democratic candidates for the Senate will participate in a forum on the environment and a new green economy at Boston University tomorrow at noon.  The forum is sponsored by a consortium of environmental groups.

Coakley has a great national record on environmental protection.  She led the successful suit against the EPA to force it to regulate greenhouse emissions from cars, and she joined California and other states in challenging Bush administration regulations relaxing use of the federal Endangered Species Act.   In Massachusetts, she has a long record of going after polluters and supporting clean energy.

Update:  Speaking of clean energy, here’s Coakley’s just-released energy plan.

In endorsing Coakley for Senate,  MassEquality’s Executive Director Scott Gortikov said,

If the disheartening repeal of marriage equality in Maine earlier this month taught us anything, it’s that now more than ever our community needs more than just allies. We need strong leaders who will follow in the footsteps of Senator Kennedy and not rest until we have achieved full equality.

Martha Coakley has been a tireless advocate for LGBT equality throughout her entire career, fighting for everything from marriage equality to transgender non-discrimination to prosecution of hate crimes.  [Read more →]

Catholics for Choice, one of the faith groups that will be represented at today’s press conference condemning the Stupak amendment, calls the Bishops who influenced Pelosi to include Stupak

a small group of men who don’t represent American Catholics, let alone the American populace.

They claim that 84% of American Catholics want insurance to cover abortions when the life of the mother is in danger, and that 50% want coverage any time a mother and her doctor decide it is appropriate.  The group warns:

If the electorate sees that a woman’s right to choose is not a core value but simply a bargaining chip to be laid on the table when the going gets tough, there will be a price to pay.  [Read more →]