I really liked this endorsement of Congressman Ed Markey (D. MA) who is running for Secretary of State John Kerry's (D. MA) Senate seat:
http://www.heraldnews.com/...
Now that we have the candidates set for the U.S. Senate election, the choice should be clear for my generation of baby boomers. As we age and look toward retirement, two things that will impact all of us in a big way are:
1. Whether we will be able to count on Social Security benefits to meet our retirement income needs.
2. Whether we will be able to count on Medicare to meet our health care needs.
Markey solidly supports continuing both of these crucial programs, which are critical to baby boomers, as well as those that will need these benefits when they need them. We all get there eventually. -The Herald News, 5/27/13
This couldn't be more true because Markey has signed the Grayson-Takano Letter opposing any cuts to Social Security and Medicare as part of a "Grand Bargain" and has spoken out against the chained CPI:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Markey, speaking to reporters after a campaign stop at Northeastern University, added that chained CPI would affect not only Social Security but also benefits for veterans and people with disabilities. “So CPI would really stand for cutting people’s income, and I do not believe that is the path we should be going down,” Markey said.
Markey said he will “fight as hard as I can to make sure the budget is not balanced on the back of the poor, the sick, the elderly and the disabled.” He said he could not vote for legislation that, in the final formula, balanced the budget by harming those populations.
Markey said in a statement that there were some good provisions in Obama’s budget, including some environmental provisions that Markey championed, such as eliminating oil and gas subsidies and giving tax incentives to the renewable energy industry. - The Republican, 4/10/13
Markey has even been campaigning against the chained CPI and demanding the President object to cuts to Social Security:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
"I was shocked to hear that the President's newest budget proposal would cut $100 billion in Social Security benefits...'chained CPI' is just a fancy way to say 'cut benefits for seniors, the permanently disabled, and orphans.'"
-- Senator Elizabeth Warren
In President Obama's latest budget, he proposed to change the way Social Security benefits are calculated to something called a "chained CPI" system -- which effectively cuts benefits for seniors and veterans.
Now, I agree with the President on a lot. Reducing gun violence. Tackling climate change. Investing in our schools and infrastructure. But on this I'm with Senator Elizabeth Warren -- I was surprised, and frankly disappointed, to see chained CPI changes to Social Security in the President's budget.
Social Security is a guarantee. Seniors have worked hard all of their lives to earn their benefits. Chained CPI is nothing more than "Cutting People's Benefits." Pursuing a progressive agenda should not come at the expense of our seniors' financial security.
We're still building a grassroots effort to stop chained CPI -- and I need your help. Tell the President: No chained CPI. No cuts to Social Security. Click here and add your name right now:
http://www.edmarkey.com/...
Thank you for your support.
Ed
Though Markey doesn't agree with including Social Security cuts in the President's budget, he still earned the endorsement from President Obama in his race against Republican businessman Gabriel Gomez:
http://boston.cbslocal.com/...
President Barack Obama is endorsing fellow Democrat Edward Markey in the special election for the vacant Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat.
Obama released a statement Tuesday calling Markey “a passionate and effective champion for middle class and working families.”
Obama said the longtime member of the state’s congressional delegation has a strong record of helping businessescreate jobs.
The president said Markey’s work on fuel economy standards will save money for American consumers and reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. He said he also shares Markey’s efforts to reduce gun violence. - CBS Boston, 5/28/13
Meanwhile, Gomez is trying to win over supporters of Markey's primary rival, Congressman Stephen Lynch (D. MA-8):
http://www.bostonglobe.com/...
On a brisk afternoon earlier this month, Gabriel Gomez trotted up the stairs of a brown, yellow-trimmed Braintree home and through the back door. Once inside, he planted himself at the head of the family’s wooden dining room table.
The mission for this, his sole campaign stop of the day, was simple: Persuade the four members of the Lear family, who each voted for Stephen F. Lynch in the US Senate special election primary, to support him in the June 25 general election.
Gomez exchanged stories of military days with fellow veteran and family patriarch David Lear, impressed sister-in-law Judy Starr with his vow to reach across the aisle, and sympathized with grandson Dan Regan over the college junior’s apprehension about the current job market.
His half-hour dining-room table summit with the Lears seemed fruitful, but it remains unclear if he will be able to replicate that success with the other 230,000 voters who backed Lynch voters in last month’s primary.
“A lot of Lynch voters are naturally coming over to our side,” Gomez said as he stood on the sidewalk outside of the Lear home, asserting that his vow of bipartisanship will endear him to conservative Democrats. “Lynch’s base will resonate with my story.”
‘The Republican Senate candidate is expected to make a major effort to court Lynch voters, a slice of the electorate that includes blue-collar union workers, political independents, and conservative Democrats.
Political observers say that stealing traditionally Democratic voters with moderate to conservative leanings from liberal Democrat Edward J. Markey is vital if Gomez is to craft a statewide coalition reminiscent of the one that propelled Republican Scott Brown to the US Senate in 2010.
“Americans are antiparty in their thinking. We don’t like political parties and we are attracted to people who profess antiparty sentiments,” said Peter Ubertaccio, a political scientist at Stonehill College, who noted that Gomez’s chances of repeating Brown’s 2010 victory remain slim.
Facing an uphill battle in a state that has seen just five victorious GOP candidates in statewide races since 1978, Gomez must win over the Commonwealth’s independents — who make up 58 percent of registered voters — and Democrats who live in areas where Lynch, the most conservative member of the state’s all-Democratic congressional delegation, performed well in the primary.
Lynch topped Markey’s vote total in four counties: Worcester, Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth. In addition to those voters, Gomez will also target the Democratic power base in South Boston, where he was spotted chatting with voters at Mul’s Diner on a recent Friday morning.
While he has yet to earn the backing of any of South Boston’s Democratic powerbrokers, as Brown did when he earned the endorsement of former mayor Ray Flynn, some of the neighborhood’s Lynch voters say they are giving Gomez a look. - Boston Globe, 5/25/13
Gomez is turning to Lynch supporters because he's failing to gain the support he needs. Especially with the Latino community:
http://bostonherald.com/...
Several Bay State Latino voters haven’t warmed to Republican Gabriel Gomez, despite his extensive outreach to the community and the chance to make history and elect the first Latino representing Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate, several Latino leaders told the Truth Squad.
“I still think that Edward Markey will have the majority of the Latino vote,” said Alejandra St. Guillen, who runs Oiste, a nonpartisan group dedicated to boosting Latino voter participation in Massachusetts. “There is something to be said about potentially having a person of color in our state system … but no one’s really talking about it.”
While the National Republican Party has made inroads across the country, Gomez is up against several issues when it comes to Bay State Latinos, St. Guillen said.
“We definitely are a more progressive Latino community as opposed to other parts of the country,” she said. And while Gomez is more socially moderate than many Republicans, she said, “The majority of the Latino community is far more affected by access to quality schools, health care and economic equality, so social issues kind of take a back seat.”
Gomez, who is up against U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey in the June 25 U.S. Senate special election, has reached out to Latinos, according to his campaign. He stumped at the Puerto Rican Veterans Association monument tour, gave remarks at a central Massachusetts meet-and-greet and recently hit a Jamaica Plain business tour with the Latin American Growers Association, among other events.
“Folks who are traditional machine-type Democrats are out there supporting Ed Markey, but there are some folks who, even if they are Democrats, are taking a second look at what Gabriel is saying, what he is proposing and what he is doing,” said Juan Gomez, a former Republican Worcester city councilor who is supporting Gomez. He believes Gomez is winning over Latino voters.
“There is no way in heck Ed Markey will represent Latinos better than Gabriel Gomez,” said Juan Gomez, who is not related to the candidate. - Boston Herald, 5/27/13
Democrats and progressives are taking this race very seriously and are working hard to ensure that Markey wins on June 25th. I even received an e-mail today from Senator Sherrod Brown (D. OH), who is also against the chained CPI, in support of Markey's campaign:
The last election was a huge clash of ideas -- and progressives won. But the next big showdown is already upon us.
It’s happening in Massachusetts, where a great progressive champion named Ed Markey has stepped up to run in a special election for the seat long held by my friend John Kerry.
Recent polls have shown Ed in a surprisingly tight race -- within the single digits. And I know from experience that when right-wing special interests, headed by guys like Karl Rove, spend millions on attacks, a single-digit gap can close fast.
Voters in Massachusetts will be choosing their next Senator in just 28 days -- and Ed needs us to help him fight back. He needs to raise $100,000 in May. Can you contribute $5 or more?
https://livableworld.org/...
I can’t think of a better ally to have in the Senate. Ed’s spent his life standing up for working families. He’s proudly pro-choice, pro-equality, and pro-consumer (one of Congress’s biggest net neutrality supporters).
But in a special election, anything can happen -- and, in this one, it could happen at any moment. Election Day is just 28 days away. And with national Republicans planning to use this as an opportunity to reverse the momentum we gained in 2012, we can’t leave anything to chance.
Ed’s running the kind of aggressive campaign that can win this critical special election. But he needs our help.
In a tight race like this one, every dollar makes a huge difference. Will you contribute $5 or more toward his $100,000 grassroots goal?
https://livableworld.org/...
The next big showdown is here. Let’s go help a great progressive win it.
Thank You,
You can click here to donate to Markey's campaign:
https://livableworld.org/...