Massachusetts Conservative Talk Radio - The Wesley & Westen Review, WRCN AM - Worcester, MA, - February 26, 2009

Tom Wesley and John Weston at WRCNAM 830 AM have a lively conservative talk format, which streams live from WCRN AM – Worcester, MA on Saturday mornings beginning at 6 AM, EST. Tom Wesley, a veteran and businessman, ran for the MA2 Congressional District seat against incumbent Richard Neal in the 2010 mid-terms. A candidate Q&A which can be found here gives insight into the man and his strength as a candidate.

Although Richard Neal was returned to Congress, Wesley ran a outstanding race against a entrenched 16 term Democrat - Wesley, on a limited budget, belied the projections of the New York Times, who projected Wesley would receive 25% of the vote in the district. Wesley, not unlike the 8 other challengers to the Massachusetts Democrat Congressional Caucus forced these members of the U.S. Congress to campaign hard, and garnered over 40% of the vote in this heated Mid-Term election. (NYTimes) Although one might pooh-pooh this type of margin as insignificant, it is the fact that those Congressman who had enviable cash on hand, were forced to defend their own districts, many for the first time in decades, if at all. These Massachusetts candidates, who proved there is more than a half-hearted conservative awaking in in Bay State, played no small part in the stunning defeat of incumbent Democrats nationwide, by pulling this much needed Democrat campaign cash into the Bay State and away from others. A note: The momentum from 2010 has not abated.

This author was asked to be a guest on the Wesley and Weston Review this past Saturday, topics ranged from the tone of the media, to the 2012 outlook, a link to the weekly broadcasts, with a commentary from Tom Wesley, can be found here at Tom Wesley.com It is a fast-paced, engaging show, well worth tuning in on Saturday mornings.

Barney Frank (D-MA) – in Trouble – Bill Clinton Heading to the 4th District to Stump for Barney Mae – Pushes Richard Neal (D-MA) Under Bus

Former President Bill Clinton, the Democrat Party’s last popular President, will be heading into the Bay State on the 26th of September to help out Barney Frank. The “rally” will take place at Tauten High School at 2:00 pm. Frank, who is facing the first serious challenge of his career from former Democrat turned Republican, Sean Beilat, will need more than a visit from Bill Clinton, to save his career. It is suggested he go to the nearest shrine and start asking for a miracle, because he’s going to need one. Bielat, a Marine, successful businessman and former Congressional page, is the miracle that 4th District Republicans and Independents have been waiting for. In the September 14th Republican primary, Bielat took the essential districts necessary to not only win the primary, but to send Barney Frank on a permanent vacation.

Meanwhile, Hampden 2nd District incumbent, Richard Neal, is apparently, for now, being thrown under the proverbial bus, as his Clinton visit, first brought up in July, is apparently on the back-burner. How many candidates can Bill Clinton save in one day? Apparently, he has priorities. Neal, who is also facing a challenge for the first time, has his hands full with GOP’s Tom Wesley, a U.S. Navy veteran, and international business man. Wesley won a hard-fought campaign against Northampton Doctor, Jay Fleitman in the September 14th primary and has a considerable grass roots game on covering the districts urban and rural areas. Richard Neal, stated plainly, is popular in the District, with the press and with the Unions, and he needed that Bill Clinton visit to up his image.

There are two ways to look at this particular “snub” if one will – Either Clinton feels Neal can handle Wesley, while Frank is of the two, in bigger trouble, or it’s a waste of time (given internals), so why bother? No stranger to the Bay State, Clinton may make a return visit should the almost publically invisible tax man, Neal, beg, or perhaps the task of defending Neal will be left to Obama, which would surely get a thank you note for the President by one Tom Wesley.

In either event, what Clintons’ visit for Frank and snub to Neal at the same time implies is that there are more than one or two competitive congressional races in the Bay State. Of course, the super delegate vote may come into play, Barney Frank stood by Hillary Clinton, while Richard Neal - cast his vote for Obama.

To learn more about the Candidates who would retire Frank and Neal:
seanbielat.org donate, volunteer, donate!
tomwesley.com donate, volunteer, donate!

Understanding that there are 10 Congressional district races in Massachusetts this November, and all candidates are equally deserving, these two particular races need special attention as they represent opposition to candidates who have their hands on our finances for decades – The Hampden 2nd, has been studiously avoided by both the local and national press, and, for that reason, if one must choose between the two, please consider the Hampden Second.

Can Bill Clinton Save Congressman Richard Neal? Neal (D-MA2), An Endangered Species, Faces Uphill Battle in Bid for Reelection - First Time in Career

Richard Neal, (D-MA2nd)image from www.nealforcongress.com

Primary Update: Tom Wesley is the Republican challenger to Richard Neal (D-MA2). See article Here on Neal internal polling. See article Tom Wesley Candidate Profile for more information. Odds on this particular race have not changed. Neal continues to struggle.


Massachusetts: (via the Atlantic) and The Boston Globe: Former President Bill Clinton will be making a trip back to Massachusetts to attempt to buoy the campaign of incumbent Democrat, Richard Neal. Neal, who is a reliable (100%) vote along party lines, may have noticed that his chances for reelection to an 11th term in the Congress are rapidly dwindling. Neals opponentDr. Jay Fleitman, of Northampton, MA is a formidable opponent to Neal. Fleitman, served on the Board of Health for the City of Northampton, only giving up his position to focus on the race.


Dr.Jay Fleitman - Candiate for U.S. Congress MA Hampden 2nd - image Tommy Devine Blog

The City of Northampton, known throughout the Pioneer Valley as “NoHo” is a mini-bastion of Progressive Democrats, home to Smith College, street artists and a thriving left of center populace of artists and educators. It’s often described among locals as a mini-Greenwich Village – one which would hardly embrace a Republican – with the exception of Dr. Jay Fleitman. Fleitman has since put boots on the ground, and has volunteers pounding the pavement in the larger Western Massachusetts Cities. He is being greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm when it is mentioned that Neal is the target.

What Neal may or may not know, is that the populace in Western Mass has had an epiphany of sorts, knowing for instance that disgraced Chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, Democrat Charles Rangels, had chosen Neal to be his successor. That is hardly an endorsement one would welcome coming into an election, as an incumbent and a Democrat in 2010, even, or perhaps, especially in Massachusetts.

The NRCC smells blood: while Googleing to see who was running SEM(Search Engine Marketing) advertising in the districts in Massachusetts, one found the NRCC ads pop up in both the 5th (Tsongas) and the Hampden 2nd( Neal) districts. Reading tea leaves are always a risk, however, for the NRCC to put one dime into the State of Massachusetts speaks volumes, and as the targeting was so specific, it leads one to believe that someone outside of the state believes these districts may be in play. The people on the “ground” in Massachusetts know that the Hamden Second is in play. Ask anyone about Neal, Republican, Democrat and Independent, and the response is the same – some variation of “he’s got to go”. The fact that Neal is known here, in the district, as a career politician does not help the incumbent who has run unopposed up until this year. He was on the Springfield City Council in 1978 to the Mayor’s office in 1984 and has been in Congress since 1989. There’s something about a land sale and the Basketball Hall of fame that irks Springfield residents, who have never had an option to “vote him out of office”. Now they do.

Clinton may be one of the most popular politicians, period in the Bay State, perhaps only eclipsed by his wife, Hillary, who won the popular vote in Massachusetts in 2008. It is doubtful that Clinton, regardless of how popular he is with Democrats and Independents, he will be able to pull Neal out of the frying pan. Now, if Clinton were running for the District that might be a different story.

However, it depends a great deal, with little information from the articles, other than Clinton is making a trip to support Neal, whether Clinton will be here to raise funds for Neal, or if he will directly campaign for him. Neal, who initially supported Hillary Clintons run in 2008, endorsed Barack Obama in June of that year essentially throwing Clintons under the bus at the Democrat Convention where Neal, as a Super delegate followed the rest of the Massachusetts delegation and voted for Obama.

What may have not gone unnoticed during the Brown-Coakley campaign: Democrats, Independents and Green Party members were all stumping for Brown – not merely casting a vote (which in itself is shocking) but working the phone banks and going door to door.
Browns election was caste in the media as a fluke, and now, as the 2010 mid-term looms, the general consensus of the “talking heads” from the Beltway to Beacon Hill, is that none of the Republicans running stand a chance at taking a seat from the Incumbent Democrat. Perhaps they believe that if they print it and/or broadcast it often enough, they may pick up a vote for Neal, Tsongas or Frank – then again, that strategy didn’t appear to work so well for Coakley – and the sentiment on the ground in Massachusetts has not waned, in fact, if nothing else, the animosity towards incumbents has increased.

Finally, it’s all about the money. Article after article points out that the incumbents have huge war chests (much of which they fail to mention is carried over and any new contributions come mainly from lobbyist and, further, that each district in Massachusetts will be holding a primary September 14th) and that the challengers cannot possibly compete against the likes of Neal and Tsongas. However, the fact that there are multiple challengers filing with the FEC ( here ) is it itself an anomaly for the Bay State. One would think, by the numbers of Republicans on the ballot that one woke up in Kansas. Logic follows that once the primary results are in the men or women left standing will either have the backing of the National party or the people – the later being more important in getting the job done (see Scott Brown).

It is not, inconceivable at this point that a minimum of four Congressional Seats are in play in the Bay State. Since every website featuring a play by play on how many seats are in play lists only one open seat (Delahunt’s retirement and the 10th) as being a toss-up, or, better yet, as the entire state of Massachusetts as “safe Democrat” it is a set-up similar to the Special election of January 19th, 2010.

Therefore, looking at these races from a conservative point of view, and enjoying a wager now and again, we offer the “odds” based on the noble sport of American Foot Ball. Handicapping the Massachusetts Districts: (Naming only the incumbent), as it stands now:

Hampden 1: Olver plus 6
Hampden 2: Neal minus 3
Mass. 3: McGovern plus 3
Mass 4: Frank plus 6
Mass. 5: Tsongas minus 3
Mass. 6: Tierney minus 3
Mass. 7: Markey plus 9
Mass. 8: Capuano plus 3 (Democrat Primary against Joseph P. Kennedy pending)
Mass. 9: Lynch plus 9
Mass 10: Open: Perry (R) plus 6

Looking at this from a wagers point of view, safe bets would be Markey, Lynch and Olver, in the Case of Capuano, (based on the primary) one might take Kennedy, (talking a field goal here), Hamden 2nd, Neal (although one can expect that line to move after the primary) Mass 3: no bet yet, Mass. 4 – depending upon the outcome of the primary – take the underdog (it’s a touchdown), Mass. 5, take the opponent, Tsongas needs to be minus 6 to be a safe bet. Tierney in the 6th, and Perry in the 10th appear “safe” bets at this point.

The above illustrates this blogs point of view regarding the current status of each Congressional District in Massachusetts and does not reflect an invitation to gamble on any political race (although it is done), rather to illustrate how important each vote is, and how with few exceptions, the Massachustts Congressional Delegation may change come November. Should the climate here, in the Bay State remain the same, one will see many notables coming in to the Bay State round the 2nd week of October to help stump for endangered incumbents.