Massachusetts 1st District – Neal (D-MA1) Announces Candidacy (Again) faces challengers in Primary Fight - Outcome – Likely Richad Neal

Richard Neal, Incumbent Democrat, Massachusetts 1st District - Safe!


From the Springfield Republican (Masslive.com) Congressional Representative, Democrat Richard Neal, formally launched his re-election campaign for Congress this past week. He will be facing rivals from within his own party, no Republican’s have come forward to challenge Neal – redistricting in Massachusetts made Neal’s seat particularly impenetrable – melding two of the most Democrat leaning districts together in the States loss of a House Seat due to a drop in population – in other words – he’s Massachusetts’ Bob Byrd. As a result of the redistricting, Neal will not be facing a Republican Challenger this November. In 2010 Neal faced Republican Tom Wesley, and was in a heated campaign that, although he ultimately prevailed, required an influx of much needed funding to campaign, including robo-calls featuring Bill Clinton - with a winning Margin of 15% rather than the 71.7% projected by the New York Time.

Neal a member of Congress since 1989, is a rubber stamp for the Democrat Party – voting consistently and reliably as a partisan. However, his challengers from within, one with some state experience Andrea Nuciforo is an avowed Progressive, while the third challenger, Bill Shein, is a former joke writer for now Senator, Al Franken. Seriously.

The two challengers hail from the former 1st District, which, one does not require a “time-machine” to take a trip back to the 1960’s – mingled with the beautiful Berkshire Hills, fabulous outlets, resorts and spa’s, museums and the art – is a community little changed since folk artist, Arlo Guthrie, first gained national attention with his movie and subsequent album: Alice’s Restaurant. There are still festivals to be found in the hill communities that are reminiscent of Wood Stock – worth the trip – and a reliably Democrat, if not Progressive-Communist voting bloc.

The former Second District, however, was a bit (but not much) more Conservative, within certain larger suburbs, yet contains the City of Northampton (See Smith College – think Rachel Maddow), and Springfield – with the largest population center. Springfield is more “Blue-Collar” (if there are any jobs to support that moniker any longer), and “union” – There is, however, a “Tea Party” presence with a few Republican Committees and elected Republican’s to state and local offices.
Neal has little work to do other than a few meet and greets, and possibly a debate, which – with a comic, and an Occupy Wall Street opponent, will possibly be worth watching for the sheer entertainment value.

The 4th District – Not Predictable



The Boston Herald's Take on Kennedy Run in the 4th - image Bostonherald.com

During the redistricting, the 4th district (home to almost former Congressman, Barney Frank) patch together some of the most conservative Republican Strongholds in the Bay State, which prompted his resignation – there are two Republican’s running for the seat, and one Kennedy opposing. In that District, even a Kennedy “brand” may not do the trick – a great deal will depend upon who has the most juice, Sean Bielat, who had previously run against Frank, and gave him a run for his money, and Elizabeth Childs, has been endorsed by former Governor William Weld. Both Republican Candidates have ties to the Democrat Party, Bielat, formerly a Democrat, switched parties prior to Running against Frank, and according to votecorevalues.com, Child’s will be holding a fundraiser at the home of Obama/Biden grassroots coordinators.

The thing about Massachusetts is there is a thin line between being a Republican and a Democrat. One thing however is certain; the politics sure can be interesting – on occasion. The Democrats, counting on the Kennedy brand, should recall two things: one, it was a “Kennedy Seat” that riled the majority of independent voters to turn Scott Brown (R ) into Senator Scott Brown who coined the phrase “The People’s Seat”, and two, the makeup of the district, is not as firmly Democrat as any Democrat would want.

The first however, will be boring – keep in mind write-in candidates: Warner Brothers and Disney Characters.

Brown 51% Coakley 46% - Margin +/- 2.8% - Latest Poll Released Sunday Night By Public Policy Polling

A poll releasedon January 17th, by Public Policy Polling has Brown Up by 5 points over Coakley, but still within the statistical margin of error, according to the pollste who noted a margin of error for the poll at plus/minus 2.8% - polling 1231 Massachusetts voters using an automated telephone polling methodology. The poll did not include a category for “other candidate” or for Libertarian candidate Joe Kennedy. Additionally, the pollster is known as trending “left” in their political stance, however, they correctly called both the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections, giving them credence. Polling, although a statistical science, is not without errors, specifically when the electoral makeup is not in line with the actual electoral makeup of the state, and questions posed are not either leading or not relevant to the race.

The Marginals: full marginals and cross tabs here

Voting: Brown: 51%, Coakley 46%, Undecided 4%

Favorable: Brown 56%, Coakley: 44%

Democrats 39%, Republicans 17%, Unenrolled 44%

Obama Approval: 44% approve, 43% disapprove, 13% unsure

Effective argument for election to Senate: Brown 56%, Coakley 41%

ACORN Stealing Election: 25% Yes, 38% no, 37% Unsure

Favorable Opinion of Democrats in Congress: 30%, Unfavorable: 55%, Unsure: 14%

Favorable Opinion of Republicans in Congress: 22%, Unfavorable; 63%, Unsure 15%

Brown: Liberal 4%, Conservative 58% Moderate 37%

Coakley: Liberal 64%, Conservative 4%, Moderate 32%

Political View: Liberal 23%, Conservative: 22%, Moderate: 54%

The pollster in calling a 5 point lead with a 2.8% margin of error a statistical tie included the following:

”Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may
introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify.”

In reviewing the marginals, two (at least) anomalies are in place: first, the electoral makeup: Massachusetts electorate (based on 2008 statistics from the office of the Secretary of State), 35% Democrat, 12% Republican, 51% Unenrolled, and balance “other party”. In polls where Libertarian Candidate, Joe Kennedy is included, he garners 3% of the vote, in this poll, 4% of those polled are “unsure” which may account for the ommission of this candidate.

Obama’s approval remains the same from this pollster, referring to the last poll taken a week ago and 48% oppose the President’s healthcare plan. More over the question asked regarding ACORN stealing the election is interesting: although it is doubtful that the majority of those polled know about the roll ACORN has played in the political arena (given the virtual news blackout by mainstream media regarding that organization) 37% show as unsure, and 25% expecting the organization to be involved in voter fraud. Had the question been posed a bit differently, as in: Do you think the Democrats in Massachusetts will try to steal the election: those numbers might have been a bit higher, due to rampant corruption associated with Beacon Hill and the majority of the electorate in the Commonwealth being well aware of said corruption.

The pollster points out that “if” Coakley can energize the base in the final hours of the campaign, she can still pull it off – however, that would be an ACORN miracle at this point in the game especially coming into the final 24 hours of the election with a favorable of 44%. Note: both candidates lost favorability with this pollster, contributed to negative campaigning.

If the pollster were confident, given the 2.8% margin of error, Brown would have Coakley by 2 points, which is still somewhat of a “toss-up” even if it is a lead. Also of interest: given the make-up of the poll and the heavy reliance on Obama’s approval, or the number of those who voted for Obama in 2008 versus McCain, one would be led to believe that Coakley, herself, hardly factors into the race. What will be the deciding factor in this race is going to be “grassroots” and organization and Coakley's campaign. That momentum lays with the Brown camp.
Projection: Brown in a squeaker, (Factoring in the Dead, Acorn and the Momentum on Browns side). It is imperative that Brown’s camp continue the push, and should Coakley continue negative advertising, the margin for Brown may end up being a point or two higher. The weather and turnout: Forecast for Tuesday, January 19th from the National Weather Service: Springfield: Rain and Snow 50%, Boston: 60%, Worcester: 60% - should the forcast hold: advantage: Brown

Mass. U.S. Senate Race Poll, Rasmussen Night of Last Debate: Brown within 2 Points of Coakley – Rasmussen not weighing Independents.

Rasmussen Reportsreleased a second poll on the Massachusetts Special Election on January 19th to fill the vacant Massachusetts Senate Seat. Coakley leads Brown by 2 points in this latest poll, with a margin of error plus or minus 3. In viewing the crosstabs, Brown leads by 2 points with those committed to vote in the election. Rasmussen’s article notes that independents in Massachustts are breaking towards Brown by 71%, which represents 51% of the electorate. This poll did include Independent Libertarian candidate Joe Kennedy, who is at 3% of the vote according to the latest sample. The crosstabs do not indicate the political affiliation of those polled by percentage. It is more likely that Kennedy will pick up as much as 6% of the total vote, with Brown picking up the majority of Independent Voters, Republicans and some Democrats, with the balance going to Coakley – a tight race can be anticipated, as of today.

As the poll was taken immediately following the release of negative attack ads by Coakley groups, it will be interesting to see what impact that has on the overall tone of the race. Negative ads do not appear to do well with the Massachusetts electorate. Additional polls can be expected towards the end of the week, which one expects, depending on the pollster and how closely those polled match the actual makeup of the electorate, to see the impact from that aspect of this campaign.
Brown, who raised over one million dollars on the day of the debate, did so through individual contributions, most of which came through Massachusetts. Coakley was in Washington at a DNC fundraiser – making this a battle of the people versus the beltway – with Brown leading the charge.

Additional notes on the poll: the “strongly approves” on the Obama’s performance are at 37% and Deval Patrick picks up 16% of the “strongly approves”. Those on the “fence” or somewhat approving of both Obama and Patrick are at 20 and 24% respectively. The strongly disapproves, in this alleged Democrat stronghold are telling: Obama 31% and Patrick at 38%.

Although most pundits continue to play it “safe” and assume that Coakley will ultimately take the seat, one has to understand they are doing so based on the past performance of the state electorate. Given the fact that the last Republican to win in Massachusetts was Mitt Romney, whose opponent, Democrat Shannon Obrien, used similar tactics to Coakley – the exception – Brown’s favorables have been consistently higher than Romney’s, perhaps due to both the opposition candidate and the short length of time for both to camping. One can hazard to guess (as polls are all over the place) if it does come down to a 2 to 5 point margin, it will be in Brown’s favor. This given the history of similar elections and with a similar make-up – not taking into account the hot-button issues of Health Care Reform and the Economy which are also drive votes to Brown.

Brown Coakley U.S. Senate Debate - Brown Clips Coakley in Final Debate

The final debate for the U.S. Senate was held this evening at UMass Boston. (The full debate is available hereat C-SPAN). A portion of the debate from NECN is shown below. David Gergan moderated, the debate style was not as engaging as the last debate held on WGBY Springfield, which was a bit more "free-wheeling". Brown stood fast to his independent stance, showcasing his knowledge of foreign policy, while Coakley harped about "Bush-Cheney". Best line of the debate: The opening when Gergan asked Brown an opening questions regarding "Ted Kennedy's seat" - Brown's reply was quick and to the point - (abridged) - This is not Ted Kennedy's seat, this seat belongs to the people of the State of Massachusetts.

Independent Candidate Joe Kennedy held his own, although Gergan mentioned 20 times that he was not related to "The Kennedy's", and gave him little to no opportunity to answer questions. On substance Brown won the debate handily. Both Brown, Coakley appeared tired.

The end result is not only one of ideology but of legislative experience: Coakley, elected in 2006, has served as the Commonwealth's Attorney General while Brown is on his 3rd term in the State Senate, having served previously as a State Representative. Brown is decidedly a moderate conservative, who will cross the aisle, while Coakley is a pronounced Progressive Democrat. Brown came off as the guy next door - Mr. Smith goes to Washington if you will. Coakely came off as a somewhat arrogant and at times, uninformed or intentionally misleading.


New England Cable News Debate Coverage

MA Senate Race: Brown Strikes First - TV AD Begins Run Today

Breaking news fromThe Boston Globe - Scott Brown, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, is the first of the three candidates for the MA Vacant Senate seat, to begin to run television ads. Martha Coakley has yet to begin advertising.

The ad, shown below, entitled Different People, Same Message, speaks to the conservative values of John F. Kennedy.

Second Mass. Senate Debate: WBZTV Boston: Brown, Coakley, Kennedy Trade Barbs - Analysis

MA U.S. Senate Debate on WBZ TV: Brown, Coakley & Kenndy - image: Boston Herald

U.S. Senate Candidatesappeared on WBZ TV Boston last night for a debate moderated by Boston Reporter, Jon Keller. The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald both have articles summarizing the hour long debate that was available on WBZTV Boston Website, and will be telecast on Sunday morning in the Boston Area only (TV 38 & WBZTV).
In the debate, independent candidate Joe Kennedy appeared to target Brown, rather than Coakley, while barbs directed at Brown were easily deflected. One challenge by Kennedy was that Brown makes his legislative resume available on-line – which, Brown replied, it has been on-line for 12 years. The Massachusetts Legislature has information on-line for all State Representatives and Senators available here.

Both Brown and Coakley gave the usual back and forth rhetoric common to candidates that have spared in back to back debates, Coakley, relying on her record as State Attorney General, repeated several times that her department makes the Commonwealth money, while Brown repeated his anti-tax message on more than one occasion.

The moderator, Keller, gave Brown and Coakley the majority of the questions, throwing a “bone” to Kennedy on occasion, which although normal in all debates where major party favorite candidates are present, hardly seems fair. In the radio debate, Kennedy had more of an opportunity to highlight his similarities to Coakley, and in the televised debate, again, his attacks on Brown, give the appearance the both Kennedy and Coakley are somewhat simpatico.

Notice appearance: Brown comes off as the boy next door, the son of a single mother who managed to get through Boston College, become a lawyer, successfully run for office, and take the time to serve his country in the Guard – He stands by his record, one of moderation that, that indeed allows him to state that he would be an independent thinker if elected to the U.S. Senate. Interestingly, Brown is more than aware that the Independent vote is what will drive the Senate election, and that is where he stands to gain, and is most comfortable. Should Brown continue in this vein, he will pick up the 12% of the Republican vote, with approximately 35 to 40% of the independent vote (given that some independent voters will trend Democrat and based on past elections.)

Coakley on the other hand is the epitome of accomplished woman, she has the air of the “Seven Sisters” about her, she is polished, and has an air of elitism – however, she noticeably flushes when Brown throws bars, such as the suggestion she might be “robotic” in her votes should she be elected. Brown’s barbs tend to hit home, and although in the first debate, she did complain that Brown was attacking her, in the televised debate she refrained from complaint. One pattern, oft repeated by Coakley, was her use of Bush/Cheney as the cause of all problems she would go to Washington to fix. Brown had to remind Coakley that she wasn’t running against Bush, rather against him. What Coakley might have missed was a recent Gallop Poll that indicates 44% of those surveyed want George Bush back in office. She also used the refrain “the past 8 years”, while Brown pointed out to the here and now of massive spending. Coakley appears to be playing to the base. She needs to somehow prove she is an independent thinker, and move away from the Bush-Cheney rhetoric, which will not play with the independents, although it may be too little too late, given the sound-bites are now on record. In appealing to the Democrat base, she can count on at least 30% of the vote.

As to Kennedy, he was given little airtime, and he spent most of that time focusing on Brown – that said, he should have been better prepped, as his attacks were easily deflected. The local Boston News is making the fallacious point that Kennedy will be a sore spot for Brown, while from this viewpoint, Kennedy might be more effective if he focused on issues (for his own sake), rather than attack Brown without obviously being prepared. Kennedy, in this tactic, will pick up approximately 2 to 6% of the vote, which is historically the case for Independent (third party) candidates in Massachusetts, unless he peels away votes from Coakley, given his anti-war stance.

Overall, the debate allowed those the Boston area, and those in the rest of the Bay State who might have been aware of the debate, the ability to view the candidates (albeit online).

Note: Still waiting for the first public polls to appear.

Brown, Coakley & Kennedy Preliminary Debate Schedule for Mass. Senate Special Election – Coakley concedes to Two Debates.

According to the Boston GlobeMartha Coakley, Democrat running to fill the Massachusetts vacant U.S. senate seat, has agreed to two debates. The first on the Dan Rea show, WBZ AM, Monday (tonight?) at 8PM and the second to the held on WBZ TV and steamed live on the website, (for those who live in the rest of the state). The WBZTV debate will be taped, and then broadcast on a Sunday morning. These debates will include the Libertarian Candidate, Joe Kennedy.
Coakley and Brown have been invited to debate on several news organizations, including WCVB on January 10th at 10. A.M (shown locally and then simulcast nationally on CNN), as well as a January 11th debate sponsored by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The Boston Globe along with NECN, WGBH and WBUR has also invited the candidates to debate on January 6th. Coakley has yet to accept any additional invitations.

Apparently, Ms. Coakely refuses to debate unless Kennedy is included – analysts have offered several theories regarding Coakley aversion to debates, including – using this tactic to avoid debating Brown one on one, believing that if Kennedy is included in the debate, it will serve two purposes, one to allow those viewing the debate to see Kennedy and understand that he is not related to the Senator (although, the fact that Mr. Kennedy is running as a Libertarian may be the first clue), and second, in order to use the clock to her advantage, giving both Brown and Kennedy the opportunity to be drawn into one on one de bates, allowing her to sit it out. On the flip side, Coakley could be asking for the third party candidate to be included for the sake of Democracy – third party candidates rarely make a difference in the overall vote, especially in Massachusetts where it can be anticipated a third party candidate will draw approximately 6% of the electorate. That said the avoidance of debates with Brown, specifically any that are televised to the state and the nation, gives the impression that perhaps Ms. Coakley can’t stand the heat in the proverbial kitchen. It is hoped that Ms. Coakley will accept both the WCVB, Kennedy Institute and Globe debates; as those three would allow the citizens of Massachusetts an opportunity to make an informed decision as to who they would prefer in the race. Limiting a race of this import news organizations that few of the Commonwealth’s voters are able to access, may appear to some like a smart move, but it may also be an opportunity lost.

Coakley bears the additional burden of being a woman running in Massachusetts, a state that is not overly gung-ho when it comes to electing women. The last woman to run for a major office was Kerry Healy in the 2006 gubernatorial race. Several factors contributed to Healey’s loss: negative campaigning, a bad party brand (Republican) and the fact that she was a woman. The addition of the third party candidate, Christy Mihos, only accounted for 6% of the vote, making little to no difference in the Healy loss.

Coakley is facing the same, although this is Massachusetts, the Democrat brand is now tarnished (Afghanistan, Health Care, Cap and Trade, etc., etc.), and although the President maintains unusually high favorable ratings (compared to the balance of the nation), the policies do not. Secondly, although neither Brown nor Coakley has released one television or radio ad since winning the primary, should Coakley’s ads smack of negativity towards Brown, it may not play as well as hoped.
Coakley, is viewed as the frontrunner based solely on Massachusetts Democrat voter registration (36% of the voters), she must appeal to that 51% of the electorate who are designated unenrolleds. As of this writing, it is anyone’s game – Coakley has the backing of the SEIU, as well as the DNC, and of course, the endorsement of former president Bill Clinton, which will play well with registered Democrats. Brown, has been taking advantage of the press, (set up Google alerts for both Brown and Coakley – the results are interesting to say the least), and, and is now featured prominently on the front page of the National Republican Senatorial Committee with a link to a Boston Globe article featuring his post primary video "Daughters Know Best".

As of this morning, there is no information on the WBZ AM website as to the debate, however WBZTV 38 Boston via Keller’s Blog, has the debates air times along with an opportunity to submit questions for all three candidates. (Of note: a poll is offered on the Keller’s site regarding who one might choose as of today. Total respondents: 126, with Brown taking 81%. This is hardly scientific, but mentioned due to the minimal reach offered by the medium. ) One would hope that equal time would be given to all three candidates, including Ms. Coakley, in order to allow those capable of viewing these debates the ability to make an informed decision. Of course, it would also be hoped that the balance of those who would cast a vote in this special election, have the opportunity to view one of these debates, CNN would do the trick.

Andy Card Endorses MA Senator Brown – Brown announcement Saturday at 2:00 P.M. – Obama Presses Hard for MA Senate Replacement - Fear & Loathing in D.C

Scott Brown, to Make Announcment Re: MA U.S. Senate Race Today at 2 PM - photo: Facebook

Former White House Chief of Staff, Andy Card, formally endorsed State Senator Scott Brown (R), yesterday while announcing his decision not to run for the U.S. Senate Seat made vacant due to Ted Kennedy’s passing. Card stated: “Now is not the right time for me to enter a political race.
In these critical times, I know that Massachusetts would be well served to have Senator Scott Brown as the Commonwealth's next United States Senator. He has my full support."

Following Card’s decision and endorsement, Brown indicated that he would be making an announcement today at 2:00 p.m. from the Statehouse. Brown would join Republican Bob Burr, a Canton Selectman, and Democrat Martha Coakley, the Attorney General of the Commonwealth, as the third to formally announce a candidacy for this Senate Seat. Several Democrats who were considered to be possible successors to Kennedy have bowed out of the race; U.S. Representative Ed Markey, (D-MA) and more importantly, Joe Kennedy who was seen by local media as key to the tone of the race (Kennedy Dynasty)

Others who are either considering or whose names have been bandied about in the press include: Former Baseball Player Curt Shilling, who would run as an Independent, Progressive Democrat, John Tierney, Republican Michael Sullivan, former U.S. Attorney, currently working with John Ashcroft’s firm, Stephen Lynch Democrat , U.S. Congress, MA 9th District Michael Capuano, Democrat, U.S. CongressMassachusetts 8th Congressional District and The Boston Globe’s personal favorite Kennedy’s widow, Vicki Kennedy, who has already indicated she would not want an appointment, but has not yet issued a formal statement one way or the other on running for the seat.

As of this moment, Coakley enjoys strong support from within her own party, while Brown, who is more “populist” in nature, appears to enjoy local party support, and grassroots support that covers the entire Bay State and includes both Independents and Moderate Democrats. Depending upon the number of Democrats who enter the race, infighting may weaken any candidate running up to the primary to be held on December 9th; although Coakley is said to have sufficient contributions to continue through with the campaign. The same might be said on the Republican side with Brown appearing to have the most grassroots support (critical in any race), and the ability to raise funds (see grassroots), the Republican field is already narrow, and given that a primary among those who have announced would produce Brown as the candidate, should the State GOP give its blessing, the National Committee would follow suit adding considerably to Brown’s war chest. Brown would then be in the unique position to become the Commonwealth’s first U.S. Republican Senator since Edward Brook, (served from 1967 to 1979).

Pundits who are consistently bent on calling Massachusetts the Bluest State, should consider the fact that the population has changed (considerable drop in population leading to the loss of a Congressional Seat), the predominant political designation (and growing) is “unenrolled” or independent (Republican Governor’s are mainstream in Massachusetts), and the current political climate does not favor one party over the other.

They key factor in Brown’s Senate Race will be national support (from individuals, pacs and the GOP) With Barack Obamapushing for an “interim replacement” in the Bay state (directly), one understands that the climate has truly changed. If the Democrats, from the top down, we’re confident that a Democrat could take Kennedy’s Seat in the January Special Election, there would be no reason to install a name brand (enter Vicki Kennedy), replacement who, the President (and his advisors) erroneously believe, would be better positioned to best a Republican in the special election. As of now, it is speculated that the Democrats intend to push the Health Care Reform bill through the legislative process using the nuclear option (should they have enough support within their own ranks). With that in mind, a replacement for Kennedy, at this juncture, is moot, therefore, it is not only possible, but probable, that a savvy, competent, well-liked and well-funded, Scott Brown will be the next Republican U.S. Senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Edward M. “Teddy” Kennedy – Deceased - The End of An American Political Dynasty

Ted Kennedy with Barack Obama - image NY Magazine

Edward M. Kennedythe senior Senator from Massachusetts, died yesterday evening at the family estate in Hyannis at the age of 77 after a battle with brain cancer. Known as the “Lion of the Senate”, Kennedy was a staunch liberal and standard bearer for the Democrat Party. Kennedy’s passing heralds the end of an era for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as well as the country. He will be remembered for his soaring rhetoric and defense of his Democrat Party. He was pivotal in the nomination of Barack Obama in 2008, being one of the first to endorse Obama, and using his political clout within the Party to ensure enough Super Delegates would choose the Illinois Senator. Even in the last weeks of his life, Kennedy put his Political Party first – just last week he attempted to use his influence with the Massachusetts legislature to reverse the process of selection of a U.S. Senator should a seat become vacant. Currently, under Massachusetts law, should a seat become vacant, a general election is held, previously, the law stated that the Governor would appoint a Senator. The original law was changed at Kennedy’s behest, due to the anticipated vacancy of John Kerry’s seat in the 2004 presidential election. At the time, Mitt Romney, a Republican, was Governor of the Commonwealth, and Kennedy feared he would appoint a Republican to the U.S. Senate. Kennedy, mindful that the rules would might not favor (or allow Deval Patrick to appoint a successor), the Democrat Party, wanted to reverse the Commonwealth laws.

The Kennedy family ruled Massachusetts and the nation, not always under the rule of the law – the family fortune was amassed by Joe Kennedy, a “bootlegger” (producer and distributor of illegal alcohol during the U.S. Prohibition), and womanizer, who fathered 9 children. His sons, John F. Kennedy, President of the U.S. and Robert Kennedy, U.S. Attorney General, were assassinated in the 1960’s, leaving Ted Kennedy as the eldest to carry on the political torch. He ran for President in 1980, and lost to Jimmy Carter, due to his checkered past, specifically, an incident at Chappaquiddick where Kennedy drove his car over a bridge, left the scene of the accident and his passenger, a young woman, Mary Jo Kopechne, to drown. His actions, for good or for ill, made Ted Kennedy one of the most interesting political figures of our time. There simply are no other Democrat Party Statesmen of his stature and ability left in the Party he loved to the very end of his life.