MA 2010 Election Update – Roll Call of Dems who Voted to Stay in Session to avoid Tax Increase in 2011 – Not One Mass. Rep. on the List!

The House voted to adjourn yesterday and put aside voting on legislation that would have prevented a tax increase come January, 2011. Those Democrats voting to stay in Session, along with all Republicans are shown below. Who’s missing? Every single Democrat Congressional Representative from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts – who voted with House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi (who cast the vote that put the House on mini-vacation) to come home and campaign. One more reason why anti-incumbent sentiment is running high in Massachusetts are stunts like this.

Putting one’s “career” over the interests of the tax payers is a problem; therefore, when the opportunity arises, in every district in the Commonwealth, the question should be poised:
“Why, Congressmen, (or woman) did you vote to come home and campaign, instead of saving me from paying more taxes? Followed by: “and why should you keep your job?”


Every single member of the House of Representatives (your congressional representative) and Senator knew that allowing the Bush Tax cuts to expire would mean your income would decrease, yet the people we hired decided their income was more important – they needed to get back to their districts to campaign. Was it each and every single Congressional Representative or Senator – hardly. In fact, the House of Representatives passed the motion to adjourn and not vote on the Bush Tax Cuts by one vote – the tie breaker - Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.

That means that thirty nine Democrats joined all Congressional Republicans in voting to stay in session and vote on your income. Those Democrats who joined all Republicans and voted no are:

AL Bright
AZ Giffords
AZ Kirkpatrick
AZ Mitchell
CA McNerney
CO Markey
GA Marshall
ID Minnick
IL Bean
IL Foster
IN Donnelly
IN Ellsworth
LA MeLancon
MD Kratovil
ME Michaud
MI Peters
MI Schauer
MS Childers
MS Taylor
NC McIntyre
NC Shuler
NH Arcuri
NJ Adler
NM Heinrich
NV Titus
NY Bishop
NY McMahon
OH Driehaus
OH Kilroy
OH Space
PA Altmire
PA Carney
PA Murphy
PA Perriello
PA Sestak
SD Sandlin
TX Edwards
VA Connolly
VA Nye

If your Democrat Congressman or Congresswoman is not on the above list, they are responsible for increasing your income. Nothing more, nothing less.

First Dodd, now Patrick Kennedy To Retire – Massachustts Finds Multiple GOP Challengers to Democrat Incumbents.

Rhode Island Congressional RepresentativePatrick Kennedy, has become the latest to take early retirement, rather than seek re-election this term. Kennedy, who, according to a recent poll, has a 35% approval rating. Kennedy cited his father’s death as well as his own issues with substance abuse, as reasons for his retirement. Kennedy had held the seat since 1995. The last New England retirement announcement came from embattled Connecticut Senator, Chris Dodd less than a month ago.

One has to wonder who’s next? Perhaps a High Profile Congressional Representative from Massachusetts will consider retirement a better option than defeat. Democrat Incumbents face multiple challengers in districts across Massachusetts. According to an article in the Worcester Telegram : Democrat James McGovern of the Mass. 3rd district who is seeking an 8th term, faces challenges from Republicans Robert Delle, Marty Lamb, Robert Chipmen, and Patrick J. Barron. In the Hampden Second, Richard Neal, who has held the seat since 1989, faces challenges from Dr. Jay Flietman of Northampton, Thomas Wesley and Thomas McCarthy. In the 1st Congressional District, held by John Olver a Congressional Representative since 1991, two Republican challengers, Jeffrey Donnelly and Timothy McLaughlin have thrown their hats into the ring.

Over in the 5th District, Nikki Tsongas faces challenges from Republicans Jon Golnick and Sam Meas as well as independent candidate Dale Brown. In the 6th, Teirney will face a challenge from Republican David Sukoff While over in the 4th District, Barney Frank is facing challengers from Republican’s, Independents and Democrats. Republican’s Earl Henry Sholley, Keith Messina and Sean Bielat have entered the race, with one more Republican currently on the fence. Susan Allen, and independent and Rachel Brown, a Democrat are also vying for the 4th Congressional District seat. Rumors of Frank’s retirement have surfaced again in recent weeks; with Dodd’s retirement, and now Kennedy’s, it is anyone’s guess at this point if Frank will stay in the race, even though he’s pulled papers. Republican’s and Democrats have until May 4th to file papers with the Secretary of State while Independents can file up to August 3rd.

In the past, the voters of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts saw few if any contested Congressional races, this year, they have multiple choices. What is of special interest in the sheer number of Republican’s who have entered races in a state where the GOP has been long considered all but extinct. Also of note, a good percentage of those running, began their campaigns prior to Scott Brown’s announcement to run for U.S. Senate. This belies the common media misconception that Brown’s win has emboldened Republican’s to run. What Brown’s success did was give them a boost and more determination. Massachusetts is normally the last state of interest in a general election nationally, but one can bet 2010 will be different.

Poll: Growing Majority Believe That Majority Members in Congress Should be Sent Packing in 2010

According to a new poll out byRasmussen Reports, 63% of respondents believe the country would be in better shape if incumbents were given the boot in 2010. Additionally, those who feel that Congress should be turned over, have a decrease in confidence in their own Representatives.
Rasmussen defines two classes in the report: The Political Class, or voters that trust political leaders, and Mainstream voters (or the rest of us).

This growing discontent is, perhaps, most noticeable in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, known first as the cradle of liberty, and lately as the Bluest State in the Union. That has changed, however, over the past two years, as Conservative candidates began to emerge to challenge entrenched Democrats. Although little notice was given, this snowballed when one Scott Brown defied the alleged odds, and managed to take back the “people’s seat”.

That said, as Brown was considering his run, individuals across the Bay State were doing the same – considering a run against those entrenched politicians who have held sway over Beacon Hill and Washington for decades. For the first time in memory, politicians such as Barney Frank, Richard Neal and Nikki Tsongas (to name but a few) are facing opposition from Conservative candidates – and, in most cases, there are multiple candidates who had launched campaigns - and most importantly – prior to Brown’s Senate win. What this tell us about the change in political think of those who are dubbed “the masses” by Progressive thinkers (i.e. some, not all, Democrats who hold an office), have had enough.

Surely, if the long suffering, over taxed, and citizens of what has been fondly called “The People’s Republic of Massachusetts, are seeking alternatives to Congress with a palpable enthusiasm, then it must be happening elsewhere. One may see those Rasmussen poll numbers increase over the next few months, and going forward into 2010, the energy on the part of the “average citizen” to get involved and facilitate change will increase – be it direct involvement in a political campaign, or heading straight to the voting booth – with gusto. For all the pundits, and what it is worth, the recent wins in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and most startling perhaps, New Jersey (for those on the inside of the Commonwealth looking out), was not an anomaly of any sort – it appears to be the beginning of a new “norm”.

Obama Health Care Revolt Hits the Bay State - McGovern (D-MA) & Neal (D-MA) Shouted down in Attempt to sell Universal Health Care.

Neal(D) & McGovern (D) booed at Town Hall Obama Health Care Meeting in Worcester, MA - photo: Worcester Telegram Gazette

Yesterday, James McGovern, Representing the Massachusetts 3rd District and Richard Neal, (Hampden 2nd) attempted to sell the administration’s health care program to individuals attending a town hall meeting at the University of Massachusetts campus in Worcester – it did not go well. The Worcester Telegram and Gazette’sarticle (here) , describes a “packed town hall meeting” where Neal and McGovern were met by a hostile crowd.

Town hall meetings are being held across the nation in a last-ditch attempt to sell the government run health care program, and one would expect, that those held in a blue state such as Massachusetts would be an easier sell. What one has to understand is that Massachusetts already has a health care system in place, similar to the one proposed by the Obama administration. That system has run consistently over budget, and has almost bankrupted the state – This program and the beleaguered turnpike authority caused a significant (25%) rise in taxes and fees that went into effect August 1st. Massachusetts residents have “seen the future” and they aren’t buying.

Richard Neal is facing opposition in the Massachusetts 2nd district – Republican Dr. Jay Flietman of Northampton. Neal is normally considered “safe” by pundits during election years simply because he runs unopposed – 2010 may be the turning point. Neal was an early Obama supporter in the 2008 primaries, although his constituents overwhelmingly supported Hillary Clinton. Flietman is more than qualified to give Neal a run for his money in 2nd district, which includes Hampden, Hampshire and parts of Worcester country. To Learn more about Dr. Fleitman visit his website www.jayfleitman.com.

Neal, not necessarily grounded in reality – gave a recent interview to WWLP (below) insisting that the Stimulus was working and the economy had improved. These types of statements make it difficult to sell a program that the majority of American’s see as both government intrusion into private life as well as an additional tax burden.



Those who live in the 5th District will have an opportunity to attend a town hall meeting by Rep. Nicki Tsongas (D-MA) who will be holding an Obama Health Care forum on Saturday. Taking a page from John Kerry’s last campaign – Tsongas is holding “Congress in Your Corner” meetings (staff in attendance) in the following locations: Chelmsford, (August 8), Hudson (August 11) and Lawrence (August 18) – the full schedule is available at her website here. It is extremely likely that Ms. Tsongas will face stiff opposition at those meetings.

If Obama cannot sell his plan in Massachusetts, (to the residents), (One must discount those members of Congress in Massachusetts who are normally politically “safe” and feel “their constituents may not know what’s good for them” – a-la Andrea Mitchell (see video below) – and will, in all likelihood vote for any bill along partisan lines (proven records on all three mentioned here), how then, can he sell it nationwide, where Democrats do not always enjoy the “safety-net” provided by the Blue State (which, incidentally may change in 2010).