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.

Mass Political Roundup: Warren’s Cherokee Nation continues to Haunt, Kerry Bemoans Loss of Luger, Mass. 6th Up for Grabs, Neal’s(D-MA1) Tax Rules

Lizzie Warren with Barack Obama - worked in Administration - image mediatedotcom


Elizabeth Warren, College Professor, Obama Team Member and Candidate against one Senator Scott Brown (R-MA), has, from any reasonable point of view, no way out of the ever growing saga, of her deceptive application as a student and Harvard Professor noting she is a minority due to her American-Indian Heritage. The latest ditty from Red State, speaks to the fact that her ancestor was indeed close to the Cherokee nation, however, on the “side holding the gun”. The more we learn about Elizabeth Warren, the more ridiculous a candidate she becomes – the question to the DNC – “What were you thinking?” It is apparent that one can run for office, be a friend to the President, and well, fudge one’s resume a bit – apparently the lack of vetting from that side of the aisle remains non-existent.

In an upset that was broadcast last night, the Indiana Primary saw 80 year old moderate to the left of center Republican Senator, Richard Lugar’s loss to a conservative, Tea Party, Club for Growth and RSC backed Richard Murdock – or - term limits imposed by the ballot box. This has Massachusetts Senior Senator John Kerry in a state of Depression - as he “laments Republican Richard Lugar’s Departure-from the Senate” (Boston Globe) – To those citizens of Indiana – obviously you made the correct choice – therein lays the proof.

There may be trouble in “River City” for Massachusetts Congressional Candidate John Tierney in the 6th District – this according to political pundit, Stuart Rothenberg. The Massachusetts House Seats now number nine, of nine, one might consider one completely safe – baring a strong and charismatic, well connected candidate for the 1st District, now owned by Democrat Richard Neal. Neal, now in the Massachuestts 1st District, is surrounded by the maximum progressive population in the state, and although there are pockets of conservatives living within the confines of the 1st, there are more “Cher” minded individuals – that is not to say he is not without competition, from inside his party. According to the Springfield RepublicanNeal faces two contenders on the Democrat Side, and no Republican has emerged as of March 14th.

There are, however, Republican candidates running in other, less gerrymandered districts, one with a particular disadvantage is a Kennedy running in the newly drawn 4th, drawn into such Conservative enclaves that Barney Frank got up and retired. That district may also be up for grabs, as anyone who lives inside Massachusetts understands the Kennedy brand is not what it once was – See Scott Brown (R-MA) enough said.

Finally, from Bloomberg News, U.S. Citizens living outside the borders, and considered ex-patriots (or ex-pats), are finding banking overseas to be non-existent. This due to new regulations put in place by Massachusetts’ Tax Man, Richard Neal (D-MA1), who crafted the Foreign Compliance Act, which essentially bars American’s from banking with overseas firms, and if they do, they pay a 30% tax.

Although one would think that this was aimed strictly at millionaires, and billionaires, who have escaped the U.S. for tax purposes, (or businesses ventures), it also affects other expats who maybe overseas working for contractors, limiting their choice of banking options. Additionally, according to Bloomberg, some of those “Millionaires” have opted to give up their U.S. Citizenship, in order to “evade” paying the 30% rate on return of investment – meaning, the U.S. government will receive zero dollars. The “Tax the Rich” plan looks great on Progressive paper, and also works well at Campus Rally’s, but when push comes to shove, if the targeted Millionaire becomes a citizen of “name another country”, the tax no longer exists. Just look at the state by state exodus to avoid hefty taxes within the U.S. and one gets the drift. Neal’s conservative moniker is: “Nancy Pelosi’s and Ireland’s Tax Man on the Hill”(from pre-2010 Republican House Takeover, a must read originally published on Brietbarts’s Big Government.) Neal is worth watching, although projected to be in the Congress longer than Bob Byrd.