Posts Tagged ‘massachusetts special election’

Publius

Coakley’s Press Release Charging Ballot Fraud Was Written Yesterday

by Publius

This afternoon, the Coakley campaign convened a press conference to say they had received reports of voters receiving ballots, pre-marked for her opponent, Scott Brown. It would be a serious charge.

But we’re skeptical. Below is a screenshot of Coakley’s website taken this afternoon. The press release making the ballot fraud charge is dated yesterday, before any ballots were issued to voters. (Click Full Screen to view properly)

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Publius

At Polls, Turnout High, Ballot Issues Reported

by Publius

From the Boston Herald:

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Neither rain nor snow in dead of winter could keep voters away from the hottest special election in living memory, as elections officials today reported high voter turnouts across the state in the 11th-hour nailbiter to choose a successor for the late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Steady streams of voters have been heading into the polls to have their say in the bitter contest between GOP state Sen. Scott Brown and Democrat Attorney General Martha Coakley – a fight to determine the fate of the controversial health care bill, President Obama’s agenda, and one-party dominance in Washington, D.C.

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Paul A. Rahe

A Victory Speech for Scott Brown

by Paul A. Rahe

I believe that Scott Brown will win the senatorial election being held in Massachusetts today and that he will do so not by an eyelash but by a landslide. We are about to witness the Massachusetts Miracle.

I have three reasons for being so confident. First, the polls — with admirable consistency — suggest that he is ahead. Second, the Coakley campaign and the Democratic Party nationally have panicked. Coakley’s minions have sent out a flier accusing Scott Brown of wanting to turn rape victims away from Massachusetts hospitals, and the DC apparatus has sent in Bill Clinton and Barack Obama for last-minute campaigning. Both moves are likely to backfire.

First, the claims in the flier are ridiculous and demonstrably false, and voters in Massachusetts have the wit to recognize that fact. Second, the bloom is off the rose. Clinton is a has-been, and Obama inspires little in the way of adulation these days. Their appearance in Massachusetts under these circumstances is a public confession that Martha Coakley is herself a loser. In special elections, turnout is everything. Scott Brown commands enthusiasm; no one — even within the Democratic establishment — has expressed any genuine excitement regarding his opponent.

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Mike Flynn

Coakley Blame Game in Full Swing

by Mike Flynn

I’ve been involved in politics for longer than I usually care to remember. I’ve been in and around countless campaigns at all levels of government. One of the more intense times in political campaigns is the period immediately following a campaign; when operatives are busy taking credit or assigning blame. And let me tell you, they take this spin-battle very seriously.

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That said, this is a battle that takes place AFTER the returns are in. Politico has a “leaked” memo from the Coakley campaign blaming national Democrats for their poor showing:

National Dems Failed to Aid Coakley Until Too Late

— Coakley campaign provided national Democrats with all poll results since early December

— Coakley campaign noted concerns about “apathy” and failure of national Democrats to contribute early in December. Coakley campaign noted fundraising concerns throughout December and requested national Democratic help.

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Ryan P. Dixon

Scott Brown Campaign Update–Election Day

by Ryan P. Dixon

Yesterday, I introduced myself and told my story about a half-dozen Californians who decided, at the last minute, to travel to Massachusetts to campaign for Scott Brown. Below is video from today’s activity on the Brown Campaign.

Publius

Big Labor From New York Is Manning Coakley Office

by Publius

This video is quickly making the rounds across the Internet. It show’s Coakley staffers or volunteers throwing some reporters out of a Coakley office. Aside from the humor of a bunch of leftists and progressives suddenly discovering and asserting private property rights, the video has a classic display of the left’s quick resort to the N-Bomb, as in Nazis.

The video is just about a minute long and they can still work in a comparison to Nazis? Sheesh.

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Capitol Confidential

Why Is This Woman Handing Out Absentee Ballots?

by Capitol Confidential

The folks at  Election Journal caught up with Isabel Melendez handing out absentee ballots in Lawrence, Massachusetts. She also helpfully explains how she can mark the ballot for the voter:

“My candidate is Martha…so I can mark it”

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Pamela Geller

Why Scott Brown Must Win

by Pamela Geller

Often people write to me asking, “Pamela, what can I do? The problems are overwhelming.”

Well, here is an easy and immediate fix: if you are in Massachusetts, vote for Scott Brown. If Brown makes it, the Democrats lose their super majority. Scott Brown in the Senate would break the filibuster-proof Congress. He can save America from imminent ruin from statists and socialism.

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Yes, the election in Massachusetts today is that big. The Brown/Coakley face-off is arguably the most critical and historic race in the already monumental 2010 election year. We can stop, with one election, America’s race off the cliff, a race that comes to us courtesy the Obama Administration. The stakes could not be higher.

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Dr. Lorraine M. Schratz

Evidence-Based Health Care Reform? Lessons From Massachusetts

by Dr. Lorraine M. Schratz

In Massachusetts, where 97% of us have health insurance by mandate since 2006, we have learned a few things about health care reform.

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We have learned that universal coverage does not mean universal access to a doctor.  The Massachusetts Medical Society reports that there is a critical shortage of family physicians and severe shortage of internal medicine doctors.  Seven physician specialties are also operating in critical or severe physician labor markets.

A recent study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation showed that 75% of non-emergency ER visits occurred because a regular physician was not available after hours, and half of these visits occurred because a timely appointment was unavailable.  With more than half of all the doctors trained in Massachusetts leaving the state, citing the practice environment and low salary levels, and one out of every four currently practicing doctors considering a career change, it does not appear that access issues are going to improve soon.

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Publius

Tuesday Open Thread: America Rising Edition

by Publius

It has begun…

Ryan P. Dixon

Eyewitness to Scott Brown’s Historic Campaign

by Ryan P. Dixon

When I heard that Brown had been within reaching distance of Coakley, and that Brown would be the 41st vote to stop Obamacare. I got together with a good friend of mine and said “We need to be there.”

Knowing how huge this election was and how important it was to me, we got on the our local radio station last Friday and said “We are going to Massachusetts to defeat Martha Coakley in one of 2010s most important elections. Who is coming?”

Being from California, and with such last minute notice, we didn’t think we could get anyone to come. To our surprise, 6 strangers come forward to help us for an election on the other side of the country. I have created a video blog of what is has been like since we have been here, and what it is like to work on a campaign, to try and make a difference, show people how important it is to be involved in politics, for it is the future of our country.

Tomorrow is a historic election for Senate in Massachusetts.

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Jim Hoft

Martha Coakley Holds Rally at MLK Breakfast With Scott Brown Sitting In the Room — Brown Responds

by Jim Hoft

“I certainly didn’t realize that this was a rally for Martha and I thought it was inappropriate that she was starting to ask for other people’s votes when we were trying to remember Martin Luther King Jr.”

Scott Brown
2010 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast
Boston, MA

Martha Coakley told attendees at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast this morning that, “Dr. King would be standing with me if he was alive today.” Scott Brown answered reporters while leaving the breakfast:

I thought it was inappropriate to be politicking when we are trying to honor Martin Luther King today. I don’t have any comments on what it says about her. Right now I am not going to comment on anything political right now, we’re going to start campaigning in about a half hour… I certainly didn’t realize that this was a rally for Martha and I thought it was inappropriate that she was starting to ask for other people’s votes when we were trying to remember Martin Luther King Jr. …I don’t remember hearing anything about Martin Luther King except for minor references. “

Scott Brown attended the breakfast this morning but was not asked to speak.

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SusanAnne Hiller

Did Obama Let the Progressive Cat Out of the Bag?

by SusanAnne Hiller

President Obama traveled to Boston to help stop the bleeding of Martha Coakley’s campaign from several self-inflicted wounds. There are many critiques of the speech, with some pundits saying Obama was flat, uninteresting, and full of the usual drive-by campaign rhetoric that we have all become able to recite ad nauseum.

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As most of us are aware, Obama–without his teleprompter–rambles, is at times incoherent, and goes on and on to answer a yes or no question. He needs his teleprompter. It’s not like an addiction need, it’s more like ‘I really need my teleprompter, because I don’t want to say what you don’t want to hear’ type of issue.

Obama and his compliant press have tried to manufacture him as a centrist; however, that cover has been blown as of today.

What was stated in the Coakley cheerleading campaign speech in Boston, I don’t think Obama meant to say. He’s been off the campaign trail for so long, that he’s not on his game; I think the misstatement by Obama was a huge gaffe. At about 4:28 during the speech, Obama states:

“…you will carry on the best progressive, forward-looking values…”

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Kyle Olson

Dems’ Health Care Strategy: Seek Forgiveness Instead of Permission

by Kyle Olson

Consider this irony: Democrats and their special interest allies are in the fight of their lives to keep the seat formerly held by the champion of socialized medicine in the bluest of states.  Democrats should be tap dancing on the foreheads of Republicans in Massachusetts.  But instead, they’re racing against the clock for a deal on health care reform because they run the risk of losing their critical 60th vote in just a few days.

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So the Democrats strategy is clear:  seek forgiveness of American voters in November instead of permission now because the probable message from Tuesday’s election will not be in favor of ObamaCare.  Democrats are “hoping” to have an overall deal on health care reform, the tax-dodging Ways and Means committee chairman Charlie Rangel told NationalJournal.com, just in time to avoid the Tuesday Massachusetts vote.

The Huffington Post quoted SEIU vice president Anna Burger as saying, “Let’s go on and actually pass this bill.”  Anna’s wish is, of course, this White House’s command.

The special election this week in Massachusetts can easily be viewed as a referendum on Obama, his policies and specifically government-run health care.  And in a state that is navy blue, it’s a dog fight, with SEIU stepping in to plop down over $600,000 for TV ads savaging Republican candidate Scott Brown.  And RedState.com reported House Democrats are spending beaucoup bucks to elect a Democrat to the Senate.  It’s pure panic time for Democrats in Washington.

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Jim Hoft

Barack Obama Slams Scott Brown and His Truck… It’s a GM Truck

by Jim Hoft

Republican Scott Brown has been running ads in Massachusetts where he is out driving around in his old pickup truck while campaigning for US Senator something Marcia Martha Coakley refuses to do.

On Sunday Barack Obama slammed Scott Brown and his truck several times in his Bush-bashing campaign speech for Martha Coakley.

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Publius

Scott Brown: Remarks From Sunday’s Campaign Rally in Worcester

by Publius

Thank you very much.  What a privilege it is to share the stage with John Ratzenberger, Lenny Clarke, Doug Flutie, Curt Schilling, Fred Smerlas, Steve DeOssie, and many, many others – and my favorite singer, Ayla Brown.

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As you know, Curt Schilling made the news just a couple of days ago when my opponent didn’t recognize his name.  Of all the many false accusations she’s made in this campaign, one of the strangest was to call Curt Schilling a Yankee fan.  Let me properly identify the guy she’s been smearing on the radio: His name is Curt Schilling, formerly of the World Champion Red Sox – you know, a baseball team that plays at Fenway Park.

Doug Flutie, what can I say, great guy, great career, and I am proud you are here.  John Ratzenberger, a wonderful actor, you brought a lot of laughs to us during your many years with Cheers.  Fred and Steve, you are legends and good friends. Ayla, thank you for again sharing your beautiful voice.  Millions have seen her on national TV, and going through this campaign I’ve got an idea of what Ayla went through on “American Idol.”  She had to deal with Simon Cowell, and I had to deal with David Gergen.

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Dick Morris

Massachusetts Is the Game Changer

by Dick Morris

Beyond a pleasing sight for the heart, what would Ted Kennedy’s seat going Republican really mean?

A lot.

First, there would be the psychological effect.

On Democratic donors — it would discourage them from opening their checkbooks. On Republican donors — the impact would be electric in kindling their interest and generosity. On Democratic incumbents seeking re-election — it would make the beaches and golf courses that await them in their Florida retirement homes (and the lucrative lobbying jobs in Washington) infinitely more attractive. On Republicans considering running for the House and the Senate — it will help them see the truth: That their time is at hand! (It might even help our esteemed Party Chairman Michael Steele, realize that we can capture both houses this year!)

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But in the Senate itself, it would really signal the end of Obama’s legislative dominance. He’ll probably be able to pass health care either by Democratic dithering in certifying Brown’s election or by ramming through the bill while he’s en route to Washington on the shuttle.

But, beyond that, the prospects of getting 60 votes on the remaining items in Obama’s legislative agenda: cap and trade, union card check, and immigration reform would slip away with the Massachusetts result.

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Chris Muir

Unpopular Obama to Campaign For Unpopular Coakley

by Chris Muir

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Skadi

Coakley: The Political Gift That Keeps on Giving

by Skadi

Wait, what was that? Did Martha Coakley actually say that? Yes she did.  Here is the quote for those who have not heard or read it,

“You can have religious freedom but you probably shouldn’t work in the emergency room.”

She was saying that about devout Catholics on Boston’s WBSM to Kevin Pittman. But it is not where she said it, or to whom she said it. It is the words she chose to use.

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Where to start? The sheer arrogance is mind boggling.  Is she so full of hubris that she thinks that everyone in Massachusetts from Uxbridge to Cambridge agrees with her? This is what she says off the top of her head in an interview? This sentiment is so close to the surface of her consciousness that it spills out under routine questioning? How does one pick from such a plethora of goodies that Martha has given us during this campaign.

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Jim Hoft

BREAKING: Scott Brown Holding Press Conference– Will Press Charges Against Democrats–Updated

by Jim Hoft

One in five democrats in Massachusetts is going with Scott Brown.

That’s bad enough.

Now there’s more bad news for democrat Martha Coakley…

Scott Brown is holding a press conference at 4:00 PM EST. (From contacts in Massachusetts) He may sue the Democratic Party for using his picture on ads as a UPS driver.

Red Mass has the document:

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