POLITICS - Change Marches On, State Politics

"The Home Stretch for Martha Coakley in the MA Senate Primary" by Ani, No Quarter 12/7/2009

As the most qualified in the field, Martha Coakley has a chance to make history tomorrow, December 8th. I for one hope she does it. Massachusetts has never sent a woman to the Senate. Knowing her record, I suppose I am somewhat partial. The fact that she endorsed the right candidate for President last year and voted for Hillary on the convention floor speaks for her. As usual, it will come down to who has the best Get Out The Vote effort. The New Bedford Standard Times is one of a number of prominent publications giving AG Martha Coakley a strong endorsement for tomorrow’s MA Senate Primary:

…Attorney General Martha Coakley best exemplifies the qualities that make an effective U.S. senator.

A senator must be tough yet polished, a shrewd negotiator who is willing to compromise. Coakley strikes that balance, giving her the edge in a race against opponents who hold similar political views.

As attorney general, Martha Coakley sought to protect homeowners from abusive lending practices long before anyone coined the term “Great Recession.”

In June 2007, she announced an emergency 90-day regulation banning sham rescue schemes that took advantage of homeowners facing foreclosure. Judging the problem too dire to wait for the standard regulatory process, she boldly pressed forward to defend faltering homeowners.

Two months later, she proposed a series of new rules to fight predatory lending.

In 2008, Coakley responded to skyrocketing coastal homeowner’s insurance rates by calling on the state to fund public storm models crafted by academic scientists. SouthCoast homeowners — even those without so much as a water view — say their rates have doubled or tripled in the last few years.

This summer, Coakley filed suit against the federal government for equal marriage benefits, such as Social Security and income tax credits, for same-sex couples.

And in August, responding to growing political support for casinos, Coakley took forward-looking steps to update Massachusetts law with regard to money laundering and other crimes associated with gambling.

Coakley is a leader. She knows the law and is willing to take risks to do the right thing.

…Coakley was the first among the candidates to point out that the abortion amendment in the House health-care reform bill could actually roll back women’s access to abortion.

It does not merely block federal Medicaid funding for abortion for poor women — already the law — but in most cases prevents any government-run health plan or subsidized private insurance from covering abortion, regardless of whose money actually pays for the procedure. States could not use their own matching funds as some do now.

The result would be second-class treatment of poor women.

[snip]

Though gender should not propel an unworthy candidate forward, the gender issue matters. In all of Massachusetts’ long history, it has never sent a woman to the Senate.

It’s time to change that, but not with just anyone. The candidate must be worthy of the Senate, and Coakley is.

She is sharp and at the top of her game, ready to grow into the kind of senator Massachusetts deserves.

Her chief opponent, Rep. Capuano, was recently endorsed by Speaker Pelosi. That in itself is enough to disqualify him in my view. Not to mention his voting for the disastrous Stupak amendment in the House health care bill.

Coakley has also been endorsed by these publications:

Berkshire Eagle, MetroWest Daily News, Waltham Daily News Tribune, Milford Daily News and Dedham Transcript, Patriot Ledger (Quincy), Brockton Enterprise, Providence Journal and Springfield Republican.

Here is a link to a complete list of her endorsements by organizations, elected officials, and business and community leaders follows:

Those wishing to assist in their GOTV effort can e-mail elise@votecoakley.com for an ID to make calls at your leisure.

Coakley has shown courage and knows how to step up to the plate. Here’s hoping the voters agree and step up to the plate for her on Tuesday.