Governor Patrick in Newburyport

Governor Deval Patrick stopped by Cafe Di Siena in Newburyport one evening a couple of weeks ago to have a conversation with a few local supporters.
 

 

 

Here are a few pictures.

Lt. Gov. Tim Murray at Salt Marsh Antiques in Rowley

The Rowley DTC and Salt Marsh Antiques hosted a fund-raiser for LG Tim Murray Thursday night and it was a great success! Rowley, Newbury and West Newbury town committees sponsored the event and invited Dems from all over the North Shore to gather in support of LG Murray.

Special thanks to Bobby Cianfrocca, Caryn Carangelo, Kathy Pasquina, Matt Patton, Robin Bergman for all the hours (OK, days) devoted to making this a very special evening!

Joining us were Congressman John Tierney and State Rep. Mike Costello.

Lt. Gov. Tim Murray

Elizabeth Kilcoyne, Dick Purinton, State Rep. Mike Costello

 Rep. Mike Costello, Dick Purinton, 

Congressman John Tierney, LG Tim Murray

 Bobby Cianfrocca and Tim Murray

Look HERE 

for the rest of the photos

Oh, by the way, Robin and I did the food!

Governor Patrick in Danvers

Governor Patrick held a series of meetings with supporters yesterday, one of which was in Danvers at the Peabody Institute Library.

The mural in the room made for a great backdrop for pictures. I did a quick search and didn't find anything written about the artist or subject. If anyone knows about it, please let me know.

 

More photos HERE.

Barn Dance!

The Boxford DTC sponsored a Barn Dance last Saturday night at historic Gould Barn in Topsfield. The fabulous blues band, 2120 South Michigan Avenue with Sweet Willie "D" and special guest, Pat Herlihy, on sax, had the old barn rocking on its foundation! What fun!

Here's the 300 year old barn* looking benign from the outside:

And here's the band rockin' on the inside!

Charlie Sawyer

 

Pat Herlihy

Sweet Willie "D"

More pictures HERE!

*barn picture from Topsfieldhistory.org/gould_barn.shtml

Steve Grossman in Newburyport

Steve Grossman spent almost two hours with local Dems at Caffe Di Siena last evening, discussing his candidacy for MA State Treasurer.

Great turnout. Good conversation!

More pictures HERE!

Breakfast with the Ipswich DTC

Saturday morning, the Ipswich Democratic Town Committee held their annual breakfast, at which a Citizens Action Award was given to Ipswich Caring, a volunteer organization that has been helping seniors, families and children for thirty-six years.

Among the speakers was our Congressman John Tierney, who not only gave us an update on congressional goings-on, but also presented the award of Ipswich Democrat of the Year to Ed Traverso.

Also speaking were Suzanne Bump, candidate for State Auditor, Governor's Council candidate, Jason Panos, Damian Anketell, candidate for Essex County Sheriff, and representatives of the Lt. Governor Tim Murray and Steve Grossman for State Treasurer campaigns.

Congressman John Tierney

 

Congressman Tierney

congratulating Ed Traverso

Lots more pictures HERE!

House Party for Governor Patrick's State of the Commonwealth Address

On Thursday night, over 20 local Dems gathered in Newbury to watch the Governor give his State of the Commonwealth address. Dinner, great conversation, and engagement over the administration's accomplishments and shortcomings.

After the speech, we participated in a conference with Governor Patrick and activists at house parties across the state.

I didn't notice the donkey on the mantle until I started editing the photos--I love it!

More pictures HERE.

Newburyport press conference for Coakley

Earlier this afternoon, local officials gathered at a press conference on Inn St. in Newburyport (really cold, gross weather) to show support for Martha Coakley.

Everyone's for Coakley!

More pictures HERE!

(Some of you may recognize the dog!)

Martha Coakley rally in Newburyport

Martha Coakley, Massachusetts Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, toured the North Shore today and stopped for an energetic and well-attended rally.

When you take a break from making phone calls for Martha (you are doing that, right?) in the next couple of days, take a look at the photos!

 Martha Coakley

Martha Coakley and
Newburyport Mayor Donna Holaday

 The rest of the photos are HERE.

I'm voting for Mike Capuano!

A letter to friends and readers:

I'm writing to you on the eve of the Massachusetts primary to voice my support for Congressman Mike Capuano.

As many of you know, I am a constituent, supporter and great admirer of Congressman John Tierney. After Senator Kennedy passed away, Congressman Tierney considered running for his seat. Along with many fellow North Shore democrats, I was very excited at the prospect of working on his campaign and was extremely disappointed when he decided not to run.

My first instinct was to support Martha Coakley. I've met her several times and like her, think she's very smart (and street-smart) and savvy, and consider her an outstanding Attorney General for our state. I decided to wait, observe and see who else might enter the race.

Mike Capuano declared his candidacy and John Tierney endorsed him, saying,

"Mike joined me in opposing the Iraq War and the excesses in the originally proposed PATRIOT Act," said Congressman Tierney. "I am supporting Mike in his campaign for Senate because I know how hard he works to stand up for middle-class families, to achieve affordable, universal health care, and to create jobs here in Massachusetts. There is no other candidate in this race who can match his work ethic, his years of legislative experience, and his steadfast commitment to his principles and progressive beliefs. We need Mike to continue his fight for progress in the United States Senate."

Considering their nearly identical voting records, my strong support of Tierney and his unequivocal endorsement of his colleague, I began to pay attention to the Capuano campaign.

The more I saw, the more I liked. Capuano is a true progressive whose votes are aligned with my beliefs--from voting against the Iraq War and the Patriot Act to his support of the repeal of DOMA (defense of marriage act) and his co-founding the Congressional Caucus on Sudan, he proves himself a passionate, committed progressive.

He has held seventy "open mike" forums throughout the Commonwealth, always engaging in conversation, answering any questions, asking questions. He holds "open mike" town hall conference calls when he's in Washington in order to keep in touch with his constituents--something he said he will continue to do as U.S. Senator when he was asked about it tonight in an "open mike" conference call.

Please feel free to call me tonight (you all know I'm up late!) or any time tomorrow on my cell (I'll be at the polls by 7am) and I'll be happy to talk to you about my decision. If you are a supporter and want to help with GOTV (Get Out The Vote) calls on Tuesday, call me!

I hope you will consider casting your vote for Mike Capuano to become the next Senator from Massachusetts!

And, no matter whom you are supporting in this race, VOTE, damn it!

Fondly,
Nancy

Here are links to more information about Mike:

Unions and organizations
Elected officials
Publications and bloggers
Video of Dukakis' endorsement
My photos of Mike Dukakis endorsing Mike Capuano
Video of Mike taking on Bank CEOs at congressional hearing (imagine adding his voice to the Senate!)
Capuano's "resume" on Project Vote Smart

Remembering Senator Ted Kennedy

I'm finally getting around to editing photos from past events that had been backlogged for one reason or another.

Not getting to this first set had a lot to do with my being rather overwhelmed by Kennedy's death. I was nearly done editing a couple of days after I took the pictures, but each time I went back to wrap it up and post them, I was recaptured and moved by the faces in the photos, and drawn back to have another look at them.

Each and every one of the people captured in these photos, whether you see them individually or in a crowd, was there because he or she was touched in some way by Ted Kennedy--as senator, friend, uncle, husband, mentor or myth. I've never been among a more diverse group of people and yet they all came together with the single purpose of honoring this exceptional human being.

The first group of pictures were taken of the motorcade passing between Government Center and Faneuil Hall on Thursday, August 27, 2009.

Slideshow HERE.

The second group of pictures was taken the next day, Friday, August 28, 2009, at the JFK Library.

Slideshow HERE.

A break from the usual post

In a break from the usual political posts, I'd like to share my pictures taken last week on a day trip to Franconia Notch and Sugar Hill.

The weather was wild: from bright sun and brisk wind to dark, ominous clouds that one minute unleashed hail (not cold, wet sleet, but actual, car-denting balls of solid ice) and the next spilled multi-layered rainbows.

These pictures could only have been taken in New England!

More pictures HERE.

Governor Patrick in Haverhill

Last Wednesday, Governor Patrick was greeted by a couple of hundred people when he came to Haverhill to speak at the grand opening of Hamel Mill Lofts, a project developed with federal, state and private funds.

More pictures are HERE.

Urgent upcoming vote in MA legislature!

As early as tomorrow, the MA legislature will vote on allowing the governor to appoint an interim senator to serve MA constituents for the next 4 1/2 months.

Not only will that person represent us by casting critical votes regarding health care (think 60!) and economic legislation, but that appointment will ensure us continuous vital constituent services, now provided by Senator Kennedy's staff. Without an interim senator, hundreds of MA families currently being served by his dedicated staff will be without help, and the continuing work of Kennedy's office will be curtailed as the staff packs up and leaves.

When the current legislation was passed, the republicans in the legislature tried to pass an amendment "...to allow the Governor to fill a Senate or Representative vacancy in Congress until a special election is held," with a "Yea" vote "ensuring MA representation in Congress in the event of a vacancy." Republicans and a few Democrats voted "Yea." Now they've changed their minds.

Both sides have played politics. Now they can all set it right. Massachusetts residents need the continuity of representation. WE NEED TWO U.S. senators.

Please find your legislators' telephone numbers here, call them TODAY and ask them to vote to send an interim senator to Washington!

I've called Rep. Harriett Stanley's office and was told she would be voting NO. She voted with the Republicans on the original legislation, as well. To those in her district: Let's change her mind! Call her NOW! Bruce Tarr is also voting NO. Barbara L'Italien is on the fence, but Phil in her office said she is leaning toward voting YES. Please call her office and encourage her to do so!

I've posted this on my facebook page and sent it out as an email blast. Thanks to Ed Cameron for offering to send it on to the members of the Newburyport Democratic City Committee. Please feel free to forward this link to Massachusetts residents who want to make a difference by calling their legislators. Let's win this one!

Lt. Gov. Tim Murray at the North Reading DTC BBQ!

Matt Patton introduced Lt. Governor Tim Murray, who was a special guest at the North Reading DTC Summer BBQ, held earlier today.



More pictures from a delightful afternoon HERE.

Great turnout for Congressman Tierney!

The Republican running for Congress in the 6th District tried to use the health care reform debate for his own political gain this afternoon by holding a rally outside Congressman Tierney's office in Peabody Square. The candidate, who said earlier this week that he was "inspired by all the Americans at the anti-healthcare rally in Portsmouth," planned the rally to take place during Congressman Tierney's vacation, while claiming Tierney is avoiding facing his constituents. On the contrary, Tierney held this forum in Lynn in June of this year, and plans to hold an open conference call about health care before heading back to Washington--one that can accommodate as many as 30,000 people.

There were many times more of Congressman Tierney's constituents on the sidewalks of Peabody Square today than there were "health care opponents." Tierney is an outstanding progressive and is a proponent of singe payer health care.

By the way, how can someone be against health care?

More pictures HERE.

President Obama's health care Town Hall in Portsmouth

President Obama came to Portsmouth High School on Tuesday to conduct a Town Hall forum on health care. Had he come in the front door, he would have been flanked on his left and right by those representing the left and right, as citizens from both sides of the political spectrum were awaiting his arrival. Had he not used the back door, he would have landed center stage among those playing out the frenzied, tense drama with escalated rhetoric directed, ultimately, not at him, and not at each other, but at the national audience brought by the media who swarmed the site from well before I got there at 6:45 a.m., until sometime after I left at 4:30 p.m.

I'm frustrated by the photos I took outside. You can see the crowds, read the signs. But what they don't convey is how damn loud it was--loud in an ugly way. In a scary way. In a pessimistic, hopeless this-can't-possibly-be-a-good-way-to-do-anything way.

Inside the gymnasium, the mood was celebratory: the President of the United States was about to arrive. I'd venture to guess many of those present had seen Obama before as candidate Obama--I had several times--but a presidential visit seemed different. People felt honored to be there. There was a point at which someone came out to talk to the crowd and said something about health care (I can't remember what exactly) that sent Obama supporters to their feet. That was when I saw how many people who opposed him were in the room. I was startled enough by their numbers to imagine things could get unpleasant. But the atmosphere in the room wasn't foreboding. And, after having spent the morning among the crowd outside, it felt like a love fest.

If you missed watching it on TV, it's available to watch any time on c-span. (Oh, and don't skip over the National Anthem. It was sung by high school senior, Natalie Hazzard, whose voice was sweet and clear and on pitch--no mean feat for that piece! Ordinarily, when I hear our anthem sung, I'm further convinced This Land is Your Land would be a far better choice for the country. I still think it is, but this time that wasn't my first thought!)

Enjoy the pictures!

Governor Patrick in Newburyport

Governor Deval Patrick held a town hall forum in Newburyport this evening, answering questions and engaging participants in conversation for two hours.





Thanks, Governor Patrick, for posing for a picture with Toby!



More pictures from this evening here.

George McGovern appeared in Gloucester on Sunday

On a book tour for his recently published book, Abraham Lincoln, Senator George McGovern spoke to 300+ people Sunday in Gloucester. The Senator, celebrating his 87th birthday yesterday, got a hardy laugh from the audience when he began his remarks with, "Four score and seven years ago..."
I was able to chat with him for a few minutes after his appearance. What a wonderful human being! How different the world would be if the rest of the nation had voted as wisely as those of us in Massachusetts did in 1972!










Thanks to the photographer who used my camera to take the photos of me. I wish I had her name!

More photos can be found here.

This Land Belongs to You and Me

This song really does merit being our national anthem!
(Please send me links to other versions you find and I'll post them!)

Celebrate this 4th of July by spending time appreciating the beauty of where you live. I'm taking a 7 mile walk down the byways and marshes of Newbury!