Cape Politics

Sudden loss for family of Rep. Jeff Perry

It was with deep sadness that word went out today from the Sandwich Republican Town Committee of the loss of Paige Victoria Perry, the infant daughter of Chris and Tiffany Perry and granddaughter of State Rep. Jeffrey Perry and his wife, Lisa.

The baby passed away early Friday at home and the cause of death remains uncertain, but it appears to be sudden infant death syndrome, according to the email message from the Sandwich committee. 

A trust fund has been established by Paige's parents to honor their daughter and help other families affected by SIDS.  Contributions to the Paige Victoria Perry Fund may be sent to P.O. Box 1435, Sandwich, o2563.  The family also asks for your prayers during this difficult time.

Calling hours will be on Monday from 5-8 p.m. at the Nickerson Bourne Funeral Home on Route 6A in Sandwich. The funeral will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the First Church of Christ, 136 Main St., Sandwich. 

After the funeral, friends and family are invited to the American Legion post on Route 130/Main Street in Sandwich to share time with the Perry family.

GOP Rep candidate Dick Neitz has kick-off party

^{Birthday girl Betty Neitz carried her husand's banner at today's Brewster in Bloom assisted by David Bisbee}

60 friends and supporters at Dick Neitz's fund raiser this week
Runs again in Barnstable First District, lost by less than 1% in '04

Dick Neitz's efforts to unseat the incumbent State Representative in the First Barnstable District (Brewster, Dennis & Yarmouth) was buoyed by more than 60 supporters last Tuesday at a campaign event held at the Oyster Company in Dennis Port.

In brief comments to an enthusiastic crowd which included Barnstable County Sheriff Jim Cummings, State Senate candidate Ric Barros, and several town officials from Brewster, Dennis & Yarmouth, Neitz pledged a positive campaign, and outlined several major philosophical differences between he and his opponent.

He also encouraged voters to view his website  electNeitz.com. He is running for State Representative in  the First Barnstable District (Brewster, Dennis, and Precincts 1, 2, 4, and 7 of Yarmouth). He lost the last election for this same post two years ago by less than 1%.

The evening closed with a surprise birthday tribute to Neitz's wife, Betty, and a special cake depicting remembrances of her life.

BIO: Mr. Neitz (on right with his wife Betty who is sometimes called Dick's "Secret Weapon"), age 58, is a 43 year resident of the Cape, the owner of Neitz Real Estate in South Yarmouth, and has been active in a variety of regional public policy issues and community organizations. He is the President of the non-profit Cape & Islands Community Development, Inc. which is the parent corporation of the EntreCenter of Cape Cod and Coastal Community Capital providing technical assistance and business loans to start-up and expanding businesses. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Board of Hospice & Palliative Care of Cape Cod, active in the Dennis, Yarmouth & Cape Cod Chambers of Commerce, past President of the Cape Cod & Islands Association of Realtors, past Chairman of Barnstable County's Cape Cod Economic Development Council, a member of the Yarmouth & Brewster Historical Societies and the Kelley Foundation. He has also served the last four Governors of Massachusetts in appointed business and economic positions at the state level. Neitz campaign headquarters is now open in South Yarmouth, and the candidate can be reached at 508-394-3000. 

Doug meets Christy at The 19th Hole

Bennett, Barros to debate next week in Orleans

Andrea Silbert called on opponents to disclose tax returns

In a story in yesterday's Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Harwich's Andrea Silbert is credited with forcing other candidates for Lt. Governor to disclose their tax returns.

 The story said in part,

Andrea C. Silbert, of Harwich, founder of the Center for Women and Enterprise, said she and her husband, Craig Caldwell, a graphic designer and artist, made a combined income of $52,047 last year, paying federal taxes of $11,290 and receiving a refund of $5,818....

Ms. Silbert called on her other opponents to release their tax returns, saying they provide useful information to voters.  “We’re asking voters to choose us for the two highest offices in the state, governor and lieutenant governor, and I think it’s important for voters to understand how we live our lives,” she said...

See the Worcester Telegram & Gazette story here, and comment below. 

Wall Street Journal tells Delahunt to apologize

Delahunt is a "Venezuelan subsidiary in the US Congress."

An editorial in today's Wall Street Journal called "The Chavez Treatment" accuses Mr. Delahunt of being a "Venezuelan subsidiary in the US Congress " and demands he apologize to our ambassador there.

The newspaper says Delahunt's kow-towing to  the Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez who once called Saddam Hussein his brother is the reasom our Ambassador Brownfield was nearly killed this week. 

The WSJ editorial begins,

Here's some free advice for Congressman Bill Delahunt:
Apologize to William Brownfield.

Mr. Delahunt is the Massachusetts Democrat who last year arranged a deal to buy 12 million gallons of discounted home heating oil from Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez, supposedly to help the Bay State's poor. Mr. Brownfield, a career diplomat, is the U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela. Last week his motorcade was attacked by a pro-Chavez mob after the ambassador had visited a poor Caracas neighborhood to donate baseball equipment. Mr. Chavez responded by accusing Mr. Brownfield of provoking the incident: "If you continue provoking us," the dictator warned, "go pack your bags because I'm going to throw you out of here..." 

Read the rest of the WSJ editorial here (registered users) or here (no registration) and comment below.
The print version is on  page 16 of the first section on April 11, 2006.
Read about Castro's plan for oil drilling within 45 miles of Florida here.

A Republican jumps in the race against Delahunt

Looks like Democratic congressman Bill Delahunt has more than one challenger in the 10th District extending from the Cape and islands to his base in Quincy.

Republican Jeff Beatty of Harwich, at right, has been collecting signatures to get his name on the ballot.

Beatty is founder of a homeland  security training company, TotalSecurity.US, which he created 15 years ago. He is also a decorated combat veteran, having received a Purple Heart when the U.S. military invaded Grenada in 1983 to rescue American medical students after a communist coup.

According to Beatty's campaign website, he entered government service in 1974 and has worked as a counter-terrorism officer for the CIA and as a special agent advising the FBI's National Hostage Rescue Team.

Also running against Delahunt is independent candidate Peter White of Yarmouth, who ran unsuccessfully for state representative in the mid-Cape's 2nd Barnstable District in 2002.

Deval Patrick Campaign Launches "The Source"

New Audio/Video Blog on Devalpatrick.com Offers Video, “Podcasts” and Content Directly from Deval Patrick

BOSTON—Thursday, April 6, 2006—The Deval Patrick campaign today  launched a new audio/video blog on its website.  Called “The Source,” the unique new blog (available at http://blog.devalpatrick.com) will deliver timely and rich multimedia information directly from Deval Patrick, the campaign, and also from visitors to the site. 

One of the blog’s features allows users to download video and audio files of Deval onto their iPod. People can then listen or watch the program anywhere. For example, they can listen to a speech given by Deval while riding the Commuter Rail or show a video of him to their friends while meeting for coffee.

“The Source allows Deval to reach out to people directly through video and audio messages and information,” said John Walsh, Patrick’s campaign manager.  “In addition, it encourages people to join in the discussion. The video and audio capabilities also allow people across the state to see and hear from Deval on a regular basis and to send in their own information.”

Some of the key features of the Source:

Media created by supporters
Visitors will be encouraged to send in their own content (videos or audio files) to the campaign.  For example, people might send in testimonials, questions for Deval, or their own thoughts on the issue of the day.  “The goal is to actually encourage commentary from our users,” said John Walsh.  “If the content is good, we’ll put it up.”

Rapid Commentary from Deval
When Deval feels he needs to comment on the news from the day, he will be able to quickly record an audio or video file and deliver his message.

Podcasts and ipod/MP3 player support
The Source’s Podcast is available on iTunes or via any other Podcasting system.  Users can download video and audio files of Deval onto their iPod. They can then listen or watch the program anywhere. 

On the road posts
Deval will be able to create new entries while traveling across the state.

Traditional blogging capability
As with traditional text-based blogging, users will be able to comment and discuss the content that appears on The Source.

“The Source’s multimedia capability gives Deval a powerful way to reach out directly to his supporters.  It also gives people an easy way to introduce Deval to their friends and family,” said Charles Steel Fisher, Patrick’s director of New Media.

Prior to announcing his candidacy last April, Patrick was a senior official in President Clinton’s Justice Department, and served as general counsel and a senior executive at Coca-Cola and Texaco. He has also been a partner at two Boston law firms and lawyer for the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund. Patrick’s grassroots campaign has 4,000 volunteers and has raised more than $2 million, including more than $400,000 in donations raised through the campaign's website, www.devalpatrick.com.

You don't need an opponent to need campaign money

According to a story on WSFB today;

Mass. congressmen still spend, despite lack of major challengers

... U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, whose district includes Cape Cod, is known for wearing ties emblazoned with Cape-shaped designs that he likes to give as gifts.Delahunt, D-Quincy, billed his campaign $2,129 for the ties from Puritan of Cape Cod, a clothing store. ...

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., ran up a $4,190 tab at the Capitol's Senate Dining Room for various meetings and meals that he billed to his campaign. Kennedy has an $8.5 million warchest and no major opponent... Kennedy shelled out $4,069 to famed Hollywood chef Wolfgang Puck's catering service for a fundraising event last December. The senator also paid $22,550 for a fundraiser at New York City's Chelsea Pier. His campaign spent $2,147 at the Beverly Hills Hilton in California for fundraising... Some spending had a distinct charitable bent. Kennedy's campaign paid $3,250 to Dave's Ribs in Harwich for barbecue that was given to Hurricane Katrina victims staying on Cape Cod.

The Wizard of Oz

Since 1980, when Edward  M. Kennedy took on a sitting President of his own party for the Democratic nomination for President of The United States, there have been 3 favorite sons  from Massachusetts that would be President. All 3, Michael Dukakis, Paul Tsongas and John Kerry, owe their nominations or near nominations to Ted Kennedy. Without his clout inside the Democratic National Committee, none would have been able to become standard bearer for the party.

Unfortunately for them, it is precisely because of Kennedy's enourmous shadow, that they later lost their bids to become President. There is nothing in politics like running as a proxy.  You live and die by the man behind the curtain.

What didn't ultimately work for Dukakis, Tsongas and Kerry, may very well work in favor of Romney though.

Kennedy made Mitt Romney a national figure by beating him back in 1994. Romney got the national recognition that led to Olympics, so that he was later able to parlay that into the Governorship in 2002.

The fact that Romney took Kennedy on and lost, still endears him to national Republicans. That he carries the moniker today as the anti-Kennedy from Massachusetts, propels him onto the national stage, and perhaps into the ultimate pulpit.

The lesson for John Kerry, still a viable candidate for President, is that he no longer needs uncle Teddy to get him the nomination. He can do that on his own now. But Kerry needs to surgically sever his attachment at the hip from Kennedy. 

Nantucket Sound would be a good place to start.

WSJ POLL: Deval better against Healey than Reilly

And the next Governor may decide the Cape Wind Farm project's future

This matters on Cape Cod because Patrick is the only candidate to endorse the Cape Wind farm project, and CCToday reported yesterday that a four-man committee may supersede the five year long regulatory process by giving Massachusetts a veto power over this specific project.

That means it becomes a statewide issue, not a Cape Cod issue, and statewide polls indicate better than a 6 to 1 ratio in favor of the project, so who is governor next Spring when the final MMS report is issued takes on a great significance. 

The Boston Herald reports that a new Zogby/WSJ poll shows that Deval Patrick stands a better chance against likely Republican nominee Kerry Healey than Tom Reilly does. This is, I believe, a first. Chris Gabrieli will announce next week, and he could arguably hurt Patrick’s chances.

Patrick vs. Healey: 53 to 31.5 percent
Reilly vs. Healey: 48 to 33 percent

Hub Politics reports that these results are vastly different than the Bay State Poll that came out two weeks ago. The Zogby/CNN Poll has had very similar polling between Patrick vs. Healey since August, yet the Bay State Poll gave Healey a win over Patrick without Christy Mihos being the spoiler. 

The latest Wall Street Journal tracking is here.