Cape Politics

Bristol County DA Sutter wants to change the atmosphere in DC

Sutter announces Congressional exploratory committee

To oppose incumbent from his own party, O'Leary may follow

By Matthew Nadler, Community Editor, PlymouthDailyNews.com

Samuel Sutter. Photo courtesy Facebook.F

or Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter, the tipping point in his decision to run for Congress came while watching C-Span.

It was during the battle in Washington over raising the debt ceiling during the summer. Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Alan Simpson were on the air. The two had chaired a commission to examine solutions to the nation's debt problem and created a plan to do just that. Now, on TV, the pair, two men of differing political persuasions, were expressing their dismay at the inability of the nation's representatives to come to an agreement."There is a need for change in both the approach and atmosphere," in Washington, Sutter said during an interview at the Water Street Cafe in Plymouth. Almost all Americans agree with that sentiment, he added.

Thursday, Sutter announced the formation of an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for his run. He said he will make a formal announcement next month.

It is highly unusual and often self-defeating for a fellow member of the same political party, to try to unseat an noncombatant, in this case, fellow former District Attorney and Democrat Bill Keating.

Will C. Samuel Sutter succeed where Frank Bellotti failed?The most memorable time here in the Bay State was in 1964 fellow Democrat Lieutenant Governor Francis X. Bellotti ran against a sitting Democrat Governor Endicott Peabody. Neither men ever won another election, and their inter-party fight led to Republican candidate John Volpe taking over the as Governor.

Ironically, Belloti's first try for office was for Bill Keating's former job as Norfolk Coumty District Attorney.

Why Sutter wants to run against a f ellow Democrat

Mr. Sutter compared the feeling to when he ran for district attorney and was faced with problems many thought were unsolvable. There seems to be an inability to solve or make progress on the issues," the Fall River resident said, citing the the United States’ dependence on foreign oil, immigration and rising government health care costs as examples.

When asked for his views on more local issues, Sutter declined to comment.The economy though was the first priority, Sutter said. “We may have started to crawl our way out of the recession, but we still have major economic problems.” When asked for his views on more local issues, Sutter declined to comment.

Asked how, as a freshman congressman, and possibly part of the minority, he could get anything accomplished, he noted a column written in the New Bedford Standard Times when he first became district attorney. The writer, he said, called the problems of Bristol County intractable, noting rise in gangs, shootings and the office's poor success rate in solving homicides.  Now, Sutter said, his office has made "huge progress." The gang problem is under control and the rate for solving homicides has risen from 50 percent to 85 percent, he said.

Sutter, who has served as Bristol County DA since 2005, emphasized his roots  in Cape Cod and in Plymouth. He moved to the Cape from Connecticut with his family in 1976 until he moved to Bristol County in 1988. Even then, his law practice remained on the Cape from 1984 until he went to work for the Bristol County DA's office in 1991. Much of his time in private practice was spent at the Plymouth and Wareham district courts, he noted.

What about his opponent? Beware of Sutter, he has a lean and hungry look

With friends like Delahunt and O'Leary, Congressman Keating doesn't need enemies.As for his likely opponent, Rep. Bill Keating, Sutter declined to draw any specific contrasts between them, saying there would be plenty of time for that. He did, however, argue that Keating, who currently represents Cape Cod, the South Shore and other parts of what will now be the Ninth Congressional District should not be considered an incumbent.  "He's not an incumbent in Wareham or Fall River," Sutter said.  

Keating, who moved from Sharon to Quincy in order to run in what was the 10th congressional district, has now relocated to his long-time summer home on Bourne on Cape Cod, a town which is both in his present 10th district and the newly created 9th Coastal District which stretches from below Quincy to Provincetown, and Islands and Fall River, Sutter's present home.

The new district replaces such Norfolk County strongholds of Keating’s like Quincy and Weymouth with Bristol County cities like New Bedford and part of Fall River, but not the part Sutter presently lives in.

Here comes O'Leary and the ghost of Bill Delahunt

Those were the days my friend...

But boy, did they sure end. Just last year Bill Delahunt was ready to give Bill Keating the shirt (and tie) off his back, but now it's more like a knife stab as a grimacing Rob O'Leary smirks on right. Paul Rifkin photo.Besides Sutter and Keating, former State Senator Rob O’Leary, who lost the primary to Keating in 2010, is reportedly considering another run as is Cape Cod environmentalist Peter White announced he will enter the race as an independent.

When asked why he was considering a run against Keating, O'Leary is reported to have said, "Well, Sam Sutter is doing it."

Perhaps the strangest of all is that Congressman Bill Keating's predecessor, William Delahunt, who retired after nine terms in congress when his handling of an old murder case came under question, was seen last week having lunch with Sam Sutter.

Delahunt now runs a PR firm which is using his Washington career to help the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe get their casino.

With friends like Delahunt and O'Leary, Keating doesn't need enemies.

Sutter throws hat into the 9th District ring; Flannagan won't

Democratic Primary race shapes up as D.A. vs. D.A. contest

Incumbent and former Norfolk D.A. Keating may face Bristol D.A. Sutter

Bristol County D.A. Sutter (left) to run against Keating in Democratic primary.

The Standard-Times reports that Bristol County District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter is planning to announce this week that he will take the first step in running for the new Southeastern Massachusetts Congressional district.

Sutter is a Democrat, so while most observers were waiting the name of the first Republican to run against incumbent Keating, it's a somewhat tarnished member of his own party who will try to overcome the power of incumbency.

His interest is generated by the new district lines for the Cape Cod and South Shore Congressional district which now includes part of the city of Fall River.

But Sutter doesn't live in the part of Fall River which is in the newly shaped 9th District. Although legally any resident of Massachusetts can enter a race for the U.S. Congress without residing in the district he or she wants to represent, it is a strong tradition in the Bay State to do so.

Rep. Bill Keating recently moved his legal residence from Quincy, which is no longer a part of the 9th District, to Bourne on the Cape Cod side of the canal.

Sutter's baggage -Two D.A.s with vastly different histories

Flanagan won't run for Congress

This isn’t Fall River mayor Will Flanagan’s first time considering a run for higher office. He previously discussed running for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Scott Brown.
   On Monday Flanagan said,  “I’ve made the determination that I will not enter the Congressional race in either the 4th or 9th district,” Flanagan said.
   “My intentions are to continue to serve as the mayor of Fall River. Even though a door has opened for a run, I have chosen not to pass through it.”
   See the Herald-News story here.While Keating has a record of vigorous law enforcement even going after "Whitey" Bulger, Sutter has been waffling about the murder of 11 women since 1988.

In a story both on this newssite and The Providence Journal Jeff Blanchard reported District Attorney Sutter saying about the two decade old serial murders, "We're working on it, and beyond that, for self-evident reasons, I can't say anything."

Blanchard, a former editor at The Cape Codder, went on to write that maybe it is self-evident to Sutter, but after 24 years with no viable suspects, the only truly self-evident facts are that nine women were found murdered, two bodies were never found, and there has yet to be a public examination of the investigation itself, which, at this point, would seem like the self-evident place to start. Read The Providence Journal story here.

Sutter is a close ally of Cape & Islands DA Michael O'Keefe, himself still the subject of a federal gambling probe here on Cape Cod. Like O'Keefe, Bristol County District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter is a strong opponent of the law decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana as indicated in this previous story where he said, "The message this sends to our teens and young adults is that smoking marijuana is not a big deal, when it is," adding it will "incontrovertibly" lead to more drug usage.

No longer speculation, Joseph P. Kennedy III throws his hat into the political ring

Kennedy to run for Barney Frank's seat

Only a source of rumor and speculation until now, Joseph P. Kennedy III has confirmed that he will be running for Congress in 2012.  The Boston Globe announced that Kennedy, the son of Joseph P. Kennedy II and Robert F. Kennedy's grandson, officially announced that he will be launching an exploratory committee today.  The 31-year-old has set his sights on Barney Frank's Congressional seat in the 4th District.  Frank announced in November that he would not be seeking re-election after a re-districting plan was unveiled.

Joseph P. Kennedy III also announced his resignation from the Middlesex District Attorney's Office where he works as a prosecutor. Prior to moving to the Middlesex DA's Office a few months ago, Kennedy was a prosecutor with the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office for several years.

RI Public Radio initially reported that Kennedy was likely to throw his hat into the political ring on Monday.  According to RI Public Radio, a source close to Kennedy confirmed the family has been "quietly" organizing fundraisers.

If elected, Joseph III will be the first new Kennedy in public office since Senator Edward Kennedy died in 2009 and his son Patrick left Congress in January 2011 after not seeking re-election in 2010.

Koelsch joins Representative Randy Hunt as legislative aide

New office location in Sandwich also announced

Monday, State Representative Randy Hunt (R-Sandwich) of the 5th Barnstable District, announced that Susann "Tudy" Koelsch is joining his office as his legislative aide. Koelsch is replacing Ben Nugent, who is leaving to pursue educational goals, according to the release.

"Having Ben help me through my transition into office was a tremendous help and he has worked diligently to pass the torch on to Tudy. I'm happy to see him pursuing his career goals and I wish him success in all his future endeavors," Hunt said. "I'm also pleased to have Tudy working for the rep district as she brings an extensive management background which will help ensure the continuing quality of our constituent services."

In addition to the announcement about Koelsch, Rep. Hunt also announced that his district office will be moving to 297 Quaker Meeting House Road in East Sandwich.

The telephone number at the East Sandwich office is 508-888-2158.  Rep. Hunt may also be contacted at his office in the Massachusetts State House, Room 136, Boston, MA, 02133-1054. The telephone number in Boston is 617-722-2800 ext. 1054. For more information, visit Rep. Hunt's website here.