Posted on 09/09/2012 6:12:21 AM PDT by SMGFan
U.S. House candidate Richard Tisei is openly gay. He's also openly Republican.
"You know what, in Massachusetts, it's a lot easier to be gay than be a Republican," he says, "as far as trying to get elected to office."
But Tisei could make political history for the Massachusetts GOP. Not just because they could win their first U.S. House seat in 15 years, but also because Tisei would be the first openly gay Republican to be elected to a term in Congress.
Republicans are generally long shots to get elected in this solidly Democratic state. But Tisei's upset bid is getting a huge lift from a family scandal surrounding the incumbent Democrat, Rep. John Tierney.
Tierney's wife pled guilty to aiding and abetting an illegal gambling operation that her brothers were running. This summer, one of them was convicted of racketeering. Another is on the lam.
Voters like Bob Doucette don't want to give the 16-year congressman another two years in office.
"Totally ridiculous. If my wife had $7 million in a checking account, how intelligent can he be if he didn't know that? And he's partly running our country? No possible way," he says.
Both brothers-in-law say the congressman knew all along what they were doing. Tierney says they're just lashing out.
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
Win or lose. Katherine Clark trounces whoever does in 2014.
They have a chance, though it’s more from the weakness of the Democrat running.
Tierney is an execrable piece of filth, but Tisei is just about the least appetizing Republican candidate possible. I have endorsed and even donated to openly gay Republican congressional candidates in the past (Matthew Berry, a pro-life conservative, in VA-08 in 2010), but Tisei (i) is in favor of same-sex marriage and wants to repeal DOMA and (ii) is 100% pro-abortion. I’ll just sit this one out, thank you.
I’m glad that I don’t live in that district, since I wouldn’t know for whom to vote. I guess I’d write someone in: perhaps Essex County Republican Sheriff Frank Cousins (the first black county sheriff in Massachusetts history), who should have run for the seat. http://www.mass.gov/essexsheriff/biowelcome%20frank%20g.%20cousins,%20jr..html
BTW, if Tisei gets elected, he would be only the second Republican U.S. Representative since Roe v. Wade not to have been pro-life. Yes, Paul Cronin, Silvio Conte, Margaret Heckler and Peter Blute all had pro-life voting records; Peter Torkildsen has been the only pro-abortion Republican in the House since Roe v. Wade.
But, I don't live in the district, so I can't vote for her and I certainly wouldn't donate to her.
Sheriff Frank Cousins. I've mentioned that the MA GOP should look at the Sheriffs for Gubernatorial candidates. We have a few good ones (yes, as surprising as that sounds) here. Lew Evangelidis and Tom Hodgson would be fine choices.
Unfortunately, until the GOP gets enough legislators to sustain a veto, the Governor’s job is a nothing-burger office for any Republican (and they only end up causing more damage to the party, as we saw with the 16 years of RINOs from Weld to Willard).
True, but, dammit, I don’t want “Tiny” Tim Murray as the next gov.
He makes Coupe Deval look Einstein-ian by comparison.
“Look at Sean Bielat in the 4th, very promising for a GOP pick upso who do the Dems run vs him?
JoeJoeJoe Kennedy. Its tough.”
I hope Sean Bielat (who I have donated to) gets a position in the Romney/Ryan Administration. He’s a good man!
Raccoon, Tisei/Tierney is your district, right? I was up in Newburyport Labor Day weekend and saw more Tisei signs than Tierney signs...what are you seeing? I do think Tisei will win.
Paul Cellucci was on TV a couple months back...the Lou Gehrig’s is really taking a toll on him. Very sad.
I love the guy (no, not in that way, and have contributed to him) but there’s no way Kennedy is going to lose.
If that DID happen, then there’s an excellent chance Romney wins MA.
Might be “Marcia” Coakley or Seti Warren. What a treat.
I loved Newburyport... I took lots of pics when I was there.
I just puked on my couch...
Not a good way to go.
Plum Island, Newburyport is one of my favorite beaches.
Isn’t it too bad the politics suck in this state? If they were even ok, MA would be a really nice place to live.
I would kill myself.
Yup. Used to be a time the state produced respectable and influential national leaders. Alas, the people that elected such leaders died off or moved out to the rest of the country and MA atrophied under the weight of corruption, dynastic family worship, and other assorted and sundry leftist statism from labor to (mis)education.
As usual, another spot-on analysis by Professor DJ!
She? Was that intentional?
Yes! She’s a poof after all.
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