Thread: GOP Candidate for Kennedys Sen Job -1st debate another Tues!

Scott Brown's election to Senate in 28 Days- Republican against Health Care could replace Kennedy's seat

The following Scott Brown Offices are open from 11am - 7pm today:

Needham Headquarters
200 Reservoir St. Suite 101
Needham, MA
Contact: Brad Hansen 509-595-4683
brad@brownforussenate.com

Worcester Regional Office
18 Grafton St.
Worcester, MA
Contact: Bob Lashua 978-758-7500
bob@brownforussenate.com

Danvers Regional Office
151 Endicott St.
Danvers, MA
Contact: Joe Walsh 978-979-0685
joe@brownforussenate.com

Boston Regional Office
85 Merrimac St. 4th Floor
Contact: Shaun Burke 781-854-6256
sburke02129@gmail.com

Be safe on the roads but please remember that Scott needs your help in the next 30 days. If you have any time today to come to an office and make calls on Scott's behalf, we will be happy to have you.

Sincerely,

Brad Hansen
Field Director
Scott Brown for US Senate

The Massachusetts special election is Jan 19th.

People from every state please make PHONE CALLS FOR FREEDOM. Help get Scott Brown (R) elected to the U.S. Senate.

This election is so important to give the Republican Senate 41 votes and take away the Democrat's filibuster proof majority. And we can send a clear message to Washington that we mean what we say and we CAN affect election outcomes in 2010. And Scott's vote could be important in the healthcare bill if the Republicans are successful in dragging out the vote.

Anyone across the country who is interested in making calls from home to citizens of Massachusetts on Scott Brown's behalf, please contact Field Director Brad Hansen at:

brad@brownforussenate.com or call 509-595-4683

Brad will set you up with a username and password. You will receive an email with your unique user name and password, as well as a link to the website where you will log in. Once you are logged in, watch the tutorial on how to use the system and then you can start making calls.

Massachusetts has not elected a Republican to the Senate in forty years. Let's change that starting today with the Vote Heard Round the World!

Republican Scott Brown, Democrat Martha Coakley and Independent candidate Joseph Kennedy take questions during a live radio talk show on WBZ-AM on Monday. (Steven Senne/AP)

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BOSTON — The three candidates running to fill the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s Senate seat sparred on everything from Afghanistan to health care during their first debate Monday night on WBZ Radio.

The pending health care legislation produced some of the biggest differences between the candidates. Democrat Attorney General Martha Coakley defended her decision to support the Senate’s reform bill despite restrictions it places on funding for abortion procedures.

During the primary race, she vowed to oppose a House version that restricted insurers from covering abortions.

“Let’s keep in mind what the goals are: coverage and keeping costs down,â€

Coakley, Brown clash over taxes
December 22, 2009 09:49 PM

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Republican Scott Brown, Democrat Martha Coakley, and independent candidate Joseph L. Kennedy

By Matt Viser and Eric Moskowitz, Globe Staff

Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley and Republican State Senator Scott Brown clashed tonight in the first televised debate of the US Senate race, repeatedly arguing over the traditionally partisan issues of taxes, the scope of government, and one-party rule in Washington.

Brown used nearly every opportunity to peg Coakley as a big-spending Democrat, even turning questions about donating to panhandlers and the rate of unwed mothers into opportunities to talk about high taxes and job creation.

"She will be in lock-step, almost robotic," Brown said. "If you want someone independent and hardworking, who's going to look out for your pocketbooks and wallets, vote for me."

"While Martha is a nice lady, she has the wrong policies on a whole host of issues," Brown said. "And this race is about differences."

Coakley tried to cast herself as a principled prosecutor as she criticized Brown for peddling the policies that she said helped created the current economic problems.

"Scott has basically said, 'I don't want taxing, I don't want spending,' but has no proposals," Coakley said. "That was the Bush-Cheney plan."

"Martha isn't running against Bush and Cheney, she's running against me," Brown responded. "I'm living and working to address the issues of today, not yesterday. And the issues of today are very simple: It's about overspending and high taxation."

The debate, which also included independent candidate Joseph L. Kennedy, was the last major campaign event before voters turn their attention to opening Christmas presents and buying champagne for New Years. The special election to fill the seat of the late Edward M. Kennedy is Jan. 19.

The debate was held tonight at the WBZ-TV studios and streamed live on the station's website. It will be broadcast on WBZ-TV Sunday at 8 a.m., and on WSBK-TV 38 Monday at 7 p.m.

Kennedy, who is an active Libertarian running as an independent, demonstrated tonight why Brown has sought to minimize him and Coakley has wanted him involved in the debates: he used nearly every speaking opportunity to challenge Brown from the right, saying the state senator hasn't done enough to cut spending, limit taxes, and make his voting record accessible.

"I challenge him to show me three bills that he has personally submitted that cut $1 billion on spending," Kennedy said.

The line of attack clearly frustrated Brown, who said, "My record speaks for itself."

Much of the focus, though, was on Brown and Coakley, who also continued previous disputes over health care policies, abortion rights, and increased troop levels in Afghanistan.

Brown offered a robust defense of President Obama's plan send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, chastising Coakley several times for not supporting a president from her own party.

"Martha does not support her own president, her own party. And I find that disturbing," said Brown, who is a lieutenant colonel in the Massachusetts National Guard.

"The president was right, we need to finish the job," Brown added. "I think it's naïve to think that he doesn't know what he's doing and he's not providing the adequate resources."

"I support the president in many of his approaches, I will do that when it's appropriate," Coakley said. "But when I disagree with him, I'm going to speak out and say that."

Coakley and Brown also disagreed on the current health care legislation pending before the US Senate. Coakley supports the plan, even though it contains some restrictions on abortion, which she opposes, and does not feature a government health plan, which she wanted.

Brown opposes the bill, saying it would undercut Massachusetts's own effort at universal coverage.

"It's going to result in higher taxes, longer lines, lesser care, and it's going to cost Massachusetts jobs, and I'm not supporting it," Brown said.

Kennedy also opposed the legislation, saying, "we're going to end up bankrupting the country."


But the sharpest exchanges occurred over tax policies. Brown repeatedly said taxes needed to be lowered in order to create jobs, and he said Coakley would only further burden the country by expanding government programs.

"If you calculate all the tax increases that Martha is supportive of it's $2.1 trillion," Brown said. "Those are taxes we cannot afford because when you lower taxes, you're going to have more jobs."

Coakley countered by saying that Brown was unrealistic about the problems the country now faces.

"What Scott is talking about is a lot of investments that are necessary to come out of an economic recession that he doesn't seem to acknowledge has really happened," Coakley said. "It's an investment in health care that he denies we need. And it's dealing with a climate change problem that he denies even exists."

Last night was the second debate in as many days, and it continued the feisty exchanges that were largely absent from the primary campaigns. Coakley was largely unscathed and stayed above the fray in her debates with her Democratic primary rivals, and Brown didn't have any major debates with his Republican primary challenger.

Coakley heads into next month's election as the presumptive front-runner, running in a state that has three times more enrolled Democrats than Republicans. The state has not elected a Republican to the US Senate since Edward W. Brooke III was re-elected in 1972.

The seat Coakley and Brown are vying for was a held for 47 years by one of the Democratic Party's most vocal champions, Edward M. Kennedy.

There are several other debates being planned next month, though most have not been finalized in part because Coakley has insisted that Kennedy be included in the debates.


The candidates were also asked how they would each react when they're approached on the street by a panhandler.


Coakley said she rarely gives them any money, choosing instead to donate to charities and supporting other state services.

"I offer to buy them a sandwich," Kennedy said.

"I've given money, I've given coffee, sandwiches, and pizza," Brown responded. "I enjoy doing that."


He then used the point to pivot once again and recite his anti-tax mantra.

"There's no jobs," he said. "And there's no jobs because of the high taxation."

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com. Eric Moskowitz can be reached at emoskowitz@globe.com.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaki ... at_11.html