Markey begins local campaign for Kerry's Senate seatDate: 2/7/2013 By G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com
SPRINGFIELD — Apparently waiting more than 45 minutes to meet Congressman Edward Markey didn't bother the 100 or so potential supporters who crowded into The Fort restaurant on the afternoon of Feb. 2.
Markey is one of the two Democrats so far who have announced their intentions to fill Secretary of State John Kerry's vacant Senate seat. Congressman Stephen Lynch also made a campaign stop in Springfield on Jan. 31 at O'Brian's Corner.
At this writing there have been more prominent Bay State Republicans who have announced they will not run for the office than there have been potential candidates.
Former Sen. Scott Brown made it official on Feb. 1 that he would not run. Brown released a statement that read, "Representing Massachusetts in the United States Senate was the greatest privilege of my life, an experience that takes second place only to my marriage to Gail and the birth of our daughters. It was a higher honor than I had ever expected, and in the time given to me I always tried to make the most of it . Over these past few weeks I have given serious thought about the possibility of running again, as events have created another vacancy requiring another special election. I have received a lot of encouragement from friends and supporters to become a candidate, and my competitive instincts were leading in the same direction."
He continued, "Even so, I was not at all certain that a third Senate campaign in less than four years, and the prospect of returning to a Congress even more partisan than the one I left, was really the best way for me to continue in public service at this time. And I know it's not the only way for me to advance the ideals and causes that matter most to me. That is why I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for the United States Senate in the upcoming special election."
Among the local officials and Democratic faithful who waited to meet Markey were Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, state Rep. Brian Ashe, Springfield City Councilors E. Henry Twiggs and Michael Fenton, Chicopee School Committee Member Michael Pise, Holyoke City Councilor Anthony Soto, Candy Glazer, chair of the Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee and former state Sen. Linda Melconian.
Getting out of his car and meeting reporters outside, Markey said, "Western Massachusetts is going to be key in this election. I will be here over and over and over."
He noted that he was in Springfield for the State Democratic Convention last summer and in Amherst for an energy conference.
He ran down his platform by saying, "I know voters in Western Massachusetts want clean energy development, believe in a woman's right to chose, [and] want a ban on assault weapons and a Constitutional amendment to repeal the Citizen's United decision."
He added that another issue is the access of broadband in rural areas.
Markey has been questioned about whether or not he actually lives in Massachusetts. Brown had brought up the subject on "The Jim and Margery Show" on WTKK in January before he made his decision public that he would not run. The Boston Globe at that time reported Brown said, "You've got to check the travel records. I've come back and forth (from Washington to Boston) every weekend, almost, for three years, and I see, you know, most of the delegation, and I have never seen Ed on the airplane — ever."
Markey said in Springfield in response to the residency issue that 700 people in his hometown of Malden attended a rally for his campaign.
"All my neighbors came out to kick off the campaign," he said.
He said there are differences between him and Lynch and that he would run on his legislative record.
One big difference is money. According to the website www.opensecrets.org, as of Dec. 31, 2012, Lynch had $760,206 cash on hand. Markey has more than $3 million.
Sixty-four percent of Lynch's money comes from political action committees (PACs) while 40 percent of Markey's contributions come from PACs.
Markey said that he has worked with House Republicans to pass legislation, but that "Tea Party Republicans came to Washington to unravel bipartisanship."
He added, "I'm going down there to work with anyone who will work with me."
Markey said the National Rifle Association (NRA) is not particularly pleased with his record on gun control. According to the congressman's website, "In March 1994, Rep. Markey urged then-Secretary of State Warren Christopher and then-Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen to place an emergency moratorium on the importation of military style assault weapons flowing into the U.S. from China. He organized 113 of his colleagues in the House in a letter to President Clinton urging him to use his executive order powers to permanently ban the import of these semiautomatic weapons."
That ban recently expired and is now under discussion for renewal.
Markey said, "The NRA wasn't happy with me then and the NRA isn't happy with me now."
He added that NRA now stands for him as "Not Relevant Anymore."
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