Massachusetts was the only state to vote for George McGovern in 1972 and more recently became the first state to legalize gay marriage.
Thus it surprised some when the state's congressional delegation joined Democratic colleagues in kowtowing to the Christian right by accepting an anti-abortion provision as part of the health reform bill approved last Saturday. Attorney General Martha Coakley, like many others, was appalled and said so.
Somerville Congressman Mike Capuano, who's vying with Coakley and two others for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in next month's primary, seized on the statement as evidence of the AG's inexperience in legislative affa irs. It was all about moving the bill forward to the Senate, he explained, where he and other liberals like Salem's John Tierney presume the abortion language will be removed.
But Capuano's crowing was short-lived and within a day he found himself having to promise that if the bill was returned to the House with the Stupak Amendment intact, he would vote against it — even if it meant killing the overall legislation.
State Rep. Mary Grant, D-Beverly, a Coakley supporter, said she was not surprised by her candidate's reaction, even though she understood the delegation's motives in voting for the bill.
And this being Massachusetts, not Mississippi, it seems Capuano doesn't want get on the wrong side of the pro-choice lobby either.
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Coakley appeared to be off her game during a visit to The Salem News Friday.
She seemed to have little familiarity with local issues — or exactly which communities the paper covers; and even had trouble coming up with the names of key local supporters, of which she has plenty.
Like too many frontrunners, she seems more concerned with avoiding mistakes than exciting her audience. Maybe it was because this was her first editorial board meeting, but the consensus of those present was that Coakley's advance team should have spent more time prepping her on likely topics of discussion and less scouting out the premises before her arrival.
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State Rep. John Keenan, D-Salem, wants to put a stop to speculation he's interested in the Salem District Court clerk/magistrate's job being vacated by Bob Arena.
"I want to be clear that although certainly nice to be considered, I am not seeking that appointment by Governor Patrick. I am running for re-election and look forward to completing several major projects underway here. ... If the voters of Salem will have me, I think I have a couple of terms of work left!," Keenan declared in an e-mail.
Wonder if Peabody Rep. Joyce Spiliotis, who worked at the courthouse for a number of years, might be interested in the post?
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Didn't take long for the new state Department of Transportation to display its clout. It's p.r. arm was out with a release — on Veterans Day no less — announcing the early reopening of two bridges at the Route 1-128-95 interchange in Peabody.
Both had been reduced to a single lane while undergoing major repair work. One was reopened to its full width on Wednesday, 10 months ahead of schedule; while the other is scheduled to be restored to its full width on Nov. 18.
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State Rep. Harold Naughton Jr., who chairs the legislative Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, will be at the Beverly Senior Center at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3. His topic is veterans' benefits, and his visit is being hosted by Rep. Grant and Beverly Veterans Agent Jerry Guilebbe.
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Nelson Benton's column on North Shore politics appears every Friday in this space. Read him daily at blogs.salemnews.com/fullnelson
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