The Senate race to succeed Ted Kennedy will be a feast for political junkies everywhere, and it already is producing a few sparks. Some of it a little old, but lets look at the recap.
1) The Governor has set the primary date of December 8th, with the general election date of January 19th. (Two more elections the locals have to pay for that are unbudgeted, but I digress).
2) Attorney General Martha Coakley takes out papers. The AG comes out of the gate quickly, and shows she is not waiting on decisions from others.
3) Scott Lehigh of the Globe puts a good body hit on Joe Kennedy. Lehigh mocks Kennedy in the piece, inviting him to run to create the negative headlines Lehigh believes his candidacy will bring.
We need you in this race.
Today I speak not as a citizen or a voter, but as the self-appointed president of Pundits Relishing A Newsworthy Knucklehead. We here at PRANK are fairly salivating in anticipation of another season of Joseph P. Kennedy II follies.
Joe has got to know it will get a little nasty if he enters, as the Lehigh hit piece shows. With Kennedy crowding the plate Lehigh just brushed him back. Expect some more upon entry. Read the Lehigh piece here.
4) Marty Meehan up in Lowell has given the usual disclaimers about loving his job and wanting to finish what he started as Chancellor, but will perform “due diligence” just in case. When Meehan starts doing “due diligence” others usually start losing body parts. Read the posting over at Richard Howe’s blog urging Marty to run.
Curt Schilling is talking about running as a Republican, potentially bringing some Red Sox star power to the Republican field. As that field takes shape we will do a posting on it as well. Very early, but the political action has begun.
Bill Manzi.com 
Your Honor,
Does all this mean there will be no ‘assigned’ seat by the Governor?
I hope Schilling runs. Those bloody feet are sure tempting as a display of heroics, a feature lacking among the loyal opposition.
I bet if Schilling looks good, the legislature will vote to give the Governor the power to assign a replacement for Kennedy.
Jules
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I’ve gotta love it Jules. Schilling won a World Series title, ergo, he’d make a great politician…did he, or anybody else who encouraged a run by him actually think before they spoke??? Sounds like a simple brain fart whose idea will fade…
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Jim,
The only brain fart here is yours when you voted for that incompetent Devel Patrick.
Schilling has courage as described above, he’s a multimillionaire, he is a businessman running successful businesses and he runs a charity.
He has more experience and capability than our gangster president.
Jules
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Folks really need to think more about this matter.
In 2004 the democrats made a partisan decision to take away from the Governor the power to name a person to fill the nunexpired vacancy UNTIL an election in the normal cycle.
2010 is a constitutional election year. The normal process begins in January when those Democrats who attend and vote at local caucus meetings elect delegates to the June state convention.
The purpose of this convention is to nominate NOW..candidates for US SENATE (Sen EMK seat ), governor, Lt Gov. Sec of State, treas, Auditor…
Normally those campaigns would start now to organize for the caucus and convention activities.
Now we have a proposed intervening event…the special election. WHY?
Would it not be best and lest costly to cities and towns to allow the Gov to appoint till next November and have the normal election cycle take place without confusion?
The audacity of ambition ought not to be at the expense of the taxpayers of the cities and towns or the state in these fiscally strained times.
This process favors the few. It does not favor the voters or the rank and file of the working Democratic Party.
We can and should have a US Senator in Washington in 2 weeks. Then we can have as many candidates as possible run in the normal cycle at no additional cost to the taxpayer.
I wonder why Gov Patrick ,who understands the financial crisis, has not stood up and had the courage to make such a proposal.
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Jules, I concede that I did have a brain fart voting for Deval. However, excluding any comments from Bob Leblanc, I don’t concede that as the only brain fart in this thread… 😉
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Bob,
You took 11 paragraphs (defined as obfuscation) to say the same thing I did in three summarized as; ‘If there is a small chance a Republican can win the election then the Governor will assign the seat in order to protect the seat for a Democrat, and consequently the vote for the Obama-Pelosi Health Care bill. The same strategy in reverse they did to protect Kerry’s seat if he won the Presidency. Massachusetts democracy at its best.
Jules
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Jules,
When you move to Methuen your opinion will be more important. You are the good Mayor’s corporal work of mercy. Be well.
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Jim,
True, old friend.
Jules
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Bob,
First, I do live in Methuen.
Second, what the hell does ‘corporal work of mercy’ mean?
Thanks for your concern for my health. And you be well, also.
Jules
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