Scott Brown

Poll: Scott Brown In Great Shape Heading Into 2012 Reelection Campaign

Jon Terbush | March 15, 2011, 8:37AM

Senator Scott Brown (R-MA)

Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) could drive his truck straight on to a second term in 2012.

A poll out this week from Wester New England College finds that a majority of registered voters in deep blue Massachusetts give Brown good marks on his job approval. In addition, Brown tops a couple of potential Democratic challengers in head-to-head matchups.

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Bush Tax Cuts

How House Dems Might Still Vote On Middle-Class Tax Cuts

Brian Beutler | September 24, 2010, 10:00AM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Senate Democrats officially scrapped any and all plans for a pre-election vote on middle-income tax cuts yesterday evening. And for the entirety of the tax cut debate, House Dems have said they will take action only after the Senate takes care of business. So that's it, right? No vote, no way.

There's still one way it could happen, and House aides stress that -- as unlikely as a vote may seem right now -- no official final decision has been made. That decision will likely come early next week.

If it does happen, it would proceed mostly as outlined here. Pelosi would put a middle-income-only tax cut bill on the floor under "suspension," which would require a two-thirds majority for passage, but would limit GOP procedural hijinx. If Republicans object, they will be forced to vote down middle-income tax cuts and face the wrath of voters.

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Health Care

Report: Capuano Now A 'Yes' Vote On HCR

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 20, 2010, 8:50PM

Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA)

The Boston Globe reports that Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA) will vote yes during tomorrow's health care reform vote after previously saying he would be a no vote on the bill.

As the Globe reports, Capuano's decision means Rep. Stephen Lynch (D) "is the only declared 'no' vote among the 10-member Massachusetts delegation."

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Health Care

Shrinking Margins: The Congressmen Who May Switch To No On Health Care

Rachel Slajda | March 12, 2010, 2:58PM

Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA), Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-NY) and Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)

As the House prepares to vote next week on the Senate health care bill, accompanied by a package of fixes to pass via reconciliation, several congressmen who voted for the House health care bill last fall are signaling that they may switch their votes to no on the Senate bill. Here they are, as compiled by TPMDC:

Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-NY) says he'll vote no without "drastic changes" in the Senate bill. His concerns are the comprehensiveness of the bill; the use of reconciliation to make changes; and that it calls for taxing health benefits.

Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA) sent a letter to supporters yesterday detailing his problems with the Senate bill. One of his concerns is using the "complicated and dangerous process" of reconciliation to fix the bill. (Late update: Capuano sent an email to supporters today saying he wants to vote yes, but he still has "some questions about the Senate bill.")

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MA-SEN

Today: Massachusetts Picks Dem Nominee For Senate -- And Effectively The Next Senator

Eric Kleefeld | December 8, 2009, 10:01AM

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)

Today is a big day in Massachusetts, with voters headed to the polls in the Democratic primary for the special Senate election -- and in a heavily Democratic state, this will be tantamount to electing the successor to Ted Kennedy.

The four main candidates are state Attorney General Martha Coakley, Rep. Mike Capuano, City Year founder Alan Khazei, and businessman and Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca. The favorite for the Republican nomination is state Sen. Scott Brown, against frequent GOP candidate Jack E. Robinson.

Unfortunately, there's been surprisingly little public polling on this race. The last survey was a Rasmussen poll from two weeks ago, which put Coakley ahead with 36%, Capuano at 21%, and Khazei and Pagliuca at 14% each. In addition, special elections are inherently difficult to predict with their low and irregular turnout patterns and heavy reliance on get-out-the-vote efforts. So while Coakley is viewed as the frontrunner, anything could have happened in the last two weeks, and anything could happen today.

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MA-SEN

Bill Clinton Backing Martha Coakley For Kennedy Seat

Christina Bellantoni | December 6, 2009, 9:23PM

Massachusetts Atty. Gen. Martha Coakley (D)

Former President Bill Clinton is wading into the race to replace Sen. Ted Kennedy, backing Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley before Tuesday's Democratic primary.

The Coakley campaign said Clinton recorded a robocall for 500,000 primary voters asking them to choose the Democratic candidate and saying, "You can trust her to get results in the Senate."

"Martha Coakley will go to Washington to fight every day to create good jobs with good benefits and to get health reform with a strong public option," Clinton says on the call, which you can listen to here.

MA-SEN

Six Candidates Vie For Kennedy's Seat A Week Before Primaries

Rachel Slajda | December 1, 2009, 12:23PM

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)

In primaries next Tuesday, Massachusetts voters will choose the Democratic and Republican nominees to run in January's special election for the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat.

Four Democrats and two Republicans have taken the field. Of the Democrats -- Attorney General Martha Coakley, U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, City Year co-founder Alan Khazei and Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca -- Coakley is the clear front-runner, up 15 points over her closest opponent in a recent Rasmussen poll.

The poll showed Coakley 36 percent of the vote compared to Capuano's 21 percent. Khazei and Pagliuca each had 14 percent.

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