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- Blogging (2)
- Race for Congress (55)
- December 31, 2007: New Year's Eve
- October 31, 2007: Share the Sacrifice
- October 15, 2007: Election Day!
- October 15, 2007: Patrick Murphy -- Priceless!
- October 13, 2007: Trick or Treat?
- October 12, 2007: Patrick's Closing Remarks
- October 10, 2007: Murphy Takes Ogonowski's Breath Away
- October 8, 2007: NECN Debate on ON DEMAND
- October 8, 2007: Updated Slideshow
- October 8, 2007: Ogonowski and Oil
Blogroll
Author Archive
New Year’s Eve
December 31, 2007 by Dan.
Early this blue-black morning, before the plows, before the crows, before the road salt was thrown, I watched from my window the winter’s soft, cold cotton falling beneath a streetlamp. A blanket of snow was quilted over
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Share the Sacrifice
October 31, 2007 by Dan.
For now, let me thank again everyone who helped with our campaign. While were obviously not pleased with the result, I keep hearing that support for Patrick was much greater than anyone could have imagined. Many have said that it came down to fear in the booth–that a vote for Patrick would unwittingly be a vote for one of the party candidates. In an ideal system, everyone would have watched the final debate, Patrick would have been given even ink by the papers, and Patrick would’ve been raising mayhem down there right now. As it stands, Patrick was first to have his legislation sponsored:H.R. 3948
If you’d like to track the bill, you may do so here:
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NECN Debate on ON DEMAND
October 8, 2007 by Dan.
For those of you who may have missed the debate on TV, it can be found on On Demand under “Get Local” and “NECN” and “NewsNight.”
Don’t let the papers tell you what you’ve seen or should have seen. Don’t let the bloggers tell you either. Watch it for yourself.
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Ogonowski and Oil
October 8, 2007 by Dan.
MURPHY CALLS FOR OGONOWSKI TO DIVEST OIL STOCK
Independent candidate for Congress Patrick Murphy of Lowell calls upon Republican candidate Jim Ogonowski to divest himself of his significant holdings of Exxon-Mobil stock.
This past Thursday, in his interview with Lowell Sun Editor Jim Campanini, Republican Jim Ogonowski railed against the rising costs of gas prices, and exclaimed on the NewsTalk program that he did not even have an extra “buck in his pocket” to pay for this price rise. Perhaps it is because his money is tied up in Exxon-Mobil stock, in which he has invested an estimated $50,000-$100,000 according to Federal Election Commission personal disclosure reports.
While on the campaign trail Mr. Ogonowski has professed support for alternative energy measures, ending our dependence on foreign oil, and a stabilization of oil prices, his personal profiteering from this company and its recent success runs counter to his public statements. In the recent NECN debate, when pressed on what Democratic measure he might support, Mr. Ogonowski gave a vague answer of “environmental bills,” unaware apparently that top Democrats have tabled any call for raising fuel efficiency standards for vehicles.
On September 18, 2007, the Associated Press reported that Exxon-Mobil, the largest oil company based in the United States, lobbied the federal government — Congressmen and women — with nearly 6.4 million dollars on a number of different legislative measures. A report issued earlier this year by the Union of Concerned Scientists, called Exxon-Mobil “the worst offender among oil corporations for disseminating false scientific claims about climate change.” The company lobbied for laws relating to “energy, climate change, labor laws, corporate taxation, pension reform, fuel efficiency standards and international relations.” Perhaps most troubling is the corporation’s involvement in the latter, as Exxon-Mobil has posted record profits throughout the duration of the Iraq War, a war which Alan Greenspan recently deemed to be “largely about oil.”
In order to remain free of the “special interests” that Mr. Ogonowski purportedly condemns on the campaign trail, independent candidate Patrick Murphy urges the Republican to divest himself of his Exxon-Mobil stock. Mr. Ogonowski’s oil holdings raise serious questions about the sincerity of Ogonowski’s calls for environmental protection and for “cleaning up” Washington. Additionally, Ogonowski’s oil holdings introduce a question of morality: is it right to be profiting largely because of a war, because of others’ losses?
Murphy calls on Ogonowski to follow in the footsteps of Democrat Niki Tsongas, whose spokeswoman, Katie Elbert discussed her candidate’s divestment in an earlier Lowell Sun article: “The position that she’s taken on these issues are the exact opposite of what those companies stand for,” Elbert said. “She would not want there to be even the slightest question as to her independence as a member of Congress, which is why she sold those stocks.”
Murphy has never owned stock in an oil company and practices the environmental conservation that he preaches. Some may remember the Sun’s June article “Some vote-hungry hopefuls have gas-thirsty vehicles” which concluded: “Maybe everybody looking to save the environment should take a page from the playbook of Patrick Murphy, the independent candidate for Congress. Patrick doesn’t own a car, and carpools to work each day with his cousin. ‘On trips downtown Lowell, he uses an unregistered pair of 2005 Adidas with high mileage,’ his brother Dan Murphy wrote in an email. ‘On trips to the city of Boston and beyond, he takes the T.’” With his cousin Dan O’Connor, the family business uses traditional methods in masonry: mortar is mixed, cuts are made, and materials are moved all by hand. Murphy is also a member of the Merrimack River Watershed Council which helps monitor and ensure clean waterways and for which, in lieu of accepting campaign donations, he is currently raising money through his website, www.sendmurphytocongress.com.
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Micky Ward Endorses Patrick
October 3, 2007 by Dan.
Better pictures and more to come in the Lowell Sun, but for now, I can say with pride that fighting great”Irish” Micky Ward has endorsed Patrick’s run for Congress. Patrick and I trained down the West End Gym for years. We come from a family of champs. Patrick, when studying over at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, was an All-Ireland junior welterweight champion in the amateurs. We’re hoping the 5th lets Patrick take the fight to Washington. He’s definitely the candidate who will stand up for the regular guy, because he’s one of us.
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Northeast Veterans Outreach Center
October 1, 2007 by Dan.
Today Patrick and the Murphy campaign visited Haverhill, meeting with seniors at their center, and touring the Northeast Veterans Outreach Center. While we didn’t stay for bingo, Patrick was well-received and well-wished, with many seniors promising their support. At the Veterans Outreach Center, Executive Director John Ratka led a tour of the facilities, which were very impressive. The center has a number of newly renovated and well-kept buildings both for housing veterans and for providing meals and recreational and meeting space.
The center is an outstanding model for others in the state that share its main aims in serving our veterans. The center provides veterans of all wars with a wide range of services, from daily meals, to housing, counseling, job training and preparation, and is a great source of stability. For those veterans who are homeless or have substance abuse problems, the center has a proven, comprehensive approach to rehabilitating and rebuilding their lives. The center works to facilitate the provision of medical and mental health care required of individuals, and to also help residents earn their keep, either through employment or community service. There are three different kinds of housing. The center groups residents based on their ability to operate independently. In the final stage of housing, residents pay for their own single apartments, hold jobs, and are productive and independent members of the community. There remains at all stages the support of the center and this encourages greater development, rehabilitation and confidence. The center also has a number of computers and opportunities for recreation. Additionally, the center has set up a telephone connection with web cam for those who want to communicate with their friends and family serving overseas, and hopes to set up more of these kind of video-phone stations.
One of the great privileges of this campaign has been meeting all kinds of good people doing good for people in this district. Private contributions comprise about 3-4% of the center’s total operating budget. We are proud, particularly after our tour with Mr. Ratka who is most certainly one of these good people, that it is one of our chosen charities. The center has proven to make the most of each dollar it receives, and to be an invaluable service for many of the Merrimack Valley’s veterans. I encourage you all to visit our fundraising page and donate to the center. It is well-run, well-cared for, and deserving of your generosity. For more information, you may visit the center’s website.
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Patrick’s Plans for Tomorrow
September 21, 2007 by Dan.
Yes, Patrick has a vision for “tomorrow” which includes a system of single-payer health care, a better system of educating, fair trading, peace in Iraq, peace in Darfur and more, but his immediate plans involve the Bolton Fair, Groton Fest, and collecting goods for the Merrimack Valley Food Bank in the Highlands. We hope to meet as many people as possible.
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Principles for Politics
September 15, 2007 by Dan.
We are pleased to announce that Patrick’s candidacy for Congress is the first to meet the criteria of the Principles for Politics organization, since its inception in 2005–a sad commentary on politics in this country, but good news for the people of the 5th District. Patrick’s website has now been linked there, and we thank its administrators for their support, but more importantly, for their vision of principled politics–a vision that excludes the undue influence of political contributions in campaigns and that reinforces the notion that a candidate’s solutions and policies be based upon basic principles and not just fitted and tailored to the current political climate.
As you may already know, Patrick’s fundraising efforts have been delegated to me, and are, in fact, focused on raising money for charitable organizations in the area. If you support Patrick’s principled positions, and you want to show your support but can’t find a donate button on our website or our blog (the ones you normally see flashing prominently on candidates’ homepages), please volunteer for campaign activities or donate to one of Patrick’s chosen charities and feel good at the same time.
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The Debate Debate
September 14, 2007 by Dan.
We were disappointed to hear that a debate to which all candidates were invited by Congregation Beth Elohim in Acton, MA has been cancelled. Why? Because Patrick was the only candidate who replied to the invitation, confirming that he would attend. The debate, which would have been held on the morning of Sunday, September 16, would have been an opportunity for the candidates to discuss the three questions proposed in advance by the congregation, at least two of which have not been discussed in any of the previous debates held in this election.
Patrick was particularly looking forward to answering the first question on “The Congressional Image” and how to change it. We think that the first step toward changing the “Congressional Image” should be accepting any opportunity to meet with and speak to the members of one’s community and engaging in, not shying away from, true debate. The Lowell Sun recently published an article on the warring between the Tsongas and Ogonowski campaigns over how many debates should be held and when and where to hold them. If a candidate has a good message that she or he truly wishes to be heard, shouldn’t she or he be fighting for more debates, not fewer? We certainly believe so.
We wish to thank the Congregation Beth Elohim for attempting to organize what could have been an informative debate.
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Q&A & FAQ
September 14, 2007 by Dan.
We are starting a new series of questions and answers about Patrick and his campaign. If you think of a question that you would like answered, please email us using the “Contribute an Idea” link on our main webpage. We will take up your questions in our next edition.
1) Rhetorical puzzle:
Why is it that people are always decrying the lack of participation in politics and, in particular, the complacency of young people, and yet. And yet when a truly intelligent, capable young person comes along with good ideas of his own, energy, a vision for the future, and the ability to inspire greater political involvement — someone who challenges us to think in-depth about the issues and not just accept the meaningless surface talk that is unfortunately considered “debate” in this country — they try to shut him down and silence him?
Continued with more questions and answers… Read the rest of this entry »
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