In Massachusetts, Ed O’Reilly Works To Defeat John Kerry
By Anita Finlay ("Ani") on September 13, 2008 at 11:30 AM in Barack Obama, Democratic Nomination, Hillary Clinton, Howard Dean, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi
Whether or not Ed O’Reilly, criminal defense attorney, former lobsterman, fireman and all-around salt of the earth, can defeat the arrogant, elitist Junior Senator John Kerry in this Tuesday’s primary, I have to take a moment to make some noise on behalf of this man. I deeply appreciate his effort. Apparently, I’m not the only one who does.
Despite Kerry’s literally running away from having any debates with O’Reilly – I guess John thinks he’s too good to have to explain himself to his constituents after 24 years in the Senate – several papers have come out to endorse O’Reilly and encourage everyone possible not to accept Kerry’s win as a fait accompli, and get to the polls on Tuesday.
Surely, I can think of no better way to send shockwaves through the Democratic Party – particularly to Pelosi, Dean, Brazile, Reid et al; i.e., the wackos who are currently holding the Party hostage, than to tell John Kerry his days in the Senate are numbered.
Last month, I wrote a piece John Kerry Proves the DNC Cannot Pick a Winner. Please take a look if you missed it the first time, so you can better see why I have little use for John Kerry these days.
The Editorial Board of The Boston Herald, a paper which has time and time again connected with the working people of Massachusetts, endorsed Ed O’Reilly in Friday’s edition:
There is a reason 24-year-incumbent Sen. John Kerry has an opponent in this Tuesday’s Democratic primary, and frankly it has little to do with the war in Iraq and Kerry’s convoluted and frequently tortured stand on it.
O’Reilly is an engaging populist with a down-home touch…he has worked hard to build the kind of bridges with communities and local officials that Kerry has for too long neglected. When was the last time (or the first time) John Kerry attended the Leominster Stroll or visited a firehouse or a ham and bean supper in the Berkshires? We will say what so many people in Massachusetts have whispered for so very long: John Kerry needs to pay far more attention to the people who have sent him to Washington year after year than he has in the past. And if voters want to send him that message by casting a vote for Ed O’Reilly – well, we can’t disagree.
The Belmont Citizen Herald has this to say:
Gloucester attorney Ed O’Reilly is to be commended for attempting a left-flank challenge in the U.S. Senate race. He has earned your vote for having the guts and integrity to stick his neck out and run …
As well, what difference does seniority make when you’re flat out wrong? Voters should also be incensed by the arrogance of power shown by the incumbent who was too busy partying on Nantucket this summer while everyone in the real world has had to deal with pinched pocketbooks and an unstable world. All the silly handshaking events around the state don’t make up for being so out of touch at such a critical time in our nation’s history.
WBZ’s Jon Keller, a Belmont resident, should also be thanked for figuring out a way to corner the incumbent for 20 minutes to answer a few questions in a Sunday morning debate last week. But it was all too little, too late.
There are many other blog sites and smaller papers getting the word out on Mr. O’Reilly. Among other complaints, John Kerry’s blatant disregard of the will of the voters in the MA presidential primary, who chose Hillary Clinton by a large margin, and his in your face support of Senator Obama has angered many. And there are plenty out there aching for payback. More important, many constituents are voicing their displeasure at his out-of-touch, out-of-reach behavior.
I had the opportunity to have several email exchanges with Ed myself and was so pleased he took the time to write and tell me about himself. His frank communication and down-to-earth demeanor impressed me and I believe that is precisely the type of person we need in the Senate. Obviously, John Kerry and his band of elitist brothers – and sisters, like Claire McCaskill, for example, really have no understanding of a broad spectrum of the needs, agenda, or outrage of a good part of the Democratic base, or disaffected voters of any Party. Why would we want them representing us on a state or national level?
Lawyers Weekly asks, “Who Is Ed O’Reilly?”
The product of a large, politically active family, O’Reilly likes to remind people that he had to make his own way in the world. “I was born into a housing project,” he says. “I was just a regular kid; I went to Watertown public schools; I put myself through college. That’s the big difference between me and Kerry. The big difference is that I know what it’s like to work for a living.”
Prof. Heidi Li Feldman, co-founder of the wonderful Denver Group likewise became interested in Ed’s campaign and reached out to him. Ms. Feldman is a courageous and whip-smart woman for whom I have a great deal of respect. She sat down for a lunch with Ed O’Reilly and her impressions upon meeting him convinced her to likewise offer up her endorsement:
[A]ny legitimate Democratic candidate, especially one who understands and embraces the idea of genuinely universal health care and the mechanics of what has to be done to achieve it, deserved whatever podium I could provide, particularly if the candidate was running against a well-heeled, very powerful opponent such as John Kerry.
My sense of Ed is that he judges people based on intuition, honed by years of criminal law practice. He is also a true raconteur …. But like all truly good storytellers, his stories have a point: He made me understand what it is like to run against a Goliath of an opponent; what made him lose faith in Kerry, how he felt that Kerry’s inattention to Massachusetts had become excessive.
Ed has no pretensions, no airs. He would be a true progressive in the U.S. Senate.
Best of all, let’s hear the words of Ed’s own campaign:
Instead of a bag full of wind, wouldn’t it be nice to have a breath of fresh air?
I couldn’t have said it better.
To find out more: www.EdOReilly.com
Note from Ed’s Campaign Staff:
You can really help make Ed our next U.S. Senator by volunteering at the polls on Tuesday or by doing visibilities this weekend. Just a couple of hours of your time can make a huge difference! Please call Rebecca Kennedy at 617 924-2008.
by Ronald Scott
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