When You Take Things for Granted for 24 Years…

So there I was, collecting signatures — you can never, ever have enough — for my favorite candidate.  As part of my pitch, I said that Jeff was running against John Kerry.

It’s simply amazing to see the antipathy that John Kerry arouses in people — and this was from a liberal enclave outside of the Boston metropolitan area. This even includes members of the Democratic party who still believe in the party’s ideals but no longer see JFK as being worthy of being their standard bearer. As to those who are not Democrats, it’s a widespread case of ABK. (Or as we like to say here — Any-Beatty but Kerry.)

We’re used to getting the anti-Kerry spin when we travel in GOP circles — that’s to be expected.  However, in a neutral setting (a transfer station in fact) we were surpised to see the level of resentment aroused by simply mentioning Senator Kerry’s name. 

I suggest to those who think that this is a safe seat — you may want to reconsider your assessment.

 

 

Take Your CQ with a Grain of Salt

Credit the Washington media types for getting things wrong — way wrong — in the Bay State.  Check out the three whoppers that were found on the web today from the folks who should know a thing or two about politics: 

Spook candidate challenges Swiftboater: Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry , the 2004 Democratic presidential standard-bearer, suddenly has some real opposition, it looks like — and somebody cut from similar cloth. Republican Jeff Beattyhas held a number of national security slots: Army Delta Force in Somalia, hostage rescue ops at the FBI and counterterrorism missions with the CIA, among others. Now he’s snuck up on the presumed GOP frontrunner for the nomination, former Air Force Lt. Col. Jim Ogonowski. According to the Boston Herald’s analysisof new federal campaign filings, “security guru and former Delta Force soldier Jeff Beatty has raised $1 million, far eclipsing the $307,000 collected by Ogonowski.”

1.  Jeff was involved, as a Delta Force officer, with the resuce of American medical students in Grenada in 1983. Somalia was ten years later.

2.  Who has ever said that Jim Ogonowski is the presumed GOP front runner?  In the last election that Jeff and Jim competed in — Jeff received almost twice as many votes against a stronger opponent than Jimbo.  Moreover, when people vote with their pocketbook — Jeff wins 10 to 3?  Lastly, if Mr. Ogonowski was a front runner why doesn’t he debate Jeff and “finish him off.” 

3.  On what planet could John Kerry and Jeff Beatty be considered cut from the similar cloth? Jeff has remained faithful to his fellow veterans and worked his way up through the ranks of the Army, the FBI, and the CIA.  He then founded and led his own security consulting fim.  We know sadly how Kerry feels about veterans and since he graduated from law school he has been a professional politician.

The lesson — the folks inside the Beltway need to come down to the Bay State and get a clue as to what is going on.