(Lynnfield, MA) – Any Member of Congress who has seen Stephen Colbert’s “Better Know a District” segments knows that there is much more to understanding a congressional district than just knowing which towns he represents. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that Congressman Tierney can get that far since he has failed multiple times to accurately list the number of towns in his own district.

For the record: The Sixth District of Massachusetts is comprised of 39 cities and towns plus part of Andover. Congressman Tierney has said twice now that there are only 37. It would be interesting to know where he got his numbers from, and more importantly, to know which towns he is leaving out.

From the Daily News of Newburyport:

“The people in the 37 cities and towns in this district know me and are turned off by it,” Tierney said of the negative ads. (Oct. 29, 2012)

From Tierney’s own website:

Tierney’s campaign website also has the wrong map.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“The historic Sixth Congressional District of Massachusetts encompasses much of Essex county and part of Middlesex county, numbering 36 towns and cities in total.” (http://www.johntierney.com/contact/6th_District)

The Tierney map excludes Tewksbury, Billerica, and part of Andover. Not including entire towns in your assessment of your district? If that’s not “out of touch”–what is?

For future reference, the following is a complete list of towns in the Sixth District:

In Essex County:
Amesbury, Andover, Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Gloucester, Groveland, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester, Marblehead, Merrimac, Middleton,Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham, and West Newbury.

In Middlesex County:
Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, North Reading, Reading, Tewksbury, Wakefield and Wilmington.

(Lynnfield, MA) — Following is Tisei Campaign Manager Paul Moore’s email reply to Tierney Campaign Manager Matt Robison’s email regarding various campaign incidents:

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Paul Moore Date: Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 2:06 PM
Subject: Re:
To: Matt Robison
Cc: Paul Moore

Dear Matt,

Delighted to hear from you and that we share a concern over the behavior of those who claim to support our campaigns. I’ll do you the courtesy of responding to your email, unlike your lack of response to a similar email from me weeks ago – after I had written to you about your tracker having his camera inches from my candidate’s face during a dinner.

I’ll be brief and avoid threatening legal action, as I don’t believe every act requires the threat of a lawsuit – though I’m a former federal prosecutor and am familiar with the law.

Here are concerns that you should be aware of – and I’d hope you’d do me the courtesy, this time, of a reply:

Our 4′ x 8′ signs are being torn down in various places within the district at a rate of about 1 per day.

Your tracker (I’ll omit his name and license plates) has, on multiple occasions, staked out the homes of Richard as well as his elderly mother.

At various campaign rallies, Tierney supporters (we know because they’re holding Tierney signs) have made statements about my candidate’s sexuality (eg., “I’m not voting for that faggot” – heard several times by shocked Tisei volunteers and staff as recently as during the dueling rallies outside of yesterday’s debate in Lynn).

Your campaign staffers have entered our HQ on multiple occasions. On once such occasion, two young men entered with what they said was the Ryan Budget. They took photos inside the office and asked to present it directly to Richard.

More bizarrely, Patrice Tierney recently pulled up in a white Beetle in about 20 feet away from the Tisei HQ. She was outside of the car with another woman, both of whom yelled at an intern of ours who could hardly be faulted for wondering why Mrs. Tierney might be appearing at the Tisei HQ. A new volunteer? We weren’t so lucky that day.

Some of these infractions are serious and others less so. We avoid being overly paranoid here and would welcome, if he so chose, the company of the Congressman coming to 932 Lynnfield Street to help us get a mailing out the door. We don’t require the SSN, DOB, or a credit report for a volunteer. We check for a pulse and our doors fling open! And we love our volunteers.

Civility in discourse is also lacking. I recommend that your campaign consult a thesaurus to avoid overuse of certain words (eg., “extreme, radical”). Hyperbole is not befitting of any campaign, particularly in a time of so many crises across our land.

As I await your reply, I’ll continue to remind anyone on this campaign staff (as well as anyone intending to otherwise assist it) that property destruction, name-calling, intimidation, and the like are not only unproductive but are also completely out of place from the perspective of the Tisei campaign.

Sincerely yours,

Paul Moore
Campaign Manager
Tisei for Congress

LYNN, Mass. (WHDH) — Democratic U.S. Rep. John Tierney and his Republican challenger Richard Tisei wrangled in their first debate over who would be more independent if elected to represent Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District.

The race has featured plenty of negative ads — many focusing on the congressman’s personal integrity.

As Congressman Tierney tried to greet supporters, he was jeered by people from the rival camp loyal to Republican Richard Tisei.

Inside the debate, there was no talk about the offshore gaming scandal which landed the congressman’s wife in jail.

Tierney, along with Tisei and third-party candidate Dan Fishman, stuck to the issues related to the American dream.

“Quite frankly, the congressman should be ashamed to have gotten down to this level that he needs to spear,” said Tisei.
Read more →

JOHN TIERNEY’S LEGISLATIVE RECORD

JOHN TIERNEY has been in Congress for 16 years and has NOT INTRODUCED A SINGLE PIECE OF LEGISLATION that has made it to the President’s desk.

RICHARD TISEI’S LEGISLATIVE RECORD

RICHARD TISEI HAS A 26-YEAR RECORD OF DELIVERING FOR HIS CONSTITUENTS

As a state legislator, Richard has reached across party lines to pass bipartisan legislation in the best interests of his constituents.

“Tisei was able to win 13 elections in a row as a state legislator in a part of the district he’s now running in – with the help of independent and Democratic voters.” (Politico, 5/14/2012)

In his 26 years of service in the Massachusetts Legislature, Richard spearheaded a long list of accomplishments, even in a Democrat-held legislature including…

Anti-Bullying legislation, which Richard supported and also sponsored after Senator Antonioni (a Democrat) stepped down. (This bill was signed into law on May 3, 2010, as Chapter 92 of the Act of 2010).

Ethics Reform – ban on the use of campaign funds to pay ethics fines and the elimination of the “Special Committee” loophole that allowed state political parties to skirt campaign finance laws by funneling money directly to candidates through a designated campaign fund, like Governor Patrick’s 71st Fund (Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2009, signed July 1, 2009).

Welfare Reform Law - Passed in 1995 served as a national model. Richard served on the six member conference committee that hashed out a compromise for the historic legislation. He authored a number of anti-fraud provisions included in the bill. (St. 1995, c. 5, § 110)

Whistleblower Protection Law – passed during Gov. Weld’s tenure as governor, and led the fight to protect healthcare workers from harassment and retaliation by their employers for reporting patient abuse and unsafe working conditions. (http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXI/Chapter149/Section185 Code Section:  149§185, Signed 1994)

Education Reform Act – 1993 landmark legislation provision that Richard authored establishing a system for alternative certification making it easier for individual changing careers to enter the teaching profession. (Education Reform Act
http://archives.lib.state.ma.us/actsResolves/1993/1993acts0071.pdf Part I, Title XII, Chapter 71, June 16, 1993)

“But even for a Massachusetts Republican, Tisei is out of step with his party and Romney on several notable issues, and views his candidacy as a return to a brand of the socially moderate, fiscally conservative Republicanism that once flourished in the Northeast but has all but vanished in recent years.” (The Boston Globe, Michael Levenson, August 29, 2012)

During Governor Romney’s 4 years in office, Richard voted to override the Governor over 50% of the time.

John Tierney supports the job-killing Medical Device Tax found in ObamaCare –

MASSACHUSETTS IS THE 2nd LARGEST EMPLOYER OF PEOPLE IN THE MEDICAL DEVICE INDUSTRY behind only California, employing 24,268 within seven medical device manufacturing categories. Furthermore, the Massachusetts medical device industry is responsible for creating more than 80,000 jobs in related industries in the state. (MASSMedic – the largest regional medical device association in the United States)

CARDIAC DEFIBRILLATORS, ARTIFICIAL JOINTS, and MRI SCANNERS ALL FACE NEW TAXES: “The 2.3% levy applies to the sale of everything from cardiac defibrillators to artificial joints to MRI scanners. The device tax is supposed to raise $28.5 billion from 2013 to 2022, and it is especially harmful because it applies to gross sales, not profits.” (Editorial, “Improvised Explosive Device Tax,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/28/2012)

SMALL AND MID-SIZED BUSINESSES COULD BE HIT HARDEST: “Companies at make-or-break margins could be taxed out of existence, especially in an intensely competitive industry where four of five businesses are start-ups or midsized.” (Editorial, “Improvised Explosive DeviceTax,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/28/2012)

Race Ratings Chart for 2012 House Elections

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90.9 WBUR
July 24, 2012
Fred Thys

BOSTON — The field of candidates in the 6th Congressional Disrict is now more streamlined. Independent Seth Moulton, who had considered a run, has decided to stay out of the race.

That leaves three declared candidates in the North Shore race: Libertarian Daniel Fishman, Democratic incumbent Rep. John Tierney and Republican Richard Tisei.

The GOP sees Tisei, a former state senator, as its strongest chance for a congressional seat in Massachusetts. And ever since Tisei entered the race, he has been out-raising Tierney.

Speaking from Washington recently, Tierney said Tisei’s success at attracting money should come as no shock.

“Money’s different than votes, and there’s never been any surprise that Republicans would out-raise Democrats, but I think my opponent’s money comes from the extreme conservatives down here, where he’s had several fund-raisers with the likes of [Reps.] Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor and that group,” Tierney said.

Actually, Tisei has been raising almost all of his money in Massachusetts. It’s one reason the National Republican Campaign Committee considers Tisei its best shot at getting a GOP congressman elected in Massachusetts. Another reason: Tierney’s troubles explaining to voters he didn’t known his wife was handling proceeds from illegal gambling when she managed one of her brother’s bank accounts.

Waiting for her Boston-bound train in Salem early one morning, voter Linda Start encapsulated Tierney’s problem.

“I don’t support what’s happening with his family situation,” she said, explaining why she won’t vote for Tierney. “Sorry.”

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Policymic
July 18, 2012
Blair Forlaw

Massachusetts – There’s drama in Massachusetts’ 6th district, where incumbent Democrat John Tierney is working hard to maintain his seat, despite public chatter about family matters that recently sent one brother-in-law to prison for illegal gambling and another to Antigua, where he is thought to be a fugitive from justice. Tierney, now in his eighth term, has been most active on issues around education, workforce development, and labor. He is being challenged by Republican Richard Tisei, the former GOP leader of the state Senate who is considered to be “one of the top GOP candidates challenging incumbents this election.” Tisei, who is openly gay and pro-choice, describes himself as “a live and let live Republican” who thinks “the government should get off your back, out of your wallet and away from the bedroom.” Recent polls sponsored by the candidates show both of them ahead by nice margins. Hmmm…

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