David Bernstein of left-wing rag The Phoenix was apparently baffled when he discovered MassGOP Executive Director Rob Willington blogging here at Hub Politics yesterday, live blogging Election Day from the Ogonowski campaign.

Quick observation: why in the world is Mass. GOP exec director Rob Willington blogging and posting photos today on HubPolitics, rather than the spiffy new MassGOP site or BlOgonowski? Has the Margolis brothers' site become an official outpost of the state party? Why? I can imagine quite a few committee members would be pretty unhappy about that.

I find this amusing because nationally the Republican Party is often criticized for being far behind the Democratic on the internet/blogosphere front. Whether or not the same goes locally here in Massachusetts is apparently irrelevant because clearly any attempt by the MassGOP to embrace the blogosphere is going to be treated with skepticism and contempt.

Rob Willington explained yesterday, "We will have gained new readers and potentially new activists and candidates by guest blogging on Hub Politics. It's reaching out and getting exposure." Yesterday's coverage of the special election brought in hundreds and thousands of hits an hour, and we were linked by many other bloggers from around the country interested in the race and our coverage of it.

Would Bernstein have recognized any activity on BlOgonowski or MassRootsGOP on Election Day? Highly unlikely considering he has only mentioned BlOgnowski twice ever (and only linked it once) and only gave the MassGOP website one obligatory plug when it re-launched, though did not link to the MassRootsGOP blog.

Bernstein has, however, given an occasional mention of Hub Politics. Similarly, blogs/bloggers that had an interest in the race are more likely to link to an unofficial blog than an official campaign or party blog.

Niki Tsongas's official campaign blog (not even hosted on her own campaign website) was barely updated during the campaign and had only one entry posted on Election Day. The Massachusetts Democratic Party doesn't even have an active blog anymore it seems, and promotes and relies on already established left-wing blog communities to get its message out... I guess that's okay, though.

MSNBC reports that Ogonowski "would not rule out seeking a rematch in 2008, saying he'd first take some time to reflect with his family."

I suspect we'll know relatively soon if he will give it another shot. I hope he does.

Did you think I would leave you without saying goodbye? I just got home and it's 12:42 and I have a few thoughts that I would like to close with.

  Continue reading "The Campaign Continues...." >>

It was a disappointing night indeed, but not one we weren't prepared for. We may not have been victorious, but we should not feel defeated. Even with the help Democratic machine, which helped Tsongas hold a 4 to 1 edge over Ogonowski in fundraising, she only edged out a 5 point victory.

5 points.

Niki Tsongas was wrong when she said this election was a referendum on George W. Bush and the war in Iraq. In the bluest of blue states, a Niki Tsongas, if she was right, would have easily won this election. Instead, she brought in Democratic heavyweights, including former President Bill Clinton, to help bring in money to her campaign, enabling her run ads that distorted Ogonowski's positions. The odds were against Ogonowski from the beginning. Yet, Tsongas only managed to win by 5 points.

5 points.

Niki Tsongas will soon learn that she will have to leave her campaign promises behind when she goes to Washington. She made her campaign about Iraq. She will not get us out of Iraq. When she runs for reelection, we will still be in Iraq, and she will have to answer to her supporters who believed her when she said that a vote for her would get us out of Iraq. But make no mistake about it... this election was not about Iraq.

A five point victory for Tsongas can mean only one thing: that Jim Ogonowski's message of being tough on illegal immigration, lowering taxes, and controlling spending, won over much of his district. Ogonowski has proven that when it comes to the issues people care about, Republicans can win the votes of independent voters.

Earlier this month, Michael Barone said, "If this election had been held in November 2006, Tsongas would have won by a solid margin… A closer result would signal that the political environment has changed since November 2006, that the poor job ratings of the Democratic Congress have become more important to voters in House elections…”

Well, it was a closer result. 5 points.

Congressional approval is at an all time low. Ogonowski's campaign against the "broken Congress" undoubtedly had an impact on the voters of the Fifth Congressional District. Tsongas may have won, but the closeness of this race indicates the voters' discontent with Congress and "business as usual." When Niki Tsongas seeks reelection, she'll have to explain why we're still in Iraq, and defend her breaking her campaign pledge.

I am disappointed in the outcome of this race, but confident that the tide is turning against the Democrats and for the values that define the Republican Party.

The race may be lost, but the campaign continues. I hope that Ogonowski will continue to spread his message to the voters of the Fifth Congressional District. We fought a hard fight against the Democratic machine and came out looking pretty good. In a race Tsongas should have won easily, we made them sweat. Five points...

All in all, not bad, not bad at all.

Lowell Sun.

The campaign of Democrat Niki Tsongas declared victory over Republican Jim Ogonowski at about 9:10 tonight, and the Associated Press sent a bulletin five minutes later declaring Tsongas the victor.

With 86 percent of precincts reporting, she had 51 percent of the vote to 46 percent for Ogonowski.

A sad day for the Fifth District, for Massachusetts...

UPDATE: Patrick Ruffini chimes in:

The change message worked. Though conservative by Massachusetts standards, this is a district that went 17 points Democrat in the last Presidential election. After 2006, is there any Republican-represented district in America that Democratic? Victory would have been a real miracle. But take a powerful citizen-candidate like Ogonowski and put him in a purple or leans-D district, and we can win.

Polls are closed.

Here's what I've heard so far.

Less than an hour ago, sources told me that one precinct in Dracut, Ogonowski's hometown, was already over 50%.

When I have more, I will report. My various sources are being very careful, and I can only reveal so much.

No results from the Elections Division of the Secretary of State yet... too soon. Will report on anything I hear that I am allowed to reveal.

UPDATE: Results appearing here.

UPDATE: Quote from source: "Close..."

UPDATE: More news.. Ogonowski reportedly won Dracut 2 to 1. As I reported before, turnout was over 50%

UPDATE: Sources say Ogonowski won Tyngsboro by 14 points.

Our poll reporters are en route to the polling locations to report numbers back to us.

Meanwhile, the Boston Herald has this story.

I know you all are wanting signs and early indications but there is nothing to report at this moment. The turnout seems to vary by community, too early to make any assumptions.

Tell us what you're hearing and what you're feeling.

We've been hearing a lot about Ogonowski signs being ripped down and/or stolen.

More updates after polls close.

UPDATE: SurveyUSA conducted a poll last week. Here were the results.

42% Ogonowski (R)
51% Tsongas (D)
2% Hayes (I)
4% Murphy (I)
0% Thompson (C)
1% Undecided

Here's what they say:

Independents & Moderates Break In Opposite Directions as MA5 Special Congressional Election Nears: 5 Days till polls open in the Special Election for U.S. House of Representatives in Massachusetts' 5th Congressional District, Democrat Niki Tsongas cannot shake Republican challenger Jim Ogonowski, according to this poll of 457 likely voters conducted exclusively for WBZ-TV Boston. Tsongas leads by 9 points today, effectively unchanged from a SurveyUSA WBZ tracking poll released 09/11/07, when she led by 10. But there is movement under the surface. Among self-identified Independent voters, who make-up 39% of the electorate in SurveyUSA's turnout model, Ogonowski's advantage has grown from 7 points on 09/11 to 13 points today. The more Independents who turn out on Tuesday, the better Ogonowski does. Among self-described Moderates -- a group that often moves in harmony with Independent voters, but not in this contest -- Tsongas has gained 15 points. Conservatives are locked-in on Ogonowski; he leads by 71 points there. Liberals are locked-in on Tsongas; she leads by 76 points there. The Gender Gap has grown since SurveyUSA's last poll. Ogonowski today leads by 18 points among men. Tsongas leads by 37 points among women. Gender Gap had been 45 points, now 55 points. Among the oldest voters, there is movement to Tsongas. Because this is a special election, with no statewide offices on the ballot, and few comparable elections to model, turnout is difficult to forecast. To the extent voters wish to communicate how miserably unhappy they are with anyone and everyone in elected office, Ogonowski may be the vehicle they choose to deliver that message. To the extent that the more powerful meme is that voters are unhappy with the Republican White House, Tsongas should win comfortably in a district where just 18% of likely voters identify themselves as Republicans.

The margin of error in this poll is ±4.7% ... which means that the race is likely very very close and is all about turnout.

UPDATE: Polls close soon... Good luck, Jim! The Hub Politics community is rooting for you!

I'm leaving a message for a voter as I type this. We are lighting up the phones to push Jim over the finish line. We are on overflow with our phone bank, I'm using my cell phone but that's easy since work pays for my cell phone bill. However, there are others in here using their personal cell phones because this election is so important.

Right now, there are no weekend minutes and night minutes have not started yet for cell phones. Dedication.

A few bumps in the road but nothing to be concerned with. Our team here is fantastic and we have a set process on how to work out problems that arise. Everyone knows their role and it's making things pretty easy considering the hectic atmosphere. I just took a step out of the staff quarters to snap these two pics of the volunteer section:

  Continue reading "5:00 Update" >>

Jim was asked about all of the political insiders in DC that came to work for Niki Tsongas and how they might influence the race. Here is Jim's response:

State Rep Lew Evangelidis stopped by to help out the campaign.

Janet Wu speaking with Jim.

Chairman Peter Tokrildsen speaking briefly with Jim:

Every dollar counts. Make a contribution now!

Find your polling station.

Call Talk Radio! Check out the extended entry for talk radio call in information.

  Continue reading "7 Hours To Go!" >>

Matt Talancy is working hard, he is a well known Jim Ogonowski staffer. If you may have seen his YouTube video before.

Things are going steady in the office right now. No real emergencies but campaigns are called organized chaos for a reason. I will check back in with you all soon.

Jim just came into the campaign headquarters and it was great to see him. He has a ton of energy and is continuing to meet with voters to get his message out and encouraging people to vote.

Below are two videos of Jim....being Jim:

  Continue reading "The Type of Guy Jim Is." >>

In a SurveyUSA poll, Jim Ogonowski had a 54-27 lead among voters under 35. Here are three students (2 from Haverhill, 1 from Methuen) that just left the headquarters to campaign for Jim Ogonowski.

Jim was on the radio just now and I captured a part of it with my phone. The quality is raw but you get to hear Jim Ogonowski. What else could you ask for?

Below is a map of the 5th CD from the Boston Globe. We are currently in the Jim Ogonowski campaign headquarters located in Chelmsford, which as you can see is in the middle of the district.

  Continue reading "Lay Of The Land" >>

I love this GOTV piece that the campaign has used. First, it represents exactly what Jim Ogonowski is all about. He is a husband, father, veteran, and farmer. No one ever says "the problem with Washington is that their are too many farmers elected."

  Continue reading "A "Mr. Smith" Kinda Candidate..." >>

I just sent out this press release:

  Continue reading "Where Will Niki Vote?" >>

We arrived to the office to find this headline in the paper. "Can Tsongas Buck Local GOP Trend?" As Executive Director of the MassGOP, I love this headline but Jim has not won yet and we have have been the underdog the whole time.

One of the staffers noticed about 20 yard signs missing as he drove to the office this morning.

I never realized how strange it was to drive to and from work at night until now. We have been doing this for a while now and it without adrenaline and coffee it would be pretty difficult.

5:00 AM Staff Meeting.

It feels good to be on Hub Politics, typing from the inside looking out.

Check in to HP to get updates from the NeTrail where I will be covering the Jim Ogonowski campaign for US Congress. Thanks for supporting Jim and his candidacy!

The Politico's Josh Kraushaar on the MA-05 Special Election:

The working-class towns along Massachusetts’ Merrimack River are an unlikely setting for a potential election shocker that could provide one of the few Republican rays of hope in 2007.

But operatives from both parties acknowledge that Tuesday’s special election match-up between Republican Jim Ogonowski and Democrat Niki Tsongas, to replace retiring Rep. Martin Meehan (D), is unexpectedly close — and that an Ogonowski victory, or even a close call, could give other GOP candidates some important tips on how to win in 2008.

Read the whole thing...

Mass GOP Chairman Peter Torkildsen sent the following letter to the Niki Tsongas campaign, regarding her support for drivers' licenses for illegal immigrants.

October 14, 2007

Ms. Niki Tsongas
Tsongas For Congress Campaign
26 Market Street
Lowell, MA 01852

DELIVERED BY HAND

Dear Ms. Tsongas:

Like many Massachusetts residents, I read in The Boston Herald this morning that you support "driver's licenses for illegal immigrants and a 'path to citizenship' for illegal immigrants."

On your website, however, you claim to "support legislation to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 commission to improve our port and border security." (http://nikitsongas.com/overview.php)

In case you have not had a chance to read it, I have enclosed a copy of The 9/11 Commission Report, which clearly states the following in Recommendation #18:

"Secure identification should begin in the United States. The federal government should set standards for the issuance of birth certificates and sources of identification, such as drivers licenses. Fraud in identification documents is no longer just a problem of theft. At many entry points to vulnerable facilities, including gates for boarding aircraft, sources of identification are the last opportunity to ensure that people are who they say they are and to check whether they are terrorists." (The 9/11 Commission Report, p. 390)

I urge you to immediately explain this glaring inconsistency to the voters of the 5th Congressional District. Do you support the implementation of the 9/11 recommendations, or do you support driver's licenses for illegal immigrants?

Sincerely,

~ S ~

Peter G. Torkildsen
Chairman
Massachusetts Republican Party

Ogonowski, if elected, will be another vote for secure borders and a safe America.

Sign up to volunteer by calling Ogonowski HQ at (978) 269-5080 or by emailing Peter Towey at Peter@JimOgonowski.com.

Also please consider donating to the campaign and help keep Ogonowski's TV and radio ads on the air.

Click play to listen:

Script For "Illegal Immigrants" (RADIO: 60): ANNOUNCER: And now for something truly incredible: You already know Niki Tsongas supports amnesty for illegal aliens.

She would reward lawbreakers by giving them American citizenship.

And you already know Tsongas would pay for the tuition of illegal aliens with our tax dollars.

But today we learn Niki Tsongas would go even further. Tsongas told the Boston Herald she wants to give drivers licenses to illegal immigrants.

Niki Tsongas — Amnesty, in-state tuition, drivers licenses for illegals.

Niki Tsongas position is truly a radical and dangerous one.

Jim Ogonowski believes in real immigration reform without Amnesty. And Ogonowski opposes giving illegals in-state tuition and driver's licenses.

On the Tuesday, October 16th special election —vote Jim Ogonowski for Congress

JIM OGONOWSKI: "I'm Jim Ogonowski and I approve this message."

ANNOUNCER: "Paid for and authorized by Ogonowski for Congress."

-END SCRIPT-

Script For "Illegal Immigrants" (RADIO: 60): ANNOUNCER: And now for something truly incredible: You already know Niki Tsongas supports amnesty for illegal aliens.

She would reward lawbreakers by giving them American citizenship.

And you already know Tsongas would pay for the tuition of illegal aliens with our tax dollars.

But today we learn Niki Tsongas would go even further. Tsongas told the Boston Herald she wants to give drivers licenses to illegal immigrants.

Niki Tsongas — Amnesty, in-state tuition, drivers licenses for illegals.

Niki Tsongas position is truly a radical and dangerous one.

Jim Ogonowski believes in real immigration reform without Amnesty. And Ogonowski opposes giving illegals in-state tuition and driver's licenses.

On the Tuesday, October 16th special election —vote Jim Ogonowski for Congress

JIM OGONOWSKI: "I'm Jim Ogonowski and I approve this message."

ANNOUNCER: "Paid for and authorized by Ogonowski for Congress."

-END SCRIPT-

If Niki Tsongas really thought this was a 10-point race, would she be bringing in all the Democratic heavyweights and insiders, and would they use their limited time to stump for her? Certainly not. Well, it seems like Tsongas is still worried about her chances, as she's now held a "Unity Breakfast" with John Kerry.

Ironically, Based on Tsongas's Iraq war rhetoric, it be more appropriate for her to be demonstrating unity with Kerry's primary challenger for his Senate seat, Ed O'Reilly, who thinks we should withdraw troops immediately. But no, Tsongas knows she needs the help of Washington insiders... insiders who have a history of talking tough about getting out of Iraq, but do little about it when given the opportunity.

MassGOP Executive Director Rob Willington released a statement regarding Tsongas's ‘Unity Breakfast’ with John Kerry.

“Nothing could sum up the Tsongas campaign more than this eleventh hour visit by the ultimate Washington insider. John Kerry and Niki Tsongas are ‘united’ in many ways, but change is not one of them. The only thing being served up at this breakfast is higher taxes on Massachusetts families and more of the status-quo of ‘politics as usual’ in Washington.

The Boston Herald reports that Niki Tsongas has "disavowed" the shameful comments made by Chester Atkins.

Jim Ogonowski confirmed that Tsongas has contacted him in regards to Atkins' comments, He said in a statement, “Earlier today I did receive a call from Niki telling me Chet Atkins does not speak for her campaign." Ogonowski then called Tsongas's response "a good first step." He added, "Unfortunately for Niki, this entire episode is the product of the ‘win at all costs’ campaign she and her Washington consultants have been running.”

More from Ogonowski's statement:

“She and her team need to held accountable for the slash and burn approach they have taken this entire campaign. Niki Tsongas needs to take Chet Atkins off her endorsement list and needs to return his campaign contributions. But, this is not the first time this kind of thing has happened. She and her special interest group friends have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on TV, Mail and Radio this past week twisting words and deceiving voters."

"[...] if ever there were a clearer contrast in what approach we must take in Congress it is in how this campaign has been run. Attacks on my family, attacks on my integrity, and twisting words to use in negative ads. This is the politics of politics - do whatever you need to win. And it is exactly the opposite of what we need in Washington now.”

As of this blog post, Atkins' name is still on the list.

Just in from the Ogonowski campaign:

Jim Ogonowski will hold a press conference Friday at his family farm in Dracut, Massachusetts to respond to an irresponsible and unfounded personal attack made by former Congressman and Tsongas Campaign supporter Chet Atkins. Atkins told the AP Thursday that Jim was “tarnishing the legacy of [Jim’s] late brother, John, with a stance against illegal immigration that borders on racist.”

Jim will be joined by the Ogonowski Family. On Thursday, Peg Ogonowski, who is the widow of Jim’s brother John, who was killed while piloting American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11, 2001, called Atkins’ remarks “a new low in politics.”

Jim will discuss his disappointment at the continued negative tone of the Tsongas Campaign, his position on immigration reform, his work on behalf of legal immigrants, his efforts to carry on his brother’s legacy of providing land and support to Cambodian farmers and their families, and the need for civil discourse and honest debate in the waning days of the campaign.

The details:

What: Press Conference

Who: Jim Ogonowski and family

When: 10:00am, October12, 2007

Where: Ogonowski family farm, Dracut, Massachusetts

Now both Ted Kennedy and Deval Patrick have sent out a mass email via the Committee for a Democratic Majority asking for volunteers for canvassing, calling and emailing friends, phone-banking, and working on election day. Their goal was 500 volunteers.

Sounds like they're really worried about the election. This is the second email in a few short days from the Committee for a Democratic Majority with this information.

Looks like the Tsongas campaign has gone from desperate to obsessive, and has decided that there is no low too low to sink to. They've got former Democrat Rep. Chester G. Atkins fighting dirty for them.

Atkins once held the same seat Ogonowski and Tsongas are currently vying for, but lost his reelection bid in 1992. The Boston Herald has just reported that Atkins is likening Jim Ogonowski to a racist because of his stance on illegal immigration and using the memory of Ogonowski's late brother in his attack.

As if launching attack ads and distorting Ogonowski's positions wasn't enough, the Tsongas campaign truly has aspired to reach new lows in politics -- even for Democrats.

Atkins alleges that Jim Ogonowski's brother, John (the American Airlines pilot on Flight 11 who lost his life on September 11) would support Atkins' and Tsongas' stance on illegal immigration.

Atkins, a Concord Democrat who lost his 1992 re-election campaign in part because of a backlash over his support for Cambodian refugees resettling in his Merrimack Valley district, said John Ogonowski was an avid backer of his efforts because of his family's heritage as Polish immigrants.

John Ogonowski later supported a program in which he let Cambodians use a plot of his own farmland to grow specialty crops for Asian markets.
[...]
''I thought that Jim would be like John, and all of the sudden, I see just these hateful words coming out of his mouth and a lot of it is sort of veiled racism and there's sort of a meanness to it and it was a surprise given my experience with his brother,'' Atkins said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Jim Ogonowski replied: ''The Cambodian refugees are here 100 percent legally. There's no comparison between them and illegal aliens. One are law-abiding people living the American Dream. The other are breaking the law. ... We cannot reward criminals, we cannot give amnesty for those who have broken laws, but have to remain a beacon of hope for those who come here legally.''

Now, what authority does this Atkins have to evoke the memory of John Ogonowski for political gain?

Did John Ogonowski know and support Atkins, as he claims? That is doubtful.

Peg Ogonowski said in a statement: ''I don't recall whether John ever even spoke to that man. Regardless, how dare they pretend to know John better than his own family does? This is politics at its worst. When you don't agree with them, they attack you and call you names. When you don't just say, 'Just open up the borders for illegal immigrants,' they call you a racist. Our family is very supportive of legal immigration.''

Jim Ogonowski also questioned whether his brother had known Atkins, saying John Ogonowski was a staunch Republican, ''my best friend'' and someone who never mentioned the former congressman to him.

Would the wife and brother of the late John Ogonowski know if he had known and/or supported Atkins? I think it is safe to say they would. But that's not stopping Atkins or the Tsongas campaign.

[Jim Ogonowski] called the criticism ''a new low in politics,'' and said the family has always supported legal immigration. The family's U.S. heritage began in 1904 when the Ogonowskis' great-grandmother emigrated from Poland.

Atkins and Tsongas ought apologize for their shameful attacks.

***DONATE TO THE OGONOWSKI CAMPAIGN!!!***

UPDATE: MassGOP Director Rob Willington responds to the story: “This is a below the belt punch from the Tsongas campaign and represents the type of slimy Washington politics that has no place in Massachusetts,” Willington said. “Niki Tsongas owes an apology, not only to the Ogonowski family and the Cambodian community, but also to the voters of the Fifth District for lowering the level of debate in this race.”

The Boston Herald paints a disturbing picture of where Tsongas's campaign contributions come from:

Tsongas amassed contributions of more than $1.3 million by the end of August - the latest date for which her campaign figures are available - with $204,706 coming from 284 out-of-staters.

Tsongas has 1,930 supporters, with more than $100,000 coming from lawyers, $50,000 from real estate firms and $125,000 from liberal groups. Most of her out-of-state support comes from New York, California, Washington, D.C., and New Hampshire.

If you didn't catch the last debate between Jim Ogonowski and Niki Tsongas, here's something that doesn't seem be reported from it... Niki Tsongas has vowed to vote to tax increases. "In Washington, I will vote to reverse the Bush tax cuts..." she said.

Tsongas can pretend all she wants that she'll have an impact on foreign policy, namely the war in Iraq, but here's an issue where her vote may actually make a difference. She will vote to raise your taxes.

According to the Treasury Department, "a family of four with two children who earn $50,000 annual income today ($55,100 in 2011) would see a $2,145 INCREASE (from $1,383 to $3,527) or 155 percent higher tax bill," if the Bush tax cuts are repealed.

No one can claim that the Bush tax cuts haven't been good for our economy. They've even contributed to the decline of the federal deficit. The latest budget numbers from the Treasury Department and the Office of Management and Budget show the federal deficit declined by $250 billion in the last three years. The numbers released today show that the federal deficit is just $163 billion or a mere 1.2 percent of the economy. At the current rate of decline, the deficit will become a surplus by 2012.

Tsongas and her liberal allies in Washington still try to claim that the economy is in bad shape. They keep trying to ignore the fact that since August 2003, the economy has added more than 8 million new jobs, meaning 49 straight months of economic growth. The unemployment rate is at 4.7% ... low by historical standards.

Yet, Tsongas wants to vote to repeal those tax cuts, and undo all the progress made by allowing Americans to keep more of their hard earned money in their pockets.

Today, the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune endorsed Jim Ogonowski for Congress:

The people of the Massachusetts 5th District need a representative in Congress who understands what it is like to run a family business. We need someone who will be an independent voice for the district, not a tool of union interests and a stagnant, one-party political culture. We need someone who is clear-eyed on the threats we face to our national security and interests.

We need Jim Ogonowski as our representative in Congress.

Ogonowski, a Republican, is a lifelong resident of the Merrimack Valley. He grew up on family farms in Dracut and still runs the family business today. He served for 28 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard.

His principal opponent, Democrat Niki Tsongas, says her experience as the wife of the late Sen. Paul Tsongas, gives her an insider's insight into the ways of Washington. We prefer someone with the military and business experience of Ogonowski, someone who knows how the world works for the rest of us.

Ogonowski understands what happens to ordinary people when Washington politicians try to "fix" things. He's rightly wary of government intrusion into private affairs.

In addition to highlighting Ogonowski's positions, the endorsement noted the faults and dangers of electing Tsongas.

The contrast with his opponent could not be more clear. Tsongas wants U.S. military personnel withdrawn from Iraq within 270 days. But she seems to have little understanding of who or what would fill the power vacuum thus created.

Tsongas' nonstop television ad campaign leads voters to believe a vote for her is a vote to end the war. Yet Tsongas has no such power. This is not a campaign for president but a race to replace Congressman Marty Meehan, who also supported a withdrawal. Tsongas would have one vote among 435 congressmen, just as Meehan did. All 435 congressmen and 100 senators could vote to "end the war in Iraq" and President Bush, the commander-in-chief, could simply refuse - unless Congress votes to cut off funding for the conflict. That's something Tsongas has said she'll never do.

More startlingly, Tsongas said at Tuesday's final debate in Lowell that she would "never vote to advance the surge or send additional troops to Iraq." Really? Not even if there were solid evidence of progress in Iraq? Not if Iran were to intervene more blatantly on behalf of its Shiite allies? Not if our generals urgently requested reinforcements? Never?

We live in a dangerous, chaotic world. We can't afford a congressman who would handcuff our ability to react to changing circumstances.

Read the whole thing.

Niki Tsongas has been trying to make the special election in the Fifth District about Iraq. Her latest TV ad says, "One vote can end this war. Yours." The message is clear. Niki Tsongas wants you to believe that if she is elected to Congress the war in Iraq is magically going to end because she opposes the war and wants to get out quicker than you say "retreat."

As I've already pointed out, Niki Tsongas won't get us out of Iraq. The Democrats in Congress and the ones running for president are not going to get us out of Iraq.

Tsongas has brought in several Democrat heavyweights in recent weeks to keep the campaign cash flowing to her campaign so she can not only smear Jim Ogonowski and distort his positions, but to make her "I'm going to end the war" promises.

One such Democrat she brought it was Nancy Pelosi, and that very same Nancy Pelosi has recently gone on record blasting the same kind of anti-war rhetoric being spouted by Tsongas. "We have to make responsible decisions in the Congress that are not driven by the dissatisfaction of anybody who wants the war to end tomorrow," Pelosi said, in regards to anti-war activists that are targeting her and other congressional Democrats for not doing enough to retreat from Iraq.

Clearly there's a disconnect between what Niki Tsongas is promising, and what Democratic leaders have in mind. So why is Tsongas continuing to lie to the voters of her district, claiming that she'll end the war?

MassGOP Executive Director Rob Willington released the following statement today:

“Niki Tsongas and her team of ‘Washington Insiders’ may help boost her campaign coffers and her ego, but their endorsements will do nothing to boost the dismal approval ratings of this Congress. Massachusetts families are fed up with the Washington politics that Niki and her team continue to advocate. Jim Ogonowski has the endorsement of working class families in Massachusetts, and that’s who he’ll represent in Washington."

Details of the Washington insiders brought in to save the Tsongas campaign posted in the extended entry:

  Continue reading "Niki's "Washington Insiders"" >>

Yesterday, the Ogonowski campaign announced the endorsement of the Lowell Police Patrolman's Union:

Jim Ogonowski said, "I am honored to have the support of the Lowell Police Patrolman’s Union. I believe the role of government is first and foremost to keep us safe. We’ve already seen what evil in the hearts of a few men can do to this great nation. If elected, I will always make sure our first responders have the tools they need in the case of an emergency. We must remain ever vigilant on the issue of homeland security."

Lowell Police Patrolman Mike Miles, added, “As a 28 year veteran of the Lowell Police Department, I am proud to endorse Jim Ogonowski. I stand with Jim on immigration reform, and his desire to secure our borders. Jim, like many policemen, is a veteran. I believe that he knows what it’s like for law enforcement officials and I believe that as our congressman, he will have our best interests at heart."

"He’s a blue collar worker, he knows what it's like to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty. He knows what it’s like to put bread on the table. He knows what it's like to serve our country and I believe he will continue that service in Congress." concluded Miles.

Tsongas, however, received the endorsement of the Boston Globe, which also endorsed Deval Patrick, Shannon O'Brien, and John Kerry... No shock there.

Desperate situations call for drastic measures...

First she brought in Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, Deval Patrick, and most recently Bill Clinton... But it looks like Niki Tsongas still needs liberal star power to keep her campaign afloat.

I've just received an email from Senator Ted Kennedy calling for contributions to Niki Tsongas's campaign.

It's not surprising that she's once again calling upon the help of the big guns in the Democratic Party to help her raise campaign cash. Recent FEC reports show that despite Tsongas's overwhelming fundraising advantage (courtesy of the Democratic machine special interests) she had roughly the same amount of cash-on-hand as Ogonowski's campaign. Obviously she determined that she still needs a last minute influx of cash to fund more attack ads that distort Ognowski's positions.

Mary Jo Kopechne was unavailable for comment.

Last night I caught Niki Tsongas's latest attack ad, which smears and distorts Jim Ogonowski's positions on Iraq. It accuses Ogonowski of supporting the war in Iraq and wanting to keep our troops there indefinitely.

It's been long established that Ogonowski did not support the war in Iraq. Still Tsongas seems devoted to distorting Ogonowski's position and equate Ogonowski's stance with President Bush's.

As for our troops, Ogonowski never said he wanted to keep troops in Iraq indefinitely. Tsongas however, is on record supporting prolonged troop deployment in Iraq. The Lowell Sun reported on July 12, 2007 that "Tsongas acknowledged that withdrawing troops from Iraq would destabilize the country and require the U.S. to maintain enough troops in the region to deal with any al-Qaida presence there and help continue training the Iraqi army."

Ogonowski noted this in a press release last month, stating,

"I want all of our troops to come home as soon as possible. They are not just America's sons and daughters, but my friends and colleagues. I want to bring all the troops home after we complete our mission of a safe, stable Iraq. That's a big difference between Niki Tsongas and myself. I want to do it the right way, a gradual drawdown that shifts responsibility to the Iraqi government. Niki wants to bring most of them home immediately, creating complete chaos in the region, while leaving some of our military men and women in harm’s way indefinitely. That is not a plan, it's policy based on sound-bytes and empty political rhetoric and it's plain wrong ."

I know Niki wants people to believe immediate withdrawal from Iraq is dependent on her getting elected, but it's already quite clear that Niki Tsongas will have no impact on the Iraq debate.

I'm sure we can expect a lot more distortions from the Tsongas campaign in the coming days. Her campaign knows her candidacy is weak, and she can easily lose this election. No wonder she's resorting to a dishonest campaign.

The Massachusetts Republican Party has submitted an FOIA request to the Deval Patrick administration in order to obtain records of all communication between Douglas Rubin, Deval Patrick's Chief of Staff, and the Niki Tsongas Committee.

According to FEC reports, on March 20, 2007 Doug Rubin received a $10,000 consultant fee from the Niki Tsongas campaign through his company, North Wind Strategies consulting.

Following are three guidelines for public employees from the Office of Campaign and Political Finance’s website:

• An appointed public employee may provide consulting services to candidates and political committees for a fee on his own time and without using public resources, as long as no fundraising is involved. (AO-04-07)
  
• A public employee may provide services, before and after work and on weekends, to campaign, provided there is no solicitation or receipt of funds for political purposes, and that employee also complies with M.G.L . c. 55, ss. 14-17. (AO-93-34)
  
• Public employee may not do part-time/volunteer consulting work which is integrally involved with fundraising activities. (AO-90-27)

"It's no secret that Doug Rubin, the Governor's Chief of Staff is consulting for Niki Tsongas and it's also no secret that there is an enormous wall separating government employees from influencing and being involved in political campaigns while on the job" said Robert Willington, Executive Director of the MassGOP who sent the request today.

"It's unusual that a person with such an influential position as Chief of Staff would still find the time and have the motive to meddle in campaign politics and we want to be sure that the power of the executive branch is not being used to influence partisan elections" said Willington.

"The question of good, ethical government should not even have to be raised but unfortunately we do not live in an ideal world and there is a pattern here – Doug Rubin's former staffer is currently under investigation by the Ethics Commission" said Willington, referring to former undersecretary of economic development, Robert K. Coughlin, as reported recently reported by the Boston Globe on October 3, 2007.

The Ogonowski campaign has put out a press release revealing that his campaign has roughly the same amount of cash on hand as the Niki Tsongas campaign. The campaign says that the numbers "reflect Ogonowski's surge in recent weeks."

Ogonowski FEC Disclosure Report
Tsongas FEC Disclosure Report

According to the reports, Tsongas has $240,708 cash on hand, and Ogonowski has $221,119.

The real surprising thing about these numbers is that without a $50,000 loan she gave to her campaign Niki Tsongas would have less cash on hand than Ogonowski.

Donate to the Ogonowski campaign today!

UPDATE: The Politico takes notice.

Since focusing solely on Iraq isn't enough to win over the voters of the Fifth District, and considering her views on illegal immigration are way out of the mainstream, Niki Tsongas is now resorting to attacking Ogonowski with Democrat talking points on the deeply-flawed SCHIP expansion. Tsongas vows, if elected, to vote to override President Bush's veto of the bill.

The bill, as passed by the Democratic majority, is extremely flawed and expensive, and contains hidden earmarks. The expansion goes far beyond its original purpose, and even includes 21 year-olds as "children" that would be covered.

The Heritage Foundation, through an extraordinary amount of research concluded that the Democrats' SCHIP expansion actually fails children. "It's hardly controversial to point out that all children deserve access to the best available health care, regardless of their economic circumstances. Unfortunately, if Congress has its way, our country will actually move further away from that ideal," says John O’Shea, M.D.

The SCHIP expansion is a big step in the direction of HillaryCare, shifting children already on private health insurance plans onto the taxpayer-funded health plans. Despite Tsongas's claims that the SCHIP expansion won't expand coverage to illegals, it contains loopholes that most definitely will result in taxpayers footing the bill for health coverage for illegals.

But of course, Niki Tsongas doesn't want you to know she actually supports taxpayer dollars supporting illegal immigrants. Between her support of the Democrats' expansion of SCHIP to her support of giving in-state college tuition to the children of illegal immigrants... courtesy of taxpayer dollars.

The SCHIP expansion, as Tsongas supports it, would also cost our state millions of dollars... which will have to come from somewhere... so, if Niki Tsongas gets elected, get ready for a smaller paycheck.

Michael Barone make some interesting observations about the MA-05 special election and the implications of the outcome:

If this election had been held in November 2006, Tsongas would have won by a solid margin. And she may still do that October 16. The SurveyUSA poll result would translate to a 53-to-42 percent Tsongas victory. A closer result would signal that the political environment has changed since November 2006, that the poor job ratings of the Democratic Congress have become more important to voters in House elections than the poor job ratings of the soon-to-depart George W. Bush.

I have written that we are in a period of open-field politics, a period like that of 1990-95, when incumbency became a liability more than an asset, when people crossed party lines back and forth and supported independent candidacies, when old rules of thumb no longer applied. Much of Washington would be stunned if a Republican won a House seat in Massachusetts. If that should happen, that's not necessarily a forecast of 2008: Voters in special elections know that they're voting for just one member and that their vote won't change which party controls the House. But it would signal that we're in a period of turbulence, as we were in 1990 and 1992, when incumbents of both parties saw their percentages fall. And it would suggest that the issues of taxes and immigration, which didn't work for Republicans in 2004 and 2006, might work for them in 2008.

If we are in a period where incumbency is a liability, that works out in Ogonowski's favor. While Tsongas has been relying on party insiders for support, Ogonowski has been reaching out to the voters. In that respect, Tsongas is already acting like an incumbent, and would soon forget the voters of her district when she is in the debt of Nancy Pelosi.

Nowadays, being a Washington insider doesn't win you many points in elections. The Democratic majority has brought congressional approval down to historic lows, and people are recognizing that being an insider in Washington D.C. means you are more beholden to the higher ranks of the party than the voters of your district.

So it's interesting to see that even the Boston Globe noticed Tsongas's shift in tone and rhetoric during the MA-05 special election campaign.

For weeks, Republican farmer and Air Force veteran Jim Ogonowski has pounded a steady theme against Democrat Niki Tsongas, calling the wife of the late former senator Paul Tsongas a Washington insider who represents politics as usual. For weeks, Niki Tsongas ignored him.

Now, with Ogonowski looking unexpectedly strong in the Fifth Congressional District special election, Tsongas is returning fire.

Tsongas's campaign described Ogonowski yesterday as part of the "extreme right wing" and asserted that he's "not who he says he is." In statements from her campaign office, Tsongas accused him of trying to conceal support from Republicans in Washington, including former White House adviser Karl Rove.

It's laughable that Tsongas is now trying to align Ogonowski with the so-called "extreme right wing," and Republicans already in Washington. For starters, Ogonowski has offered plenty of criticism for President Bush and the Republican Party during his campaign, even for Republican leader John Boehner. Ogonowski's campaign has not brought in any party leaders the way Tsongas has. John Kerry, Deval Patrick, Nancy Pelosi and Bill Clinton have all stumped for Tsongas.

The problem with Tsongas's campaign, besides the desperate smear tactics, is that she's running against the Republican Party, President Bush, and the Iraq war. She hasn't realized (or is willing to admit, that her opponent is Jim Ogonowski - who has been critical of all three.

As a Democrat in Massachusetts, Tsongas knows the easiest thing for her to do is make the campaign about Bush and the war. But, Jim Ogonowski clearly isn't pawn for Bush or the Republican Party. Tsongas, however has put herself in the debt of the same leaders who have failed our country and have lead Congress during it's lowest approval in history. This puts her in the position to try to paint Ogonowski as equally indebted to the higher ranks of the Republican Party.

Though, anyone who actually has been paying to the campaign knows that this is not the case.

Tonight on NewsNight With Jim Braude former state treasurer Joe Malone and former gubernatorial candidate and State Senator Warren Tolman were on to discuss a number issues. The first topic was Bill Clinton's visit to rejuvenate Niki Tsongas's campaign.

As a surrogate for the Tsongas campaign, Tolman blatantly distorted Ogonowski positions on Iraq, accusing Ogonowski of being lockstep with George W. Bush.

The problem with Tolman's accusation is that Ogonowski didn't support going into Iraq. Ogonowski has made this clear throughout his campaign. I have no doubt that Tolman knows this, so how does Tolman get away with distorting Ogonowski's position? And how is it that Tolman's lie went unchallenged by Jim Braude, or even Joe Malone?

Ogonowski may not have supported the war, but he understands the consequences of leaving Iraq unstable. In fact, so do the leading Democrats running for president. To accuse Jim Ogonowski of being lockstep with George W. Bush on Iraq is actually more of a stretch than accusing Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, or John Edwards of being lockstep with Bush on Iraq. Clinton, Obama and Edwards all oppose the war in Iraq, but none of them were willing to pledge to have troops out by 2013 if they were elected.

The Tsongas campaign is clearly desperate.

Niki Tsongas may be proud of her support for the costly expansion of SCHIP, but an abundance of research from the Heritage Foundation gives plenty of reasons why the expansion, as Democrats have proposed it, is bad policy.

During her event with Bill Clinton, Niki Tsongas repeated her claim that she is for "change."

"Bill Clinton and I stand here tonight for the same reason that drove Paul and him to campaign for the presidency 15 years ago, in full agreement that our country needs change and it needs change now," Tsongas said in remarks prepared for delivery at the event. "Bill Clinton and I agree that we cannot let Republicans continue to run a record deficit."

It's rhetoric we've all heard before. Somehow, in the course of the past 9 months, Tsongas has forgotten that Democrats are back in the majority and since they've been back in the majority congressional approval has sunk to historic lows.

As for her claim that she's going to help usher a change of direction for this country, let's look at the facts. She is a Democrat, and has in the course of her campaign relied on Democratic insiders to help keep her campaign afloat. She already had our worthless and unethical governor Deval Patrick stump for her, as well as our corrupt House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and now she's had an impeached former president come to save her campaign.

Nancy Pelosi's help already puts Tsongas in her debt. And Deval Patrick was another Democrat who promised a new kind of politics only to deliver more of the same. So, why are we to trust Tsongas, who already touts herself as a Washington insider, be at all capable of "changing the direction" of our country? She can't, and won't.

Democrats have used their majority status, not to control spending, but to secretly insert even more pork and earmarks into legislation and propose raising taxes to pay for it all. Despite harsh rhetoric about getting out of the Iraq, the Democrat majority has actually shown that it has no intention of actually doing so, and none of the top contenders for the Democratic nomination would promise to end the war by 2013.

Tsongas is clearly poised to be taken under the wing of Speaker Pelosi, who leads the House when congressional approval is at a dismal 14% - the lowest in history. Tsongas wants to join congressional Democrats who have taken government into it's lowest levels of confidence.

Niki Tsongas wants to make the special election for Marty Meehan's former seat about President Bush and Iraq. Now, considering President Bush is not her opponent in the race, running against Bush really doesn't work. So how about Iraq? How does this issue work out for her?

During the debate, she declared, "I'm running because we need change, and we need change now, and nowhere is this more evident than in the war in Iraq. We need to put an end to this war, and we need to do it now."

If Tsongas's whole purpose in running is to end the war, then she might as well end her campaign today. During the last Democratic presidential debate, none of the leading Democrats were willing to promise to have troops withdrawn by 2013, the end of their hypothetical first term. None of the candidates who have a snowball's chance in hell of winning their party's nomination is willing to promise to have us out of Iraq. So, regardless of whether a Democrat or a Republican wins the White House in 2008, Tsongas will have absolutely no impact on the Iraq war debate.

None. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Which basically means her rhetoric about Iraq is just that. Rhetoric. She can say whatever she wants and it doesn't matter because whether she is elected or not, it won't change the course of things to come in Iraq.

Which makes her just another partisan trying to get to Washington.

Bill Clinton's visit to bring new life to Niki Tsongas's campaign has sparked outrage among local veterans.

Robert Cronin served in the Army's First Cavalry Division during the war in Vietnam. He said he spent 12 months "in the jungle" on the war's front lines. He battled the North Vietnamese Army during its Tet Offensive.

The Lowell resident makes no bones about it: He's no fan of former President Bill Clinton, an antiwar protester who famously avoided being drafted for Vietnam while studying at Oxford.

"I haven't forgotten it," said Cronin, 60, the founder of a Lowell-based organization known as the Merrimack Valley Vietnam Veterans. "I never will. He's everything that we don't stand for."

When he heard Clinton will be appearing at Lowell Memorial Auditorium on behalf of Democratic congressional candidate Niki Tsongas on Sunday, Cronin was incensed. The building is dedicated to the memory of U.S. war veterans. The flags of many local veterans groups hang in the auditorium's Hall of Flags.

Cronin has requested that his organization's flag be removed from the hall during Clinton's visit.

"He should not be allowed to dishonor that hall with a fundraiser or anything like that," Cronin said. "This is our way of showing our displeasure at what took place."

This was also the first time the Lowell Memorial Auditorium was used for a political event. I rather convenient exception don't you think?

Clinton, who probably has a rather tight schedule, had to drive to the Lowell event from New York, and ended up a half hour late.

UPDATE: Clinton's tardiness sparked the following Top 10 List from the Ogonowski campaign:

The Top Ten Places Bill Clinton Could Be While Niki Tsongas Waits for Him to Arrive

1. Thought fundraiser would be where Niki Tsongas actually lives, so he went to her Charlestown Town House
2. Wanted a tan, went to Niki Tsongas’s Chatham Mansion
3. Campaigning for Hillary against Barack Obama in New Hampshire seemed more pressing
4. Went wrong way, thought he was going to Nancy Pelosi fundraiser in San Francisco
5. Eating at the 99 Restaurant down the street from Ogonowski Headquarters
6. Attending a [Norman] Hsu fundraiser
7. When told of “sinking ship” assumed fundraiser was in Boston Harbor
8. Lowell, Indiana
9. Still in New York City. “I just love this City.” – Bill Clinton on Saturday Night Live
10. He just may still have some unresolved issues with the Tsongas folks

If you watched the debate between Jim Ogonowski and Niki Tsongas, a couple made it clear that Tsongas knows she's in trouble of losing the race. For starters, Tsongas kept referring to Ogonowski as her "Republican opponent." Considering Massachusetts is one of the most liberal states in the country, she's obviously trying to brand Ogonowski as being part of party that has not done well in the state, and hasn't represented her district since 1974.

Tsongas also has clearly flip flopped on Social Security. Back in June she was quoted as saying she would be open to "increasing the age requirements to qualify for benefits."

She had a very different attitude during the debate. She said she would "never vote to raise the retirement age." Could that be because a poll from earlier this month showed Tsongas losing with seniors?

Tsongas is clearly getting desperate. A Democratic insider poll has Tsongas and Ogonowski in five points of each other, and this is a race that had practically declared hers since she got into the race. And it's no coincidence that she's bringing in Bill Clinton to stump for her.

NRO's The Corner reports that an internal Democratic poll has the Ogonowski/Tsongas race within 5 points!

You can help bring Ogonowski over the top. Donate to his campaign today!

The Boston Globe reported yesterday that Bill Clinton is coming to Massachusetts to stop for NIki Tsongas.

Democratic congressional candidate Niki Tsongas is getting some political star power in her campaign for the open 5th District seat from Bill Clinton.

The former Democratic president will be in Lowell on September 30 to campaign for Tsongas in her contest against Republican Jim Ogonowski.

Clinton calls Tsongas a strong candidate.

A rally will be held at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. Tsongas says she invited Clinton after sewing up the Democratic nomination earlier this month.

Why is Bill Clinton coming to stump for a Democrat in a solid blue state, especially when a recent poll have Tsongas leading Jim Ogonowski by 10 points. Is her campaign not confident in those numbers? Perhaps Tsongas knows something we don't and needs to bring in some extra help to boost her campaign?