New England Newspapers
NORTH ADAMS -- U.S. Senate candidate and state Attorney General Martha Coakley made a campaign swing through her native Berkshire County on Monday, focusing on health-care reform, the federal government's bailout program and how she'll best represent Massachusetts on Capitol Hill.
Coakley, the acknowledged front-runner in the Democratic primary for the Senate seat left vacant by the death of Edward M. Kennedy, was mobbed by supporters at the Cup and Saucer on Main Street, where she picked up the endorsement of Mayor-elect Richard Alcombright and had nothing but good words about the city of her birth.
"I believe I will be a good U.S. senator because I grew up in North Adams," she told the cheering crowd of more than 100 just after 8 a.m.
Alcombright, in a five-minute endorsement speech, said Coakley would make a great U.S. senator because she would continue to champion women's rights and fight for the interests of youth, the elderly and veterans. He cited several of her accomplishments as attorney general.
Coakley then quipped Alcombright had stolen most of her speech. She drew her loudest applause when she said she would battle hard for a public option in national health care.
Among her supporters in the crowd were City Council President Alan L. Marden, former Mayor Richard C. Lamb, Councilors Lisa Blackmer and David Bond, Councilor-elect Michael Boland, McCann School Committee members James Gazaniga and Michael
A crowd favorite, though, was Michael Catrambone, a stalwart veterans' advocate and longtime ski coach, who, according to Alcombright, said if there was no other reason to back Coakley, "We have to vote for somebody who skied at Dutch Hill [the once popular but long defunct ski area in nearby Southern Vermont]."
Coakley, 56, who lives in Medford with her husband, Thomas O'Connor, is one of four candidates seeking the Democratic Party nomination in the Dec. 8 primary. She faces U.S. Rep. Michael E. Capuano from Somerville, Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen G. Pagliuca of Weston and Alan A., Khazei who lives in Brookline and founded the non-profit group City Year.
The winner will advance to the special general election Jan. 19 against the Republican primary victor, either Scott D. Brown from Wrentham or Jack E. Robinson of Duxbury. All six candidates are vying to serve through 2012, the unexpired term of who Kennedy, who died on Aug. 25.
After her 30-minute North Adams stop, Coakley traveled to Pittsfield, where she met with The Berkshire Eagle editorial board and was critical of the federal government's inability to monitor the billions of dollars in bailout funds awarded to corporate America.
"Even if you give large amounts of money to big companies to keep the economy going, more strings should have been attached to the money," she said.
Coakley cited how she held accountable the contractors for the problems with the Big Dig project in Boston when she took over as attorney general in January 2007. In addition, she wants to curb the skyrocketing credit-card interest rates she said are affecting even consumers with solid credit ratings.
"The plan for a new federal consumer protection agency seems like a good idea, provided it has some teeth in it for enforcement," she said.
Speaking later at a rally attended by about 50 supporters at American Legion Post 68 in Pittsfield, state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, said Coakley is the kind of advocate Massachusetts needs in Congress. He cited how she tackled the issue of high electric rates that were driving away manufacturing jobs from Western Massachusetts.
"We all know in this room she will continue to work on energy, education and health-care reform," said Downing, who also spoke briefly in North Adams.
During a brief speech at the legion hall, Coakley voiced her opposition to escalating the war in Afghanistan.
"I don't envy President Obama making the decision about sending troops to Afghanistan," she said, "but I don't want to send more troops over there."
As for national health-care reform, Coakley said the primary goal of the federal legislation should be to control costs, and the final bill should bring a return to focusing on primary care for everyone.
"If we don't go after these costs and have competition to do that," Coakley told The Eagle, "no one will have good health care."
She said she also wants to make sure Berkshire County gets its fair share of goods and services -- especially to bolster the local economy.
"If we improve your telecommunications and broadband access," she noted, "you'll have more of an opportunity to create high-tech jobs in the area."
Coakley said she is "humbled" by the thought of succeeding Kennedy, who spent nearly 50 years in the Senate, but she understands the need to continue his legacy of having a visible staff and staying connected to all parts of the state.
She said she hopes Massachusetts voters will realize she's the one who has "the strengths we want in our next U.S. senator."
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