Endorsements

It’s U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano who stands out as the best qualified of the Democratic candidates to fill that [Senate] seat at a critical juncture in this nation’s history. He is ready to do the job, because he has done the job. These aren’t theoretical issues to Capuano. [He] has also demonstrated throughout his decade of service in the House that he — and his staff — can deal with the nitty-gritty of constituent services the way Kennedy and his office were so good at. Read the editorial

Capuano understands — as Kennedy did — that legislating is a group project, and that liberal ideals are sometimes realized in increments. Capuano also has continued to aid his home district, through constituent services, earmarks for local industries, and by securing important funds for state transportation projects. This is the way Kennedy represented Massachusetts. It worked. But, while Capuano may be following the Kennedy playbook, he has his own style. His priorities and outrage at injustice — which some have criticized as anger, but we see as passion — come from his working-class Somerville upbringing. The Senate will be well-served by those qualities. Read the editorial

At the end of the day, standing shoulder to shoulder with the other candidates in this race, it is clear that they all have good intentions, but none of them can match up with Mike Capuano when it comes to proven experience in dealing with national and international issues - experience you can only get by serving in Congress. That is an inarguable fact and possibly the most advantageous attribute of anyone seeking to be elected to the Senate, period. Read the editorial

His knowledge and commitment to urban issues, including environmental challenges, health care, jobs, civil liberties, and education-as well as his on-the-ground experience as an urban mayor in Somerville, have earned him the endorsement of South End News. Read the editorial

Capuano’s 11 years in Congress can’t be underestimated at this time in our country’s history. His understanding of the give-and-take of compromise while passing legislation is essential... And his votes on key issues — No Child Left Behind, the Iraq war, the Patriot Act — show he is a man of conviction. Read the editorial

He believes in strong constituent services, a facet of the job the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, for whose seat he’s running, was known, and it shows on the campaign trail. While most residents have learned about opponent Martha Coakley through television ads, Capuano has tirelessly traveled throughout the state to hold “Open Mike” events – meeting constituents, taking their questions and listening to their concerns. Read the editorial

Over the years, Capuano has ably and aggressively represented the interests of African Americans and others in his district. Read the editorial

For more than a decade, Michael Capuano has advocated for the Somerville, Cambridge and in the larger arena as our 8th district congressman. Somerville residents haven’t forgotten the progressive values he extolled locally as an alderman and a mayor. In that time, he was known for the fiery passion with which he approached his work and a pragmatic, tell-it-like-it-is approach. Read the editorial

Capuano deserves the support he’s had from the LGBT community. His efforts to end "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," and for his support of marriage equality and for his sane HIV/AIDS policies are proof of his commitment to our causes. Read the editorial

Capuano has proven with his voting record that he is willing to make gutsy choices. He opposed No Child Left Behind because he knew it was an unfunded mandate that placed an insupportable burden on many of the struggling schools it was supposed to help. He voted against the war in Iraq when much of the nation, and his own party, was willing to give the president the benefit of the doubt in the face of questionable evidence and lack of international support. He opposed the Patriot Act when so many were willing to give the president carte blanche in the name of safety. Read the editorial

The stakes are too high right now for any candidate to learn on the job. Besides the ravaged economy and the tense healthcare debate, a new senator will have to face major votes in the near future on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the climate, and immigration. With political experience ranging from Somerville city alderman to Congressman, Michael Capuano is best prepared to help both the state and the nation as a senator. Read the editorial

Capuano is not a typical politician; he is often willing to embrace controversy rather than resort to the tired political trick of sidestepping it. He is also wont to be upfront about issues and his stances on them. When his votes may be unpopular, he explains them, trying to engage rather than fool those who would disagree. Finally, he has also displayed a hot streak that often results in him becoming more animated than the average politician. Rather than seeing this as a disadvantage, we recognize that this invigorating style has served him well in the House of Representatives—the closest thing to the U.S. Senate. Read the editorial

Capuano is a progressive on national political issues, opposing the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act. He supports abortion rights and gay marriage and opposes the death penalty. Colleagues in Congress say you always know where he stands and they describe him as a tough fighter for things he believes in. He pressed for passage of a national highway tunnel inspection program after the Big Dig ceiling collapse. Read the editorial

It’s not just that Capuano has already represented the town in Washington, as he did in 1999-2002 when the 8th District included Watertown. It’s that of the four Democrats, Capuano has a very “Watertown” sensibility. He’s no nonsense. Blunt. Scrappy. Read the editorial

I am supporting Capuano because I think he is the best person for the position. I believe that Mike Capuano's years as a member of Congress have given him the experience he needs to get things done in Washington from day one. Congressman Jim McGovern was influential in my endorsement and I trust his assessment of who will be effective in Washington, D.C. Read the post

If Capuano is one thing, he is WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get). Read the post

For us, this was a pretty simple choice: U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano should be the next U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. Capuano has an impressive, unabashedly progressive voting record in the U.S. House of Representatives. On the big issues of today, he is not only already engaged in working on them and ready to hit the ground running in the upper chamber, but he has the right positions. Finally, he is the best candidate to take up the banner of Ted Kennedy's vision for America. Read the post

It is a much surer projection that Capuano will go from a solid Representative to a solid Senator. As others have said endorsing him, this is not the time for on-the-job training. Ted Kennedy may have started out green 47 years ago, but we don't have to take that chance in replacing him. Michael Capuano is by far the best choice to replace U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy. Read the post

He is the man best qualified to take on the imposing mantle of Ted Kennedy’s legacy, and is the one candidate who will need no ramp-up time to be an outstanding U.S. Senator from day one. Read the post

Why should you vote for Mike Capuano? For me, it’s about the combination of practical attitude and steady principles. Read the post

Capuano is an uncompromising (and I use this word in a good sense) civil libertarian. His voting record on women's issues is second to none. He really understands what's wrong with a foreign policy driven by military contractors. And at the same time, he's sensitive to the counterproductive, ideologically driven, often demeaning ways that even highly skilled working people are treated day after day. He's been doing this for some time now, in a way that is public and often courageous. He not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk. Read the post

If there is a sure bet in politics, it's that Mike Capuano will stand up for liberal, progressive values. Why is this a sure bet? Because he already has, even when such a stand stood to cost him...Capuano was the rare leader who lifted the flame of liberalism when the media and the GOP wielded an extinguisher and most Democrats dove for the shadows. He stood for Democratic values when so few would. Capuano didn't do this at dinner parties or private conversations away from sight, but in the unblinking eye of the media. Over this campaign, Capuano hasn't had to explain what he woulda done...he merely has to point to what he did. He's a sure bet. Read the post

He seems to be an effective hybrid; fiercely principled and passionate on the one hand, but a deal-maker on the other. Read the post

Senator Kennedy's biggest achievements came from compromise. And compromise requires an understanding of the ins and outs of Washington. Congressman Capuano has been there and will be able to make an impact from day one. Read the post

In this campaign and in his career, Mike has proven to be willing to stand alone when basic principles are on the line, and to openly answer for those positions when questioned. No candidate has been so accessible and yet so unscripted. Read the post

I realized Mike Capuano and I share a comment trait -- we are both outraged liberals. Passion is not a bad thing when it comes to fighting for what you believe in. Read the post

I like Mike because he is the most experienced candidate for the job. He is already a legislator in the Congress he now wants to serve in the Senate. He is probably the most experienced legislator to run for the US Senate from Massachusetts in 50 years. Read the post

Passionate yet pragmatic, Mike Capuano has demonstrated that he can get the job done. Read the post

A congressman's job responsibilities are closer to a US Senator's responsibilities, so I have a real sense of how Capuano would handle this particular job. In the case of Capuano, I like what I see. I see a passionate, hard-working legislator with a strong record of constituent services. Read the post

Capuano is a true progressive whose votes are aligned with my beliefs--from voting against the Iraq War and the Patriot Act to his support of the repeal of DOMA (defense of marriage act) and his co-founding the Congressional Caucus on Sudan, he proves himself a passionate, committed progressive. Read the post

I have always thought that the way you run your campaign is indicative of how you will run your Senate office. Mike has been head and shoulders above the rest in terms of putting himself out there. What you see is what you get, and what you will get is a great Senator. Read the post

In Congress [Capuano] has shown he knows the game. Precisely what we want. Read the post

In 2002, as part of his consideration about what position to take on going to war in Iraq, Mike Capuano literally stood out on the street in a bunch of different locations all over his district, holding a sign that asked people to tell him their opinions on the matter. That Capuano took the time and initiative to seek out and engage people who were both more likely to be directly affected by this issue and less likely to be proactive about discussing it with him is a big part of the foundation of my support for his candidacy now. Read the post

We need to ensure the best person is elected to take his place and carry on the tradition passionately advocating for the people in the Commonwealth. I believe that the best person for this job is Mike Capuano. He has the passion, energy, intelligence, and voting record that make him a worthy successor to Kennedy. Read the post