Friday, October 26, 2007

Coffee Anyone?

We had our first coffee meeting on Wednesday with a prospective candidate for municipal office on the North Shore. He wanted to discuss his campaign plan and the assistance that the MassGOP would provide if he decided to run.

This prospect understood how important it is to build the GOP farm team and we were happy to meet with him.


We would be happy to meet with you as well.

Worcester Young Republicans

The Worcester Young Republicans are back in action! This week, I attended the first event in several years and they had a great showing. I spoke to the group about how the MassGOP is growing around the state, expanding our online presence, and continuing to train activists.

I was happy to meet a very energetic Republican, Michael Flynn, who is the President of the Marlborough High School Republican Club!
Michael Flynn is looking to attend American University next year where he will study political science and join the College Republicans. We told Michael about the importance of College Republican activism and suggested that he attend a Leadership Institute training.
Best of luck to you Michael and we hope you return to Massachusetts after college!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Perception vs Reality

Obama & Patrick, Both Speak From The Same Consultant.

Governor Deval Patrick and Senator Barack Obama parrot each other's political rhetoric so much, it's hard to tell who had the original thought and who is copying whom. But a closer examination shows both are reading recycled talking points fed to them by the same political consultant.

"Its confusing because you start to wonder if Patrick is plagiarizing Obama or vice versa, but then you realize both are repeating the same lines from the same political consultant and hoping no one will notice," said Robert Willington, Executive Director of the MassGOP.

David Axelrod, Obama Chief Strategist, “Guided” Patrick’s Gubernatorial Campaign:

Chicago Political Strategist David Axelrod, A Top Adviser For Obama’s Presidential Campaign, Guided Both Obama’s Senate Campaign And Patrick’s Gubernatorial Bid. “The man who has honed that message for both candidates is veteran Chicago political strategist David Axelrod, who guided Obama's Senate campaign and Patrick's gubernatorial bid and is now a top strategist on Obama's presidential effort.” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)

Obama And Gov. Deval Patrick Use Similar Themes, Messages, And Even The Same Lines:

Obama’s Campaign Has Borrowed “Themes, Messages, And Even Specific Lines” From Patrick’s Gubernatorial Campaign. “In the midst of his improbable run for office, Obama and his advisers have evidently studied Patrick's up-from-nowhere victory in Massachusetts and are borrowing themes, messages, and even specific lines for the presidential campaign.” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)

  • “‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal’ -- just words,’ Patrick said at a rally in Roxbury right before Election Day. ‘‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself' -- just words. . . . 'I have a dream' -- just words. They're all just words.’ The crowd erupted as it got Patrick's point about the power of language. But perhaps no one at the rally understood the point better than Barack Obama, who had joined him on stage that night.” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)

  • “Not five months later, Obama, his presidential campaign gaining steam, had this to say about legendary Chicago organizer Saul Alinsky in The New Republic: ‘Sometimes the tendency in community organizing of the sort done by Alinsky was to downplay the power of words and of ideas when in fact ideas and words are pretty powerful. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, all men are created equal.’ Those are just words. ‘I have a dream.’ Just words.’” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)

  • Patrick Called On Democrats “To Take A Chance Not On Me, But On Your Own Hopes And Aspirations.” At another rally with Obama last year, at the Hynes Convention Center in June, Patrick told supporters that the gubernatorial election was not about him, encouraging them to ‘take a chance not on me but on your own hopes and aspirations.’ Two days later, at the state Democratic Convention, he said, ‘Our cause succeeds only if you see this not as my campaign, but as ours -- not as my chance to be governor, but your chance to rebuild your community.’” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)

  • Obama Told Democrats That His Campaign “Can’t Only Be About Me.” “It's a theme Obama revisited on a frigid February day in Springfield, Ill., as he launched his presidential bid. ‘That is why this campaign can't only be about me,’ he said. ‘It must be about us -- it must be about what we can do together. This campaign must be the occasion, the vehicle, of your hopes, and your dreams. . . . This campaign has to be about reclaiming the meaning of citizenship, restoring our sense of common purpose, and realizing that few obstacles can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change.’” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)

Chairman Of The Massachusetts Democrat Party On Obama’s 2007 DNC Winter Meeting Speech: “We Could Have Closed Our Eyes When Obama Spoke [And] It Could Have Been Deval.” “When a delegation of Massachusetts Democrats heard Obama speak at the Democratic National Committee's winter meeting in Washington in February, they could trace the thread, said state Democratic Party chairman Philip W. Johnston. ‘We all said that we could have closed our eyes when Obama spoke [and] it could have been Deval,’ Johnston said. ‘To us it was a similar kind of message. It's a message that transcends partisan politics.’” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)

Obama’s Campaign Is Criticized For Lacking Substance, Just Like Patrick’s

“If The Plaudits For Obama And Patrick As Campaigners Are Similar, So Are The Criticisms. Obama Is Facing The Same Charge Patrick Did Last Year: That He's Long On Atmospherics And Short On Specifics.” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

FYI - State Committee

Deadlines

5:00 p.m. Friday, November 9 - last day and hour to submit nomination papers to local registrars of voters and election commissioners for certification of signatures.

5:00 p.m. Friday, November 16 - last day and hour for registrars to complete certification of signatures.

5:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 20 - last day and hour to file papers with the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Elections Division.

For more information you can contact the Elections Division at 617-727-2828.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

GOP Cookout in Woburn

Right now, I'm blogging from Woburn where we have a GOP cookout. Jeff Beatty is on his way and we also have Brion Cangiamila here.




Brion's campaign is signing up volunteers online right in the driveway! Who needs paper?


Thursday, October 18, 2007

In Case You Missed It

Ogonowski ponders next move as GOP finds silver lining - Boston Herald

A massive blueprint for victory in 2008? - Human Events

GOP pick plows of dreams - Boston Herald

GOP sees victory in Massachusetts defeat - CNN

Despite loss, Ogonowski cold still have strong political future - Boston Herald

A ray of light for GOP - Politico/CBS

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Give a big Thank You, to Jim!

We are sending a letter to Jim thanking him for running a spirited campaign for U.S. Congress. Before we send the letter, we wanted to give you the opportunity to sign it.

So go ahead and thank Jim for running a great campaign. He gave so much to the GOP, we hope you can give him a quick thank you.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Election Day Blogging

MassRoots blog is happy to do what it does so well over at HubPolitics tomorrow on Election Day. If you can't actually be here helping out Jim Ogonowski on the campaign trail, you can be with us on the NeTrail.



See you over at HubPolitics.

"Ogonowski Sprints, Tsongas Strides"

The Boston Herald gets it right in this title.

Momentum.

Ogonowski Update - Dedication

Jim is on the phone right now continuing to speak with voters and get his message out.

Have you heard about our 24 hour "Midnight-Ride"? Well, Dan was the staffer on that ride and he has been working extremely long hours. I had to take this picture when I saw Dan in the office catching an hour of sleep. There are cots in this office so that the staff can save time and invest all of their energy into this campaign. We often hear about how hard Jim Ogonowski is working but I wanted to mention the staff and volunteers and give them some recognition that they deserve. They staff believes in Jim because Jim believes in them.

Dedication.

What can you dedicate tomorrow? Call (978) 269-5080


"Ogonowski tried to hit every city and town in a district that stretches from the Merrimack Valley to Wayland and out to Lancaster. Driving in his Buick, usually with a single aide, Ogonowski started at Laudi's Breakfast House in Dracut Saturday at 6 a.m. and made 76 stops on a two-day "Midnight Ride" tour. It included a stop late Saturday night to greet passengers on the last commuter rail from Boston to Lowell, and a post-midnight visit to the Lowell police and fire headquarters." Boston Globe


UPDATE:

Dan is up and taking Jim back out to meet with voters. If you live in the 5th CD you may be lucky enough to meet Jim!

Ogonowski Campaign

The campaign headquarters is filled with supporters. You can still volunteer tonight or tomorrow. Call the campaign HQ's at 978-269-5080 to make history.



Kathy Ogonowski (Jim's wife) is working the phones to turn out our vote.

11:00 Volunteer Meeting

Jim has a great team in Chelmsford. There have been several meetings today for activists regarding the GOTV operation.

Can you help Jim and his Team with the GOTV operation? Please call the campaign now at 978-269-5080.

Tomorrow Is The Day.

Today is the last full day before Election Day and Jim is working VERY hard on the campaign trail. Jim made 76 stops on a two day "Midnight-Ride" tour and his message is resonating.

Today, the Boston Globe wrote about the campaign this weekend.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Democrat Scuffle

The Boston Herald is reporting that two Democrat State Representatives had a scuffle on the House floor yesterday. Reps Murphy and Natale are lining up to run for the open State Senate seat and there is some bad blood brewing between the two Reps.

Meanwhile, the GOP candidate is up and running and off to a great start.

Meet Brion.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

National Attention on You.

Dear MassGOP,

Fellow Republicans around the country are watching Jim Ogonowski and hoping that he can win on Tuesday. This election is very close. You can help make history.

-Rob





Eagle-Tribune Endorses Jim

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

Click the banner to sign up!

Tsongas Has $way With Out Of State Voters

Today, the Boston Herald reveals that Niki is relying on a lot of help from outside of Massachusetts. Outsiders rely on outsiders.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Washington Insiders

Sandwich RTC

Last night, I had the pleasure of speaking with the Sandwich Republican Town Committee. They are very active and work hard to promote State Representative Jeff Perry.

The Chairman of the committee commented that in the past, the MassGOP has done a bad job with marketing and branding the party. While we can't expect a bumper sticker slogan to fix everything, I do agree that imaging is important to define who we are and what we stand for.

I think the MassGOP has recently made steps in the right direction. You may have noticed our new splash page when we relaunched MassGOP.com where it read "Promoting Less Government and Lower Taxes So That You Can Live Your Life." Short and simple and hits on a fundamental core of the GOP. We also have MassGOP stickers in the works for our activists to use. Just as we are asking our local committees to think as a campaign and not a committee, we too are looking at the MassGOP as a campaign.

New Feature - Don't Hold Back Your Thoughts

The new MassGOP.com has a place to get your thoughts and ideas and we want to hear from you. GOPinions is giving you a voice in our party and we encourage you to use it.


-Rob

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Billerica Republican Town Committee

Today, the Billerica RTC had a great event for Jim Ogonowski and we thank John and Sandra MacMillan for putting it together.

Below are some pictures of Jim Ogonowski and yes, the CONTRIBUTE button. How many times have you seen this contribute button and thought "maybe another time"?

You don't need to be a millionaire to donate. All you need is a few dollars - $500, $50, $30, or even $20 would be a huge help to push Jim over the finish line.






Friday, October 5, 2007

"There Is A Real Concern Here"

Patrick Ruffini has this post on TownHall.com and refers to a post from Democrat insiders that "there is a real concern here."

Please sign up below and help elect Jim Ogonowski to U.S. Congress. October 16th, is right around the corner and we need you to give us a few hours. Sign up below:


GO VIRAL - if you plan on signing up, please use the "SEND TO FRIENDS" option to multiply your efforts - you must have some fellow activists that would like to join you on the campaign trail :)

Jim Needs Your Help

RedMassGroup reports that Niki Tsongas had to loan her campaign $50,000 and has roughly $19K more cash on hand than Ogonowski.

You can help make the difference here:

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Ogonowski Update

The Boston Globe notes how Jim Ogonowski has been speaking to the voters directly about immigration.

Ogonowski, a Dracut hay farmer and Air Force veteran, says that illegal immigrants strain schools and hospitals and pose a security threat. He has called for a "technological fence, a physical fence, and a manpower fence" to keep illegal immigrants from streaming into the United States. He supports deporting unauthorized immigrants. His campaign likens his approach to fixing a basement flooded by the Merrimack River: plug the leaks, then bail it out.
Tonight, Jim Ogonowski joins Sun Editor Jim Campanini on NewsTalk Live.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Ethics Commission - Full Steam Ahead

Today, the Boston Globe reports that the "Biotech Council received subpoenas last week from the Ethics Commission seeking a broad selection of documents, including e-mail and telephone records, that would shed light on the council's decision to hire Coughlin as its new president in August, sources said."

The Patrick administration is certainly building a close and personal relationship with the ethics commission.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Mass Democrats: Iran, Cuba, Syria, North Korea

The Democrats in the Massachusetts State House were pushing a bill to require the state's pension fund to divest from companies doing business with Sudan.

House Republicans, led by Brad Jones, agreed and asked "why stop there?"

The GOP moved to add Iran, Cuba, Syria, and North Korea to the list but Democrats refused to move along with this amendment.

The GOP then withdrew Cuba, Syria, and North Korea and pursued only with Iran.

The Democrats response: No.

Brad Jones said "There's probably been more debate in Iran today than in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It's a disgrace, a disgrace,"

Marlborough GOP

MassRoots likes to highlight the GOP officials serving at the municipal level in Massachusetts. Last week, we had the pleasure of meeting with the Berkley Board of Selectman at the Mass GOP headquarters (all Republicans) and this week we have noticed the new PaulFerro.com website.

Paul Ferro is a Republican City Councilor in Marlborough where he has fought hard to keep spending low. Paul Ferro has offered 80% of the proposed reductions to the Mayor's budget proposals.

Ferro is a young and energetic Republican who is carrying the GOP banner at the grassroots. Check out his website and if you like what you see, you can always send him a few dollar$.

Convention Update

We have added new information to the convention section of our website. Please keep checking back as new information develops.




Monday, October 1, 2007

State Rep. Jeff Perry

State Representative Jeff Perry has a monthly column and below are his thoughts on transportation. Sign this petition if you agree with the Transportation Bill of Rights proposed by minority leader Brad Jones and the GOP on Beacon Hill.


On Beacon Hill and in Washington, D.C. the focus of government seems to ebb and flow with the issue that the media is most concerned about at any given time. From my point of view, government in general and State government specifically is a reactionary institution. Unfortunately there is very little proactive thought or long term planning going on.

Recently the headlines have been full of stories regarding our crumbling transportation infrastructure and the estimated $20 billion needed to keep up with our aging roadway system. State leaders are couching this issue like they were somehow surprised by it.

Governor Patrick recently came out in favor of Casino Gambling with a dedicated portion of the revenue being targeted for maintenance and improvements to our roads and bridges. The Patrick Administration and Transportation Finance Commission have also identified major tax increases as their plan for the perceived transportation funding problem. They suggest that increasing the gas tax by 11.5 cents per gallon and then indexing it to inflation would generate $10.5 billion over 20 years. Also, the Commission recommended a 5 cent per mile user fee (tax), to be implemented through electronic tolling technology and phased in over the next 10 years, which reportedly would yield an additional $5.5 billion in new taxes by 2027.

It is time for Legislators and voters to say enough is enough. State government needs to stop looking to commuters and taxpayers for its own failure to plan for future infrastructure needs and wasteful spending in general. Do I need to remind everyone about the waste and fraud of the Big Dig project? Also, don’t forget that we have been paying 23.5 cents per gallon in since 1991, and somehow all of a sudden, we are in such a crisis situation that the only solution is increased taxation.

While I do not expect both of the above taxes to ultimately be approved, what I believe the pro-tax crowd on Beacon Hill is doing is setting you up for a smaller tax increase. If they announce an 11.5 cent tax increase and a new user fee and later they disregard the user fee plan and “only” raise the gas tax by 5 cents a gallon, they hope you will accept such increase and somehow feel good that it was not more.

I say not so fast! Last week, the Republicans on Beacon Hill filed the “Commuter Bill of Rights” as a joint resolution in both the House and the Senate. If we can get the majority party to agree (this is a big “If”), the proposal grants commuters the right to travel on safe roadways and bridges; the right to expect State officials will exhaust all available sources of funding before increasing taxes and fees; and the right to hold public officials accountable for finding and fixing problems with infrastructure. It also grants taxpayers the right to expect that the money they pay to the State will be used wisely to fund maintenance and repair of roads and bridges. Seems like something we all should be able to agree on, but watch the liberals as they dismiss our reform efforts to go directly for a tax increase.

In addition to the resolution, we are also filing cost-cutting legislation that could save the State over $100 million a year by merging the Turnpike Authority with MassHighway; putting MBTA workers into the Group Insurance Commission and reforming their pensions to end double-dipping; and stopping the practice of borrowing money to pay the salaries of MassHighway workers.

If the Governor is really serious about finding efficiencies and savings within our bloated transportation bureaucracy, which is full of waste and patronage, he then should support our proposal to eliminate the Turnpike Authority altogether and hand its responsibilities over to the Massachusetts Highway Department. If readers will recall, this is not a new concept as Governor Romney proposed it several times during his tenure, but each time the Democrats on Beacon Hill voted it down and maintained the status quo.

As I have written in this column in the past, as a member of the minority party, often the only way we can stop things like tax increases from happening is taking the message to the public and asking them to call their Representative and Senator and let their voice be heard. This is one of those times, we need your help or else I fear we will all being paying even more at the gas pump.