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Campaign Crawlers
Can Bielat Beat Barney?
A Marine leads a GOP insurgency in Massachusetts.
NEWTON, Massachusetts — Brian Phillips was wearing flip-flop sandals Sunday at the nondescript office near the corner of Elliot and Chestnut streets that is headquarters for one of this fall’s most remarkable congressional campaigns.
Phillips is campaign manager for Sean Bielat, the young Marine officer who is challenging Barney Frank in one of the most solidly Democratic districts in the country. During his 29-year career in Congress, Frank has never faced such a formidable opponent and the surge of support for Bielat’s campaign has clearly rattled the incumbent. Ever since Scott Brown’s triumph in January, the GOP in this state has been fired up (as Jim Antle noted last week in his article “Red Bay State”) and there is a sense among 4th District Republicans that the Democrats have been caught flat-footed.
“They’ve got no operation over there,” Phillips said of the Frank campaign. As Bielat told reporters at a Sept. 26 rally, “They have one campaign office. It’s always empty. We have three. They’re always full.”
Bielat’s Newton office wasn’t full Sunday morning, but it was open and in full swing, with at least three volunteers calling voters in a telephone canvassing operation that has already reached some 30,000 likely voters and, at a pace of more than 2,000 new contacts daily, could approach the 50,000 mark within a week.
Democrats must contend not only against the most high-intensity GOP campaign organization this district has seen in years, but with a Republican candidate of impeccable qualifications. Bielat is a Marine Corps Reserve officer who got his undergraduate degree at Georgetown, added a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. He worked as a program manager for a company that built robots used to destroy roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan. And he talks politics and policy with tremendous fluency.
“We won the primary Sept. 14 and a couple days later, Barney announced he was bringing in Bill Clinton to town [for a fundraiser], which was an eye-opener for a lot of people,” Bielat said in a brief phone interview Sunday. “Two or three days after that, we announced our poll which showed that we were 10 points down with Barney below 50 percent.… Even better, among independents, which make up half the district, we had 51 percent and he had 34 percent.”
Despite its reputation as a bastion of blue-state liberalism, the 4th District was carried in January by Scott Brown, who fared especially well in the southern end of the district from Taunton down toward New Bedford. This part of Massachusetts has been hard hit by the recession — unemployment is at 14 percent in some towns — and Bielat is hammering the incumbent hard on his record as the ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee.
“There is no individual more responsible for what happened with the real estate collapse than Barney Frank,” says Bielat.
In 2003, when the Bush administration and congressional Republicans warned of trouble with the federally sponsored mortgage agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Frank denied that the agencies posed any real risk. Frank said the agencies were “fundamentally sound” and accused critics of exaggerating the problems.
“There are a lot of people to blame, a lot of responsibility to go around, but there is no individual who pushed harder for extending home loans to people who couldn’t afford them, and that created the subprime mortgage market, which led to the housing collapse, which led to the financial collapse,” Bielat says. “So [Frank is] at the center of it all.… He pushed hard and it took a lot of pushing to extend these loans to people who couldn’t afford them, and it cost [taxpayers] hundreds of billions of dollars.”
Frank’s vulnerability on his role in the mortgage meltdown has added to the perception that Bielat has a real chance to defeat one of the most powerful (and most outspokenly liberal) Democrats in Congress. That in turn has driven impressive fund-raising to the GOP challenger’s campaign, which raised about $400,000 in September, mostly from small donors making online contributions via RetireBarney.com. For the first time since anyone here can remember, Frank has agreed to debate an opponent, starting this morning on Boston station WRKO, another tonight on New England Cable News, and a third on Tuesday on WFXT-TV.
Like Scott Brown’s January special election, the Bielat campaign has significance far beyond Massachusetts. In a crucial mid-term year, if a Republican can be competitive here, there are very few districts that Democrats can consider “safe,” and the 4th District isn’t even ranked among the 80 most competitive districts this fall.
One volunteer in Bielat’s Newton office, who previously volunteered on the successful GOP Senate campaign, said Sunday she’s beginning to get a familiar feeling.
“This is going national,” the woman named Terri said Sunday. “I smell Scott Brown.”
About the Author
Robert Stacy McCain is co-author (with Lynn Vincent) of Donkey Cons: Sex, Crime, and Corruption in the Democratic Party (Nelson Current). He blogs at The Other McCain.
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Booger| 10.11.10 @ 6:27AM
From the Desk of Congressman Bahney Fwank:
Deah Votuh,
Once again it is Octobuh, time foh my favowite howiday, Hawwowween. And this yeah ahm back as that wonduhful economist, Count Faguwa.
I, Count Faguwa, have wearned the secwet of economic sucthess: put the thuck in sucthess! I will thuck and thuck and thuck until I thuck the economy dwy. Know one cane thuck it dwy like I
can!
My faiful minions at Fweddie and Fannie know aww about this. They line the people up foh me and I thuck out all de money. I have been pwacticing my technique foh many yeahs, and I can pwomise you, nobody thucks it like I, Count Faguwa.
So if you want a congwessthing that can keep up on the wight twack, who can make thure things thtay just as they alwayths do, wemebuh to vote for Count Faguwa to go back to congwess dis fall.
Ah heah dat dis wittle tea-bagguh thinks he can wetire me. Well, I have newth for him. I knew aww about tea-baggin' before he wath evah bohn. I am the mastuh of all tea-baggin'. I, Count Faguwa, will save the Democwat pahty by out-tea-baggin' the Tea-bagguhs. Nobody can thuck an economy dwy wike I can, and nobody can tea-bag wike I can. So wemembuh, if you weally wike tea-baggin', vote foh I, Count Faguwa!
Sintherely,
Congwesspuhson Bahney "Count Faguwa" Fwank
Nancy in NC| 10.11.10 @ 8:25AM
Can you please serve a towel with all that spittle shower?
ClementW| 10.11.10 @ 2:45PM
Now I know why the very FIRST picture of Bawney I saw had him wearing a bib!
Alan Brooks| 10.11.10 @ 5:19PM
"A Marine leads a GOP insurgency ...'
Cripes, I thought Marines were supposed to fight insurgencies, not lead them.
harold t | 10.11.10 @ 9:24PM
Booger, your ambitious attempts at humor are painfully and pathetically contrived. What agony you must experience in trying to find the words to amuse. Your attempts always fall flat.
How long did it take you to knock out this little rancid sausage? You're such a puke. "Count Faguwa" How imagination. Nothing fresh. No humor here.
MajorZ| 10.12.10 @ 11:57PM
Little rancid sausage? That's no way to talk about Congressman Frank!
Brian Foley| 10.11.10 @ 8:11AM
Great article. Barney needs to go.
I'm voting for Sean Bielat on November 2nd
www.byebyebarney.com
David W| 10.11.10 @ 8:39AM
So am I, and I live in Texas (if the Democrats can do it why can't I?)
Brenda | 10.11.10 @ 11:01PM
Good One and so true.
The Underwearinator| 10.12.10 @ 6:32PM
Your a rasist!
blackknights1802| 10.11.10 @ 8:17AM
In April 2001 the congress received the first warning about Freddie & Fanny from the Bush Administration. They were told that the practices being carried on could lead to big financial problems.
In the fall of 2003 the Bush White House again warned Congress of the dangerous path Freddie & Fanny were headed in by securing loans for applicants who could not pay them back. This is when Congressman Frank, D from Massachusetts, said, with a smirk on his face, that there was no problem with the practices of Freddie & Fanny. He also said that the Bush Administration was over reacting.
Let’s hope the voters in Massachusetts send Barney back into private practice.
Louis Jenkins| 10.11.10 @ 8:27AM
The great tremble at the sight of righteousness.
Tim*| 10.11.10 @ 8:32AM
Barney Frank Is A Financial Crisis Culprit .
Barney Frank Chaired The Democrat Controlled House Financial Services Committee , that repeatedly failed to heed Bush Administration warnings of the looming FNMA FHLMC Financial Crisis . 17 warnings alone in 2008 .
The Tea Party Rebellion Escalates
We Remember In November .
The Underwearinator| 10.12.10 @ 6:34PM
Your a rasist!
michigander_sandusky| 10.11.10 @ 8:32AM
Let's see the choice is a lying faggot versus a Marine officer. Wow! That's a real hard choice for the voters of the Bay state!
ClementW| 10.11.10 @ 2:48PM
They have made the same choice of the lying f****t over others over his long tenure, just as they did for the Chappaquiddick hero.
AJsDaddie| 10.11.10 @ 8:41AM
The pundits may well be underestimating the mood of the electorate this year. Lots of districts thought to be "safe Dem" are showing surprising competitiveness. MA4 is one, AZ7 is another. Even IL9 and IN7, two historically deep blue districts, are in play. If you take that into account, a 50 seat pickup in the House looks to be the low estimate, and with Democrat money having to be diverted to formerly safe districts, there's that much less available in other, even more winnable fights.
100 seats? Silly, to be sure, but not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Of course, that's just the first round. Then we have to watch our neew employees like hawks and in 2012 fire every one that doesn't live up to their responsibility. Once we do that, I think we'll start to see some accountability - they may remember that they work for us.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
smorkler| 10.11.10 @ 8:47AM
'Special interest' Barney has problems finding the truth. Someone hand him this article, maybe it will jog his memory a little bit.
We should also add a summary of the OneUnited sweetheart bank bailout he rangled for his co conspirator Maxine Waters.
We won't miss you Barney.
I'm voting for Sean Bielat
Check out Sean at www.seanforcongress.com
and a little more about Barney at www.byebyebarney.com
Clinton nee Publius | 10.11.10 @ 9:40AM
This won't happen. There is no way - none at all - that anyone in the Democratic Party can afford to let Barney Frank go down. If he goes down then he will be exposed to criminal prosecution for the host of fraudulent enrichment schemes he has been involved in over the years and that would open the whole can of worms and expose many Democratic Party members (sitting House, Senate and White House politicians) to prosecution if he turns state's evidence to reduce his own sentence.
They are not going to let that happen. The ballot box will already be full before the first voter turns out for the polls.
Get real. They are not going to let this guy go down.
Franklin| 10.11.10 @ 12:00PM
Being from Minnesota, I can tell you that this is an all-true happening. Plus the fact that elections are not just won on election day. They can be won by faking votes AFTER the election also. We have Al Franken to remind us every day. What a turd.
PJ| 10.11.10 @ 9:52AM
What is it about the military that changes boys into mature, rational- thinking men? I know there are many reasons why this happens and I'm glad it does! It's a shame the whiny, infantile, narcissistic elitists choose not to join the military when they were younger. What a difference the country would be today, had they joined and learned what real service is.
These veterans certainly bring a much needed, different perspective to the political arena.
wodiej| 10.11.10 @ 1:48PM
perhaps reinstate the draft with no waivers except proven physical or mental impairments.
ClementW| 10.11.10 @ 2:56PM
It does bring to mind the system in Switzerland of all citizens being soldiers. If we had this system, the $787 Billion would have been well spent and the unemployment rate would have been much less instead of it having gone to prop up Barney's friends. Even more important, the experience of being trained and ready to defend the country would have given us an uniformly patriotic, mature rational thinking citizenry.
AJsDaddie| 10.11.10 @ 9:52AM
Yeah, but it diverts their attention, CnP. It takes work to steal an election. Ask Al Franken.
Reagan | 10.11.10 @ 10:02AM
Go Sean! Check out Barney's 30 year career summed up in 60 seconds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_P0050O-ys
Bernard Miller| 10.11.10 @ 10:46AM
Fear not: Mr. Franks can get an honest job as a procurer.
TR| 10.12.10 @ 2:01PM
Or as a pimp for homosexual prostitution...oh wait, his live in boyfriend already has that market cornered.
AJsDaddie| 10.11.10 @ 11:06AM
And if you want a real dark horse, check out Janet Contreras in AZ4. This would be an incredible pickup, and just to get her some name recognition would help to shake up the Dems.
http://www.vote4janet.com/
Redstateboy| 10.11.10 @ 12:06PM
As I read this story I got a sad feeling in my stomach that one would have to agree with Clinton nee Publius.. The Rats will do Anything to Steal this election and as for debating with Bwany Fwank.. Ever see a debate with that Swine?!?? He doesn't debate.. He Filibusters, Pontificates, Lectures, Insults.. Your consumate Condescending Liber-ul.
skip| 10.11.10 @ 12:06PM
Using timeworn advice I occasionally force myself to watch msnbc so as to know your enemy. Earlier this year on the maddow show frank said he and other democrats knew the housing market would collapse, and they knew what to do about it in order to fix the problems, but the republicans in the majority ignored him and the democrats and they were powerless to provide the solutions they knew would fix everything, because the republicans intentionally blocked frank and the democrats. maddow did not question any of this. frank is such a liar it defies belief. For the love of anything good about this nation the Bay State must remove this despicable human being from office.
wodiej| 10.11.10 @ 1:51PM
Once again, comments are made with no regard to who reins supreme and that is not Frank, Democrats or ballot box stuffers-it is God. We must pray and ask for his help.
And stop the reciprocation of vulgar or irrational comments from liberals. They are doing this to incite you to say something similar than using it against us. Just ignore them. Aren't we better than that? I know we are.
HleeC| 10.11.10 @ 2:43PM
Barney Frank the poster child for the corruption of entrenched encumbancy, the arrogance of this Democratic Congress & Administration and the failure of liberal policies. He is also a card carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America and was on their previously published list of 70 members of Congress who were also in their party and working within the US government to advance their agenda. He is a threat to our national interests and has already proven the extent of the damage they can do to the US economy...one need only to look what has occurred in the last three years in the US financial, housing and credit markets...and don't forget the unemployment rate (despite all those "saved and created" jobs).
Besides all the reasons Barney Frank needs to be removed from office, Sean Bielat represents the real hope and change this country needs to correct the trajectory of the country going forward. He is smart, energetic and an independent thinker who will work to restore fiscal responsibility and limited government.
We in his district are working to correct the course of the country by retiring Barney Frank and electing Sean Bielat. If you would like to join the fight please:
DONATE & SHARE MONEYBOMB LINK @ WWW.BYEBYEBARNEY.ORG
David Green| 10.11.10 @ 2:57PM
I'm an unemployed guy in Michigan and only wish I could vote for Sean Bielat. Still, I sent him $10. If I can do it, so can you. Please Donate now:
byebyebarney.org
Redstateboy| 10.11.10 @ 4:04PM
I feel for you brother... being employed in the land of Hussien ain't all that great either.. ya know what happens when Un-Underemployment is at 17% ??? Employers feel free to treat their Employees like Schitt.. I was earning 60K 2 years ago - today I'm at 60% of that working for a company that is as greedy and stingy with the cash as any I've ever known..
Oldefarte| 10.11.10 @ 4:08PM
Although I'm not a Massachusetts resident, my heart and prayers are solidly with Sean and his campaign staff in their efforts to unseat the corruption of Frank. Also, I think Sean for his service to our country and for his military protection of me and my family. Frank absolutely must go [be defeated] since as stated it was he and his fellow liberal Democrats who brought about this real estate/credit disaster many years ago, with the legislation of the CRA of 1977 and the facilitating of Fannie/Freddit to grant loans [and pressure banks into granting same] to uncreditworthy mortgage applicants. Sean and Scott are both truly good guys and my fingers will be crossed and my prayers said that Sean is successful in November!!!!!!!!!!
n0bama| 10.11.10 @ 5:41PM
Sean Bielat WON the wrko 680 debate this morning against B. Frank. It was the first time that Barney F. had to debate an opponent in his +30-year carreer politician ... Sean clearly put B.F. on the defensive. Sean will win because we are FedUp with Socialism, food stamps and Barney Frank and Co. www.RetireBarney.com
Steve Bird| 10.11.10 @ 8:18PM
What about Rachel Brown. LaRouche's solution of a Glass-Steagall is the only way. LaRouche's HBPB which Barney Frank and Dodd blocked would have stopped the Foreclosure fraud which is now out in the open. You Americans need to learn from history your mortal enemy is The British Empire aka Wall St. Frank, Dodd, Pelosi,Obama and his collapsing fleeing administration are all assets of The City of London. Down with the Traitors. From an Australian.
toms184| 10.11.10 @ 8:58PM
Barney is on the run and he is going to lose. Help make that a reality by helping Sean to victory at www.byebyebarney.org.
Mass insurection| 10.11.10 @ 10:12PM
There are many good races here in MA. Lots of good energy up here. Some big names are in trouble.
To touch on a few..
From what I hear, Frank is in trouble.
Jim McGovern's district is in trouble, Marty Lamb has been running a spirited campaign (barf Bags, Sending bags of Acorns to Jim McGovern's office). Lamb not Pork!
http://www.martyforcongress.com/
We even have someone challenging Martha (Marsha) Coakly for AG. This guy (James McKenna http://www.jimforag.com/ ) staged a stealth (write in)campaign, and wound up getting over 27k write in's on primary day...now he will be on the ballot come Nov.
Shocked the heck outta me....and others as well.
Our Gov Race is heated...(to put it mildly)
There are others as well, but I wanted to keep it semi-brief. I suspect MA will be purple come Nov 3rd. (if not leaning a little medium rare )
If that happens...I would like to say, the rest of the country has officially lost the right to make fun of our politics! (ha ha)
An Aussie| 10.12.10 @ 2:01AM
Wake up America. Glass-Steagall is the only solution. You allready have small Government it's called Wall St an appendage of the British. There is one competant person in the U.S. that can handle the collapse. Lyndon LaRouche an F.D.R. Democrat. You have been infiltrated financialy and politicaly by your enemy since the war of Independence The British Empire. Your economy has been deliberately collapsed.
Chris Pedersen| 10.12.10 @ 8:44AM
Has Bwarny asked Harry Reid out on a retirement date yet? Two Ho's for the price of one, all on the same Nov day will be the real Tea Party these two baggers can suck up jointly as they toss their salad while enjoying their cookies and cream together with Pelosi bribing them to let her join in on the bottom.
SF_Exile| 10.12.10 @ 1:25PM
In a state rife with moonbats, Barney Frank's district is moonbat paradise. I for one will absolutely leap for joy when he's defeated. Although I'm sure Howie Carr will miss having the pompous windbag to poke fun at.
Jules| 10.12.10 @ 2:14PM
I think Sean will win. Another possible pick-up for the GOP in MA is MA6. John Tierney wife was just convicted of felony money laundering of her brother's illegal off-shore gambling operation. Tierney is trying desperately to convince the 6th that he knew nothink....nothink just like Sgt Schultz. No one buys it. His challenger, Bill Hudak has ben campaigning day and night for 18 months and has tremendous support.
Real Clear Politics is still showing both MA4 and MA6 as "likely Dem". Not so likely Dem in actuality. Send Hudak $10 if you can also. It is within grasp.
Jack| 10.12.10 @ 10:15PM
I like this guy
Defeat Barney| 10.12.10 @ 10:33PM
Well Bielat just creamed him in a mini-debate on the local FOX channel there in Boston... I swear if Mass gets a clue and votes out this career loser, I will dance naked in the streets (may not be a pretty sight)
Compare the two bios on their about pages.. wow... no comparison at all!