Latest News

Original article by Bryan McGonigle at Peabody Patch

A GOP poll that showed Richard Tisei in the lead may have not been what it seemed, and Team Tierney is calling foul.

Richard Tisei uses outrageous, deceptive campaign tactics to mislead the 6^th District

Peabody, MA –  Tisei’s pollster admitted in an interview published today that Tisei’s poll massively over represents Republicans and under represents Democrats. Assuming Democrats and Independents turn out at the same rate as in 2008, Republican turnout would need to be 152% to achieve the party breakdown in Tisei’s biased poll. What does this mean?  Given the registration makeup of the 6^th District, even if every single registered Republican in the district votes in November and half of them vote TWICE, that still won’t be enough to match the sample in Tisei’s biased poll.

“This is a very misleading trick by a very desperate campaign,” said Matt Robison, Tierney’s Campaign Manager.  “Inventing non-existent Republican voters won’t change the outcome of this election or the strong support that John Tierney has earned from Democrats, Republicans, and Independents for his years of fighting for the middle class. “

“Maybe the Tisei campaign has been taking accounting lessons from their Wall Street friends at JP Morgan,” Robison added. “Richard Tisei has shown that he will do or say anything to get elected. He has unethically manipulated a poll, and he does not want voters to know he opposes the payroll tax cut that is helping the middle class."

Yesterday, Richard Tisei released internal polling numbers without providing any context or details for the poll.  His campaign claimed that Tisei currently holds a slight lead over incumbent Congressman John Tierney.

Shortly after the Tisei campaign released its polling numbers, Tisei campaign pollster John McLaughlin admitted that the poll is significantly skewed to favor Republicans.

The Salem News reported that:

“In fact, the GOP poll does have elevated Republican representation.” - 5/16/2012

“The actual makeup of registered voters in the district is 13 percent Republican, 30 percent Democrat and 57 percent independent. But their poll respondents were 22 percent Republican, 29 percent Democrat and 49 percent independent.”- 5/16/2012

The most accurate polling in this race has Congressman John Tierney ahead of his Republican opponent by a double digit margin. 

Peabody, MA – Today the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has added Richard Tisei to their Young Guns program. In 2010, the NRCC led the nationwide effort to elect a Tea Party majority to congress. Earlier this year, Richard Tisei said, “The Tea Party is a Godsend,” and now they are rallying around him.

“This announcement by the NRCC is a clear indication that our opponent has embraced the radical agenda of Washington Republicans – he is their hand-picked man.  Since this crowd took power they have brought us the Ryan Plan to end Medicare, waged a war on women, and have focused on defeating President Obama at all costs since day one,” said Tierney campaign manager Matt Robison.

Shortly after John Tierney issued a challenge to the Tisei campaign to bar outside expenditures in the race, Tisei was endorsed by an organization which sole mission is to influence congressional races with third party-money. In the 2010 election cycle the NRCC spent over $45 million on attack ads.  The NRCC depends on funding from the likes of Big Oil and the Koch Brothers. Perhaps that is why the Republican Caucus, along with Richard Tisei, supported Big Oil over college students in the recent debate over maintaining interest rates for student loans. The question remains, how will Richard Tisei’s partnership with Washington Republicans affect his judgment on preventing third-party spending in the 6^th congressional district?

“It is surprising that Mr. Tisei claims to oppose special interest money and Super PACs, yet he actively courted the endorsement of an organization that is unapologetically fueled by right-wing special interests,” Robison added.

Tisei’s support from the NRCC flies in the face of his claims that he is a different kind of Republican.  John Tierney remains focused on the needs of people in the 6^th district, while Richard Tisei has concentrated his efforts on currying favor with far-right conservatives in Washington, D.C.

“Mr. Tisei still has the opportunity to block spending from outside groups in this campaign by signing on to the People’s Pledge. The outcome of this election should be determined by the people of Massachusetts and not outside groups running negative ads with secret money,” concluded Robison.

Peabody, MA – Today President Obama announced that he believes that same-sex marriage should be legal.

“I am proud to stand with President Obama and support marriage equality. I have continually supported marriage equality and resisted Republican efforts to undermine the rights of gay couples. I oppose any form of discrimination, and believe all Americans deserve equal rights,” said Congressman John Tierney.

“Unfortunately, my Republican opponent would enable Speaker John Boehner to implement the rigid, right-wing ideology that adamantly opposes marriage equality,” said Tierney.

Richard Tisei is running for Congress to join a right-wing Republican caucus that has worked to block any form of progress for the LGBT community. The difference between congressional Democrats and Republicans on the issue of marriage equality could not be more stark.  Republicans have used their control in Washington and across the country to roll back equality and anti-discrimination measures. An openly gay staffer recently resigned from Mitt Romney’s campaign due to right-wing pressure, and Richard Tisei was silent - he failed to stand up and demand that his Presidential candidate show leadership and resist the forces of intolerance in their party.

“With a Democratic majority in Congress we can continue to work on critical pieces of legislation such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. My opponent cannot say the same if a GOP majority is in Congress,” said Tierney.

Congressman John Tierney was endorsed for re-election by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization.

Richard Tisei is out of touch with middle class families.

PRESS RELEASE
JOHN TIERNEY FOR CONGRESS
For Immediate Release
April 18, 2012
Contact: Matt Robison 
978-531-2533    

Ryan Funds Tisei Campaign, But Tisei Still Mum on Ryan-Authored Republican Budget

Four Weeks of Dodging Questions, Feigning Ignorance, Giving Increasingly Far-Fetched Excuses

Peabody, MA – Just-released FEC filings revealed today that Republican candidate Richard Tisei was given the maximum allowable legal contribution by Congressman Paul Ryan’s Political Action Committee.

Paul Ryan was the author of the Republican budget, a plan that ends Medicare as we know it while giving tax breaks to Big Oil, companies that ship American jobs overseas, and billionaires. 

Over the past four weeks, Tisei has refused to answer simple, straightforward questions from reporters on whether he would have voted for the Republican budget, or indeed any of the budgets considered in Congress for this year including the Democratic budget or Republican Study Group budget.

“We’re all still waiting,” said Tierney campaign manager Matt Robison. “This ain’t hard.  The budget is in front of you — you would have voted yes or no.  Voters have a right to know how you would actually vote on the biggest issue in Congress.”

The history of the Tisei campaign’s tap-dancing around the budget has become particularly tangled in the past four weeks.

Timeline of Republican Budget and Richard Tisei’s Dodging

April 5, 2011                  Paul Ryan releases his Republican budget plan for 2012

March 20, 2012     Ryan releases Republican plan for 2013, almost 100% identical to the previous year’s plan

March 21, 2012     Richard Tisei flies to Washington, DC to be personally briefed by Ryan on the budget, what it contains, and how to discuss it publicly, as reported by the Hotline and Politico

March 29, 2012     US House of Representatives passes Ryan’s Republican budget

March 30, 2012     Tisei spokesman dodges reporter’s question on the Republican budget with the following double-negative-filled, non-answer, which he gave despite the obvious fact that Tisei knew the Republican budget in detail: "It’s a good basis of discussion and should not be an option to do nothing, which is currently what's being done and why the country is in trouble. He [Tisei] hasn’t had an opportunity to see the legislation, so he’s not taken a position how he would vote."

March 31, 2012     Ryan’s Political Action Committee gives Tisei campaign $2,500 , the maximum amount allowable by law for any one election.

April 3, 2012         Tisei praises the Republican budget and calls it a “step in the right direction” but bizarrely still refuses to just go ahead and say he would have voted for it.

April 16, 2012       FEC report reveals Ryan contribution to Tisei

“Mr. Tisei has gone to Washington,” Robison added.  “Paul Ryan personally explained the Republican budget to him.  The Republican budget has been in its current form for over a year.  Paul Ryan is one of Tisei’s biggest benefactors. Tisei has already praised the Republican budget plan.  Yet, despite all that, Richard Tisei still believes he can play coy about where he stands.  It’s time for him to just admit that this is the plan he supports.  No more games.”

##

Upcoming Signature Drives:

Saturday 03/03/2012
Danvers Signature Drive
Time: 10:00 am
Location: Gelato Harbor Café

Saturday 03/01/2012
Beverly Signature Drive
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Marino’s Café in Beverly

Past Signature Drives:

Saturday 2/18/2012
Wakefield Signature Drive
Time: 9:30 am
Location:  Americal Civic Center (467 Main Street)

Saturday 02/18/2012               
Salem Signature Drive 
Time: 10:00 am
Location: Cafe Palonia 118 Washington Street Salem

Saturday 02/18/2012 

Newburyport Signature Drive
To get involved, contact Ed Cameron at edcameronNBPT@gmail.com to make arrangements to pick up materials for door to door signature gathering for our candidates for Senate, Congress and State Rep.

Sunday 02/19/2012   
Peabody Signature Drive 
Time: 1:00-300 pm
Location: Tasty Foods 49 A Lowell Street Peabody

Saturday 3/3/2012  
Danvers Signature Drive 
Time: 10:00 am
Location: Gelato Harbor Cafe 125 Liberty Street Danvers 

Saturday 3/3/2012 
Beverly Signature Drive 
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Marino's Cafe 200 Rantoul Street Beverly     

MALDEN, MA- The state’s largest labor organization endorsed Congressman John Tierney for re-election in the 6^th Congressional District with a unanimous vote of its Executive Council’s Committee on Political Education at a conference in Plymouth on Thursday. With so much at stake in the nation’s federal elections, every seat in Massachusetts carries importance; but an opportunity to help re-elect the long-time union supporter and member of the important House Labor Committee carries that much more importance.

State AFL-CIO President Steven A. Tolman said, “With years of tireless advocacy fighting for working families and our Commonwealth’s most disadvantaged people, this endorsement is as energizing as it is well-deserved. He is a champion in our delegation and serves on important committees to help drive a pro-worker agenda. We look forward to spending time on the North Shore talking to our members about how important Congressman Tierney’s re-election is to rebuilding our country’s middle class.”

Congressman Tierney proudly accepted the endorsement, saying, “A big thank you to the hard working men and women of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO for today’s endorsement. Like them, I believe we need elected officials who are willing to join efforts with all sectors of our community to steer our economy back to fiscal strength and to keep the American Dream alive. The Republican assault on working families sets the wrong priorities and makes bad choices at a time when we should be above partisan distractions. We need everyone – unions, business, government and all our citizens – to join together to dig ourselves out of this economic hole by creating jobs, investing in job training and education, and putting people back to work."

Jeffrey Crosby, President of the North Shore Labor Council, said, “Congressman Tierney has been an invaluable voice for working families on the North Shore. He has both a firm understanding and a tireless passion for the creation of a fair economy that works for workers – not just the people on the top.  His re-election is crucial to our fight for fairness and we are ready to hit the ground running to support him.”

About the Massachusetts AFL-CIO

The Massachusetts AFL-CIO is an organization created by workers to promote the interests of workers in the Commonwealth. We are the most powerful, authoritative voice for all working people in the state, both for those in unions and those not yet organized. With roots dating back to the 1880’s, and originally charted as an AFL-CIO chapter in 1958, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO is one of fifty-one state charters of our parent organization, the AFL-CIO. The Massachusetts AFL-CIO receives the bulk of its resources and power from affiliated local unions and other labor organizations across the state. All told, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO encompasses over 750 affiliated unions which directly represent approximately 400,000 working families in the public, building and construction trades, and industrial/service sectors. Steven A. Tolman (781-324-8230) is the organization’s President and Tim Sullivan (tsullivan@massaflcio.org) is the contact for the press. Find out more at www.massaflcio.org.

Peabody, MA – Congressman John Tierney released the following statement in response to today’s announcement by the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting.

“The Special Joint Committee on Redistricting had a difficult job to do and it is gratifying to learn that they were responsive to the many people who attended their public hearing and sent in communications asking that the existing 6th district communities be kept together. The commonality of interests, shared experiences, contiguous boundaries and the area's history made a compelling case for why the district is too important to separate and everyone who helped present that case can be proud of these successful efforts. The residents of Billerica, Tewksbury and a part of Andover will recognize a lot of commonality with other Sixth District communities. I look forward to becoming acquainted with new neighbors, meeting with existing friends there, and listening to people's concerns and ideas. I thank the State Legislators for their hard work.”

###

Washington, DC - Congressman John Tierney released the following statement today in celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
 
“As the Jewish community begins the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, I offer my heartfelt wishes for a good New Year. Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year and is a time to reflect on the last year and to celebrate the possibilities of the year to come. Along with the men, women, and children celebrating in our area, this High Holiday offers us all an opportunity to recommit to our shared values of helping those in need, and strengthening our community. May the days ahead bring forth a year of peace for our nations and our longtime ally, Israel.”

###