Michael Capuano

Latest Articles

Boston's last congressman?

Musical chairs dept.
At the moment, neither the Senate president nor the Speaker of the House lives in the city. And in two years, the unthinkable could become reality: Boston might not have a single congressman residing in its borders.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | August 31, 2011

By | January 01, 0001

Media activists aim to take over the future ... of news

'Get me rewrite'
Now imagine you're in charge of getting people excited about media reform — promoting things like local ownership of press outlets, a free and open Internet, and vibrant public journalism that operates outside of party politics. Besides the considerable outreach, education, and advocacy work in store, you've got to deal with the fact that many people just don't like the media.
By SEAN KERRIGAN | April 08, 2011

By | January 01, 0001

Ten Little Congressmen . . .

The outlook for each of Mass.'s Representatives
Each of Massachusetts's 10 congressmen — soon to be nine, following next year's redistricting — are looking at the House shakeup from their own career perspectives.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 17, 2010

Minority Blues

Massachusetts's Democratic Congressmen won their elections, but lost their power. What will they do in John Boehner's House?
The historic national Republican wave, which saw the GOP gain at least 64 seats in the US House of Representatives, seemed to skip Massachusetts, which elected Democrats in all 10 congressional districts.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 17, 2010

Might as well jump

Recent retirements of key democrats paint a picture of a powerful Republican rogue wave forming. So why are high-profile Republicans jumping ship too?
Last Thursday, Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island — the last of his legendary clan in Congress — announced that he will not run for re-election.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 22, 2010

By | January 01, 0001

How Brown won

While Massachusetts Democrats assess blame for who lost the Senate seat, the truth is that Scott Brown won it
As the Massachusetts US Senate election unfolded yesterday, all that the pols and pundits wanted to talk about was how Martha Coakley managed to lose the race. And there is plenty there to dissect. But there is another part of the story, and that is how Scott Brown managed to win it.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 22, 2010

Chaos Theory

2010 might be the year Massachusetts politics undergoes an unprecedented reshuffling.
In less than two weeks, when Massachusetts voters elect Martha Coakley to the US Senate — let's not pretend that Republican state senator Scott Brown has any chance of pulling off the monumental upset — they will trigger a massive domino effect that has the state's political class buzzing with anticipation.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 08, 2010

By | January 01, 0001

Coakley cashes in at the bar

Lawyering Up
It's no surprise that Martha Coakley has raised much of her money for her US Senate campaign from lawyers — that has been her professional and social circle for pretty much her entire adult life.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | December 04, 2009

Capuano for Senate

Plus, Obama's Afghanistan blunder
After a telescoped campaign, Massachusetts Democrats go to the polls Tuesday to choose a successor to a legend, Ted Kennedy.
By EDITORIAL | December 04, 2009

Mutant rats invade Allston

Letters to the Boston editor, November 27, 2009
How could you write this article, a cover story no less, with no mention of the Allston squrat? Obviously, you have not done your homework.
By BOSTON PHOENIX LETTERS | November 25, 2009

The X factor

Come Monday, it's a one-week spring to the primary — and to capture the hearts of undecided voters.
Martha Coakley should be plenty thankful for the holiday weekend. The polls suggest that, if nothing significant changes between now and the December 8 primary, she should handily claim the Democratic nomination for US Senate.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 24, 2009

Ladies' man

In his race for US Senate, Michael Capuano is using well-known women to battle the race's female front-runner.
Early last week, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government announced suddenly that Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, would speak at a forum that Friday afternoon.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 18, 2009

Coakley takes a stand

Plus, free speech at UMass
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley this week separated herself from the gang of essentially like-minded candidates seeking to fill Senator Ted Kennedy's Washington seat by rejecting the US House of Representatives compromise that traded approval of a health-care-reform bill for greater restrictions to abortion access. Good for Coakley.
By EDITORIAL | November 18, 2009

Taking sides

The US Senate election is forcing Massachusetts pols to choose their team. Plus, Pagliuca’s plan, and the state GOP tries to get serious.
The stakes are high in the battle for Massachusetts’s first new US senatorship in a quarter-century.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 04, 2009

Khazei, Like a Fox?

Insiders don’t think Alan Khazei has a chance in the US Senate race. But progressive activists could make him an underdog with bite.
If there is to be a candidate in the Massachusetts US Senate race who inspires the sort of grassroots, progressive following that propelled Governor Deval Patrick into office three years ago — an insurgent candidacy, if you will — it figures to be idealistic public-service advocate Alan Khazei, co-founder of City Year and founder of Be the Change, Inc.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | October 16, 2009

Six for the seat

After a tumultuous week, these half dozen are still in the mix for Kennedy's seat.
Over the next few months, as candidates for the US Senate travel the state, you're likely to hear them say again and again that nobody can ever truly replace Ted Kennedy. That's the truth. But what does the state want next, after such a legendary, larger-than-life figure?
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | September 16, 2009

Giant shadow

Though he won't be on the ballot, Ted Kennedy's influence will be keenly felt in the special election to replace him.
One striking aspect of the Kennedy tributes was the focus on the help he and his office provided for ordinary individuals in Massachusetts — all those things that fall under the category of "constituent services."
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | September 02, 2009

After Ted

Kennedy’s death came amid renewed speculation about his succession, his family, and potential candidates for his job
The death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy early Wednesday morning brings to a close the life and legendary career of one of Massachusetts's greatest political figures.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | August 26, 2009

Preliminary findings

Handicapping the 15-headed horse race that is Boston's at-large City Council election
Even knowledgeable City Hall insiders know they're better off scratching lotto tickets than wagering on Boston politics.
By CHRIS FARAONE | August 12, 2009

Make no mistake

Letters to the Boston editor, March 6, 2009
Please note that David S. Bernstein's February 27 story "Capuano Cornered?" contains some inaccuracies.
By BOSTON PHOENIX LETTERS | March 04, 2009

Capuano cornered?

Could a developing Washington probe hurt the Somerville congressman, and derail his Senate hopes?
Republican lobbying-ethics scandals helped convince voters to toss out the GOP and put Democrats back in control of the US House of Representatives.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | March 03, 2009

Senate shuffle

Massachusetts hasn’t had a Senate-seat vacancy in nearly 25 years. Now we may have two. Let the speculation begin.
Don’t count Ted Kennedy out just yet, but the prognosis immediately set minds thinking about the inevitable departure of Kennedy from the US Senate, where he has served since 1962.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | August 27, 2008

Biolab follies

How did BU's research facility go from slam dunk to almost sunk?
In the beginning — way back in the fall of 2003, when the “War on Terror” was still young — the notion that anything could derail the Boston University biolab seemed absurd.
By ADAM REILLY | April 07, 2008