GOP Has Rare Shot At Winning House Seat In Mass.

npr ^ | September 9, 2012

[SMGFan]

U.S. House candidate Richard Tisei is openly gay. He's also openly Republican.

"You know what, in Massachusetts, it's a lot easier to be gay than be a Republican," he says, "as far as trying to get elected to office."

But Tisei could make political history for the Massachusetts GOP. Not just because they could win their first U.S. House seat in 15 years, but also because Tisei would be the first openly gay Republican to be elected to a term in Congress.

Republicans are generally long shots to get elected in this solidly Democratic state. But Tisei's upset bid is getting a huge lift from a family scandal surrounding the incumbent Democrat, Rep. John Tierney.

Tierney's wife pled guilty to aiding and abetting an illegal gambling operation that her brothers were running. This summer, one of them was convicted of racketeering. Another is on the lam.

Voters like Bob Doucette don't want to give the 16-year congressman another two years in office.

"Totally ridiculous. If my wife had $7 million in a checking account, how intelligent can he be if he didn't know that? And he's partly running our country? No possible way," he says.

Both brothers-in-law say the congressman knew all along what they were doing. Tierney says they're just lashing out.

[ladyjane]

i volunteered for Scott Brown for 6 mos.

Why don't you go back and clean up your own state first before messing in the affairs of MA. IIRC Connecticut could use a full-time reformer.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Polis from CO-02 was openly gay when first elected two years before Cicilline.

[fieldmarshaldj]

It’s not very hard for out-of-staters to have such strong opinions or feelings when MA has been responsible for inflicting such abominations nationally for over the past 60 years.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Just because a pervert Socialist slaps an “R” on their name is scarcely a reason to support them, especially if one claims to be a Conservative. Tisei would only serve to give cover to the Democrats to falsely claim “bipartisanship” for their ultraleft policies.

[campaignPete R-CT]

"Why don't you go back and clean up your own state first"

you may recall that Mass GOPers insisted Brown had no chance to win and he could not raise money ... then about 3 weeks before the Jan 19 election, they suddenly go interested.

So somebody had to get the campaign off the ground until the locals got interested. If you're expecting an apology for that, you'll be waiting for an eternity to get it. And Marcia was loser. So sorry we beat her.

LadyJane Tisei seems to be annoyed that her son ain't getting a warm reception here in Freeperville.

[Impy]

Ah, forgot him.

Boulder makes me think of Mork and Mindy.

[scrabblehack]

His website doesn’t look much different from Tisei’s.