Posted on 03/14/2012 7:28:33 AM PDT by raccoonradio
LYNN — U.S. Rep. John Tierney, D-Salem, called Republican opponent Richard Tisei a "desperate candidate" and linked him to a GOP website highlighting legal troubles faced by Tierney's in-laws involved in gambling.
"If this is the way Tisei wants to operate, it's bankrupt," he said in an interview following a discussion with Saugus seniors Tuesday morning.
He added: "Most voters don't want to talk about what my brother-in-law did, they want to talk about jobs."
Not so, Tisei said Tuesday, adding he thinks voters are interested in Tierney's in-laws' legal problems.
"Voters are looking at him," Tisei said.
Tierney's brother-in-law Daniel Eremian was convicted last December in federal court for racketeering and running an illegal gambling business. Another brother-in-law, Robert Eremian, allegedly ran an illegal online gambling business in Antigua, according to an Associated Press report published last December.
Tierney's wife, Patrice, pleaded guilty in 2010 to aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns on behalf of her brother, Robert. She served 30 days in 2011 in a federal prison and was also sentenced to house arrest.
"This was difficult what my family went through," Tierney said Tuesday, adding, "A judge very clearly said I had nothing to do with it. It's clear I had no involvement."
Saugus senior Lila Boivin took Tierney's side Tuesday.
"He's not responsible for what his family does; there is always one bad apple," she said.
The National Republican Congressional Committee site highlights the gambling charges and asks a new question of the Sixth District Congressman every day.
The site is www.howcouldtierneynotknow.com and it includes a link to a November 2011 Boston Herald article outlining court testimony by a woman who said she saw John and Patrice Tierney dining at "gambling enterprise offices" run by Robert and Daniel Eremian in Antigua.
John Tierney said the location described was actually "a modest house in a modest neighborhood."
He said Robert Eremian at the time was under federal probation, stemming from a prior offense.
"Probation signed off on Robert Eremian as did a federal judge," he said.
Tisei, a former Republican state legislator, is challenging Tierney in the November final election to determine which man will represent the Sixth Congressional District stretching from Saugus to the New Hampshire line.
Tierney on Tuesday said Tisei, if elected, will vote in line with Republican Party leaders, including U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) and U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). He dismissed Tisei's claim, published in The Daily Item on March 9, that Tierney voted "99 percent of the time" with former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California).
"If by that he is saying voting for education access is bad or health care and tax cuts, he can take that position. Ultimately the question is, 'Did you vote in the interest of your district?' For me the answer is 'yes,'" Tierney said.
Tisei on Tuesday said his congressional campaign revolves around Tierney's record and the "different direction" Tisei wants to take.
"I have a record showing I've been an independent-minded legislator. He (Tierney) doesn't vote district first, he votes the party line," he said.
Tierney told more than 30 people gathered at the Saugus Senior Center that his campaign "is all about the economy." He said he will help sponsor in a week or two legislation reauthorizing federal job creation programs. Tierney said the program helped recruit newly trained machinists to fill jobs left vacant by retiring General Electric workers.
"GE is just scooping them up. Now I have other industries asking, 'What about us?'" he said.
Tierney promised his mostly older audience that "Social Security is solvent through 2037, according to experts." He took credit Tuesday for ensuring the Affordable Care Act federal health care insurance reform legislation requires 80 cents or more of every health care dollar be spent on care instead of administration.
Saugus Council on Aging Chairman Richard Barry Tuesday credited Tierney with helping secure federal funding to buy five small senior transportation buses.
"We got a lot of support from his office," Barry said.
In 2010 Bill Hudak-R ran and "if lawn signs could vote" he would have won. At the last minute Tierney fought back to yet again deny the MA 6th district the chance to have a Republican U.S. Congressman. Hudak's run this year was called off since he was greatly in debt (the MA GOP, who can fit into a phone booth, was supporting Tisei) and when last seen Hudak (nice guy, have interviewed on radio) was pitching a health remedy.
Howie Carr list ping.
>>Saugus senior Lila Boivin took Tierney’s side Tuesday.
“He’s not responsible for what his family does; there is always one bad apple,” she said.
Right and “those SUVs aren’t mine, they belong to my family”—John Kerry.
We’ll see how this race turns out. Many will object to Tisei, but here’s your alternative. In some ways there can be Republican-leaning towns here in the 6th (Brown did well up here) but the big cities will probably lean Dem. After all the Republican registration rate in all of MA is a mighty 11 per cent.
Two more years of Johnny Pockets. (There’s always 2014
when maybe a true conservative can run.)
http://www.howcouldtierneynotknow.com/
>>How Could Tierney Not Know?
PREVIOUS QUESTIONS
If your spouse showed up with a new car – wouldn’t you wonder where it came from and how it was paid for?
If you dine in headquarters of a multi-million dollar gambling empire with computers, TVs and people on phones – how do you not know where you are?
Why wasn’t that tainted campaign money from Tierney’s fugitive brother in-law returned more than a decade ago - when he was first indicted?
If Congressman Tierney didn’t know anything about his family’s gambling empire, and he had nothing to hide, why did his wife refuse to answer these questions at his brother-in-law’s trial?
Classic...suk it Massholes!
geez... do we even have a horse in this race?
it sounds like neither one of them would be good for the GOP or the US
Is there a good guy here?
Before moving to NH, I lived in Tierney’s district. My congressman was Nicki Mavroulas, who makes Tierney look like an altar boy.
Mavroulas was basically a Greek mafia figure and went to jail after pleading guilty to corruption charges. (I actually think a Repub beat him in his last run for re-election.)
And now we have Tierney living up to his legacy.
Hey, it's MA. Just vote for the guy with the D next to his name. Everybody does. Trust me, they'll do a good job (/ sarcasm).
Tisei ran unsuccessfully for lt gov in 2010. A college classmate (conservative) of mine says he's a hard worker. Or...Tierney.
JOHN AND PATRICE TIERNEY
I’ve lived in this district my whole life.
Mavroules, former mayor of Peabody, was convicted for corruption (5 “bottles of wine” = $5,000) and served time. He was beloved on the North Shore, etc. for getting business to
the G.E. in Lynn. My dad and sister, now both retired, used to work at that G.E. aircraft engine plant.
Howie Carr would play the old song Bottle of Wine by The Fireballs in honor of that code saying. “Bottle of wine,
fruit of the vine. When you gonna let me get sober.
Leave me alone, let me go home. Let me go home and start,
over.”
I forget the year, but Mav. was beaten by Republican Peter Torkildsen (no, not the guy from the Monkees—that was Peter Tork). Tierney beat Torkildsen in ‘97, IIRC, narrowly
Tisei is a good candidate. I wish him all the best against this swine.
2014: Kerry v. ?
Too bad the bench here is painfully empty. I’m thinking one of the Sheriffs, perhaps?
Although we’ll need a candidate for gov. that year too. I smell a “comeback” for Muffy Healy brewing.
I see no one to support here. Tierney & Tisei are both vile.
Electing an openly gay leftist like Tisei as a Republican is no benefit to our side.
Forget a “true conservative” , I’d settle for anyone to the right of a liberal fruit.
Tisei’s vote for Speaker would probably be his only useful one.
Clubber Lang for President.
Better yet Ivan Drago.
there is always one bad apple,...Sounds like a lot more than ONE bad apple in his family.
I would have loved to see those two fight!
“Tisei’s vote for Speaker would probably be his only useful one.”
That’s about it. On the bright side, whenever he farts, it sounds like whistling.
More like a wind tunnel.
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