Coakley
As President Obama and former President Clinton lent their support to Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s race for U.S. Senate, so did a lesser, liberal voice from the other side of the country: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.
In a message sent today to his entire e-mail list, Newsom forwarded a letter from the late Senator Edward Kennedy’s widow, Vicki Kennedy, strongly calling for support for Coakley. In his message, Newsom said:
This Tuesday, there is a special election to fill Senator Kennedy’s Senate seat in Massachusetts. Following Senator Kennedy is no easy task, but I know that Martha Coakley will do everything she can to protect his legacy, starting with passage of the health care bill.
As Republicans across the nation pour money into this election, there is a good chance that Martha’s opponent can win in an upset. Without Martha Coakley in the Senate, health care for millions of Americans is in peril.
The full e-mail, with Vicki Kennedy’s attached e-mail, can be found below the jump.
[UPDATE: Ohio Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, running for U.S. Senate, did the same thing at 6:39 p.m. on a Friday evening, writing, in part:
As you may already know, Massachusetts is holding a special election next Tuesday to fill Senator Kennedy's Senate seat. Democrat Martha Coakley is committed to helping jump-start job creation and tackle the major problems facing our country, while her Republican opponent has pledged to do everything he can to block progress in Washington — starting with the health care reform bill.
Unfortunately, this message of obstruction has galvanized Republicans across the country, giving him an outside shot to win the race in an upset.
So, there you go.]
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Newsom E-mail
Friends:
I wanted to pass on this message I received from Senator Ted Kennedy’s widow Vicki.
This Tuesday, there is a special election to fill Senator Kennedy’s Senate seat in Massachusetts. Following Senator Kennedy is no easy task, but I know that Martha Coakley will do everything she can to protect his legacy, starting with passage of the health care bill.
As Republicans across the nation pour money into this election, there is a good chance that Martha’s opponent can win in an upset. Without Martha Coakley in the Senate, health care for millions of Americans is in peril.
Now is the time to help Martha Coakley!
Please Click Here To Make A Contribution To Help In These Final Critical Days.
Sincerely,
Gavin Newsom
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From: Vicki Kennedy <office@marthacoakley.com>
Date: Wed, Jan 14, 2010 at 1:59 PM
Subject: A Message from Victoria Reggie Kennedy
To: gavin@gavinnewsom.com
Dear Gavin,
Throughout my husband Ted’s life, you were always there for him, for me and for the entire Kennedy family. We are tremendously grateful for your friendship and support in the past, and we ask you to stand with us now to support Martha Coakley in the crucial race to fill Ted’s remaining term.
This Tuesday, January 19 everything is on the line. The people of Massachusetts will decide who will be their next Senator, and we need Martha Coakley.
The importance of having a voice and a vote that you can count on in Washington has never been more evident than during this ongoing health care debate. And we’re going to need every vote again.
Ted fought for national health care reform for 40 years. He believed that every American deserved their chance at the American dream, but that as long as an illness or preexisting condition could bankrupt an American family, that great goal could never become a reality. We need Martha Coakley to continue our shared fight for national health reform, to reduce costs for businesses and families and increase coverage in Massachusetts and throughout this country. This race will be very close and we need you to get us to victory.
We have just 5 days to do the hard work of electing Martha Coakley so that we can continue the agenda that Ted made the fight of his life – reforming health care, ensuring equality and justice for all, protecting our seniors, and rebuilding our economy to allow everyone to prosper. That fight for working families cannot stop – not now, not when so much is at stake for Massachusetts and America. And that’s why I’m asking you to ensure that we are victorious this Tuesday.
Stand with me and support Martha Coakley by making a contribution of $35, $50, or whatever you can do today. My husband fought all his life to keep moving this nation forward — now we must make it the fight of ours.
We need to do everything it takes to ensure our shared fight continues. I am asking you personally to do one more thing for Martha Coakley.
We cannot do this without you.
With gratitude,
Vicki Kennedy
P.S. I know together we can keep fighting for our shared vision of the future. Please go online today to www.marthacoakley.com to make a difference.
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Chris Geidner is the award-winning senior political editor at D.C.'s Metro Weekly and has written for The Atlantic Online, The American Prospect, Advocate.com, Salon and other publications, as well as at his blog, Law Dork. In 2011, he received the Excellence in News Writing Award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for his coverage of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal. Prior to moving to D.C. in 2009, he served as an attorney on the senior staff at the Ohio Attorney General's Office and had earlier worked for a leading Columbus law firm. An extended biography can be found