Why I'm Backing Alan Khazei for the U.S. Senate

In 1988, I saw a sign for City Year in a store-front window in Cambridge. Later that afternoon I met Alan Khazei, and signed up as an early volunteer in this new service initiative. We have remained friends ever since. City Year flourished. Remarkably, 575,000 people have served as corps members, providing over 700 million hours of service to this country educating our children, fighting poverty, conserving the environment, caring for our seniors, providing disaster relief and supporting our veterans. It was a big idea that continues to create big change.

Alan has continued every day to inspire and mobilize large groups of people to believe that, together, the world can be made better. With courage and conviction, Alan has led the way, with City Year, and then building and sustaining AmeriCorps, and creating strong legislative coalitions. None of this would have been possible without a keen understanding of how Washington works. Alan has worked with four U.S. Presidents and members of congress on both sides of the aisle as the key mover behind AmeriCorps legislation and the Kennedy Serve America Act which won 79 votes in the Senate, a majority of both Democratic and Republican votes.

Those of us who have worked with Alan to expand service opportunities know he has won tremendous respect in the Senate for his commitment to country and his work effectively moving legislation. Alan represents a rare opportunity to elect a bridge builder with a proven ability to work the inside Washington game with members of both parties while also galvanizing outside pressure from citizens to effectively pass meaningful national legislation. And Alan has also proven his toughness. When Tom Delay threatened to slash the budget for AmeriCorps, Alan went to Washington and brought 700 citizens with him from around the country, including 50 members of Congress, for an unprecedented, round the clock, 100 hour citizens hearing. Alan and his band of Big Citizens not only restored the budget for AmeriCorps, they delivered a 100 million dollar increase in funding to expand service. In these times, when our people desperately need action and results, Alan can be counted on as a proven, effective leader.

Alan will bring the same wisdom, passion and fresh approach to the hard work of creating jobs, ending the war, protecting our planet and resources, improving schools, and addressing the health care needs of our citizens. Alan has the experience to bring people and our representatives in Washington together around the essential issues we care about deeply. He has done so again and again with remarkable success.

Perhaps most important, Alan has a joyful, dedicated energy that is unwavering. No one works harder or cares more. His indomitable spirit and deep appreciation of possibility would make him a most indefatigable advocate for Massachusetts in the years ahead. Please join me in supporting his candidacy for U.S. Senate on December 8th.

www.alanforsenate.com

 

Comments

[Tom Matlack]

10:02 AM on 12/07/2009

Vicki its been too long (like 25 years). I agree that Alan is the guy, despite the fact that my brother is Martha's #1 litigator in the AG's office. To me it comes down to the 30 million kids in our country who do not have a father in their lives. City Year is one tangible way to give these kids the role models and positive work environmen­t they desperatel­y need. Nothing else is as important to our collective future.
I am not sure Alan will win, but he should.

Tom Matlack, www.goodme­nproject.o­rg

[minigun]

08:19 PM on 12/06/2009

Khazei has been a disgracefu­l leader in Afghanista­n-- why would anyone want him to run for office here?

[Doofus]

12:24 AM on 12/06/2009

One odd circumstan­ce that might develop. It's an open primary, so independen­ts are
voting. They could go for Pagliuca, who is something of an 'independe­nt Democrat',
which would pull votes from Coakely, setting up a win for either Khazei or Capuano.
That's about the only way Coakley will not win, in a 4-candidat­e race.

[Doofus]

07:50 AM on 12/06/2009

If Pagliuca, by the way, gets the nomination­, he'll win the seat, being
the GOP's real favorite, at least in Massachuse­tts, where the only way
to win statewide is to at least pretend to be a Democrat. It's the primary
that matters, not the 'general' election in January when the nominated
Demo will be semi-autom­atically elected.

[GrumpyOldGeek]

08:40 PM on 12/05/2009

Sad to say, but I predict a dismal vote for Alan Khazei. Three big reasons;

He's unknown Westa Woostah (the derogatory name for the non-Boston part of Massachuse­tts)

His name is too much along the lines of Hamid Karzai.

The Boston Globe endorsed him.

Yes, this is a very negative comment. I would take bets, though. I like the guy, but the general view is that he doesn't have the background nor the experience to be effective in the US Senate. Perhaps a Congressio­nal run might be more appropriat­e. It's not that his community organizati­on experience isn't helpful, but I sense that the Senate wouldn't give this much weight.

Another factor that skews reality is that many will vote for Coakley simply because she's a woman. They need to be reminded of Coakley's bulldog approach with the Nanny, Louise Woodward, and her trial. Coakley helped propel the rhetoric to the point where law periodical­s proclaimed Woodward as the "most notorious criminal convicted in Massachuse­tts". These misguided antics backfire with voters when more important issues come up and get less attention.

The other candidates seem to be more interested in self-promo­tion to me. They talk using the right keywords. The hardened Senate members would eat these candidates for lunch.

Mike Capuano has experience in Washington in Congress. President Obama has been supportive­. His campaign not been nasty so far. He has a real progressiv­e voting record. You can look it up and see for yourself.

[flacon]

07:03 PM on 12/05/2009

We really need another community organizer in the senate.

[raker]

05:07 PM on 12/05/2009

I like Alan Khazei. For me, it's between him and MIke Capuano. Eenie meenie miny moe....
I don't like Martha Coakley one bit.

[Doofus]

12:55 PM on 12/05/2009

Rasmussen Poll - November 24, 2009
Attorney General Martha Coakley holds a 15-point lead among likely Democratic Primary voters in Massachuse­tts in the race to fill the U.S. Senate seat of the late Edward M. Kennedy.

A new Rasmussen Reports survey in the state shows Coakley with the support of 36% of likely primary voters, followed by Congressma­n Michael Capuano who earns 21%.

Alan Khazei, the head of a Boston-bas­ed national community service program, and Stephen Pagliuca, a businessma­n and co-owner of the Boston Celtics, each pick up 14% of the primary vote. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate, and 10% are undecided. ...