NRSC Response To Massachusetts Senate Appointment

Thursday, 24 September 2009 10:24

In the News

WASHINGTON - Rob Jesmer, Executive Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), issued the following statement today in response to Massachusetts Democrat Governor Deval Patrick’s appointment of an un-elected United States Senator:

"The Democrats’ power play in Massachusetts has nothing to do with principle, and everything to do with politics. With their unpopular government-run health care bill on the brink of failure, Democrats in Washington desperately need another vote in the U.S. Senate, and it is clear that this Administration will stop at nothing to ram it through the Congress. By meddling in the affairs of state politics just weeks after promising to leave it up to the elected Massachusetts officials, Democrat leaders in Washington have demonstrated a willingness to put partisan politics over principle, a far cry from candidate Obama’s pledge to change the way business is done in Washington."

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In August, The White House Said It Would Not Weigh In On The Senate Succession Debate In Massachusetts: "White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters at Martha's Vineyard on Thursday that the president prefers to leave the decision up to state officials. 'The decision of how Massachusetts will be represented in the United States Senate is up to the people and representatives of Massachusetts, and their governor,' Burton said. 'That's just not a scale that he's going to put his thumb on.' (Michael O’Brien, "White House staying silent on Kennedy succession," The Hill’s "Briefing Room" Blog, 8/27/09)

Needing Votes To Pass Its Health Care Bill, Top Obama Advisor David Axelrod Contacted Massachusetts State Senate President Therese Murray Regarding The Senate Appointment In Mid-September. "David Axelrod, a top adviser to President Obama, called Senate President Therese Murray last week, according to a person with knowledge of the call, indicating a high level of interest from the White House, which wants to ensure it has the votes in Congress to pass a major health care bill." (Matt Viser, "Lawmakers Divided On Filling Seat," Boston Globe, 9/15/09)

Deputy White House Chief Of Staff Jim Messina Also Tried To Persuade Massachusetts Lawmakers To Pass A Bill Allowing The Democratic Governor To Pick An Interim Successor. "Deputy White House Chief of Staff Jim Messina, meanwhile, has been bird-dogging the Massachusetts legislature, trying to persuade lawmakers to pass a bill allowing the Democratic governor to pick an interim successor to the late senator Edward M. Kennedy, a move that could be vital to the prospects of Obama's health-care overhaul in Congress." (Anne E. Kornblut and Rosalind S. Helderman, "State Races Capture The White House's Eye," The Washington Post, 9/22/09)