Michael Capuano

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Boston's last congressman?

At the moment, neither the Senate president nor the Speaker of the House lives in the city. And in two years, the unthinkable could become reality: Boston might not have a single congressman residing in its borders.
Musical chairs dept.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | September 02, 2011

Boston's Last Congressman?

Boston may be the epicenter of Massachusetts politics, but the effects of suburbanization are undeniable. At the moment, neither the senate president nor the speaker...
By David S. Bernstein | August 26, 2011

Keohan Joins King

James Coyne King has not received much attention in the Massachusetts Democratic primary for US Senate, to take on Scott Brown in 2012, and perhaps...
By David S. Bernstein | July 26, 2011

Q&A #3: Senate Candidates

"Boston Tom" asks: Have we heard the last of the announced Democrats to challenge Scott Brown? If not, who is either (a) strongly considering a...
By David S. Bernstein | June 01, 2011

Media activists aim to take over the future ... of news

Now imagine you're in charge of getting people excited about media reform — promoting things like local ownership of press outlets, a free and open Internet, and vibrant public journalism that operates outside of party politics. Besides the considerabl
'Get me rewrite'
By SEAN KERRIGAN | April 08, 2011

Hillary Says No 2nd Term -- And Helps Scotto?

Hillary Clinton tells CNN's Wolf Blitzer that she is not interested in continuing to serve as Secretary of State in a 2nd Obama term, should...
By David S. Bernstein | March 16, 2011

Bloody Capuano?

I'm pretty solidly on the record, particularly writing about conservatives, that I don't think we should get worked up about violent metaphors in politics --...
By David S. Bernstein | February 23, 2011

Ten Little Congressmen . . .

Each of Massachusetts's 10 congressmen — soon to be nine, following next year's redistricting — are looking at the House shakeup from their own career perspectives.
The outlook for each of Mass.'s Representatives
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 19, 2010

Minority Blues

The historic national Republican wave, which saw the GOP gain at least 64 seats in the US House of Representatives, seemed to skip Massachusetts, which elected Democrats in all 10 congressional districts.
Massachusetts's Democratic Congressmen won their elections, but lost their power. What will they do in John Boehner's House?
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 19, 2010

Might as well jump

Last Thursday, Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island — the last of his legendary clan in Congress — announced that he will not run for re-election.
Recent retirements of key democrats paints a picture of a powerful Republican rogue wave forming. So why are a number of high-profile Republicans leaving office too?
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 19, 2010

Among The Somerville Dems

Somerville's seven Ward Democratic Party Committees held their caucuses last night, to elect delegates to the state convention. All other committees aren't allowed to start...
By David S. Bernstein | February 09, 2010

How Brown won

As the Massachusetts US Senate election unfolded yesterday, all that the pols and pundits wanted to talk about was how Martha Coakley managed to lose the race. And there is plenty there to dissect. But there is another part of the story, and that is how
While Massachusetts Democrats assess blame for who lost the Senate seat, the truth is that Scott Brown won it
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 22, 2010

Chaos Theory

In less than two weeks, when Massachusetts voters elect Martha Coakley to the US Senate — let's not pretend that Republican state senator Scott Brown has any chance of pulling off the monumental upset — they will trigger a massive domino effect that has
2010 might be the year Massachusetts politics undergoes an unprecedented reshuffling.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 08, 2010

Voting Day: The early word on the Massachusetts Senate special election

I've got little or nothing useful to tell you at this stage of the game (so, if you're hoping to be the next AG, just...
By David S. Bernstein | December 08, 2009

Coakley cashes in at the bar

It's no surprise that Martha Coakley has raised much of her money for her US Senate campaign from lawyers — that has been her professional and social circle for pretty much her entire adult life.
Lawyering Up
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | December 04, 2009

Capuano for Senate

After a telescoped campaign, Massachusetts Democrats go to the polls Tuesday to choose a successor to a legend, Ted Kennedy.
Plus, Obama's Afghanistan blunder
By EDITORIAL | December 04, 2009

Mutant rats invade Allston

How could you write this article, a cover story no less, with no mention of the Allston squrat? Obviously, you have not done your homework.
Letters to the Boston editor, November 27, 2009
By BOSTON PHOENIX LETTERS | November 27, 2009

The X factor

Martha Coakley should be plenty thankful for the holiday weekend. The polls suggest that, if nothing significant changes between now and the December 8 primary, she should handily claim the Democratic nomination for US Senate.
Come Monday, it's a one-week spring to the primary — and to capture the hearts of undecided voters.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 27, 2009

Ladies' man

Early last week, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government announced suddenly that Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, would speak at a forum that Friday afternoon.
In his race for US Senate, Michael Capuano is using well-known women to battle the race's female front-runner.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 20, 2009

Coakley takes a stand

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley this week separated herself from the gang of essentially like-minded candidates seeking to fill Senator Ted Kennedy's Washington seat by rejecting the US House of Representatives compromise that traded appr
Plus, free speech at UMass
By EDITORIAL | November 13, 2009

Taking sides

The stakes are high in the battle for Massachusetts’s first new US senatorship in a quarter-century.
The US Senate election is forcing Massachusetts pols to choose their team. Plus, Pagliuca’s plan, and the state GOP tries to get serious.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | October 30, 2009

Khazei, Like a Fox?

If there is to be a candidate in the Massachusetts US Senate race who inspires the sort of grassroots, progressive following that propelled Governor Deval Patrick into office three years ago — an insurgent candidacy, if you will — it figures to be ideali
Insiders don’t think Alan Khazei has a chance in the US Senate race. But progressive activists could make him an underdog with bite.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | October 16, 2009

Six for the seat

Over the next few months, as candidates for the US Senate travel the state, you're likely to hear them say again and again that nobody can ever truly replace Ted Kennedy. That's the truth. But what does the state want next, after such a legendary, la
After a tumultuous week, these half dozen are still in the mix for Kennedy's seat.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | September 18, 2009

Giant shadow

One striking aspect of the Kennedy tributes was the focus on the help he and his office provided for ordinary individuals in Massachusetts — all those things that fall under the category of "constituent services."
Though he won't be on the ballot, Ted Kennedy's influence will be keenly felt in the special election to replace him. Plus, the lack of a GOP candidate, and the Kennedy effect on Boston's city elections.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | September 04, 2009

After Ted

The death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy early Wednesday morning brings to a close the life and legendary career of one of Massachusetts's greatest political figures.
Kennedy’s death came amid renewed speculation about his succession, his family, and potential candidates for his job
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | August 28, 2009

Preliminary findings

Even knowledgeable City Hall insiders know they're better off scratching lotto tickets than wagering on Boston politics.
Handicapping the 15-headed horse race that is Boston's at-large City Council election
By CHRIS FARAONE | August 14, 2009

Make no mistake

Please note that David S. Bernstein's February 27 story "Capuano Cornered?" contains some inaccuracies.
Letters to the Boston editor, March 6, 2009
By BOSTON PHOENIX LETTERS | March 04, 2009

Capuano cornered?

Republican lobbying-ethics scandals helped convince voters to toss out the GOP and put Democrats back in control of the US House of Representatives.
Could a developing Washington probe hurt the Somerville congressman, and derail his Senate hopes?
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 25, 2009

Senate shuffle

Don’t count Ted Kennedy out just yet, but the prognosis immediately set minds thinking about the inevitable departure of Kennedy from the US Senate, where he has served since 1962.
Massachusetts hasn’t had a Senate-seat vacancy in nearly 25 years. Now we may have two. Let the speculation begin.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | May 28, 2008

Biolab follies

In the beginning — way back in the fall of 2003, when the “War on Terror” was still young — the notion that anything could derail the Boston University biolab seemed absurd.
How did BU's research facility go from slam dunk to almost sunk?
By ADAM REILLY | April 07, 2008

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